On one of the subcontinent’s most famous pilgrimages....

In 2009, my first major trek - and what was to be the most memorable journey of my life up to that point - was to the Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal.

Two years later, I was invited to teach in China, and thus this opportunity came up.  Before doing anything else in China, I headed straight to Western Tibet for Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar (so named for the reflex of Brahma’s mind.  Brahma's daughter - Brahmaputra river originates near here.)  Circumabulation of temples or deity images is an integral part of Hindu and Buddhist devotional practice - also known in Sanskrit as pradakśiṇā.  This holy mountain and this sacred lake is no exception.  Pilgrims of Buddhists, Hindus and Bon-pos (followers of the pre-Buddhist Tibetan shamanistic) faith do so - preferably on Full Moon day.  Everyone except Bons go clockwise.

No one has climbed Kailash (22000 feet), although legend has it that the Tibetan mystic Milarepa’s ascent during the 11th century marked the victory of Buddhism in Tibet.  China reportedly permitted some Spanish mountaineers to climb in 2001, but this was resisted by the Tibetans.  Later, another climber voluntarily aborted his mission out of respect for the pilgrims and their religious beliefs.

At 15,000 feet, Manasarovar is one of the highest freshwater lakes in the world.  It has a circumference of nearly 110 km, while circumambulation of Mount Kailash (which lies just a few miles to the north) traverses about 52 km of mountain trails.  Both are located in a remote part of Western Tibet in the trans-Himalaya, a range much older than the Himalayas.

Coming from the South (from India/Nepal), pilgrims first cross the Himalayas, reach the plateau between the two mountain ranges and Lake Mansarovar.  After bathing in the Lake (and reciting  prayers), pilgrims set out for Kailash Kora (Tibetan word for circumambulation).  Up on return, they once again bathe in Mansarovar before returning to India - sinless!  Indians have been making this pilgrimage for hundreds, if not thousands, of years - usually a one-way journey for many because they won't make it back,  True once-in-a-lifetime journey.

I had heard/read stories from modern-day pilgrims (trekkers) who made this journey and lived to tell.  Their intense descriptions and impressive photographs had kindled my interest, and I knew that I would make this journey some day - just didn't know when that opportunity might arise.  Physical difficulties of getting there and time needed to make the journey - not my ability to complete it - were the primary obstacles.

Until late 1970s, Indians were not permitted to visit Tibet due to strained relationship with China and unrest in Tibet.  After that, Beijing slowly began allowing a limited number of pilgrims - only through Indian government sponsored tours - it took 30 days.  Pilgrims had to pass physical fitness tests, and carrying political literature was banned.  (Both still true.)  Nowadays, private tours are also possible from Kathmandu, Nepal (most popular,) or Lhasa, Tibet - time now shortened to 15-19 days.  Although it would be possible to cover the distances even faster with nice paved roads these days, time it takes to acclimatize remains unchanged.  For us, logistics didn't work out from India or Nepal, so we booked a private tour from Lhasa, Tibet.  The smaller the group, the more the flexibility of modifying the tour to your taste and needs - but also more expensive.

My trip was motivated by the fascination for Manasarovar and Kailash – the sacred lake and the holy peak, and others' descriptions of surrounding rugged beauty.  The trek itself is not tough or dangerous if one acclimatizes slowly.  Most of the time, you are walking through valleys, by the river banks, watching numerous waterfalls, and with plenty of human companionship - each walking at their own pace, for their own reasons.  Some even prostrating the entire route.  There were also horses, yaks and dogs around.  Every so often, there would be small huts where you could buy lunch, snacks or water.   Where there is need, someone will fill it!

It has been several years since we walked around that sacred lake and the Snow Jewel Mountain (in 2011.)  The memories are still fresh, and enlarged posters are still on the walls.  I now understand why, unlike all other human figure gods, Lord Shiva is represented by an unusual looking idol.

Lord Shiva (Vyadeshwar) at Guhaghar, Maharashatra, India

I don't remember asking, nor anyone explaining, it either.  Only when I first saw it from a distance, I instantly understood.  The landscape looks very much like it is symbolized above - a mountain in the center with rivers flowing on both sides towards right.  Because so few Hindus actually make/made it to Kailash, they worshiped the miniature version.

Alternate explanation I heard in Nepal - also implied by the name Shiva Lingam (genitals) - as a symbol of the energy and potential of Shiva himself.

Whether Manasarovar is the reflex of Brahma’s mind and Kailash the abode of Shiva, I am in no position to say.  But these beautiful myths are appropriate to the beauty and splendor that I witnessed there.  My memories of Manasarovar, light shimmering outwards from its surface as if touched with a shower of diamonds, preserve a sense of transcendent things.  Kailash was always visible from the lake’s banks, a point of stillness in a spinning world - in fact was considered the center of the earth, and the origin of all seven major rivers of India.. There are mountain peaks that rise higher. But this one conveys steadfastness, absolution and mystery.  That seems to be the reason why so many people dream about and seek to come to this place.

