Namtso - the lake in the sky
Trip Start
Sep 01, 2007
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27
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Trip End
Oct 22, 2007
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Namtso Lake,
China
Saturday, September 29, 2007
It seems a day in Tibet is not complete unless there has been an adventure of some sort or other.
Shortly after we headed off, at the edge of Lhasa, we stopped at a checkpoint. The way these checkpoints work is that the driver is given a time record and the earliest time he can get to the next checkpoint which means driving at a speed of approximately 60 km per hour. This system was instituted as a result of too many fatal accidents involving both locals and tourists. It is an excellent system because, as we found out when we arrived just 5 minutes earlier than specified, the driver is fined without any discussion or leniency. Our driver was not too happy but this probably won't happen again. Perhaps a few more countries should consider implementing this system.
Just to add to the enforcement, there are policemen along the way checking speed using a radar gun. Thankfully we just managed to avoid a fine on the way there and our driver had been warned on the way back so that was positive.
We stopped for lunch before reaching the entrance to the Namtso National Park where we were to have our next adventure. Our guide has a permit from the tourist bureau but, in the interests of financial gain, does not register with another Chinese required body. The difference is he gets RMB 100 per day unregistered or RMB 60 per day registered so not too surprising. Unfortunately this was the day that there were more officials checking permits than usual and, worst of all, half of them were Chinese.
Namtso Prayer Flags
Had they been just Tibetan he would have got away with it but in China, rules are followed to the letter so his permit was confiscated while they decide his fate. Thankfully we could still go on to the lake.Finally, after crossing 2 mountain passes and surviving the adventures we got to the lake and oh was it worth it all.
At 4,718 metres above sea level, Namtso Lake, meaning Heavenly Lake, is easily the highest saltwater lake in the world. At about 70 km long and 35 km wide, covering approximately 1,920 square kilometres and with a magnificent snow-capped mountain range in the background it is a truly beautiful place to visit.
Being high on the tourist route means there are many stalls, local restaurants and, should you so wish, the opportunity to ride on horses and Yaks. Thankfully the Tibetans are more friendly than pushy so after a gentle "no thanks" we can either have a conversation of sorts with them or just move on.
Namtso Lake is also one of three holy lakes in Tibet and, as such, is a place many Pilgrims visit and in fact walk all the way around. This takes them around 18 days! For those unable to endure such a trek there is a holy rock which they can walk around. All walking is always done in a clockwise direction. Given the holiness of the lake, there are many prayer flags around the holy rock. As is usual with the Buddhist religion, everything has a meaning so the colours of the prayer flags are significant too: blue for sky, white for clouds, yellow for earth, green for water and red for fire.
We spent time taking photos, walking, standing, looking, talking to people and taking photos.
Namtso Monument to Tarred Road
We asked two Chinese men to take a photo of us with our camera. Well, first he took three photos each closer than the last. Then his partner came and stood with us and they used their camera to take a few more photos. Finally I was asked to leave so he could have a few more photos with just Annie :-)It is easy to forget about the altitude as Annie did while she was looking for pretty pebbles and rushing in and out of the waterline avoiding the waves. That was until she started puffing and panting from the "exertion"! We walked rather slowly for the rest of the visit.
On leaving the lake we had a view stop from the top of the first pass at 5,190 metres above sea level. To put this height into context, climbers of Mount Everest start from Everest Base Camp at a height of 5,200 meters. This is definitely the highest place on earth either of us have visited and stood on! It was really windy and pretty chilly too so on with the fleece and jackets and a fairly quick visit before heading back to the comfort of the car.
We also stopped along the way to admire more snow-capped mountains and for a "nature toilet" break. The toilets we had used along the way were not great. In fact, Annie experienced the worst ones so far on this trip. Without getting too graphic, the Chinese way is to have squat toilets and, as Annie experienced for the first time in the Xining train station, sometimes they are "open plan". This is good for having a chat with your neighbour but little else. These countryside toilets were not only open plan but in a VERY poor state of hygiene. Enough said!
Yes, there were more adventures on the way back to Lhasa. First the driver was shown by another driver that he had lost his front number plate. He dropped us in a small town and went back to look for it. To our amazement he returned 45 minutes later with his number plate, none of us gave him any chance of finding it.
Then we were early for the next checkpoint so we spent 15 minutes at the side of the road killing time. We saw the same train we had travelled in to Tibet going past us and got to amuse a couple of local children.
Throughout this road trip we were entertained with the SAME CD over and over and over again. We were even singing along to some of the songs by the end of the day :-)
With that it was back to the hotel without any further events.
