Driving from KTM to Lhasa, Tibet

March 24-31, 2007

I have had a curiosity for Tibet for a long time, as many Westerners do. This comes from hearing so much about China, its role and impact on the lives of Tibetans, the high international profile of the Dalai Lama, documentaries and movies on Tibet that have popped up over the years. It had seemed such a far away and inaccessible place, until I got to Nepal. I could not resist the temptation of getting a glimpse into this world that is full of mystique and history. So on May 24, I set off from KTM by microbus on a long drive to the capital, Lhasa. What follows are my general impressions which account to no more than a brief glimpse into this complex world that for sure has many aspects and dimensions.

Our group was small including one woman from the States, an Italian couple and myself. With us came a driver and our guide. The drive to Lhasa took us 5 days, and on day 3 and 4 we stopped to visit monasteries along the way. It was a good way to get a sense of Tibet and its incredible landscapes tho after a few days, I no longer eagerly clicked my camera at the sight of brown mountains and felt dazed instead. I was mesmerized by the Tibetans often seen walking while spinning a prayer wheel with traditional wear, scruffy hair and red cheeks from the harsh weather.

Hotels
I was very happy with the hotels we stayed at on this tour, most of them being quite fancy where available. The exception would be in Xegar where the hotel and rooms were lovely with a 1960’s tv but no running water (so we got 2 pails of water for the bathroom) and only electricity for a few hours in the evening. But then again, could we expect more in the middle of nowhere? Xegar is a very small town, so it was already amazing that we could get a decent room.

Food
The food was actually good. I had Tibetan noodles a few times and enjoyed that immensely, with large, thick square noodles, bits of yak meat and a tasty broth. Yak steak in Lhasa is definitely a 10/10 on my list and the regular chow-mein (stir fried noodles) was nice also. Chinese food was good but plain with the usual fried rice, won ton soup and thick sauced tofu or meat. I was astounded that prices were actually quite good with lunch costing usually around 2$ and dinner 3-5$. Even cookies and snacks were affordable in the middle of nowhere (Xegar traumatized me!). In Lhasa, one must go to the Shangrila and Mad Yak restaurants: they are both excellent food at affordable prices and have live music and dance. They are good places to go for goodbye dinners.

Communications
I was surprised to see no Internet café anywhere even in Lhasa. And on our TV, there was only CCTV with many Chinese channels and China’s only English channel. No HBO, no Star World/Movies. China is closed to the world. The only time we got Internet access was in Lhasa at our hotel. That was it. Telephone access was good and I was able to call home to Nepal from most cities.

Weather
End of March is spring like weather. In Tibet, it means usually very cold indoor because building are often made of cement with no heating. And very hot in the sun because at such high altitude, the sunrays just burn. So we had to carry a few layers along the way, pealing them one by one, then putting them back on depending on where we were. When we visited monasteries, the buildings were also very cold and dark. In Xegar, we were treated with a real sand storm making any thought of going for a walk into town impossible since it hurt so much to venture outdoors and visibility was nil. I have never been in such dry climate as my skin and lips just fell right off, no matter how much cream I put on. So be prepared as Vaseline will no doubt become your best friend.

Culture
I was surprised to see how separate the Chinese and Tibetans are in their living “arrangements”. In most cities that we saw, there were a Chinese part with wide streets and modern shops and a Tibetan section with smaller and colourful shops. Most Tibetans seemed very religious, often seen walking spinning their prayer wheels. We were stunned to see that no one spoke any English, be it at the hotel, restaurants or in the streets. Even simple words like “rice”, “noodle” or numbers from 1-10 fell on deaf ears! No basic English whatsoever!

It felt a bit strange to see monks strolling downtown, talking on mobile phones and shopping. And when going to the monasteries, it was odd for them to be such a tourist attraction. Is there room for the spiritual and sacred in Tibet? Seeing the tourists like myself stare at prostrating pilgrims and walking around them didn’t seem right either.

Health
I was prepared with medicine for everything under the sun, and I got to use most of it! Altitude sickness struck me real quick when I was in Xegar. All of a sudden, I felt nauseous, had a kind of headache and my breathing was shallow. I quickly took some Diamox and the next day it got better. I also got stomach burns rom the food by the time I got to Lhasa and had to either skip meals or try to eat more Western food like salads or sandwiches. Finally, I got the runs and had to take Cypro to help me out.

Environment
I have never seen such inhospitable environment in my life: 5 days of rocks, sand and brown mountains. Not many of the 1,3 billion Chinese lived on the territory we crossed because there we rarely any houses or signs of life along the way. Nothing – just dry, dry sand. Not exactly an ideal place for setting up home and planting a vegetable garden! When we did see people or cattle (sheep or buffalo), I truly did wonder what they ate as there were no shrubs and no grass in sight – just rocks and sand. The rivers we saw were very low, most of them damned for hydraulic power.

