Journey to the Roof: Tuesday-Saturday

The next day (Tuesday) we loaded up an hour earlier than usual and headed off to Shigatse, 330 km from Lhasa and separated by a 4,900m pass. It took nearly the whole day to reach Shigatse, as the speed limits are slow, our van was slow, and we stopped at the top of the pass to view the turquoise colored, scorpion shaped, Yamdroktso Lake, said to be a holy lake of the Buddhist religion. We also stopped at another monastery in Gyantse Dzong and Corin and I climbed to the top of a beautiful pagoda. This monastery had the most wood carvings I've seen yet, making it a nice change from the Palace and Temple, and it was surrounded by a wall built in 1904 to protect the monastery from the invading English. We stopped for lunch in a very poor town and were constantly approached by beggars while we ate. This time, it was both Corin and I's turn for our food to arrive late and although it turned out to be wrong, we didn't complain. We finally reached Shigatse at around 6:30 Tuesday evening and unloaded our bags into the beautiful rooms at the Mansarovar Hotel. We took advantage of the hotel's Happy Village Restaurant where Corin got an amazing cordon bleu, Barbara ordered a chicken chili dish like the one I'd had previously and Lars, Monica and I tried the tuna and chicken salads, respectively. Lars and Monika also ordered a prosciutto pizza, but it never arrived. Besides the often late or never arriving meals, the food in Tibet was actually quite good. The restaurants however are usually dirty and smoke filled. And toilets are a whole other story that I'll spare our gentle readers. Let's just say it's BYOTP and the darker the restroom, the better.

Wednesday morning saw us all up and eating breakfast by 6:30 in order to embark on the final leg of our journey to Everest. We were sad to leave our beautiful hotel but the thought of ending the day under Everest's shadow was an excellent motivator. During the day long drive, we picked up an elderly hitchhiker, whom Konchok called grandfather, and he rode with us for a good hour on his way home from Shigatse. During this drive we were able to get the biggest taste of life outside of the city. If one would remove the telephone poles, and the occasional pieced together motorbike, you wouldn't have known what century you were in. Scrawny little horses and shaggy black yaks pulled plows as the farmers prepared the ground for planting. Farmers sat for lunch at the edges of their fields while their tiny horses munched grain from the feed bag nearby.  We stopped for lunch at a small local place and had various yak influenced dishes. From there, we continued on towards Everest. Upon reaching the pass that would lead to the foothills of Everest, our bus broke down. After 30 km of unpacked, half washed out road, the bolts had simply rattled loose. The repairs set us back an hour but we all clapped wholeheartedly when we hit the road again. Unfortunately, we stopped not five minutes later due to the rattling and eventually the driver had to tie the engine pieces together with the white welcome scarves we had received upon entering Tibet. The rigging worked and with the Himalayas in full view we were on our way, for reals this time. Everest had first come into sight at the top of the pass and it was bigger and more magnificent than I could have imagined. In the same way that the Grand Canyon's depth and length is nearly indescribable, the tallest mountain on earth is as tall and breathtaking. It went in and out of view for the next 60 km (still on teeth rattling, kidney bruising roads) until we were nearly at our destination. We arrived shortly after 7, completing our 12 hour journey just 4km from Base Camp with Everest in full glory. Our home for the night was a yak hair tent, cozy and tidy and heated by gathered wood and goat dung. We sat and acclimatized for an hour or so, drinking hot tea and fire roasted potatoes straight off the stove. We then ordered fried rice from our host/cook/hotel owner, consumed our meals and called it a night. The short trip to Base Camp would wait until morning.

Sleeping under the shadow of Everest is a mighty epic feeling but waking up to the first rays of sun hitting the highest peeks might be even better. Despite the freezing night temperatures, the valley warms quickly upon the sun's rising. The only chilling factor that remains is the wind, and goodness, it gives Wyoming a run for its money. After we had taken sunrise pictures to our hearts content, our host made pancakes (more like very sweet crepes) and I dug into my emergency oatmeal and peanut butter stash. We then caught the 9am bus to Everest Base Camp (EBC). Once there, we took yet more pictures, this time from the closest vantage point any non-climber can make. We were awed by the tents in the valley at the very base, no doubt full of climbers preparing and acclimatizing for their first accent. What a thing to be able to claim, that you've climbed Everest! An amazing, crazy thing. After a half hour of the freezing cold winds and awe-some views, we climbed back into the bus and hit the road back to Shigatse. This time, since our bus didn't break down and we didn't stop at every pass, the trip took a mere 10 hours.

