Trip Reports - London to Mt Everest with CX, BA, CA, GF & SQ (J&F) plus a Landcruiser & donkey cart!

Time for another trip report! As longer term members may recall, I like going to odd places. As my report from North Korea 2 years ago met with approval, I thought it would be fun to share some details of this year’s major expedition.

10 years ago I had 2 months travelling around China, after finishing university and before coming a wage slave. 10 years on I shall be getting married soon, and to celebrate the closure of one chapter of my life and opening of another I fancied a repeat visit to one part I didn’t get to – Tibet. The soon to be missus was equally keen and the trip soon coalesced. Fly into Beijing, on to Lhasa, then some time to acclimatise and sightsee before going overland to Kathmandu via a number of place, including Everest Base Camp. After a few days there, back to London and the 6 months count down to a wedding.

Perhaps inevitably work intervened at the last minute, and rather than flying to Beijing from London, I would have to spend some time in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore before meeting up in China proper. The missus wasn’t too concerned; the reasoning being it would leave more caviar for her on LH!

I am going to try and post daily as I go – hopefully you will find this interesting. Questions and feedback welcomed!

Coming soon – Part 1 London to Hong Kong with Cathay

Ooooh I look forward to this report, Swanhunter

Sounds like it would be a fabulous trip! Looking forward to the report Swanhunter.

I've a feeling this is going to be a good'un. Have seen pictures from a friend's expedition who went to the base camp and it was pretty incredible!

Part 1 London to Hong on the CX254It’s a slightly odd feeling, packing for both meetings in Malaysia and a trip through the Himalayas. It’s also the most luggage I’ve taken on a trip for many, many years – rucksack, roller case, day sack and laptop bag. This, coupled with a pleasingly boozy Sunday lunch with friends saw me take a cad to Heathrow rather than the customary trip on the Heathrow Express. Traffic was pleasingly light all the way, and after picking up a colleague en route we were at LHR in plenty of time. I was taking Cathay, whereas the rest of the team were on BA. The difference in one-way ticket was big enough (USD3000) that I really couldn’t justify it.

Terminal 3 was hellishly busy as ever, and my check in with CX was painful. Something in their systems seems not to like my BA number anymore, so it either won’t recognise me or thinks I am a regular member. After 10 minutes playing around, the guy concludes that my profile has disappeared. That explains why my seats get shuffled, the ISM never comes to see me etc. Voluntary bumps were on offer for Y pax – GBP400, hotel and meals and a seat on the midday Monday flight.

Security took about 10 mins, though the regular line was the entire way the length of the concourse and doubling back on itself. Really, really bad. Hellhole Heathrow in action again. I perched in the CX lounge to watch the second half of Scotland-Argentina. Enjoyable rugby, but Scotland were just not good enough. Still, it makes for an interesting set of semi-finals! I nibbled on some over-cooked dim sum. That was enough for dinner after a superb piece of roast rib of beef for lunch. Lots of announcements in the lounge for people to ‘come forward for a message’. Lucky op-up action for some, but sadly not for me.

Boarding was on time, and after shuffling my way past the economy queue I was ushered on boarding. In my experience the tone of a flight – just like an interview – is set in the initial greeting. Sadly, this was rather disappointing with a cursory ‘to the right’ from the grumpy looking ISM. Things didn’t get much better, with possibly the most depressed looking crew I’ve ever had on Cathay. What’s more, they were Hong Kong based rather than the much maligned London crews.

After takeoff, I set the bed in position and got my head down. This was CX’s old new Business class seat which is OK, but frankly was a bit out of date when it was implemented. The incline can be rather irritating, but this seat seemed to go flatter than others. As a result I was able to get 5 hours sleep with only a little bit of fidgeting. I’d skipped dinner (who wants to eat 3 courses at midnight?) and then awoke nicely at 5am UK time, midday in Hong Kong. Having done London-Hong Kong 10 times so far this year I have the jet leg minimisation routine off pat. Of course, at 5am the rest of the cabin were fast asleep so I tried to keep the noise and movement to a minimum. Nonetheless, I had chance to think the rest of the week though an clear my inbox while listening the rather fab Dancescape channel hosted by Annie Nightingale.

Breakfast was served 2 hours out, and was frankly crap. 3 bits of melon and some grapes, cereal and then 2 dried out pancakes with a cheap piece of sausage. Oh dear. CX seem to have lost their edge a little in the last 12 months, but that meal was truly awful. Service hadn’t perked up much either. The only positive was a decent espresso.

This, coupled with a pleasingly boozy Sunday lunch with friends saw me take a cad to Heathrow rather than the customary trip on the Heathrow Express.

You dirty dingo I thought you were taking your soon to be wife. ;)

CX seem to have lost their edge a little in the last 12 months, but that meal was truly awful. Service hadn’t perked up much either. The only positive was a decent espresso.

What a shame. I hope this is not a sign of things to come on CX.

I look forward to your future posts along this journey.

