The travels of Claudine: BEIJING TO LHASA TO KATHMANDU

BEIJING TO LHASA TO KATHMANDU

A GREAT ADVENTURE
In September four of us –Rodney, John Fawcett, Brother Jimmy Jackson and I—took off on a 3 week adventure to Tibet and Nepal. After three days in Beijing we four travelers took the high speed train to Lhasa. There we were joined by a guide and upon leaving Lhasa were joined by two drivers and two Toyota Land Cruisers for the drive across Tibet. We crossed Tibet, from Lhasa to the Nepal border, via the Friendship Highway traveling in the south of Tibet along the northern edge of the Himalayan range. We crossed into Nepal near the border town of Zhangmu. At the border we engaged a new guide and vehicles, then spent a few days in and around Kathmandu before finding our way home, courtesy of China Air, from Kathmandu, to Kunming (a five hour layover here because of weather) to Beijing to Washington Dulles.

Intrepid travelers

PART 1: GETTING THERE AND GETTING ACCLIMATED
Tibet: Reaching Tibet, The Rooftop of the World.
After spending a couple of days in Beijing , we boarded the high speed train to Lhasa for a 48 hour trip through some incredible and challenging countryside at speeds of up to 160 km per hour and heights of up to 15,000 feet. The train is the world’s highest railway and an engineering marvel. Built by the Chinese and completed in 2006, this engineering marvel is , unfortunately, a double edged sword for the Tibetans who are deeply troubled about the cultural impact of the train which enables thousands of Chinese tourists and immigrants to easily travel to and settle in Tibet. For China the train ensures the continued emigration of many Chinese to Tibet and symbolically forges Tibet and China together in an iron link that strengthens China’s ties to and hold upon Tibet.

Engineering marvel

High speed train

Spacious accomodations

The Train Ride
Engineering feats notwithstanding, the sleeper cabins were unbelievably small. Fortunately, the aisles outside the compartments were lined with jump seats so one could sit and view the countryside for several hours of the day—while sipping wine—and postponing nighttime retirement to, in my case, an upper berth (luck of the draw), some hours of labored breathing (as mentioned before, the train reached altitudes of 15 000 feet), and several very challenging nighttime trips to the restroom.

Long trip

Each trip entailed a precarious descent and ascent via one tiny foot hold from or to the upper berth. I am still not sure what was worse, getting up or getting down, especially in the dark and trying not to wake anyone. Getting up was a sort of double challenge. After stepping on the lower bunk, next placing one foot on the tiny wall foothold, one was then to swing, yes swing one’s body onto the upper bunk some several feet up. A couple of times this old body just would not swing and required a bottom push from Brother Jimmy.

Upstairs bedroom

The train ride was a great and memorable travel experience and we were able to enjoy some very beautiful and not-to-be-missed landscapes that can only be experienced by riding this train.

View out train window

Still, it was a relief to arrive in Lhasa and sleep in a real bed with a bath in the room.
Tibet is a beautiful, fascinating, and charming country. But, the Tibetan culture and the country’s special lure and charm are under pressure and are threatened by Chinese dominance. In the last few years the Chinese have invested over $10 billion in infrastructure in Tibet— some roads, and bridges, rails, and a very modern and comprehensive communication system making this once inaccessible country now accessible and with a modern communications system any country would envy. For Instance, throughout Tibet, including the Mt. Everest base camp, you can easily use your cell phone with a signal better than the AT&T signal at home. The roads, however, require a few more billion to approach any sort of system. There are no four lane roads and only two two lane paved roads that warrant the designation of “highway” .Nonetheless, accessibility is much greater than it was for centuries and indeed until very recently.
The Tibetan people, unfortunately, are paying a very high price for this “progress” and greater accessibility. Chinese are immigrating by the many thousands, encouraged by special incentives offered by the Chinese government, and have and are taking over the commercial enterprises and jobs. The indigenous Tibet peoples are becoming marginalized and are being crowded out in their own country in a sort of cultural genocide in their own country. It is sad to see.

Farming not mechanized

Tibetan children

Landscape and Terrain
One of the most isolated regions on earth, Tibet is bound by four mountain ranges and contains four of the world’s 10 highest mountains in the Himalayan range on its shared border with Nepal. Large portions of Tibet in the North and West ,in fact, remain unexplored.

