Super Leisure Hotel Xining

... the river and fields.

Pass number 3 (3792.75m) was actually more pleasant than the others, mostly as it was a series of switchbacks that went straight up, rather than a very protracted gradual gradient as the other two had been. Marvellously the clever Chinese engineers had built a tunnel at the top. Whilst admiring the top of the mountain from the ascent, I had noticed a series of switchbacks heading ever higher right into the thick snow. Brrrr ...

... he did not see him neither.. I run back to the door of the coach, which is now closed and ask the lady controller to open the door as our friend is missing. Impossible she says. And the train starts to leave. From being the 4 of us 5 min earlier we are now just 2!!

Excellent... The trip to Tibet kicks off with the best start possible...!

Then.. surprise... Coming from the following coach I see Jordi walking toward us...
... and Nishi in his back!!!
At ...

... about 25 other TBC kids. We were expecting to have to sleep on the floor in some smoke filled mud hut but the family we stayed with probably had more money than any of us. It was a beautiful house with a big courtyard and the place was big enough to sleep 30 people. When we arrived the husband who lived there picked us all fruit from the orchard in the courtyard. It was a little bit difficult because the family didn't speak any English and the wife only spoke a little ...

... kiinalaiset ovat innostuneet patikoimaan siinä määrin, että yläosan kapeilla vuoristopoluilla ihmisiä oli ruuhkaksi asti. Yllättävää kyllä, myös pienet lapset kiipesivät jyrkkiä portaita tukenaan vain teräsvaijeri.

Vaikka olimme varanneet runsaasti aikaa paluumatkaan lentokentälle, huomasimme olevamme myöhässä linja-auton verkkaisen menon ja tietöiden johdosta. Lentokentälle päästyämme totesimme kaiken ...

We didn't have too much time to spend in Xining as we arrived around 1 am due to the late flight, had a meeting with our travel agency at 9 am and our train departed at 11.30. So we didn't actually see anything in Xining, though it didn't actually matter as we were already looking forward to taking the train to Lhasa. In fact, I ...

... Last week, we met two music professors including one one who is a composer and knows Daryl's teachers! The other night, I met a young man who is a good friend of my close friend's son (from Massachusetts). What a small world!.

We feel so fortunate to have had this experience. (Thanks, Anne!) We also got to meet one of our department's PhD candidate's Mom and brother at a monastery. That was such a moving experience. Jessica brought a message for ...

... it (of Tibetan, Mongolian, and Tu ethnicities), working for
four years straight! They used all natural materials, including gold,
silver, coral, agate, pearl and precious stones. It spans numerous
rooms, and after probably an hour of gazing at it, I was astounded that
I had yet to find a flaw in it. It is an absolute masterpiece of human
creation.


Finally, today we took a day trip to Qinghai Lake, China's largest
Xining, Qinghai, China jess.joy

... at the market. It is funny how China reminds me so much of the US. I think Chinese are trying really hard to be American. That's all really. *** WORLD CHANGE STARTS WITH EDUCATED CHILDREN! Give a girl the life long gift of education! Support my appeal 100 GIRLS BACK TO SCHOOL! Donate at: www.justgiving.com/100GirlsBackToSchool . Your money goes directly to ROOM TO READ (www.roomtoread.org)! Hugs & Kisses, Vik

... height of summer) at the places we're going to. Went to a Chinese street market, but all they had were regular street clothes and stuff. So i managed to get everyone to go to the Tibetan market with me. Nimrod and I picked up padded jackets for 55 yuan (S$11!!), while Shauna and Rob feel that they're gonna be ok. So yeah...well, to each his own. There were also funny looking fur hats - very Russian soldier. (I should really be taking more pictures ...

... could still do the tour to the surrounding lake, but it was unlikely we would see a (live) bird... Incidently, 2 days later the main story in the China Daily was "Mystery bird deaths in Qinghai caused by bird flu!". But, of course, it's all under control. They're checking with the virus now to see whether it has the correct visas and entry permits for China. ****. Xining doesn't have much else to offer apart from birds and ...