The next adventure - 2011 edition

Kailash-Manasarovar has the most alluring and powerful landscapes in the Himalayas. The incredible journey of nearly 3000 kms (1900 miles) roundtrip from Lhasa, traverses Tibetan highlands, the world’s highest plains, crosses rivers, conquers fierce sun during the days and numbing cold at nights. 

Mt Kailash, at an altitude of 22,027 ft, considered the sacred abode of the gods, and the exact center of the entire universe, is the holiest mountain of all.  The mountain is famous for its unique four-faced shape like that of a handle of a millstone, which happen to match the cardinal directions of the compass. The cleft on its southern side intersected by a series of rocks forms a sacred symbol 'Swastika.'  The Kailash circuit is a 32.5 miles strenuous trail crossing the route's highest pass Dolma La at 18,466 ft.!  The entire journey, which entails long rides by Land Cruisers or minivans, and a three-day trek in the remotest part around Mt Kailash, promises to be the most fascinating experience of your lifetime!!!

Believers relate this mountain to Mt. Meru of Hindu mythology.  In ancient Hindu scriptures, Mt. Meru has been described as a mountain lying in the Himalayan range with its four faces made of four different jewels (gold, crystal, ruby and lapis lazuli), where gods resided and from where four great rivers originated.  It appears that Mt. Meru is really Mount Kailash, which forms the spire of the ‘Roof of the World’ and radiating from it are a number of mighty rivers taking their course towards the east, the west, the north-west, and the south - Brahmaputra (Yarlung Tsangpo), Indus, Sutlej, and Karnali (which feeds into the Ganges), respectively.  The Indus and the Brahmaputra, like two gigantic arms emerging from the region, embrace the entirety of the Himalayas and the Indian subcontinent: Indus flows into the Arabian Sea to the west; Brahmaputra into the Bay of Bengal to the east. 

Map of Kailash shows our trek route, places from where Kailash is visible, and daily distances.  Locals do the entire circuit in one day - usually on Full Moon (Sep 12, 2011 in our case.)   Parikrama (Kora / circumambulation) washes away all your past and future sins, and you are re-born anew.  And if you do it 108 times, you are cleared for a direct entry to the heavens - "Nirvana!"

Photos from our trek

Typical Itinerary from Lhasa: we took a detour on the way back to visit Mt Everest from the north.

Mount Everest [pronounced Eve-rest] – phantasmagoric beauty coupled with legends of bravery and sheer madness – an absolute must for those who wish to get close to this mighty mountain that stands 29,035 ft tall!!  At the Base Camp, you are ONLY 12 km away but 11,000 ft shy of the peak.

View from Tibet - North Face of Mt Everest

Or, you can just imagine being there, looking around, at the link.

About two Everest base camps:

South Base Camp (Nepal) at an altitude of 5,360 metres (17,590 ft) (28°0′26″N 86°51′34″E), 

The Everest Base Camp trek on the south side is one of the most popular trekking routes in the Himalayas, and is visited by thousands of trekkers each year.  It is way more strenuous than the one in Tibet.

Trekkers usually fly from Kathmandu to Lukla to begin the trek.  The flight is an adventure in itself - just watch an aircraft land at Lukla airport.  From Lukla, climbers trek upward to the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar at 3,440 metres (11,290 ft) following the valley of the Dudh Kosi river.  Climbers allow a day of rest here for acclimatization.  They then trek two days to Dingboche, 4,260 metres (13,980 ft) and rest another day for further acclimatization.  Another two days takes them to Everest Base Camp via Gorakshep, the flat field below Kala Patthar, 5,545 metres (18,192 ft) and Mt. Pumori.  Although Mount Everest is NOT visible from this base camp itself, you do see it every day from Day 2 onwards.  From the base camp, you are mere 7 kms away from the peak, if of course you dare to climb another 11 thousand feet!  Typical trek to the top requires 90 days.  I visited South Base Camp in 2009.

North Base Camp (Tibet) at 5,545 metres (18,192 ft) 28°14′28″N 86°51′6″E).

These days, road access to North Base Camp is by a dirt road branching to the South from the Friendship Highway (between Lhasa and Kathmandu.)  Cars are allowed up to Tent Camp, just 4 km shy of the Base Camp.  Shuttle buses take tourists rest of the way, OR you can hike.  Other than altitude, getting permits is the only challenge.  A visit to the North Base Camp requires a permit (ATP) from the Chinese government and a military permit, on top of the permit required to visit Tibet itself (TTB).  Such permits can be easily arranged via travel companies in Lhasa as part of a "required" travel package that includes a local vehicle, local driver, and local translator/guide.  If flying in to Lhasa, you will also need a Chinese visa.  

Not wanting to miss the opportunity to see Mount Everest from both sides, we customized our tour to include it on the way back from Kailash.  We met several other private tour groups who had done the exact same thing.

Although preparing for subsequent treks is a lot easier than your very first one, each trek is unique in its own way -- and for me, a fun challenge.