Back in Shigatse we supped at the Happy Village Restaurant again and soon after bid everyone good night. Showers, heated rooms and an extra good night's sleep were high on everyone's list. All that remained of our adventure was the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, the base of Buddhism's penchant-lhama, and a six or seven hour trip back to Lhasa. Our final full day saw us rising a little later, eating a full breakfast and heading over to the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. Here we saw an 8 meter tall (about 26ft) Buddha that caused the words "wow!" to escape my mouth as soon as we entered the door. Konchok had not told us it was going to be so big! We then toured three more buildings and the main assembly hall. As it goes while visiting cathedrals in Europe, monasteries in Tibet begin to look the same very quickly. This was true with the Tashi Lhunpo as well. The architecture, carvings, draperies and statues are all incredibly detailed but the monks at this monastery seemed most active, sweeping and smiling to the visitors and worshippers. Since we were so well versed in Tibetan monasteries by now, we were quickly through our tour of the buildings and got on the road to Lhasa. Around lunchtime we hit a bit of snow but it cleared as soon as we left the canyon we were traveling through.

Please click here for pictures of this part of our trip. 

Our final night in Lhasa was spent doing last minute bartering, dining with our new found friends that we sadly might never see again and preparing for our flight back to Chengdu. This country has left an impression on my mind that can never fade. We have brought back pictures, stories and trinkets (those hard bargained for and those in which we probably paid too much) to share with others but the sensations experienced in Tibet will be the things that last the longest. The feel of a copper lotus flower, warn smooth by thousands of hands and foreheads being pressed to it will never leave my fingertips. The stairs worn smooth from so many pilgrims feet will forever stay with my footfalls. The smell of burning yak butter and incense and the sound of yet more butter being sprinkled into the bowls by old women with bright yarn tied into their braids. The sound of horses' hooves on the stone paved roads, the jingle of the bells that are tied 'round their neck and the blaring horns of passing cars. However, what I will remember most is the intense devotion the Tibetans show to their faith, a faith challenged by a "liberating army" and a clinging to of a culture in danger of slipping away forever. The older generation walks daily, always clockwise, around the temples, palaces, cities and monasteries continually spinning the prayer wheels held in their hands. The murmurings of whispered prayers can be heard under their breaths, prayer beads rolling through their fingers. The youngest generation imitates their parents and presses their foreheads to the door frames and walls and floors of the holy places,and yet I often wondered how long the traditions would continue to be passed down. Buddhism and Tibet used to be synonymous but Chinese and western influence can be seen throughout the bigger cities. From the monument to the Liberation Army that reaches for the sky directly across from the Potala, to the old woman with colorful braids talking on her cellphone, one has to wonder how long Tibet as it once was will continue. No matter though, as this adventure has opened my eyes to a simpler way of life and a stronger level of devotion to one's God, whoever or whatever that might be.

Click here for pictures of the final leg of our amazing trip. 

Journey to the Roof: Sunday-Monday

We arrived at the Lhasa airport around 4 pm and were greeted by a temporary guide that would transport us to Lhasa, 60 km away. We were bid tashi delek (hello in Tibetan) and draped with pure white scarves as a token of welcome to Tibet. We climbed on the bus and met our fellow tour members: Lars and Monica, two Germans, a Taiwanese woman, Ling and one Chinese girl, Xiang (who went by Jessica) who both work in Shenzhen as cell phone engineers. Lars and Monica, ironically, live an hour north of Tokyo working for a German engineering company. They have been in Japan for five years and Monica is fluent in the language. They turned out to be our closest companions on the trip, as we had many shared experiences being transplants in Japan exploring Tibet during our Golden Week holiday. The five of us were transported to the Mandala Hotel, our base in Lhasa for the next three days. It was here that we also met our seventh member, Barbara, a spry seventy-two year old intent on reaching Everest while her one lunged husband, Pete, toured China.

We sought out a quick dinner and found a nice restaurant with an English menu. We tried yak curry and yak pizza, both tasty dishes. Afterwards, travel fatigue and the first signs of high altitude sickness caused us all to turn in early.

