Tibet

Trip Start Aug 21, 2006
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Trip End Dec 18, 2006


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Wednesday, October 4, 2006

I caught a bus with a number of other travelers at 5:00am on the 30th. We made our way out of Katmandu towards the border stopping at a breathtaking cliffside restaurant for breakfast where I met some of my travelmates. All are very nice and able to swing with the punches as they say when things don't go exactly as planned. I think in fact, that this is one of the key points of 'traveling' rather than going on holiday. The experience, negative and / or positive is why you are there. You want to know the local culture better and that does not always mean that everything will be perfect or to your usual expectations. On the other hand, sometimes you are suprised with things and moments so wonderful and unexpected that it makes it all worthwhile!

Our vehicle was a smaller sized bus with gear tied to the top. The roads outside of Katmandu were somewhat sketchy to say the least 01-Breakfast
01-Breakfast
 . Think about the cliffside road Highway 1 around the Big Sur area in California then take away the paving (about 50%), make the road narrower (not always two lanes) and remove all protective barriers from the edges....oh and make sure that the numerous waterfalls that cascade off the mountain, run over and cross the road and erode the edge slowly away. Yes, that pretty much sums it up...luckily I had my IPOD and the ability to close my eyes! The scenery was magnificent. Words cannot describe what we saw...I hope that I am able to convey it in pictures. So many waterfalls you lost count, sweeping valleys and cliffs covered in green vegetation. Amazing.

We arrived at the border late in the afternoon and found out that our group of 8 out of Nepal was actually meeting up with two or three other groups that had not arrived. We were getting bulked together for our Group Visa to Tibet! Well, we waited around for a long time, some of our other travelers arrived and then they let us over the boarder and into the line at customs. Here we waited for about 2 hours...then customs closed, the Chinese authorities took our passports for the night and we were basically SOL for immediate future. Our plans changed and we stayed in the boarder town Kodari in a decent place with horrendous squat toilets and a bucket shower! We all stayed dirty that evening I can assure you except for my adventurous roommate, Natalie, who braved the showers and survived 02-At the border
02-At the border
 !

The next day customs was opening late because it was a Chinese holiday. We got the government to allow us in then the police decided that there was a problem with our travel permit...it was forged. Oh, and the passport of one of the americans was suspicious and needed further verification...you get the drift. Oh, and the wind was blowing 5 degrees in a northwest direction so we would not be able to proceed.....Finally at around 1pm we got all of the paperwork in order and were on our way. What a relief!

We became a group of 25 in about 6 Landcruiser. Which was good because it had been pouring rain so we were a bit slippery going up and around the roads out of Kodari into Tibet!!!!

More later....
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