At the moment, we have a visa to China (valid for one year, multiple entry), all tickets have been purchased and tour booked. Tibet Travel permit will be obtained 16 days prior to departure (i.e. mid-August.)  And the excitement is rising...

Highlights of our trek

Each of our 19 day adventure was memorable in its own way.  Our journey took us about 1500 km West of Lhasa, (which itself is 2600 km Southwest of Beijing, or 2900 km West of Shanghai.)   Here is a recap (and a map borrowed from someone):

• In to thin air (the high altitude zone): from the time we arrived in Lhasa on September 1, 2011, we spent
  - 18 days at elevation of 12,000 ft or higher.
  - 7 days in the Mansarovar/Kailash region at elevations 15,000 ft or higher.
  - Highest point of the trek at Dolma La (pass) at 5636m or 18,466 ft.
  - Night spent at the Tent Camp (Everest Base Camp) - 5200m or 5545m, depending on who you believe - at least 17,000 ft or may be 18,192 ft.
  - at least four passes we drove up to were 17,000 ft or higher.
  - Later, my stay of 12 days (Sep 20 - Oct 2) in LanZhou, GanSu, China at the elevation of only 5,000 ft.
  
  For someone who is used to oxygen concentrations at the sea level, spending almost a month at one, two, three or more miles high up took some getting used to.  Thankfully, no serious altitude sickness issues.
  
• Altitude Sickness:  Speaking of Altitude Sickness, you could get sick just reading about it.  Best solution is to not get overly concerned.  Of course, you'd want to know what symptoms to watch out for so you know when/how to react.
  - Our doctor had recommended Diamox, which you begin taking a couple of days before the trip and continue until the day after you return to lower altitudes.  We chose not to take it (and hence no "side effects" to worry about!)  We did experience some common symptoms such as Headaches (Solution: take one Tylenol and take a nap), Lack of appetite (our guide used to warn me that I will be too weak to make the trek because I wasn't eating enough.  I made it through just fine!), Weakness/fatigue (we could easily sleep 10-12 hours and still wake up feeling tired - the sleep was disturbed until our breathing patterns got adjusted to lower oxygen levels in that air.),  Dizziness or lightheaded-ness (just once.),  Shortness of breath upon exertion (All the time!  It was a wonder how we managed to hike 20-24 km a day while climbing up thousands of feet.), Nosebleed (it continued for several days after returning back to lower levels.)  Easiest solution to avoid altitude sickness is to ascend slowly (after Lhasa, we drove west, gradually climbing to 13-14-15,000 ft over several days.  By the time we reached the high point of our trek, it had already been 11 days.), drink lots of water (we easily consumed two-four liters or more daily, and were still thirsty.) and avoid alcohol.
  
• Top 20 experiences (per 2011 edition of "Tibet" by Lonely Planet 915.15046): We managed to experience 9 out of those 20 during our trip.
  #1 Kailash,
  #2 Potala Palace,
  #3 Jokhang Temple,
  #4 Mount Everest,
  #7 Yak Butter Tea,
  #8 Sera and Drepung Monastery,
  #14 Gyantse Kumbum,
  #16 Prayer flags on a high pass - Dolma La,
  #17 Barkhor Circuit.
  
• Tibet geography: although it is called the Roof of the World, not all of Tibet is that high.  Lhasa is nearly at the center of Tibet.  East of Lhasa, Tibetan Plateau generally slopes downwards,  and is therefore much greener, with tall trees and grasses.  The western part is, of course, higher - with Himalayan Range to the South and Kailash (pre-Himalayan) Range to the North, being in the permanently frozen (Perma-Frost) category.  In fact, about 70 km West of Lhatse, you see last of the trees and agricultural fields.  After that, it is only shrubs and grasses.
  - Much of the landscape further west is barren, but still has some greenery.  With rivers like Brahmaputra providing year round supply of water, grasses and shrubs grow and provide enough food for yaks, sheep, goats, wild asses, horses and cows.  Some geese, cranes and other fowl were also seen by the water.  In populated areas, sparrows, robins, crows, and of course, pigeons are common.  There were plenty of pigeons even at the Everest Base Camp (where there is food ...)
  - Lone wild dogs were everywhere.  They were generally afraid of humans and rarely barked at us.  They were of course busy barking at each other.  Their favorite pastime was to sleep in the middle of the highway (the only one connecting West to East)  In small towns, you also had to watch out for people standing and chatting on the road, small kids playing on or by the side of the road.  None were too responsive to the sounds of car horns, so you had to slow down until they moved safe distance away.  In comparison, yaks and sheep spooked too easily by car horns, and would stampede in all directions.
  
• 9/11 Warning:  For the 10th anniversary of 9/11, United States had issued warnings to all its citizens to be careful of their surroundings during foreign travel.  On that day, we happen to be on the second day of Kora, in the closest proximity of Kailash, Shiv Sthal and Dolma La - in a completely peaceful environment.  We did not even think about - let alone worry about, our safety.  We were glad that nothing went wrong that day anywhere either.  As it turns out, China is concerned about social unrest in the Kailash region, and therefore has military presence in the area.  Foreign tourists require a military permit to visit Kailash, and are NOT allowed when the situation dictates.

