Lhasameone do something
Door: Alex
06 Oktober 2016 | China, Lhasa
Ok, sorry about the second update today... What can I say, I was bored a little bit.
I arrived late at night in Emei Shan. Well, it was only 19.30, but expecting buses to run at that time is apparently a ridiculous notion. So I took a taxi to my hostel. I had some food, was offered sex by a really scary looking man while looking for the food, went back to the hotel and met a guy who was going up the mountain the next day. I asked if I could join and that was not a problem at all. The next morning though, I had a bad cold and figured going up a 3000m mountain wasn’t the best plan. So instead, I sat inside and did nothing all day. Which, by the way, felt great. I met a group of French and Italian girls who were studying business in Shanghai and we talked a bit.
The next day, I got on my train to Chengdu. 4 hours on a hard sleeper, with virtually nobody in the entire compartment. I arrived in the afternoon and, after having problems getting my train ticket to Lhasa because I didn’t have the copies of my permit printed out (I showed them on my computer), I decided to go out and buy a new phone, since the old one didn’t have a great camera, and besides, the battery went dead twice a day. I looked up some information online and found the Xiaomi Mi5 was the best one after the Oneplus 3, which has a Chinese and a European version, so I didn’t dare risk that one. So hey, look at how awesome the pictures are!
I slept in Chengdu, printed my permit at the hostel, and boarded the train with no problems. I met a nice family with a one-year-old son who screamed and cried anytime his mom was more than 1,3 cm away from him, which was absolutely lovely. After this wonderful night, they left the train and were replaced by a mom and dad and their 22-year-old daughter, whose English was as fluent as mine. I learned a lot about Chinese culture and history from her, and she asked me a lot of questions about the Netherlands. Also, when we stopped for a while, I met a girl from the Netherlands and we talked a lot about how difficult it is to travel by yourself in China. Needless to say, the rest of the 42-hour train ride was gone before I knew it… And I was in Lhasa!
There was a bit of a hassle trying to get into Lhasa, showing paperwork, passport, copying passport, copying visa, copying permit, but then eventually I could go into Lhasa to be picked up… Except there was no one waiting. Luckily, the Dutch girl I’d met had the same problem, and then we saw more people who also seemed lost… And then one of our guides showed up! We all were guided to the same bus, but only the people in the expensive tour could fit inside for the first trip, where us cheapo’s had to wait a little while longer. I met 3 Israeli’s who turned out to be sleeping in the same room as yours truly. We talked about travel and Chinese politics, which again was very interesting.
This day was free to spend as we wanted. We went shopping and walked around the old town. First though, food! There was a little Tibetan restaurant (yeah, really! In Lhasa of all places) next to our hotel, so we ate some vegetarian food there before hitting the streets. Eventually the Israelis went back to meet up with their guide, and I kept walking around. Lhasa is beautiful, but sadly growing into one big shopping center, where the shops overtake all beautiful architecture. Eventually I went back and met up with them again. We decided to visit Potala palace – where the Dalai Lama used to rule from – to take pictures of it and see it being lit up at night. Also, there’s a beautiful water show there at 8pm, which was very impressive as well. Afterwards, we went for dinner in a really trendy but still affordable restaurant and then had some drinks at a really cool bar, where we met a guy learning English in Lhasa, in order to become a guide.
Day two in Lhasa saw me visiting two monasteries: Drepung and Sera. At the first we saw beautiful architecture and the second had Tibetan Monks practicing the art of Discussion. I’ll post a video :)
Afterwards, since I’m visiting the Everest Base Camp this week, I decided I needed some warmer clothes. So for 7 euro I bought a woolen scarf that doubles as a blanket (seriously, it’s 2,5 meters long and a meter wide), made of 200% wool: 100% Sheep’s wool from India, and 100% Yak wool from Tibet. I’ve never had a woollier scarf. Also, I bought a pair of warm gloves for 17 kuai (2,20). I’m thinking about buying a wooden walking stick and was discussing this with one of the Israelis. He told me I should get one. With the huge scarf, the beard, the sandals and the wooden walking stick, I could become a prophet: “I have walked the streets of Tibet, I have bathed in the Ganges… And this is the absolute truth!”. His words, not mine. No seriously, I’m not a megalomaniac… No, I’m not!
On the third day, which was today, we went to the Jokhang Temple – Lhasa’s Cathedral. With its golden roof and beautiful architecture, I must say it’s an apt name. I met a German girl and her Canadian coworker here – they’re acrobats – and had a great time talking to especially her. We walked around the city together after the temple – the Canadian wanted to go back to the hotel and rest – and had lunch, all the while talking about so many different subjects, I can’t even begin to tell you. After this, we went to the Potala palace, to see it from the inside this time. Beautiful, although now it’s just a museum, instead of the working palace it should be. The Dalai Lama really should be ruling from here, instead of the palace being a relic of the past…
Finally, we had a welcome dinner. Pretty good Tibetan food, with great conversations. Tomorrow I leave for Mount Everest… I’ll be there on October 8th. The plan said I’d be there later, but hey, plans change!
Wish me luck!