The next morning (Sunday) dawned bright and beautiful with the sun not rising until well after 7 (it also doesn't get dark until after 9). We had our pick of the Mandala's continental breakfast and headed off with our trusty guide, Konchok, to the Potala Palace. Words and pictures cannot describe the immense size and sense of awe the Potala invokes. It is an incredible building to say the least. However, every tour group in the country visits the Potala at about the same time and pushing and shoving quickly takes away much of the feelings of admiration. We spent three hours climbing thousands of stairs, being shoved into corners, and watching Buddhist followers pour yak butter into the always burning candles and stuff yuan bills into every crevice they could find. Alters in front of the various buddhas were also adorned with rotting apples, sour smelling milk cartons and various other offerings hoping to be blessed.

After the Potala we went to find lunch and were directed to the New Mandala Restaurant.  Here I decided to bite the bullet and order yak butter tea, the staple food of the Tibetan people. Although few others agreed, I thought it was delicious. The trick is to not think of it as tea but as a hot broth perfectly suited to warm your insides from the harsh climate of the Tibetan plateau. However, our weather on this trip was incredible and the yak butter tea still tasted good. Blue skies, a slight breeze and temperatures in the mid to upper 60s, far warmer weather then we've had in Kushiro this year.

After lunch we headed to the Jokhang Temple, housed inside of Barkhor Street. This street is circular and marks the center of old Lhasa. Buddhist followers walk clockwise day and night with prayers beads in one hand and an ever spinning prayer wheel in the other. There are also hundreds of merchants lining the street, selling their wares to foreigners and Tibetans alike, although the foreigner price is much steeper than the Tibetan, I am sure. Haggling is the name of the game and we tried our hand at it later that afternoon. The Jokhang was much smaller than the Potala but, as with most Buddhist buildings, the architecture and design were incredible. Every wall was painted in some grand mural and every door frame, window frame, molding and surface was carved and painted in vibrant greens, blues, reds and yellows. The Buddhas themselves are painted with gold paint and covered in scarves, jewels and the like, not to mention the piles of money laying at their feet. After the temple, we were free to do what we liked and all opted for an hour's break back at the hotel before doing some shopping and seeking dinner. The shopping was an adventure and Monica and I attempted to master bartering, although our skills failed when it came time to get a deal on prayer flags. Failed epically there. But, after purchasing a coral bracelet, four prayer flags and two magnets, I'd still only spent about $15 USD, so I'd call it a success. Dinner was at the Gangki Restaurant and had Lars, Monica and Corin ordering the yak burger. I found the "chicken chili" to actually be a nice chicken dish spiced with red chilies, instead of the kidney bean and ground meat style stew I was accustomed to. Barbara ordered an apple pancake that arrived over a half hour after the other meals but she noted that despite the wait, it was still quite good.  Once again Konchok had managed to wear us all out and we called it a night immediately after dinner.

Please look here for photos of this part of the trip.

Monday greeted us once again with blue skies and we set out at 9:30 for the first destination of the day, Drepung Monastery at the easy side of Lhasa. Drepung managed to be quite depressing with numerous beggars using the only English they knew, "hello, money?" over and over again. Some of these people were very pushy and quickly became upset if you didn't pay up. Many of were also small children or young mothers holding sleeping babies, all with runny noses and sad eyes. The monastery itself had definitely seen better days as it used to hold over 7,000 monks in the height of Buddhism in Tibet. However, only 300 monks remain to maintain the buildings and statues and the grounds look as such. We spent the morning at Drepung and then grabbed lunch at an excellent restaurant on the newer side of Lhasa, the Yak Steak House. We felt that we had fulfilled our yak eating requirements for the trip so Monica and Lars ordered Chinese chicken and cashews while Corin ordered chicken and fried peanuts. I got a wonderful Pad Thai, even though it was my turn to wait the extra half hour it took to arrive at the table (noticing a trend here?).

Upon completing our lunch we headed over to the second site of the day, Sera Monastery located in northern Lhasa. This monastery is famous for its afternoon debates and we arrived just in time to watch the younger monks find their places. We also got to visit the library and saw three amazing sand mandalas (incredibly detailed pictures made out of colored sand which take about four months to make). The debates were highly entertaining and I would not miss them if you ever plan to visit Tibet. They started with many younger monks finding spots to lay their mats in a tree-shaded courtyard. The other half of the monks (usually the older ones) stood in front of them and asked questions/quizzed those sitting on the ground on Buddhist teachings. Before the young monk could answer, the older monk would pull back and clap his hands together. This clapping is said to eliminate the three faults of the human race: desire, ignorance, and hatred. By clapping his hands, it allowed the answering monk to reply without being hindered by these faults. With nearly 100 monks debating in the courtyard, the air was full of laughter, yelling and sharp claps. It's an experience not to be missed.