Where have I been? I thought CX was supposed to be a great airline!

Part 2 Hong Kong, 8th and 9th October

We landed on time and taxied to Gate 69, an irritatingly long walk and train ride away from immigration. The airport was unusually busy with some Heathrow-esque queuing at the transfer areas. Impact of the National Week holidays in the PRC I assume. A swift train and cab journey got me to the deeply underwhelming Marco Polo Gateway in Kowloon. This is the sort of hotel beloved of corporate travel managers for its cheap rates, and loathed by those forced to stay there thanks to the scary swirly carpets, crappy a/c and lack of wifi.

2 nights in Hong Kong were filled with meetings, conference calls and a couple of rushed meals. We managed to slip out for a glass of wine at Staunton's in Soho on the Wednesday night which helped release the pressure a little. The ride back on the Star Ferry is always a treat to.

10th October Hong Kong to Kuala Lumpur
Off again. An unpleasant 6am wakeup call, and then a tax ride back to Chep Lap Kok for the 8:50 Cathay flight to KL. Check in was queue free, as was immigration and security.

Thanks to my one way ticket I was in Business, whereas the rest of the team were slumming in Proletariat Class. However between us we mustered sufficient status to all get into the Wing Business Lounge. I'd never been there before, having always been in the First side. While the hot breakfast offer was a little too challenging (congee and youtiao) there was a decent spread of cereal, pastries and fruit. I didn't like the physical environment that much though - too dark and noisy.

Our 777 left on time, with the old Regional Business Class. I'm pleased to say the service on this sector was excellent, much like the CX I know and love. The food was still pretty ropey though. Breakfast is never an easy meal to serve on a plane, but it would be nice if the hot course was in some way differentatiated from the served down the back. 5 sad bits of fruit were also offered. After picking at those offerings, I got my head down and did some work.

We arrived 15 mins early, and unlike previous bad experiences immigration was super speedy. Bags took a little longer but we were soon on our way to the office.

Great report so far Swanhunter, I'm eagerly anticipating the rest! ^

Great write-up so far, Swanhunter. ^
I concur with your assessment of CX food, and from reading your report I'm disappointed that the catering isn't any better for a competitive sector like LHR. :(

Looking forward to the rest of the report. :)

So far so good.^ Interesting take on CX.

Excellent report Swanhunter! Hope you enjoy the trip. :)

Part 3 KL and on to Singapore

In a rare moment of sanity, our corporate choice hotel in KL is the Mandarin Oriental. Excellent central location, good service and nice rooms in the 5 star luxury Asian style. All in all, a decent deal. I'd previously sworn off MO after an awful experience at their property in Manila, but this place is really rather good. Having KLCC shopping centre next door also gives a real breadth of dining options.

After a nice long night's sleep, and another day in the office it was back to the airport. Our group rather parted here, with people heading off to the 4 corners of the globe. I was booked on SQ to Singapore, so after a w4rap up session at Ritazza coffee (and after delivery of the shoes I'd left in my hotel room), I got checked in. The 21:45 flight was full, but my waitlist had cleared very quickly after booking. Must have had something to do with me upgrading my C ticket from SIN to PEK to F! An excllent value upgrade for GBP100. After immigration there is now a new hand baggage check with a long snaking line completely negating the benefit of the priority immigration line.

The Silverkris lounge at KUL has been fairly recently upgraded with some new soft furnishings. Fundamentally it is still a small room with chairs and a sparse drinks and snacks selection that gets pretty busy prior to flight departure. Watching the 777 pull up at the gate enabled me to time a pass through duty free (some excellent values to be had) and get to the gate in time for boarding. I had just enough time to wonder how KLIA has won a best airport award (miigration delays, slow bags, the stupid little train, enormous distance to town), before sauntering down the jet bridge to 15H.

SQ use regional C seats badged as F on these flights. Frankly for the 50 mins flight duration, this is fine. The usual SQ welcome was in full flow, with a pre take off drinkie and then a snack service in flight. I opted for a small but decent chicken sandwich. We landed a few minutes late thanks to ATC at KL, and taxied to a gate that for once was actually near immigration.

Part 4 - on to the Northern Capital of the Middle Kingdom

I spent the night at Le Meridien Singapore. Another corporate deal special, another disappointing property. While there was nothing actually wrong, the whole place is just incredibly dated and rather depressing. I got a nice corner room, spacious and clean but just so 1980’s in feel.

After a decent sleep, I ventured out for a top Singapore meal. Laksa! One of the pluses of the Le M is a food court next door, and the Laksa was just delightful, especially washed down with a freezing cold Tiger beer. That set me up to deal with the remaining bits of work that needed doing along with a short visit to our local office. A slightly late check out and I headed back to Changi airport. Holiday almost here!