Before Kailash Parikrama (Days 1-6)

In a nutshell, this was quite a religious experience for a non religious person like me!

See select trip photos.   Of course,  camera never does true justice in capturing and conveying what your eye/mind sees.  Some pictures are just for the memories.  For everything else, there is the internet!

Our original itinerary was as follows: 

NOTE: Be sure to make your itinerary as accurate as possible.  Your tour operator requests permits based on it, adding any other sights at a later time may be difficult and time consuming.


Lhasa ("place of the gods") - Manasarovar (Mapham Yu Tso) 
- Kailash (Gangs Rin-po-che or "precious jewel of snows") 
- Mt Everest (Qomolangma) Base Camp Tibet -Lhasa - 19 days

• Aug.31 fly to Beijing (PEK), overnight near the Beijing Capital airport.
• Sept.1 Day 01 Arrival in Lhasa [3650m]; your Tibetan tour guide and driver will pick you up and transfer to Lhasa; rest for acclimatization at Dhood Gu Hotel
• Sept.2-3 Day 02 -03 Lhasa sightseeing - the must see sights (Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Bazaar, Drepung & Sera monastery)
• Sept.4 Day 04 Leave Lhasa-Yamdrok Lake-Karola Glacier-Gyantse (Pelkhor Monastery and Kumbum Pagoda)-Shigatse [3900m]; overnight at Shigatse Manasarovar Hotel
• Sept.5 Day 05 Leave Shigatse (Tashilhunpo Monastery)-Sakya Monastery-Lhatse (Hot Spring) [4010m]; overnight in Lhatse hostel
• Sept.6 Day 06 Drive from Lhatse to Saga [4600m]; overnight in local guesthouse
• Sept.7 Day 07 Drive to Paryang [4750m]; overnight in local guesthouse
• Sept.8 Day 08 Drive to Manasarovar [4560m]; overnight in local guesthouse
• Sept.9 Day 09 Excursions at Manasarovar; Drive to Darchen (Tarboche [4750m]); overnight in local guesthouse
• Sept.10 Day 10 Trek to Dira-puk; overnight in local guesthouse
• Sept.11 Day 11 Trek to Zutul-puk [4790m]; overnight in local guesthouse
• Sept.12 Day 12 Trek back to Darchen [4560m]; overnight in local guesthouse
• Sept.13 Day 13 Drive to Paryang [4750m]; overnight in local guesthouse
• Sept.14 Day 14 Drive to Saga [4600m]; overnight in local guesthouse
• Sept.15 Day 15 Drive to Shegar; overnight in Shegar Qomolangma Resort
• Sept.16 Day 16 Drive to Rongphu Monastery; trek about 7 km to Everest Base Camp; enjoy the sunset photos, trek back to stay in campsite; overnight at tent camp
• Sept.17 Day17 take sunrise photos, and drive back to Shigatse; overnight in good 3 star hotel -Shigatse Manasarovar Hotel
• Sept.18 Day18 drive back to Lhasa around 3 pm; free afternoon on your own leisure time
• Sept.19 Day19 Back to reality!!!

The actual trip turned out to be much better - mainly because almost all roads we traveled on were beautifully paved in recent months.  Time to travel from point A to point B was cut in half.  All the horror stories of the past (bumpy roads, crossing rivers, car breakdowns) were just that.  We were able to cut out two traveling days, which gave us an extra day at Mansarovar and Lhasa each.  For someone pressed for more time, yet another day (Day 5 at Lhatse) could also be safely eliminated if altitude is not an issue.  September turned out to be the best month for this trip - the weather was mild, and even when cloudy, more chances of clear views.  (Just look at our photos!)  May-June are dry and dusty; Jul-Aug rainy, and October may offer clearer days but colder.

With this trip, I have now visited both the North and South Base Camps of Mount Everest.  The weather at the Base Camp wasn't as cooperative this time.  Views were much less satisfying.  But that didn't take much away from the awesome experience of that place.  Fortunately, we did see the peak of Mount Everest peeking through the clouds at least for a few moments.  On the other hand, with an extra day at Lake Mansarovar, we had a total of 7 days in the Kailash region.  Great views with lots of photo opportunities, not to mention experiencing all four seasons at elevations 15,000 ft and higher.  


Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2011 - Jayant left SFO on Tue Aug 30 early morning and reached Beijing (PEK) the next evening around 4 PM, taking train, plane and automobiles along the way.  A 4:30 am taxi from home to BART station, and 5 AM train to SFO airport - reaching at 6:30 am.  It's amazing just how many people are out and about at pretty much anytime of the day or night.  My ticket was on Air Canada, but the first leg was on United from SFO to Vancouver (YVR) 800 miles straight up North.  I had a 3 1/2 hour layover in Vancouver, but the baggage was checked all the way to Beijing.  

