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7 Days in Tibet: Day 4

Friday, November 9th, 2007

. Gyantse and Shigatse .

Wake up at nine in the morning.  The “guide” and driver say that as soon as they procure the permits required for the next leg of our trip, they’ll meet us by the town’s monastery by noon.  We take a casual stroll past the hill top fort and through the old town.  Along the way we are invited into a Tibetan lady’s home.  We go onto her rooftop for a thrilling view of the surroundings.  After staying for a while, we are forced to move onwards if we want to keep on schedule to make it to our next stop by this afternoon.  Alas, we get sidetracked again, playing with the snotty nosed kids roaming the streets.    [read on]

7 Days in Tibet: Day 3

Thursday, November 8th, 2007

. Samye Monastery .

Wake at seven thirty in the morning to see the Samye monastery at dawn and witness the morning prayers.  Our “guide” and driver insist on leaving at eight before the monastery opens.  We politely tell them we didn’t drive a day out of our way to stop here and sleep in a non-heated room only to skip the site when we woke.  It is freezing cold, but the unique experience is all worth it.     [read on]

7 Days in Tibet: Day 2

Wednesday, November 7th, 2007

. The Road Trip Begins .

It is almost noon, and we still haven’t heard from the travel agent.  The six others and I (four Americans, a Polish couple and an Aussie) sit waiting for the land cruiser to show up and spirit us off on the road trip.  It takes a walk over to the agent’s office, and an interruption of her sales pitch to a new client to get everything started.  Unfortunately, there is no land-cruiser and we are shifted into a more spacious, but less off-road friendly van.  It is one day later than anticipated, but everybody is excited.  To further the hype, we even found a stock of PBR for the journey!

The van turns out to be slow on bumpy dirt roads, and we get to our destination after closing hours.  It’s a cold night, but a few beers and group camaraderie warm up the evening on a positive close.

The van turns out to be slow on bumpy dirt roads, and we get to our destination after closing hours.  It’s a cold night, but a few beers and group camaraderie warm up the evening on a positive close.

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7 Days in Tibet: Day 1

Tuesday, November 6th, 2007

. Delayed in Lhasa .

We are already one day late.  The permits took longer to acquire than the travel agent estimated.  This puts me one day behind schedule for leaving the country before my visa expires, and another in the group is now going to be a day late for his flight back to Shanghai. The extra day cost me another hundred dollars for a seven-day visa extension.  It is a little frustrating, but I’m off for a six day epic across Tibet, stopping at monasteries, old towns and culminating with the tallest peak in the world: Mt. Everest!  On top of building anticipation, the extra day in Lhasa was kissed by a light snowfall that glazed the surrounding mountains and provided a perfect backdrop for a day of relaxing before the journey.

 

 

The Highest Railroad in the World

Tuesday, October 30th, 2007

It is sometime in the middle of the night.  I’m not exactly sure when.  The train’s clock has been flashing 20:35 since I boarded on Sunday, and I only know today is Tuesday.  I can’t seem to stay asleep for very long, and have awoken several times only to find the rest of the cabin in a deep slumber.  Maybe it’s the increasingly high altitude and thin air or maybe it’s the high pitched whizzing of the oxygen being artificially pumped into the train.  Maybe it’s just anticipation for the unique culture and breathtaking (literally) scenery I have yet to experience in Tibet.    [read on]

Ambushed on a train…

Saturday, October 20th, 2007

Today is Saturday.  I got on a train on Thursday and I’m still on board now.  The trip from Nanjing to Chengdu takes almost two days.  It is the longest continuous stream of transport I’ve endured so far.  At least no hard seat is involved.  Rather, I’m comfortably residing on the bottom of a three-tiered hard-sleeper bunk compartment with my journal, a copy of ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’, deck of cards and the most excellent travel companion, Carrie.   [read on]

Anhui: Home of Huizhou and Huang Shan

Tuesday, October 16th, 2007

No loose ends to tie up in Shanghai… all business and preparations taken care of… It’s back to another fresh start in traveling!    [read on]

Chinese Sex Culture

Tuesday, September 25th, 2007

After being in Suzhou for a week, I have seen many things that distinguish this city from its brothers and sisters throughout China.  Everything from the gardens and historical districts to the broad, tree-lined avenues is remarkably well kept.   [read on]

Suzhou Satisfaction

Sunday, September 23rd, 2007

The longer I remain in this country, the more merit I find here. I partially attribute this to the slow acclimation and inevitable desensitizing to the oddities and initial culture shock. However, it seems that as I move onward through China, I am also ascending the ladder of quality in its cities and economic stability. Whilst I was first assaulted with poverty, dust, grime and pollution in the North, I am now surrounded by attractive avenues, fresh foliage and charming canals. The spitting and public defecation have all but faded and it appears the citizens here mostly enjoy a more civilized cosmopolitan demeanor. This is a pleasant change which is leaving me increasingly less anxious to leave China.   [read on]

Only 48 Hours in Nanjing

Friday, September 21st, 2007

I only stopped in Nanjing for 48 hours. It seemed like a pleasant city, but wasn’t attractive enough to detain me longer. The time on my visa is running short and there are still too many places to visit in China before my three months are up. It is starting to appear that every country I visit will find a way to secure my interest until they’re obliged to kick me out.    [read on]