I arrived late at night in Emei Shan. Well, it was only 19.30, but expecting buses to run at that time is apparently a ridiculous notion. So I took a taxi to my hostel. I had some food, was offered sex by a really scary looking man while looking for the food, went back to the hotel and met a guy who was going up the mountain the next day. I asked if I could join and that was not a problem at all. The next morning though, I had a bad cold and figured going up a 3000m mountain wasn’t the best plan. So instead, I sat inside and did nothing all day. Which, by the way, felt great. I met a group of French and Italian girls who were studying business in Shanghai and we talked a bit.
The next day, I got on my train to Chengdu. 4 hours on a hard sleeper, with virtually nobody in the entire compartment. I arrived in the afternoon and, after having problems getting my train ticket to Lhasa because I didn’t have the copies of my permit printed out (I showed them on my computer), I decided to go out and buy a new phone, since the old one didn’t have a great camera, and besides, the battery went dead twice a day. I looked up some information online and found the Xiaomi Mi5 was the best one after the Oneplus 3, which has a Chinese and a European version, so I didn’t dare risk that one. So hey, look at how awesome the pictures are!
I slept in Chengdu, printed my permit at the hostel, and boarded the train with no problems. I met a nice family with a one-year-old son who screamed and cried anytime his mom was more than 1,3 cm away from him, which was absolutely lovely. After this wonderful night, they left the train and were replaced by a mom and dad and their 22-year-old daughter, whose English was as fluent as mine. I learned a lot about Chinese culture and history from her, and she asked me a lot of questions about the Netherlands. Also, when we stopped for a while, I met a girl from the Netherlands and we talked a lot about how difficult it is to travel by yourself in China. Needless to say, the rest of the 42-hour train ride was gone before I knew it… And I was in Lhasa!
There was a bit of a hassle trying to get into Lhasa, showing paperwork, passport, copying passport, copying visa, copying permit, but then eventually I could go into Lhasa to be picked up… Except there was no one waiting. Luckily, the Dutch girl I’d met had the same problem, and then we saw more people who also seemed lost… And then one of our guides showed up! We all were guided to the same bus, but only the people in the expensive tour could fit inside for the first trip, where us cheapo’s had to wait a little while longer. I met 3 Israeli’s who turned out to be sleeping in the same room as yours truly. We talked about travel and Chinese politics, which again was very interesting.
This day was free to spend as we wanted. We went shopping and walked around the old town. First though, food! There was a little Tibetan restaurant (yeah, really! In Lhasa of all places) next to our hotel, so we ate some vegetarian food there before hitting the streets. Eventually the Israelis went back to meet up with their guide, and I kept walking around. Lhasa is beautiful, but sadly growing into one big shopping center, where the shops overtake all beautiful architecture. Eventually I went back and met up with them again. We decided to visit Potala palace – where the Dalai Lama used to rule from – to take pictures of it and see it being lit up at night. Also, there’s a beautiful water show there at 8pm, which was very impressive as well. Afterwards, we went for dinner in a really trendy but still affordable restaurant and then had some drinks at a really cool bar, where we met a guy learning English in Lhasa, in order to become a guide.
Day two in Lhasa saw me visiting two monasteries: Drepung and Sera. At the first we saw beautiful architecture and the second had Tibetan Monks practicing the art of Discussion. I’ll post a video :)
Afterwards, since I’m visiting the Everest Base Camp this week, I decided I needed some warmer clothes. So for 7 euro I bought a woolen scarf that doubles as a blanket (seriously, it’s 2,5 meters long and a meter wide), made of 200% wool: 100% Sheep’s wool from India, and 100% Yak wool from Tibet. I’ve never had a woollier scarf. Also, I bought a pair of warm gloves for 17 kuai (2,20). I’m thinking about buying a wooden walking stick and was discussing this with one of the Israelis. He told me I should get one. With the huge scarf, the beard, the sandals and the wooden walking stick, I could become a prophet: “I have walked the streets of Tibet, I have bathed in the Ganges… And this is the absolute truth!”. His words, not mine. No seriously, I’m not a megalomaniac… No, I’m not!
On the third day, which was today, we went to the Jokhang Temple – Lhasa’s Cathedral. With its golden roof and beautiful architecture, I must say it’s an apt name. I met a German girl and her Canadian coworker here – they’re acrobats – and had a great time talking to especially her. We walked around the city together after the temple – the Canadian wanted to go back to the hotel and rest – and had lunch, all the while talking about so many different subjects, I can’t even begin to tell you. After this, we went to the Potala palace, to see it from the inside this time. Beautiful, although now it’s just a museum, instead of the working palace it should be. The Dalai Lama really should be ruling from here, instead of the palace being a relic of the past…
Finally, we had a welcome dinner. Pretty good Tibetan food, with great conversations. Tomorrow I leave for Mount Everest… I’ll be there on October 8th. The plan said I’d be there later, but hey, plans change!
Wish me luck!
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Je kunt nu ook Smileys gebruiken. Via de toolbar, toetsenbord of door eerst : te typen en dan een woord bijvoorbeeld :smiley