I was flying SQ F up to Beijing. This meant I could make use of the porter service at the airport, and use the separate F check in lounge. All very civilised, my bag tagged and a boarding pass for 2A issued. No wait for immigration and within 5 mins I was in the Silverkris lounge. This, frankly, is a bit of a disappointment. No Krug, no DP, no chef’s station. The food and drink options are fine, but the décor is drab and you realise just how much lounges have moved on elsewhere – VS Clubhouse at LHR and the Wing amongst them.

Still, the recent PPS changes mean the F lounge is now much quieter so I was able to get some last minute calls done in peace. A read of my book and it was time to board! Putting away the unpleasant email and phone device, I could now begin my holiday.

And what a way to start, the only passenger in SQ First! I was greeted with this news along with a glass of Krug. Many more followed, needless to say, along with the excellent Bordeaux on offer. I can’t recall exactly what I ate (and SQ takes the menus back from you), but it was something like:

Tsar Fillet
Salad (with an excellent citrus dressing)
Singapore Beef Noodles (gorgeous stuff, plenty of chilli kick)
Cheese (washed down with more Bordeaux)

All of this was delivered with the usual SQ service. The major negative of this flight is the regional F seating (not much better than J) and the loop IFE with tiny screens making The Simpson’s movie a bit painful to watch (though very funny nonetheless). After than little feast, it was time for a little kip….which resulted in me being shaken awake as we descended into Beijing’s Capital airport. Nonetheless, a nice way to kick things off.

Compared to 10 years ago, the arrival experience is much better. Immigration staff that almost smile, and a comfortable modern terminal. My bag arrived in priority order (i.e. First!) shortly after I cleared immigration and it was out into the Beijing night. The smell of coal hung in the air, reminding you that autumn was here in the north of China. I’d booked the St Regis for the Saturday and Sunday nights, but it was full for the Friday. Instead I had booked a night at the Great Wall Sheraton, taking me 1 stay away from SPG Plat renewal.

The hotel was pretty decent, though at midnight the lobby was oddly deserted. However the sound of music drew me into the adjoining nightclub, which to judge from the music and name had some connect to the rather excellent Hed Kandi. A couple of beers were enjoyed along with the music, while fighting off the inevitable hookers that haunted the place.

Great stuff so far and can't wait for the rest. It's a region of the world I am very interested in, so I'm waiting in anticipation.:o

Interesting! Looking forward to Base Camp descriptions.

Where are you Swanny we are eagerly awaiting the next installment. ;)

Great trip. And your company seems to have some decent hotel deals. Not just with the local Holiday Inn.

The missus’s flight (LH F from MUC) was due at 10:30 and being the thoughtful person I am I went back to Capital Airport to meet her, passing Air Koryo’s IL-62 on the tarmac (a nice link back to a previous visit to Beijing) While the place was busy last night, the arrivals area was simply heaving this morning. A wave of European arrivals, plus Iran Air and some delayed Air China flights provided plenty of people watching interest as I leant outside Starbucks, double espresso in hand. She was right on time (and priority bags worked too), so after another cab ride we were at the St Regis on the stroke of midday. As the hotel was totally full there wasn’t a room available for us so we went for a stroll, sipped some more coffee before getting into a very comfortable junior suite (thanks to the SPG Plat). A really nice hotel room, and pretty decent service too.

This was my 7th visit to Beijing, but the first for my beloved. As we had less than two days I had a packed agenda planned! We hit Tiananmen Square (red flags fluttering everywhere in advance of the People’s Congress starting that week) and had a good poke around, before going for a long rambling walk through the Hutong in the area between there and Wangfujing. This gave insight into another side of the city and allowed my budding photographer to go crazy. We came out out of the Hutong warren after a couple of hours, right opposite a shop that seemed to be selling all the accessories you’d need for a police car – flashing lights, sirens – but to anyone. Food stalls selling starfish on a stick also provided entertainment! :eek:

After changing for dinner we headed to the wonderful South Beauty. I’ve been before, and thoroughly enjoyed another ring-sting endangering meal, the highlight the rainbow ribs. The whole meal was a bargain (for those used to London prices) at just USD50 for cooking of that quality. A late night cigar (Cohiba) and whisky (Bowmore) rounded the day off nicely. Given what was to come, it seemed wise to get the luxury in now!

Part 6 A very big wall and some nice red hats

A truly gorgeous sunny day with clear blue sky after the sun cut through a little early morning smog. We hit the Forbidden City first. And boy was it busy. After battering off a few wannabe guides we spent a couple of hours exploring. While a fantastic piece of architecture, the whole place has the dead feel of museum especially when set against the later day drama being played out by the Chinese tour groups. Our favourite were two groups of men from way in the countryside (some still in Mao jackets), but all sporting fake bright red Nike baseball caps. There was certain level of mutual interest (us in their antics, them in my blonde waiguoren missus). After another espresso (N.B. the infamous Starbucks in the Forbidden City has closed), we headed off in cab to the Great Wall.