The trip

I feel that I got a good run for my money. The whole trip was arranged through Blue Bird Travels in KTM (01-470-0719) and cost me 850 US$. This included the microbus to Lhasa, entry visa for China, hotel accommodations with breakfast, monastary entrance fees, return air fare, airport tax and an English speaking guide as well as a driver.

Day 1 – KTM to Kaodari and Zhang Mu – 123 km - 2300 m
We left KTM way too early at 6am in a land cruiser. Sometimes the road was paved, other times it was pretty rocky. We got to the border town of Kaodari on the Nepal side at 10 am and waited before walking through the border bridge into “China”. We had “Chinese officials” disinfect our luggage and had to fill quarantine card, show our passport and then a new microbus was waiting for us and we made it up the bumpy hill to customs. There we had to wait for officials to come to work (I guess they start late!) and waited for some time. We eventually made it through customs and could see the difference in “environment” between China and Nepal even tho we were just a stone throw away by looking at what people were wearing and the shops. We were no longer in Nepal, that was for sure! We checked into our hotel at noon, but China is 2 hours ahead so it was 2 pm in Zhang Mu, the Chinese border town. By then the 4 people in our group had gotten acquainted – a woman from USA, a couple from Italy and myself. We were ready for adventure and tried our luck on a nearby restaurant. I had noodles with julienne chicken (tho there was no chicken really!). We walked up and down the small town then made it back to our rooms to play cards. I bought some “local rice wine" but it was way too strong at 52% alcohol so I could not drink it and left it in the room. Lucky Jack! became the fun game of choice so we had a few rounds before bed time.

Day 2 – Zhang Mu to Xegar – 244 km – 4350 m
I woke up with my natural alarm clock at 6:30 but it was already 8:45 in China so I was late for breakfast. I packed my stuff real quick then headed down for a quick bite. We left at 9:30 – at first through mountains and roads that were edged by high cliffs. At one point we got to a “snow tunnel” and the land cruisers ahead of us just breezed through but with our little microbus, we got stuck. The driver had to take out a mini shovel to dig us out and we made it through. After 2 hours of driving the whole scenery changed to a dry and sandy environment. That seemed to be nothing along the way – no rest stops or restaurants, no greens, no trees – but still a new landscape for me to see so I clicked away with my camera. I stuck my head out the window for most of the journey in awe of this world that looked so foreign to me. We finally stopped for lunch at 2:30 – not much opportunity to stop before as there was nothing along the way – and we had Tibetan food. I had a noodle soup and then just after lunch, altitude sickness hit me and my head started to spin. I took a Diamox tablet and hoped for the best before we hit the road again. Our Italian lady was looking a bit green herself but she blamed it more on the yak butter tea that she had had then on altitude. We kind of saw Everest along the way tho I could not quite take a good shot as it seemed so far away. As we got closer to it. A sand storm got going and brought visibility down to zero. When we got to Xegar, it seemed to us like a pretty small town in the middle of nowhere and I took refuge in my cold but nice Qomolangma hotel room. I managed to call home to Nepal for the first time and got through to hear Maya’s and Remi’s voice. All was well at home and I was OK to continue with this personal quest through Tibet. We went “to town for dinner” and I had yak meat with spinach and potatoes which was lovely. Went to be early.

Day 3 – Xegar to Shigatse – 244 km – 3900 m
I got up at 8 am as day was just breaking. There was no electricity but there was still hot water in those amazing huge thermos. So I was able to wash up quickly even tho the room was so cold. I had a surprisingly lovely breakfast with crepes and a nice jam. Then we set off on the road at 9:30 on mostly new asphalt road which was a relief from the rocky drive of the day before. Apparently the Friendship Highway is getting built in bits and pieces across Tibet and we should feel lucky as none of this was there a few years ago! Same landscape with sand, rocks and brown mountains along the way which got less and less of my camera enthusiasm. Same old, same old. We got to Shigatse which is the second largest city in Tibet at around 2:30 and checked into the lovely 3 star Wu Tse Hotel. Wow. Running water, electricity and still only one English CCTV 9 Channel. And there was a heater! What incredible luxury! We managed to make it to a Bank of China to change money but “noooo”, they sent us to the “Big Bank of China” for this complex transaction. I still find it amazing that you need a passport to change US$ to Chinese Yuan. We then went for lunch but with no English menu and no English comprehension from the staff, we had to rely on our 1998 Italian Lonely Planet for help. We managed to order, and got quite different food but still we ate. We went to Tashi “Tibetan” restaurant for dinner but it really does cater to tourists and the food was OK tho a little disappointing (and pricy). In the afternoon we went to visit the Tibetan Monastary Tashilungpo and were amazed! I got a nice smiling monk shining brass of yak butter lamps who was eager to pose for me (a rarety in Tibet!). And I just loved the grounds as this was our first “sightseeing” in Tibet. Then we went to the Tibetan Market where there were many amulets for sale. I found the Tibetans aggressive as they literally pulled on my sweater and would not let me go – and quote prices so high only to go down and down to a fraction of what they had first asked. For exemple, I got a nice wooden box for 110 Yuan but they had first asked me 350. As for a prayer wheel, one lady went from 250 to 40 Yuan! A big drop!