We stayed at the Sera listening to the debates for a solid hour and then decided to head back to the hotel for a quick rest. Monica and I had our sights on getting massages and wanted a short break before heading out again. We grabbed dinner with Barbara beforehand, eating at a less than classy Chinese restaurant across from our hotel. The menu's English was hilarious, although we were never brave enough to find out what exactly was "solid colored" or "sauce in elbow." The food was okay but the rice bowl was gigantic! We laughed as it arrived at our table but could barely make a dent in it. After dinner, Barbara headed back to the hotel and we ventured off to find our blind massages. Apparently, the NGO Braille Without Borders has set up a massage parlor and trained blind individuals to be masseuses. We located the place rather quickly and Corin, Lars and Monica opted for a full body Chinese massage while I went for the reflexology foot massage. All were an hour long and cost between 80-100RMB (about $14-$16). My foot massage was excellent in the most painful sense of the word, and that seemed to be the consensus from everyone else as well. Lars might have ended up with some bruising on his legs while Monica was still sore two days later. Corin's masseuse just helped his sunburn start peeling a little early. It was an experience, but what would a trip to Tibet be without them?

Please see here for Sera and Drepung pictures.

Journey to the Roof: China

Tibet. A country of extremes. Extreme altitude, extreme devotion, extreme political situations. On Friday, April 27th we left our little city of Kushiro and headed off on a grand adventure to the high plateau that makes up the Chinese autonomous region of Tibet.  We spent our first night in Chengdu, the capitol city of the Sichuan province of China. We were required to stay one evening in China in order to pick up our Tibet travel permits. After 5 hours on the plane from Tokyo to Chengdu, we disembarked at 11 pm, intent on finding a taxi to our hotel. We were not expecting the mass of yelling, proffering taxi drivers trying to convince us to take their car. My only goal was to make sure we got into a registered vehicle, and that stipulation meant we ended up spending far too much on our transport. 200RMB for a 30 minute trip is steep, especially for China. After a fun filled taxi ride (they only got better) we arrived at our hotel and checked in with the little problem, even though no one spoke a word of English and we had quickly exhausted our knowledge of Chinese (nehow and shey shey can only go so far). We crashed into our rock hard mattress and awoke slightly refreshed but ready to face the day, pick up our Tibetan permit and hopefully have a chance to see the world's largest panda reserve and research center before our flight to Lhasa at 1:00 pm. We ventured downstairs, found a tasty breakfast of spicy Sichuan cuisine and attempted to explain our need to pick up our permit using pictures and a translation site. After a harried call to our tour organizer when they still couldn't find our paperwork, we had it in hand, buried in a stack of papers at the front desk. The stress of getting our permit out of the way, we were able to secure a taxi ride to the panda reserve and back to the airport for just 300RMB (further cementing the fact that we'd been ripped off the night before). We loaded up our bags and bid a heartfelt shey shey to the front desk of our hotel.

The Chengdu Panda Base was a nice addition to our trip and our early morning timing allowed us to see the pandas happily enjoying their breakfast of bamboo. We also saw many red pandas and a few peacocks. The base is mainly a research facility but provided nice, clean enclosures and there were more foreigners there than we'd seen since JET's Mid Year Conference in Sapporo. I never thought I'd be so freaked out hearing a large number of people speaking English. It gave me a good glimpse into the reverse culture shock I'm going to experience upon returning to the States.

The return trip from the panda base was straight out of an action movie. Our driver didn't just drive insane, he drove awesome. Red lights? I don't think so! Passing in the lanes of on coming traffic? Why not!? Pedestrian crossing? They'll move if he honks his horn loud enough and plays a little chicken. He was no stranger to the high speed chase and was determined to let us know. Despite almost dying every couple of kilometers and a foray onto the sidewalk he got us back to the airport with just minutes to spare. After our wild ride we were ready to hop on the plane to Lhasa!

*you can see pictures of this part of our trip here.