It was, for all practical purposes, a domestic flight - no food service, not even blankets in the economy section. At first, it would seem counter intuitive to go up North (YVR) to go West to PEK, but it is not.  Actual flight paths from SFO (or LAX) to PEK (or Tokyo, Hong Kong.) are northwards to Alaska parallel to the Pacific coastline, before turning south around the Aleutian Islands - a shorter distance because of the flatter curvature of earth near the poles.

Vancouver airport is modern and spread out.  It was cloudy so couldn't see much of the city while landing or take off.  Walked what seemed like miles to get to the main terminal.  I was chatting with someone on the way and missed the sign for the Transit lounge.  I found myself at the Immigration instead.  I really did not need to exit the terminal, but now that I was there, Immigration had to stamp my passport as if I was exiting.  I was one of the first ones so there was no wait.  They then directed me back to the transit lounge.  

That took may be 15 minutes extra, and I still had plenty of time to kill before the next flight.  I had my Project Management book with me which I had planned to read during the trip.  It came in handy.  Also, in the main lounge, there was a decent Wi-Fi connection so I could check my emails.  The big news of the day: Vancouver had lost its top spot as the most livable city to Melbourne, Australia.   

Next flight left on time.  Air Canada's service and food was pretty good.  Half the staff and half the food was Chinese.  Personal TV made time go a bit better, but it is still a LOOONG flight.  Reached PEK only a few minutes late.  Having heard too many stories, I was a bit apprehensive about Chinese Immigration - because this was my first visit to China, because I held a business visa, and because I was planning to visit Tibet.  None of that mattered.  Immigration was painless - within seconds, my face was matched with my passport photo (it shows up on the screen facing you) with the message "Immigration Complete."

Beijing's Terminal 3 is vast, spread out, but well organized.  After immigration, you take the escalator down one level to the automated train to the main terminal.  As you walk towards the train platform, a large sign reads "Relax, train arrives every three minutes."  It did, and after a 10 minute ride, we reached the main terminal.  Even the Baggage Area was huge - 40+ carousels.  Mine was no. 39.  Bags arrived quickly.  Customs wasn't an issue - everyone seemed to be walking out through the green channel, with several customs officers standing by idly and watching.  It seems when everything we buy is made in China - what would we take TO China?

I had reserved a room at the Beijing Aulympic Airport Hotel - about 3 km from Terminal 3.  Very convenient for an overnight stay to catch an early next morning flight.  Good decision, considering the horrendous traffic in Beijing.   I was in email contact with the hotel, and they had assured me that someone will take me to the airport shuttle.  Just outside Customs exit, there were plenty of people holding signs, but none for me.  I decided to go out to the curb to look for the hotel shuttle myself.  Big mistake!  At the Exit level, there were only big buses that took you to various parts of Beijing.  I went down one level where there were lines for taxis, but no hotel shuttles.  And no one spoke English to guide me to the right place either.

Frustrated, I went back to the Customs exit, but still didn't see anyone with a sign for me.  Luckily, I had the hotel's phone number (but no change to make a phone call.)  There was a Customer Service desk near the exit.  I asked them if they would make a phone call for me.  Well, there are free phones next to the Customs Exit.  I called the hotel, and found the manager, who asked me to wait at another Customer Service booth 50 yards away.  Within minutes, a uniformed person holding a sign with my name came by, and we were on our way to the Shuttle.  Phew!  It had been many years since I was in a situation where I didn't speak or understand the local language and had to find my way.  That's some experience!

The hotel offered pretty decent basic rooms, at very reasonable prices (prepaid $27) AND most importantly, an airport shuttle both ways.  I was the first person in the Shuttle, and after making several stops at the other two terminals, the completely full shuttle dropped us off at the hotel around 6:15 PM.  Later, I noticed that this hotel was used by many airline crew members.  Always a good sign.

After checking my passport, I was directed to room 1005 on the 10th floor.  The room had everything I needed for one night - a decent bed, a TV with a couple of English language channels (CCTV), a bathroom with hot water shower and western toilet.  I was mentally prepared to live without any of these "luxuries" in the coming days.

No sightseeing in Beijing this time.  My overnight stay was mainly to pick up the "original" Tibet trip permits which were mailed from Lhasa to this hotel.  Without the permits, we were told, we could not even board flights to Lhasa.  The hotel manager had the envelope for me.  I had to sign for it.  

Hotel Manager spoke English, but otherwise, it was difficult to find anyone who spoke English outside the airport or at the hotel.  I wanted to walk around and explore, but I was pretty tired and jet lagged.  I wasn't hungry.  I just went back to the room, took a nice hot shower, and fell asleep.  I was up early next morning to see the sunrise.  The hotel was adjacent to a runway, but the windows were pretty soundproof.

Beijing (PEK) runway lights on the left.