Most hotels will offer a car for some phenomenal sum of money (think RMB1800/USD225). The savvy traveller uses the hotel doorman to haggle with a taxi driver to take us to Mutianyu and back for the more reasonable price of RMB500 (USD62).:cool: The one mistake I made was not explaining that I would also pay for the expressway tolls, leading to a slower than necessary journey (though one that allowed plenty of close quarters inspection of rural China). It certainly brought home to me how much China has changed in the past 10 years – McDonalds in 4th tier cities, pavements, tidy streets, shopping malls and a palpable sense of prosperity. Anyone visiting China now is fortunate to see one of the most remarkable transformations in human history underway, right in front of their noses.:cool:

The Great Wall was predictably great!:D:rolleyes: More seriously, Mutianyu was a good location to visit, with some glorious early Autumn scenery and serious pointy hills. It made for some superb photos and a nice stretch of the legs. We were privileged to ride in the same cable car as one William Jefferson Clinton. I’ve previously postulated a theory of following his choice of restaurants around the world (every place I’ve eaten in he has been to has been excellent), but cable cars might be a step too far.

After a long trip back, it was time for a slap up dinner at the Dadong Duck restaurant. Sadly this was less impressive than I remembered, the duck a little anaemic and lacking flavour. An early night, in advance of tomorrow’s excitement.

I am excited to follow along - hoping to get to base camp soon myself :)

Excellent piece of reporting. Look foward to more!

This is great - I'd missed it first time around. Keep it coming, Swanhunter and have a fantastic remaining trip ^

Amazing, can't wait for what is to come!^

Fantastic read: informative and insightful, much as I expected, Swanhunter. ^

Congratulations on the new adventures (as a married man) you'll be embarking on. :)

Can't wait for the next bit ^

Part 7 A pleasant surprise

Earlyish start. Check out painless, and the cab ride to the airport swift (despite the gormless bellboy asking where we were going and then not telling the driver, leaving me to mangle another Mandarin word and risk ending up in Tianjin by mistake). The terminal was – yet again – a zoo. Domestic check in is at ‘the other end’ of the building to international. We’d booked ourselves into Air China domestic first for the trip to Lhasa, at a modest premium of GBP40 over the one way Y fare. I’d been given contradictory advice, both on FT and in the real world on whether F was worth paying for. Given that it wasn’t that expensive and that I get twitchy in Y seats it seemed worth a punt.

The first plus was a separate check in area, with seats. The staff spoken decent English and were very happy for me to faff around choosing seats. I opted for 2AC, not knowing how good the legroom at the bulkhead would be. As we were Tibet bound out bags had to be specially screened so we were ushered out a side door into the main check in area. Our bags were run through, and my aerosols inspected thoroughly before being send on their way with bright red First Class tags shinning.

Security was a delight compared to Heathrow. No queue, courteous staff. The Air China is OK, offering some slightly iffy snacks (gruel anyone?), soft drinks and a couple of internet terminals. Adequate.

Boarding was from a satellite terminal. My heart sunk at the prospect of yet another remote stand (this year has been littered with them), but CA really come up trumps here. A separate gate for F/J and nice comfy buses with seats to take you to the plane! Well done. After an enormous tour of the airport we pitched up at what was – 10 years ago – the main parking area for all International arrivals. Unfortunately we arrived at the same time as a bus full of normals so it was another flashback to the older China with plenty of elbow action.

Once on board we were greeted and shown to our seats. A pleasant surprise. Rather than a minimal legroom US Domestic F configuration we had flat on an incline long haul Business seats, similar to those used by Dragonair. Result! Certainly worth the very modest premium over a tight looking economy class. We pushed back slightly late and trundled away into the sky. I was very pleasantly surprised by the standard of service on board, with multiple rounds of hotel towels, drinks etc. While the food was unmemorable – some dodgy pastries followed by congee on a psychedelic tray - the crew were just lovely and could not do enough for us or any of the other pax in the F cabin. There was also one truly hilarious moment just after taking the drink order:

FA (Totally unprompted): Mr Swanhunter, your wife is so beautiful.

Me: (Utterly gob smacked): She is not my wife yet

Me (Thinking): oh dear, that is going to get me into trouble

The Missus: You barsteward,

There was frost in the air for several hours after that…. :eek:

We landed at Chengdu for a transit stop. Unfortunately this meant all pax had to disembark. And no nice buses for F this time. The transit lounge was a subterranean gate area. Food and drink was provided – and was borderline palatable in the case of the food and perfectly drinkable in the case of the water. Boarding was then delayed for an hour for reasons I couldn’t quite divine. Went for a wander around the smartly modern terminal – very impressive.

Back on board, we had a new slightly less friendly crew. Service was slightly more ornate with a fish curry and a meat ‘pie’ plus some fruit. So-so I guess. Not long after climbing out of CTU the view from the window changed. More cloud, but much more mountainous scenery and soon enough some very fierce looking, snow capped peaks peaking between the cumulonimbi. The view on Airshow was rather funny too. It had a forward looking mode that shows topography in relief. From a rather flat view over central China, things looked rather big flying towards the Himalayan Plateau!

