To Lhasa!!!

So, finally we write from Chengdu, one hour before leaving for Lhasa!!


As we said, Yangzhuo was really a nice time. Riding on our rented tandem (duo bike) between the sugerbread-shaped hills and along the beautiful Li river.
Finally after a lot of snow we could relax in this nice and warm surrounding. Well I slept for two days to get rid of my fever. But after four days I was back the old one, except my lips were still full of herpes vesicles.

One day we visited the local market. Saartje left after entering five meter when she saw a truncated fish head stil moving vividly.
I went on but came out really shocked. We heard the people there sell skinned dogs, so I was curious, but it was much worse then I had expected. The dogs where just treated like actually all animals are treated. They were stacked with so many in such a small cage, but much worse, there fellows got slaughtered just in front of there nose, just like 10 cm!! The prepared ones where hanging on hooks in the front. Just like rabbits, but it felt so much worse. ...

So after This beautiful place we left back to Guilin where we visited some more little beautiful villages after which we took the train for 25 hours direction Chengdu.

Here, in this big and vivid city with 4,4 million people we really slowed down. We were little sick of sight seeing. So in two weeks we only visited the panda 'zoo', the main square, the peoples park, some hours further, the biggest Buddha of the world and many hours further(12) the most beautiful natural reserve we saw up till now.The panda's where so cute, but stil bears and dangerous!
The Buddha was an 'o waw' experience, after we went back. We didn't really visit it, we just took the pont to an island opposite of the Buddha, from which we had a very good view. We saved 9 euro's each!

The natural reserve was just so beautiful, it was a pity we couldn't walk on the walking pads because of fire danger.
Just admire it on there site: www.jiuzhai.com
The way to there was very interesting to see how the earthquake of 2008 did so much damage. It must have been horrifying to have been in that valley. Half mountains just came down! Damaged houses, collapsed bridges, broken roads,...crazy


Normally our plan was to take the bus from the park to another city where we could take the train to Xinnig, but there was no bus going anymore. So we had to go back to Chengdu.

Apparently a good plan of God, because the day after we arrived, we got mail from a Dutch couple who wanted join us!!! www.geraldanette.reismee.nl
Which they do!!!

So tonight we leave with the train to Lhasa for 48 hours.

This is our Itinerary for Tibet:


Day 01 : Arrival in Lhasa by train, will be received and transfer to hotel in Lhasa,
Day 02 : Day in Lhasa / optional visits in Lhasa
Day 03 : Day in Lhasa / optional visits in Lhasa

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Day 04 : Day trip option 01

Drive Lhasa to Ganden monastery, touring the monastery, option to do a 3 to 4 hrs trek crossing Ganden ridge to Trup Shi village where we can visit a local Tibetan family for some local drinks and snacks, then meet our driver and drive back to Lhasa, over night stay in Lhasa



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Day 05 : Lhasa - Yamdrok lake - Gyangtse 260kms / 7hrs

Leaving Lhasa and the Kyi Chu valley towards the Khampa la pass ( 4730metres ), at the pass we have a short break for stunning views of some major white peaks in the eastern regions of Himalaya to the south and the young Norjing Gang Sang spiritual snow mountain range to the west across the turquise colored waving waters of Yamdrok lake, descending from the pass down close to the lake and driving passing the local nomadic and farming villages as far as to the western edge of Yamdrok lake where we have our lunch break at Nagar Tse, after lunch continue our scenic driving to Karo la pass ( 5050metres ) where we have our first high altitude adventure experience of Norjing Gang Sang glacier peak and visiting the local nomads with the Yaks, we have our arrival in Gyangtse late afternoon , check in hotel in Gyangtse, Jian Zang or similar ( 3850metres )



Day 06 : Gyangtse sightseeing - Shigatse 90kms / 2hrs

After breafkast, we visit the local historical and the cultural centers, The Palkhor Chode monastery including the Kumbum stupa ( the only survival with such distinctive structure and the thousands of art works ) and a climb to the ancient local Gyangtse fort is worthy choice by being in Gyangtse, at noon we drive through Nying Chu valley, passing local farming Tibetan villages with stops at their farm-lands and as well as stops at a few local villages with visits to a few of the local families, arriving in Shigatse afternoon, check in the hotel, same day afternoon touring the Tashi Lunpo monastery and the local tradtional market, hotel stay at Gang Gyen or similar



Day 07 : Shigatse - Sakya monastery - Shekar - Tashi Zong Village 320kms / 6hrs

Leaving Shigatse town, Drive continue west on the friendship high way to Sakya, visit Sakya monastery ( The main seat of Sakya pa sect of Tibetan Buddhism ) a monastery which was once became the political center of majority parts of Tibetan territory and its history dates back to the11th century contemporary to the second diffusion of Tibetan Buddhism in Tibet ), It has now still the largest library for ancient Buddhist scriptures although thousands of precious scriptures were destroyed during cultural revolution, after the visit we take our lunch there and late after noon drive to Shekar and then on to Tashi Zong village, over night at a local farmer`s guest house



Day 08 : Tashi Zong village - Rombuk - Everest base camp 60kms / 1 1/2hrs

We have a basic breakfast at the guest served by the family and then we drive to Rombuk, where we make a short stop and then you could start your hike from Rombuk up to Za Rumbuk where we have the locals running camp guest houses, check in the guest house



Day 09 : Everest / Nyalam 220kms / 7hrs

Spend a beautiful morning in Rombuk and Everest base camp, enjoying the sun-rising, late morning driving to Old Tingri where we have our lunch break, taking a walk around the village after lunch is interesting, late afternoon drive to Nyalam. ( 3700m )



Day 10 : Nyalam / Zhangmu Border / cross border

Driving down to border town ( Zhangmu ), clearing the immigration formalities and then cross border ;



End of the trip ;





Love


Simon and Saartje