Sept. 1 (Day 1) -  Kedar reached Beijing from LAX early in the morning.  He would reach Lhasa (LXA) from LAX in 16 hours including stops - all on Air China.  My airport shuttle left at 7 am and reached the airport Terminal 3 in 15 minutes.  As planned, I met Kedar near the check-in counter for Lhasa.  At LAX, Air China had booked him all the way through to Lhasa and given all the boarding passes without the Tibet permits (he had no check in baggage.)  We wondered how critical those Tibet Travel Permits were.  But before checking in on the flight to Lhasa, they examined our passports and permits thoroughly.  Kedar's Boarding Pass said Row 23, so we expected a Boeing 737.  To our surprise, our plane was a big 777 and our row was now 61.  The flight was full all the way to Lhasa - mostly with tourists like us, going on tours to Kailash or Everest Base Camp.  Majority were Chinese; the rest were non-English speaking foreigners - mostly Europeans.

  

For security check in, one entrance was dedicated exclusively for Air China flight 4112 to Lhasa, and the second for all other domestic flights for Air China.  The security was pretty tight.  All documents were thoroughly re-checked before we went in.  Although this flight had only 68% on time departure record, it didn't matter to us at all, now that we were past all the possible hurdles.  I wanted us to reach Lhasa before dark.  Considering that all of China observes only one time zone - Beijing time, as it is called - sunset would be pretty late in Lhasa.  Being close to September Equinox, days and nights were roughly 12 hours each.  In Beijing, daylight was from 6 am to 6 PM, whereas in Lhasa it was 7:30 am to 7:30 PM or so.  (Even later at Mansarovar and Kailash, further West.)

The flight took off at 9:45 am, reached Chengdu at 1:30 PM and arrived at Lhasa [3650m/11860ft] at 3:20 PM - only a few minutes late.  Even though it was the same flight number and the same plane, they made us get off the plane in Chengdu with all our belongings, wait for a while, and re-board the same plane at the same gate and take the same seats.  During the stop, the plane was cleaned and crew changed.  A few passengers got off at Chengdu, but they were replaced by others from other airlines.  I guess they wanted to make sure that no one accidentally enters Tibet.

First view of Himalayan Snow Peaks

Few minutes before landing in Lhasa, we heard a lot of commotion.  People suddenly started standing up, looking through windows and taking pictures.  We had a window seat on the left (looking South), so we could see snow peaks of the Himalayan Range.  The other side (North) was pretty flat and barren.  Even through the clouds, we got some good pictures.  During landing, the pilot turned on the camera underneath the plane, so we could see the plane land.  Almost until the plane touched the runway, we were flying over a river (Brahmaputra,) which had created sufficient flat land (65 km south of Lhasa city) suitable for a large runway and the airport.  Gonggar airport (LXA) is small - only 5 gates (Later, we found out that all five gates have common check ins), and at this time, there is minimal development at the airport - just a few shops and not a single hotel to stay in case of an emergency.

The sky was clear; the weather was crisp and mild; but the sun rays were intense.  Nearby mountains looked like tiny hills, but they were in fact, at least 12,000 ft high.  We came out of the airport.  Remembering my experience at PEK the previous day, I was reluctant to venture too far outside until I saw someone holding up a sign with our names.  Well, people holding signs were not allowed close to the entrance.  They were across the street, almost 50 ft away, in a parking lot.  We found our guide Sonam holding a handwritten sign with our names.  He took us to the car where we met Tony, our sales director.  Tony was our driver for the first two days while we were in Lhasa.  We took a few photos at the airport, and left for Lhasa.  We are finally in Tibet for sure, and the rest of the trip should go smoothly.

Exiting the airport parking lot, you drive West to go just past the airport, turn right to go North on to a several km long bridge to cross many streams of the Brahmaputra river and on to the G318 Friendship Highway.  It goes to Kathmandu to the West, and 60 km to Lhasa to the East.  It then continues all the way to Shanghai.  This stretch of the road is a two lane each way expressway, like any you'll find in the US, and was only recently completed earlier this year.  No more bumpy roads.  

Galashan Tunnel from LXA to Lhasa 

Friendship Highway G318

Now that the road construction is complete, construction for the 300 km railway line to Shigatse is in full swing, mostly parallel to the expressway.  G318 curves Northeast and runs parallel to the Lhasa River the entire way, with tunnels that cut through mountains where necessary.  Lhasa river meets Brahmaputra rivers only a few km West of the airport.  Lhasa city, the capital and the largest in Tibet, is on the north side of the Lhasa River.  Majestic looking Lhasa Railway station is on the south side, about 4-5 km earlier.  You can reach Lhasa via train from many major cities in China, in 2 days.

In less than one hour, we were at Lhasa's Dhood Gu Hotel.  It is in the Tibetan quarters, near Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Circuit, a very busy touristy area East of Potala Palace.  It is owned by Nepalese owners, and many employees are Nepalese too, who liked to converse with us in Hindi.  The hotel was classified as 3-Star, but was more like a 2-Star in the US.  The building was colorful and nicely decorated, but (especially the bathroom) facilities were sub-par.  