Another hour and we began our descent into Lhasa Gongkar airport. Dropping through the cloud line you could sense everyone in the cabin turn to the windows! Harsh, hard, dun coloured mountains with little sign of human life drifted by, split by the occasional valley. The pattern didn’t change much as we continued the short, shallow descent into one of the highest airports in the world – 3800 m. You’ll find I get a bit obsessed with altitude from here on in. Why? Well, it’s quite cool, but more importantly has a real impact on what you can manage to do or how badly you get knocked down by AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness).

Another modern airport, with Sichuan Airlines and China Southern Airbii parked outside along with a more mysterious looking business jet. The moment the cabin depressurised you could begin to feel the altitude, making breathing just a bit harder. Priority tags worked with our bags off first, and some taken off by the driver of the transfer we had booked. The air was very clear outside, and the light incredibly bright. We were here! :cool: My next thought – bloody hell it is hot. About 25C in fact so the substantial Gore-Tex and fleece jacket was soon jettisoned for a t-shirt.

Part 8 Breathtaking

The airport is a 55km drive away from Lhasa. And it is quite a drive. Heading away from the airport in a relatively wide valley flanked by high hills, we headed along the Yarlong Tsampo, a river than would accompany much of our trip. Crossing over the river a short way along we then drove through the Gongkar tunnel, the construction of which cut something like 40km off the journey, guarded at each end by several immaculately uniformed but bored looking soldiers. At the end of this we joined the Friendship Highway and made our way into town passing occasional signs of life and a few trees. Gradually the frequency of houses and buildings increased and after passing under the railway line entered Lhasa itself. Frankly it looked little different than a hundred other cities and large towns in China. Feeling slightly underwhelmed, I looked forward out the windscreen and caught sight of the Potala Palace. Suddenly, I was whelmed again. :D

I’d often looked at photos of the Potala, especially when much younger and getting to China seemed a distant dream. To my delight, it completely lived up to my expectations and dominated the city, towering into the sky. Spectacular. :jaw drops:

Soon after this visual delight we arrived our hotel, the House of Shambala. It’s a nice boutique type place, perhaps a little cheap around the edges but very friendly and having a strong sense of place. It is also ultra-central, being located in the Barkhor area where most of the Tibetan action takes place. After dumping out stuff – and getting our breath back after 4 flights of stairs – we went out for a sunset stroll and headed down to Barkhor Square. This is near the heart of the city and despite many renovations and demolitions aimed at improving ‘security’ still has an incredibly strong Tibetan flavour. The square fronts on to the Jokhang, one of the holiest temples in Tibetan Buddhism. Around the Jokhang is a kora – a clockwise walk that will earn you merit. This is one of the great people watching environments in the world and was always fascinating from dawn to late at night, with a remarkable variety of people walking surrounded by some very vigorous commercial activity, with stalls and open shops selling everything from yak butter to yak skulls. An hour walking and watching was a great intro. More detail on this to come….

As the sun disappeared, the temperature dropped. Heeding the warning this is an early to bed town we went for dinner at the packed Dunya restaurant, one of the preferred venues for Western tourists. I’m normally happy to pitch into local eating but decided it would be safer to break myself in, especially given the altitude and the evident lack of hygiene around town. Momos (a Tibetan form of ravioli, much like Japanese gyoza) and a yak sizzler plate (very tasty) went down well. Sleep did not come quickly thanks to the altitude however. :(

More! More! ^

Sleep will come quickly to me as I dream about traveling to Tibet. :)

great report so far swanhunter - looking forward to the next instalment

Part 9 I’m a TV star!

Awaking with thumping heads, we were both feeling the altitude somewhat. Despite having drunk litres of water since arrival (hydration is really important to ward off AMS) we were feeling groggy. So, a leisurely breakfast was called for on the hotels rooftop terrace. Munching muesli while admiring the view was very civilised. Lhasa is in a valley irrigated by the Yarlong Tsangpo so there is some green, but the huge hills flanking on either side are harsh and dry. With the Potala gleaming in the mid distance, it is a stunning setting.

We then wandered back down to the Barkhor for another stroll. It is good fun trying to pick where in Tibet different people are from, with difference in dress highlighting origins. Most remarkable are the people performing the kora by prostration…yes, on hands and knees. The ritual is that you stand, then move your hands down your body in a prescribed manner before then prostrating yourself on the ground. Where the tips of hands end up is where your feet start the next step. It takes a number of hours to complete, and the level of devotion and commitment is remarkable, including DIY outfits made of card and plastic to protect the pilgrim. In between this, groups of big noses pick their way, looking rather incongruous in Gore-Tex. However, unlike some parts of the world where your presence would be tolerated rather than welcomed, many Tibetans seem happy to see you there. The missus’s blond hair had already provoked a number of looks, and before long we were hauled into a long photo session with a group from Amdo. Stupidly, we had left our camera at the hotel as it is not often you have your picture taken with 6 hefty Tibetan pilgrims in national dresses with knives.

