I must admit that writing my personal recounts of my travels across China and Tibet are not always pleasurable especially following the recent riots of mid-March 2008, in Lhasa and other parts of Tibet. I admit fighting back tears at times and blinking hard at the screen as I type, recalling back memories of the places I visited and people I met. Just a few months ago we could but only sense the tension. Now that it has exploded, I can't help thinking 'how lucky I was to have traveled through Tibet unscathed'. Helpless and frustrated about the whole situation, writing is my only consolation and above all the only way to share my wonderful experience with the rest of the world.
Having visited Samye we proceeded to Gyantse which stands at an elevation of 3950m and is situated in the Tsang Region. Even though we had a 10-hour drive ahead of us magnificent scenes and intriguing adventures accompanied us throughout the journey not to mention lengthening it too!
Within just the first two hours of our trip we were stopped by the Chinese Military who wanted to inspect our drivers' licenses and permits for driving a group of foreigners. I couldn't help feeling sorry for our Tibetan drivers who were deprived from driving freely across their own country.
We started a steep ascent reaching an approx. elevation of 5000m. The long winding round was making some of us feel nausea and dizzy. Finally, right at the very top our eyes met the most wonderful lake situated at the highest altitude ever. This was the Yamdrok. We tried to take our photos without falling for the Tibetan sellers' temptations of beaded necklaces and yak rides! Well, then here I am on one of them complete with 'helmet'!!
The view was beyond us. The ever so turquoise lake wriggled itself motionless around the adjacent mountains. At 5000m high it was cold actually, freezing cold. Fortunately, the only tiny wooden building at the height was a squat loo. And what a loo!! Stainless steel, with a vacuum-suction flushing just like those on planes. Water would just freeze at that altitude, of course.
We started our descent and made our way to a little town called Nagartse for lunch. The long-winding lonely road stretched itself smoothly around the mountains, along the ever-so-blue river. It was brand new as the Chinese government had it constructed in time for the Olympics which were about to take place in less than a year's time.
All was smooth until we bumped into the Military Police. They stopped our vehicles and without saying a word, not even a syllable in Chinese, they thrust their hand through the drivers' windows and pulled out the key from the engine. Sharon tried to converse with them. She didn't even dare ask why we were made to stop as she knew they wouldn't even reply as they would find her questioning insulting. The only half-tempted response she got with the help of our drivers, was the approx. length of time before we were allowed to proceed with our journey, 4 to 5 hours! It was red tape at its best. The new road was probably a good excuse to make the military's domineering presence felt and being a bunch of Westerners we were probably their best catch for the day.
About 4 to 5 hours was obviously unacceptable especially for no explanatory reason. So Sharon decided to put her 'friendly' tactics into action once again. She hunted us down for snacks and Jori gave her a bag of pistachio nuts while I gave her another of salted and honey-coated nuts. Armed with goodies Sharon joined our drivers who were lulling around like toddlers waiting for their dads to give them their toys back.
They refused the nuts offering and despite her diplomatic and friendly efforts Sharon failed even pick up any form of conversation.
After about an hours wait they decided to let us go again for no apparent reason. Unfortunately, the answer to our stopping question was quickly answered as within a few minutes into our drive the road met a dead end, or rather an unfinished part so that we had to off-road across streams with large pebbly beds.
Thanks to the new road however, we discovered another extraordinary view which up till that day was hidden to any foreigner's eye. The photo just says it all.
We got to Nargatse where we had lunch at one of the two restaurants in town. Back into our Landcruisers we proceeded along the 'The Friendship Highway' only to be stopped again by Chinese road constructors within 2 miles out of Nargatse. Again there was no apparent reason why we couldn't drive along. The road, although not yet tarmacked was good and wide enough to get by. The workers lousily sipped tea in their tent as our drivers desperately tried to create conversation with them from outside. Desperate needs require desperate measures. So this time Sharon decided to play a ball game rather than offer nuts. Cleverly enough she turned traffic cones into bats and a plastic water bottle into a ball. In minutes a game of rounders was in full swing. Annoyed with all the noise and bunter the team of foreigners caused, our captives made us leave immediately!
Finally, we got to Gyantse and what a way to end such a day than a dinner at a pretty Western cuisine restaurant?! The Yak Restaurant was a true treat, not only was it across the road from our hotel but it served really yummy steak and yak burgers!!!
Despite a hot shower we were cold all night. Next morning's breakfast at the Yak restaurant made up for it though. The Tsuklahang Monastery was our first site of the day followed by its next door neighbour, the Kumbum stupa, or as it's better known as the Pelkhor Chorten, home of '10,000' Buddha images.
It took us well into an hour to go in and out each one of its tiny chapels, each containing a different statue dedicated to a deity. The 8-floor Kumbum, is quite a symbolical & spectacular piece of architecture.The next monumental building we visited was the town's Dzong or Fortress. We could have walked up the steep hill but given the altitude and lack of time our drivers took us to the foot of it. A breath-taking flight of stairs as well as view of the town and monastery on top, awaited us.
The descent was an easy one, so together with some others, we walked downhill and back into to town to a final but well-deserved lunch of Yak Burger with cheese and fries at the one and only Yak Restaurant!
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