After checking our passports, we got the key for Room 322.  Another order of business was to pay Tony the remaining balance of $3200 for our trip (I had wired a deposit of $2000 earlier, through Western Union.), and to discuss next day's plan.  We were tired and jet lagged, and the altitude was having an impact.  We were not really hungry, but were very thirsty.  Tony supplied us with lot of water bottles, and we happily consumed 2 or more liters daily.  The sleep was deep, but disturbed.  We kept waking up every 1-2 hours.  Our breathing was quite uneven - we needed lots of deep breaths to supply sufficient oxygen for our bodies.  Climbing 3 flights of stairs to our room was exhausting - how will we climb to 18,000 ft?  These symptoms should subside in a few days.  

Sept. 2-3 - Next morning, I woke up early and went for a walk just as the city was waking up.  Street sweepers were going about their clean up; Grocery and meat stores setting up shops; School children in uniforms running to school, and their parents right behind.  Like any other place, I suppose.  After enjoying a western style breakfast (included), we went out sightseeing.  Tony and Sonam picked us up and drove to various spots.  

Now looking at the map, I realize that most places were close enough to even walk.  In two days, we covered the "must see Lhasa sites" (Potala Palace - 1 km West, Jokhang Temple - few hundred ft South, Barkhor Bazaar - few hundred ft Southwest, Drepung - 7 km West, and Sera monastery - 3 km North.)  Just enough to get some exercise and climbing, while adjusting to the altitude.  Climbing 3 flights of hotel stairs still got us out of breath!  Although two days were not sufficient to completely get used to the altitude, we had adjusted enough NOT to have to worry too much about altitude sickness after this. 

I always thought that seeing one monastery is the most one would  need, but because each is unique and has a long history, we enjoyed them all.  In addition, taking a stroll through the touristy Lhasa in the middle of all that history was fascinating.  Along the heavily guarded streets, tourists and pilgrims went about their own lives, in their own ways.  The weather was pretty mild for the most part - clear in the mornings, cloudy in the afternoons, with occasional rain showers. 

Entrance of Jokhang Temple

Jokhang Temple

Jokhang is the most famous temple visited by Tibetans from all over for a "once in a lifetime" pilgrimage.  Pilgrims are known to visit the temple for many days at a time - making kora around it chanting, and sometimes doing prostration the entire way, or just at the temple entrance, light butter lamps, burn incense, and make money donations.  For tourists purchasing a ticket, there is a separate, faster line to enter the temple and have your guide explain the history.  In some prayer rooms, women are not allowed.

Barkhor Plaza

View of Lhasa from Potala Palace

Drepung Monastery

View of Lhasa from Drepung

Potala Palace (home of Dalai Lama, the head of both the religion and government) is very impressive, and is visible from anywhere in Lhasa.  It has 999 rooms, separate prayer rooms for each Dalai Lama starting with the 5th one, and tombs for each Lama.  The red palace is the spiritual one and contains deities for each Lama as well.  The white palace to the right is the administration building. 

You have to purchase tickets in advance, go at your allotted time, and finish within one hour (which is plenty.)  Our passport and tickets were checked several times and time stamped along the way.  This is meant to limit how many people are in this old crumbling palace at one time, and I am sure for security reasons.  Potala Palace is photogenic at all hours - day, night, cloudy or clear.  Other places can be visited any time.

In the past, government workers (including our guide's grandfather) lived in the village right at the foot of the Palace.  Our guide was born in one of the houses.  The buildings are still there - behind the lower wall in the picture below, but the whole village was moved elsewhere to create this park / tourist area at the Palace.

The area east of Potala Palace for several blocks is entirely touristy - shops, shops and shops in every direction.  Lots of foot traffic, but didn't see too many shops filled with shoppers.  The tourist season is short - May through October.  When the tourists are gone, Chinese businessmen - many from Chengdu - are gone as well.

Potala Palace on a clear day.

300 Steps of Potala Palace 

Potala Palace at night.

Potala Palace Square

Our appetite was generally low.  We had breakfast and dinner in our hotel, and skipped lunches.  For snacks, we had poptarts, nuts and ladoos - they came in handy later in the trip.  On the last day, at breakfast, we ran in to some San Franciscan traveling alone on his first trip to China/Tibet.  He took the 48 hour train from Beijing to Lhasa (http://www.tibettravel.org/tibet-train/beijing-to-lhasa-train.html which makes only a handful of stops - one being at LanZhou, where I will be in a couple of weeks.) and had a great experience.  This train has broken all sorts of records including climbing to 17,000 ft, being built on permafrost, and having oxygen pumped into the cabins through the a/c system, and it offers awesome scenery along the way.  Obviously, taking the train TO Tibet is preferable than the return journey, and hence, getting inbound tickets is more difficult.