After a brief lunch it was time for some domestic admin – banking. Thankfully ATM’s have touched down so that was not too painful a process. Then a little kip. And a very odd experience to follow

A knock at the door and the manager asks would we mind being filmed for Xizhang TV (Xizhang is the Chinese name for Tibet). Should be a laugh! We ended up being filmed talking in the bar, clinking glasses and toasting Lhasa and Tibet, at which point they decided they wanted to film the room and us in it! All very amusing. Should anyone be concerned about us collaborating with the Chinese occupying forces, you will be pleased to know that I was secretly mouthing ‘the Dalai Lama is the true ruler of Tibet’ and ‘Free Tibet from the Chinese Imperialists’. I still get a kick from the idea of that being broadcast, though as I was side on I doubt anyone will be able to lip read.

A cup of 7 treasures tea was just reward for our TV exploits. The tea has rose hip, sugar, herb, spices and berries in it as it quite delicious especially on the 3rd or 4th water refill when the flavours really come through. A wander through the Muslim quarter (yes, really) for some off the tourist trail sites before another amble around the Barkhor to soak up the smells (yak butter being an especially strong component) and sights (just about everything you can imagine including clusters of plain clothes policemen keeping an eye on things). As the sun sets the number of pilgrims increases – sunset and sunrise being especially auspicious times to perform the kora.

A curry dinner and an opportunity to reflect on a fascinating day. The Tibetan quarter is a remarkable step back in time, one of the closest invocations I have been to of the Middle Ages. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales is the analogy both H and I keep coming back to. Having taken it easy today, tomorrow will see a bit more exploration and a chance to test the analogy further.

Thanks for all the compliments so far - plenty more to come!

Great stuff Swanhunter, very interesting reading!

Although I couldn't help thinking of you when I read this (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7122705.stm) earlier on today!

Part 10 Repairs and re-education

It got light just after 8 – one of the disadvantages of being on Beijing time when we should be 2 hours closer to GMT. The late evenings were an advantage though.

After a fine breakfast (Yunnan coffee is to be recommended) we trundled down to the Potala to buy tickets for tomorrow. While the views of the palace itself were memorable, the trip down through a totally Sinocised Lhasa were a world away from the Jokhang. With barely a Tibetan in sight – but plenty of Han Chinese – it felt more like the Pearl River delta than the roof of the world. Nike and Bossini, China Post and China Unicom, people on mobile phones and supermarkets selling fresh fish!

A festival of was in progress, resulting in enormous piles of juniper being burnt in the ceremonial burners around town. While the smell from a distance is nice, the billowing grey clouds produced by burning damp wood were less pleasant and clung to my clothes for days.

We had intended to go to Drepung monastery a few kilometres outside town. However, it was closed. This was ostensibly for repairs, but the rumour mill indicated it was more likely to be for some political re-education. This on the same day the Dalai Lama received a medal from the US Congress. Doesn’t leave much to imagine what might have been going on.

However, Sera monastery was open, and a very enjoyable visit too. While hugely under populated (a few hundred monks v thousands before invasion) it was a pleasant place to explore. The printing press (churning out Buddhist texts) was suitably low tech, and the debating courtyard a delight. Every afternoon the monks gather to debate theology. Rather than a hushed, reverential atmosphere the air was filled with the noise of yelling, slapping and healthy debate. There is a ritualised process for two people to argue, which I didn’t quite understand but seemed to involve much of the aforementioned noise. Add in a few monks with showman tendencies and you have international tourist heaven. Now, I know I am one of those too but I prefer just to watch rather than stick a zoom lens in someone’s face. At times it looked like a pack of hyenas circling for the kill with their cameras. :rolleyes:

A quiet dinner in the hotel. We were the only people dining which made things rather uncomfortable when the nightly dance show started. I hate these things with a passion (being normally something dressed up for tourist morons rather than genuine) and having to eat my dinner with 5 Tibetan girls performing a series of traditional song and dance numbers was rather uncomfortable. Squiriming with British embarassment at a 'scene'. :rolleyes::D

Part 11 A lot, and not much and some sadness

Awake feeling quite rough indeed. The altitude seems to be work havoc with me, and I am very glad I didn’t have any beer last night otherwise I would have been really quite ill. As a result, the morning was spent loafing around the hotel before pottering down to the Jokhang temple to explore.

This is a really magical place. I am not a spiritual person at all, and have a very linear, logical approach to life. But the Jokhang really, genuinely moved. It wasn’t the mini temples tucked away, holding priceless Buddha images, nor the Jiwo shrine containing a mammoth gold statue crusted in precious stones. It was the Tibetans, pressing into the interior and clearly utterly humbled and moved to be there, goggling at the surroundings. That, coupled with the dark, gloomy interior thick with incense in the air and the murmur of excited locals really generated the atmosphere. I didn’t do much other than walk around absorbing the atmosphere and people watching, feeling a very long way from my normal life. Extra-ordinary.