Roof of the world

The Tibetan plateau, the “roof of the world” is as large as Western Europe and defines the topography of this country which has an average altitude of 12,000 feet with large portions averaging 15,000 feet. Its landscape is harsh and uncompromising—best described as a high altitude desert—and it is a land of climatic extremes. Tibet’s North and China’s adjoining south are deserted but for a few nomads and their grazing animals found in the small river valleys.

River source

Despite this desert environment, Tibet is also the source of Asia’s greatest rivers and home to several thousand lakes, making it one of the world’s largest sources of fresh water. Yet another reason, if one were needed, that China will never loosen its grip on Tibet. China has great water needs.

Well above treeline

But, much of Tibet provides magnificent scenery and this scenery is the primary reason one travels there. The snow- covered mountains and mountain ranges and the turquoise -colored glacial lakes are just spectacular and the deserts, tundra and hundreds of rushing streams and rivers make every day an exciting adventure. Awesome as the young folks would say.

Travel Control and Permits, Permits and Permits
China maintains a very tight and restrictive control –some would say stranglehold over Tibet. Improved infrastructure and immigration only make it easier. There are spies everywhere along with the oppressive presence of many Chinese military police. Tibetans, wisely, are very reluctant to approach any subject remotely political except in a whispered aside here and there. Thoughtful tourists do not ask but simply observe.

Travel to and in Tibet is tightly controlled. A pre approved itinerary is required ,as are the many permits discussed below. Foreigners are forbidden to drive rental cars and must hire a car with a licensed driver. Although technically hikers, cyclists and like travelers can travel without a government licensed guide, those traveling in cars must employ one.
Before travelling, one must have permits from three levels of bureaucracy: A visa to enter China, a Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) permit to get into greater Tibet and an Alien Travel Permit to travel to certain regions of Tibet within the Autonomous Region.
Additionally, many monasteries and other historical sites require yet another permit and entry to the Mt. Everest base camp requires two additional permits.
If you look closely at all the papers it appears that both the military and the civilian sides of the bureaucracy have signed off on and stamped the various permits. The stamp is still a very important symbol and tool of the Chinese authorities and the brandishing of the stamp for each piece of paper at the many checkpoints along the road and at several of the sights reflects the all-powerful reach of the Chinese bureaucrats.

Road travel on highway

Curiously, these permit/license checkpoints along the roads are also used to control speed on the roads (or off the roads as the case may be). When permits are reviewed at a checkpoint, they are time stamped. Drivers cannot arrive at the next checkpoint before a certain elapsed time or he will be subject to a major speeding fine. One would think the response to this monitoring would be to just go with the flow or speed limit arriving at the next check point at the appropriate time. But no, that is not the way it is handled. The drivers race along, sometimes at breakneck speeds considering the condition of the roads, only to stop just out of sight of the next checkpoint and sit and smoke for some several minutes usually in the company of a few other drivers. One of these stops was for 45 minutes. I guess it beats banging along slowly in the cruiser with no driving challenges or cigarette breaks.
Religion
A disclaimer here. I have never been able to master even the basics of this religion, and the more I read and try to understand, the more confused I become. So, my observations may be erroneous or skewed.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

The Tibetans are Buddhists of a deeply religious variety. Religion defines them, their history, culture, and the way they interact with the world in all aspects of everyday life. Religion is the heart of the state—Tibet, until the Chinese takeover, operated as a theocracy—and the daily life of Tibetans is ordered by religious beliefs. The flags, the mantras, the prayer wheels, ubiquitous prayer lamps, the constant entreating and placating of the gods reflect this religiosity and the strong belief in divine will and reincarnation governs all. Above all are the lamas who interpret all. Historically, the lamas were sort of king sby divine right and the Pope wrapped into one. Monks were the aristocracy (or were for centuries and are still accorded tremendous respect) and the Church was the highest court of appeal. Things are not so clear now, and will become less so in the future, but one can feel and sense in Tibet a very basic and fervent belief structure.
These Buddhist Tibetans are also enthusiastic pilgrims.