Day 4 – Shigatse to Gyantse – 90 km – 3900 m
We had an easy day here with all the conforts of our hotel, a nice breakfast and then a mere 90 km drive to Gyantse town. We checked into our hotel which was lovely tho cold then walked around the Chinese wide streets and soon thereafter the Tibetan part of town.

It was a lovely town to walk around and we stopped at a Chinese restaurant for lunch. Thank God they had an English menu and we had the usual fried rice and won ton soup. We were off at 2 pm to the Phalkor Monastary and its lovely colourful stupa. We saw the monks chanting inside and climbed the stupa to its many levels until the top. I “discovered” some nice local ice cream and had 6 bars, and also bought some red wine of the “Great Wall” brand which was OK. We all had lunch at a nearby Chinese restaurants and it was nice.

Day 5 – Gyantse to Lhasa – 259 km – 3650 m
This was the day when we would get to Lhasa! We hit the road at 8:30 and it was pretty bumpy for 3 hours before we got to the paved “part” of the Friendship Highway. We stopped for lunch in Kamba La for Chow Mein and thereafter the road was paved and easier. We soon saw the stunning Yamdrok Tso Lake which is so beautiful with its turquoise colors and contrast against the bare brown mountains. It is considered a holy lake so people do not swim or fish in it (a shame in such grim surroundings!). The lake offered many superb camera opportunities and we wound up the road through the mountains. It was only one hour from Lhasa before we started to see real vegetation (trees and bushes) along the way. Tibet is pretty bare…Entering Lhasa, it was no surprise to see the wide Chinese streets with shopping malls and all kinds of shops (computers, etc.) The spreading city of Lhasa lies just below the impressive Potala Palace where the government of Tibet and the Dalai Lama used to seat prior to the “Cultural Revolution”/massacre of 1959 led by the Chinese. I went alone to sit in front of the Potala from 5-7:30 pm, took pictures, read and just relaxed. Then I went back to my hotel, had pizza for dinner and went to bed early.

Day 6 - Lhasa
I woke up at 8 am, made coffee in my room and washed up. It was nice for once not to have to pack my bags and simply be able to settle in. Our group set off for the Potala at 9:30 and we took pictures from the square in front then went inside. I walked through the main rooms used by past dalai lamas and admired each carving and object. Now the place is only a museum yet it is so incredible to see the statues, tapestries, various object of art, carvings, etc. Walking up the many stairs at such altitude was quite the effort and got me and everyone else out of breath quickly. I loved visiting the Potala which for me and many others is a masterpiece and a world heritage monument.

In the afternoon, I went to Jokhang temple – nice with a view of the Potala from the roof. Then I walked around the Barkhor bazaar which has many Tibetan amulets for sale but also tourist/Chinese junk. It was still a nice atmosphere. Then I walked again to the Potala, sat on a bench with a monk and shared a large chocolate bar which I had in my bag. I took yet again more pictures of the palace, but this time with it reflected in the lake. Then I walked back to the hotel and went for dinner with our group to a Tibetan restaurant. But I was having stomach burns so I did not eat very much. No one at the restaurant spoke English but there were pictures in the menu so we guessed our way through it and ordered. We got a few surprises and yet again, we were reminded that English is not so common even here in Lhasa. Back at the hotel, we played Lucky Jack! and had some good laughs.

Day 7 - Lhasa
Last day in Lhasa. In the morning we went to Drepung monastery which is quite large, perched on a mountain side. Many pilgrims prostrate in front or go around the temple leaving money and filling the candle vats with hard yak butter with a spoon or melted yak butter from a thermos. Usually, it costs between 10-20 yuan per room/temple to take pictures and this can add up quickly. The altitude was getting to me as I was getting short breath, It is very chilling in monastery rooms which must be even colder in winter yet refreshing in the summer. In the afternoon, we went to Sera Monastary and witnessed open simultaneous debates between hundred of monks. It was very theatrical, with one asking questions on scriptures while other(s) tried to answer. We were supposed to have our farewell dinner at the Mad Yak restaurant which came highly recommended in the guide but it was closed. So we went to the Shangrila instead which was lovely. We ate good food, had a few Lhasa beers which we like and saw a nice dancing and singing show.

Day 8 – Departure from Lhasa
There is not much to say except that we left at 8 am to drive to the modern airport which is more than one hour away from Lhasa. Our flight was at 10:40 so we got there in plenty of time. And that was good since our guide “forgot” to give us the original “group visa” with the official government red stamps. It turned out that we needed this in order to leave. Thank God we had our guide’s cel phone so we were able to call him and get him to come back to the airport and provide us with the said document. The flight was beautiful, only one hour, and it took us through the breathtaking Himalayas including a gorgeous sight of Mount Everest. I took many pictures which will surely remain in my heart as well.

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