After this, the trip down to the Potala was anti-climatic. While an impressive building, in a breathtaking location it felt genuinely dead with soldiers and security guards everywhere and just a few desultory tourists shuffling through the empty halls. There were some impressive sights – a hall with three enormous indoor chorten still stands in mind, the gold glinting in the lamp light – but there was no pulse here.

After this, the day seemed a bit drab. Walking back to the hotel I noticed an unusually large amount of police activity around town as well as PSB (Public Security Bureau) goons manning a video camera watching activity in the Barkhor. As soon as a small group of Tibetans formed – for innocent reasons – police would stroll over and ask them to move on. Clearly the authorities were concerned about a reaction to the medal.

Dinner was a relaxed if slightly sombre in the hotel. Walking for a non-alcoholic drink later it was notable how the tourist population in town had thinned out. The end of the season was approaching.

I'm very much thankful for the insights and the impressions. Thanks, Swanhunter. :) ^

Great trip report.

....shortly after I cleared immigration and it was out into the Beijing night. [B]The smell of coal hung in the air, reminding you that autumn was here in the north of China.

Your description of the Beijing night air was spot on, it is one of my main memories of being in Beijing in what was usually wintertime. I did notice on each successive trip though that the pollution was getting better each time I visited.

Wonderful ongoing report Swanhunter. ^

I am Chinese currently living abroad. I've been to the places you mentioned. I found your report very interesting to read and it brought back some good memories - considering it is 8am PST and I still havent gone to bed yet:D.

Good job and keep on!


BTW, I guess you are not going overland from LXA to KTM via base camp. It was an interesting experience when I did that a few years ago, but the road condition was absolutely a nightmare.

I have just now found thsi trip report, and I had the luxury of reading it all the way thru, instead of having to wait piecemeal.

What a fabulous trip -- maybe one day we can visit, too.

Part 12 A day trip from Lhasa

Another crisp clear day. We had hired a car and driver for a trip to Ganden monastery, a couple of hours drive out of town. A photo of Ganden in a Lonely Planet guidebook back in the early 90’s has stayed with me all of this time and was one of the drivers in finally getting to Tibet. I was looking forward to finally seeing the reality. :cool:

The drive took us east out of Lhasa, passing a number of army and police installations and a checkpoint where out driver had to register. Past this, there were many farms before the Yarlung Tsangpo swung in to join us and civilisation petered out. The road was flanked by trees, leaves yellowing and behind them the rough, heavy hills of the valley. Turning off the main road we then wound our way up a hillside to Ganden, along a newly resurfaced switchback road. The monastery is in an impressive location just below the ridge of a hill. Compared to my photo, a substantial amount of reconstruction work has been undertaken over the last 15 years – now there are many buildings gleaming in the sun compared to the ruins before.

We took the chance to walk the Ganden kora. There was the choice of 2. One promised some glorious views from the top of a nearby peak, but as we were both feeling the 4500m altitude, the low kora felt a wiser decision. It turned out well worth doing with some marvellous view out over the valley. At one point, daydreaming slightly, I thought I could hear Concorde before reality snapped in. What I was hearing was one of the PLA’s shiny new Sukhoi’s flying around. A reminder that Calcutta was no more than 500 miles away – and that India and China have fought border wars within the last 50 years.

Back at the monastery we accidentally stumbled into a prayer hall filled with monks chanting sutras. With no other tourists around, we spent 10 mins listening to the magical, alien sounds before clambering through more restored buildings. A well worthwhile day trip, which highlighted that while things in Tibet are far from good, at least some of the damage done in the Cultural Revolution has been repaired, if only superficial.

The rest of the day was filled with sorting out the practicalities of the overland journey, and getting one final curry and whisky in before the grand departure tomorrow.

Part 13 The big departure – Lhasa to Gyantse

A slap up breakfast before a 9a.m. departure. We clearly were not the only people heading out of town on a similar trip and joined a small convoy of Landcruisers heading west on the Friendship Highway. Our first stop was to be the Kamba-La pass, with views over Yamdrok-Tso. The normal itinerary is to then drive the lake on the way to Gyantse, however due to road works we would have to double back to the Friendships highway and then cut cross country to get to our first overnight stop.

After a couple of hours winding along the river valley we turned south and began to climb. And we kept on climbing up through increasingly stark scenery all the way to 4878m, passing small stream gushing down sheer rock faces dotted amongst a stark, bleak and barely vegetated hill side. Cresting the pass a wondrous vista spread out before us. Deep in a valley a bright blue nestled between green hillsides, drawing your eyes to the horizon where a stunning cluster of snow capped peaks in Bhutan (the Kula Kaya range) soar to 7550 metres. Quite a few photos were rattled off (one of which is now the wallpaper on my phone). There was also plenty of touristic entertainment – the opportunity for a photo with a yak, the chance to buy some jewellery and most excitingly the chance to have my highest land based pee yet!