90 year old pilgrim

Thousands of pilgrims travel throughout the country to visit important temples and monasteries and other sacred sites including mountains, lakes, rocks and renowned holy men. The act of “Kora”,( circumambulating the object or objects of devotion clockwise), helps focus the concentration of the pilgrims. In Lhasa hundreds of pilgrims join in the daily circumambulation around and through the city all the while twirling their prayer wheels, chanting mantras and inhaling the great clouds of burning incense that characterize these routes. The especially devout pilgrims repeatedly throw themselves prostrate on the ground with the help of hand pads and knee pads (this activity is called Chak). Nonetheless, these pilgrimage circuits, at least in the cities, are festive rather than somber and anyone can join in and walk along.
There are also pilgrim circuits for specific ills or to expiate sins. A circuit around a blessed lake helps ensure the pilgrim’s chances of being reborn with special powers or higher up the chain, while a circumambulation of Mt Kailash can result in spontaneous buddhahood-- whatever that means. Finally there are the circuits within tiny and dark temples and monasteries where the pilgrims short on time bustle around jostling everything in their way to ensure they can leave an offering at every altar. This is about the only time the Tibetans show any sign of aggressiveness, but it is better not to compete for prime chapel viewing space.
There is an earnestness about Buddhism as practiced in the Tibetan’s daily lives as well. Flags of the 5 holy colors in honor of the gods are ubiquitous. At any stop in the road, at any and all sacred sites, and on the roofs of all homes and other structures are streams of these flags placed to ensure the blessings of all the gods.
The Tibetans speak very matter of factly about the protections of the various gods and about reincarnation which is a very real part of their life and religion. A class of gods called the “Protectors” is especially respected and honored.
Ensuring respect for all creatures -- all are part of the reincarnation cycle-- as well as doing good deeds is integral to Tibetan Buddhism. They believe such kindness and deeds may help them skip some of the worst manifestations/stations in the next lives .The belief in reincarnation is the reason Tibetans do not hunt or fish. Nor do they eat any fish believing the fish to possibly be the reincarnation of a once human and that they themselves may one day be a fish as well. Which, in their view, is not a bad deal on the chain of next life reincarnation?
And yet, in spite of piety and religious activity of the Tibetans, Tibet is now a place where religion is not a basic freedom and is only tolerated to a limited extent. Religious institutions are watched carefully from within and without for any signs of wavering from the correct political path, and these same institutions and their followers are the focus of periodic “patriot education” and “civilizing atheism” campaigns. Since the takeover of Tibet by China in 1951, the number of monasteries has declined from 6,000 to 1,700. Additionally, strict quotas are imposed on the numbers of resident monks and nuns in the monasteries and where there used to be thousands of monks in some of the larger institutions there are now hundreds and where there were hundreds there are now a handful.
Food
Tibet is not a hot destination for foodies.

Cuisine

I pride myself on enjoying every cuisine in the world, or at least parts of it. But, I regret to say, that Tibetan food was the exception to my rule that there is a lot to enjoy in every ethnic cuisine.
As the old saying goes “some people live to eat and others eat to live”. Well, the Tibetans are of necessity and/or taste definitely in the second group and Tibetan food appears to be more about survival rather than enjoyment. It is definitely not the highlight of any trip to Tibet. And, although one certainly will not go hungry because of all the Chinese and Indian and now Muslim restaurants and multi ethnic menus in most restaurants, traditional Tibetan food is best avoided. The ingredients are two: yak and dough made from barley and yak butter. The repertoire, except in a very few larger city restaurants, is limited to greasy dumplings (momos) a dumpling soup made from this same barley dough (thugpa) or worst of all, a sort of pasty porridge made from this dough and a liquid such as rehydrated milk. A quote from a reader of The Lonely Planet may sum it up: “…only a Tibetan can eat it every day and still look forward to the next meal”.
Leaving Tibetan food aside, but for the absence of fish or real beef there is a pretty good variety of food in most parts of Tibet, never mind that it is all rather unexciting and by the middle of the trip all begins to taste alike. The curious thing about menus in these various restaurants is that but for chicken or pork the menus use the term “meat”.” “ Meat “dumplings, “meat “curry, “meat” with rice, “meat “with noodles etc. When traveling through Tibet in the lower areas one observed numerous herds of goats and sheep and some cattle to say nothing of the ubiquitous Yak. Yet the menus never mentioned goat or lam on a menu it wasn’t, it was yak. I do not know what happened to the cattle or to the goats or sheep, but they were not part of the restaurant menus. In any case, I always ordered chicken or pork. I do not mind eating goat, lamb or perhaps even yak, but I like to know what it is. “Meat “brings to mind all sorts of unpleasant possibilities. In the remote areas there was always good eggs and fried potatoes to supplement the Tibetan fare, so one never had to go hungry.