After that excitement, we wound back down the hill to the Yarlang Tsangpo valley, admiring the view to the north of 5000 high dun coloured peaks rolling to the horizon. We drove on through a narrowing gorge, with some impressive geology on display. One peak was clearly just an enormous chunk of crust that had been forced up hundreds of metres in the air at a 45 degree angle. The strata were very clearly visible and their displacement a reminder of Mother Nature’s power.

After getting caught in a speed trap (fine RMB500) we pressed on into a wide open area littered with sand dunes! Not quite the scenery I had expected as we headed off road and bounced through a surreal combination of the Sahara and the Himalayas. A stop for roadworks and a puncture later and we pitched up in Gyantse just as the sun was setting. We just got a glimpse of the dzong (fort) towering over the hotel before pulling into the slice-of-North-Korea that is the Gyantse Hotel. The barber shop/brothel certainly wasn’t DPRK standard though, and the functioning heating very welcome as the temperature had gone below freezing with a piercing wind blasting through town.

More on one of the less-common outposts of the British Empire soon.

BTW, I guess you are not going overland from LXA to KTM via base camp. It was an interesting experience when I did that a few years ago, but the road condition was absolutely a nightmare.

We did go the whole way through - the road has got much better over the last few years though there are stil some rough bits.

Part 14 Gyantse – Shigatse

After a pleasant nights sleep in a very warm room, we awoke to the first snow of Winter. No more than an inch, but it had settled beautifully and in the way that snow does, makes everything look magical. After a modest breakfast we spent the morning exploring Gyantse. First up was the monastery. Enclosed in a large compound were a few remaining buildings, and the foundations of all those flattened in the 1960’s. Thankfully, those remaining were the most impressive, notably the enormous chorten containing over a hundred small temples. Impressively painted inside, the interest level palled somewhat but the views over the valley and flanking snow covered hills certainly perked things up as we climbed. The chorten was packed with pilgrims, leading to some rather alarming crowd control scenes on tight, steep staircases. There is where being 6ft and reasonably well built comes in useful when the population give 5-6 inches and a couple of stone to you.

The prayer hall was quite special. While architecturally it is very similar to many others (rectangular shape, with statuary in separate rooms/rooms at the back and side) we were fortunate to walk in while morning prayers were in progress. I find the chanting magical to listen to, and it was fascinating to watch the ritual doling out of food and money to the monks, not dissimilar to communion in a Christina church. The difference is that it all comes from pilgrim’s donations, and seeing some of the currencies (Thai Baht, Brazilian Real) you do wonder what a Tibetan monk who may only have been to Lhasa once in his life is going to do with some of it.

The Dzong (fort) was the scene of a battle during one of the British incursions into Tibet under Captain Younghusband. It is certainly in a commanding location, on a rocky spur looming over the town. It was a steep and slightly scary drive up a snow covered road, culminating in another series of views over the valley. Sadly the Memorial Hall of Anti-British has lost its sign, and frankly the castle has lost its soul after being re-constructed. Still, it made for good exercise.

Bidding our leave – and looking a little wistfully along the road to India (with a fair wind and the right papers we could have been in Darjeeling by sundown) we bounced off to Shigatse. After some more roadwork action (and a chance to exchange grins with some soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army) we stopped off at a genuine watermill. It was all enjoyably low-tech, with some enormous grinding stones whirring around converting barley grains into the raw ingredients for tsampa.

Driving in to Shigatse there was much evidence of army and police, with long walled off encampments flanking the road. Once into town, it felt – once again – like a piece of central China had been dumped into the Himalaya with ‘barbershops’, karaoke bars, department stores and apartment blocks.

We spent the afternoon walking around the Tibetan quarter, exciting interest from the locals with many hellos and smiling faces. While not replete with sights (the rebuilt dzong looked far too shiny being less than 2 years old) it was an interesting stroll, with lots of traditional, squat Tibetan houses, centuries old paving and a market selling some truly gruesome looking cuts of meat. Pool is remarkably popular, with plenty of shops containing half a dozen Tibetan lads, a tatty table and several knackered cues. The standard of play is low, but dipped even further when I took up the initiation to try. After dinner we went for another stroll around town, this time taking in the surreal mix of flashing neon signs and seafood restaurants mixed with a howling, freezing wind blasting through town. A truly odd mix of the past and the future. The hotel was similar – modern Chinese in many ways but with a pastiche overlay of Tibetan art and colour to give a sense of place.

Great reading - brings back lots of memories of an earlier trip (17 years ago) to the Rongbuk basecamp to climb Changtse. Only one hotel in Shigatse at that time. Hard to forget as each room had Mickey Mouse doorbells!

I certainly gets cold at Everest Basecamp in October doesn't it?

Amazing trip report.. thanks for some great reading..
Great :P now I have another thing to add the "see during my lifetime" list..