Jimmy on the other hand loved the yak meat and all things most native including daily doses of yak butter tea. Ugh. One guide book describes yak butter tea as “a cross between brewed old socks and sump oil” and urges all travelers to avoid it at all costs but for the most pressing of social situations where refusal is impossible. But Jimmy is the traveler that eats eels in France. Each to his own.
Alcoholic Beverages
Beer, both local brands and Budweiser are plentiful and reasonable as is Chinese red wine. If you are a white wine drinker either forget it or spend all your souvenir money on obtaining it. There is none in the stores, so one must purchase it from a tourist restaurant at about $40 a bottle for what was a $7 bottle of wine. On the few evenings we gave in and purchased a bottle anyway, I savored every sip and squabbled with Rodney over who might be getting an unfair share. Gin was a thing of my past life save a few miniatures taken along for emergencies.

Yak

The Yak: Symbol and Staple of Tibet

Yak, yak!

Yak are huge black bovines somewhat resembling a buffalo. They have been bred for centuries for these regions, and are the primary reason the Tibetans survived their extremely harsh climate and terrine. The yak is the only livestock that can survive and thrive in many parts of Tibet. Unlike cattle, they are very sure- footed and can climb high and into rather treacherous territory to eat, and they can eat most anything-- their square tongues and broad muzzle allow them to forage very close to the frozen ground under heavy snows. Their very heavy coats enable them to withstand winter temperatures that reach -50F.Yaks have more ribs than cattle as well as three times the number of blood cells enabling them to inhale air where the air is thin. And, their incredibly heavy coats can take them through the extreme winters.

Yak festival

In addition to providing the primary meat of Tibet, Yak butter is the fuel for thousands upon thousands of offerings burning throughout Tibet as well as the basis of the ubiquitous Yak butter tea. Yak dung is the main fuel source in rural Tibet, Yak hair is made into tents and blankets, Yak hide is used for shoe and boot soles, and the Yak’s heart serves as an important medicine. An animal bred for centuries still well serves the needs of this country.

Yak dressed up for photo op

Driving and Drivers
Drivers in Tibet are Asia’s version of the trail boss in western movies. They are, for the most part, entrepreneurs owning their own vehicles and working independently rather than for a travel company. They are savvy, skilled, macho, and daredevil and, necessarily, totally comfortable with any and all driving/vehicle situations. It doesn’t take long to figure out they, not the guide, are in charge.

Our touring group

The driving in Tibet was a rough venture. The one paved east/west highway – the two lane “Friendship Highway”-- winds through some of the roughest terrain I have ever encountered.

One of the shortcuts

The Chinese -built highway went over formidable mountains, forged streams and crossed some impossible terrain. Annual flooding as well as chronic flash flooding repeatedly washes out portions of the “highway” and its bridges necessitating some rather long detours.

Where we've been or where we're going

We were there just following the flooding, but, never mind the lack of sizeable portions of road as well as the roadbed in some cases, our indefatigable drivers just moved on. It was a great challenge to them. Compounding these driving challenges was the fact that a couple of the most important monasteries plus the Mt. Everest base camp were several miles off the road altogether and reached by tracks through acres of washed- out river stones and collapsed “trail” beds And, just to complete the driving challenge picture, our drivers loved to take shortcuts. If the road ahead turned to the right or left, our drivers left the road cutting a hypotenuse path across the field.

Another shorcut

We forded a few streams, got lost once or twice in the acres of river stones as even the trails had disappeared and any directional signs were miles behind. We once had to pull out a truck which had inexplicably decided on the short cut as well. The photos will probably do a better job of describing our road travel than my words.