Sept. 4 - Left Lhasa for Shigatse - #2 city in Tibet past LXA airport, via Yamdrok Lake-Karola Glacier-Gyantse (Pelkhor Monastery and Kumbum Pagoda)  Per our original plan, on the return trip, I was getting dropped off at LXA on the 18th, and only Kedar was to spend one night in Lhasa and fly out the next day.  Our 8 seater van had plenty of space for all our luggage, 5 cases of drinking water bottles and sleeping bags.  I separated things we needed for my later trip in the large suitcase, which stayed in the van the entire time.  I only carried my backpack - mainly to the hotel room and also on the trek.  

Today was our first long day of sightseeing and traveling.  All roads were well paved and smooth (unlike the descriptions I had read from past years.)  Given the landscape of mountains and valleys, it only made sense to create shortest path possible to the top and down on the other side of the mountains.  Stabilize the mountain slopes, create channels for rainwater runoffs, throw in some switchbacks where necessary, and you have passes through the mountains - many easily 5,000 m or 17,000 ft, or higher.  (China has spent billion of dollars in building these roads and train tracks.) 

Passes ("la") are adorned with prayer flags 

And remember, even at 17,000 ft, you are still NOT in the "real" Himalayas (so called only when perennially covered with snow - which happens at 20,000 ft or higher.)  The Himalayan range is about 100 miles to the south - border between Tibet and Bhutan/Nepal/India.  Most mountain peaks here are not even named because there are just too many.  We only hear about the famous ones.

Tiny villages were all along the route, with convenience stores and paid restrooms.  Gas stations were spaced and our driver knew where they were.  The farther West we went, gas prices went up modestly.  Currently, Tibet's economy seems to run on farming, livestock, tourism and construction industry.  Tibet also has plenty of minerals, but they are reluctant to mine.

About 100 km southwest of Lhasa, on S307, you climb Kamba La (La = pass), reach the top at 4,794 m (29.194649,90.616366), and there it is - first view of Yamdrok-Tso (Tso = Lake.)  It looked like a beautiful turquoise jewel - nature unspoiled.

Yamdrok Tso

The color looks painted on - just unbelievable.  We drove down towards the lake elevation, kept taking pictures from various angles, but it was still the same color - still unreal.  I finally had to go right up to the water and touch it to believe it [4,480 m, 14,700 ft].  Only near the shore, water turns whitish brown.  The lake is used only for fishing (there is a dam and a hydropower plant downstream.)  People do NOT drink this water.  Yaks apparently have no such hangups.  Evidence (Yak Dung) was everywhere near the shore.  It didn't look appetizing for me to try drinking it.

Karo La Glacier

Yamdrok Lake is one of the three largest sacred lakes in Tibet, together with Namtso and Manasarovar.  This freshwater lake is huge, with an area of 621 square kilometers and varying depth.  It is fan-shaped spreading to the South, and is over 72 km (45 miles) long.  The lake is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains and is fed by numerous small streams.  It freezes up in winter.  Yamdrok power station was completed in 1996 - the largest in Tibet.  It is also home to the famous Samding Monastery which was built on a narrow peninsula jutting into the lake.  Here Dorje Pakmo, the only female Lama in Tibet, stayed and presided. 

Going further West towards Gyantse, we drove along the West arm of the lake for many kms, crossing the dam, and then on to the Karo La Glacier (28.899316,90.163872.)  It had a rest stop and a couple of tent shops -Coca Cola is everywhere, even here.  The glacier covers 9.4 sq km and is at 5,145 m elevation at the top.  It is draping from all sides, with many streams rushing down in front of you, only hundreds of meters away.  

About 70 km away from the Glacier is Gyantse.  It is on the historic route from Tibet to India (S204), and is famous for Kumbum (100,000 Buddha images) - world's largest Chorten.  Also worth visiting is the adjacent Pelkor Chode Monastery where all three Buddhists sects co-exist.

Kumbum

Pelkor Chode Monastery

Shigatse [3,900 m/12,675 ft] is about 250 km West of Lhasa or 90 km Northwest of Gyantse, and is the second largest city in Tibet.  It will have train service extended from Lhasa in three years; so eventually, trips like ours could start from Shigatse.  We saw the construction of the railroad parallel to our road almost the entire way.  We stayed and ate at Shigatse Manasarovar Hotel, a 3-star hotel.  The rooms were pretty nice.

Kedar and Jayant at Tashilhunpo Monastery.  Our guide had to go to PSB (Police) to get permits needed to travel further west from here. 

Sept. 5 (Day 5) - We hadn't noticed the previous night, but Tashilhunpo Monastery was only a short distance away from our hotel.  This monastery is the seat of Panchen (Great Scholar) Lama, originally sponsored by Mongols.  Festival Thangka wall at this monastery is like a giant Drive-in movie screen.  Nearby Shigatse Fort is empty.  After visiting the Monastery, we left for Lhatse.  Two spots Sakya Monastery and Lhatse Xiquan Hot Springs were skipped but were covered on the way back.  Next stop Lhatse [4,010 m/13,030 ft] was reached around 2:30 PM - way too early for the day, but too late to drive to Saga.  Overnight in Lhatse Tibetan Farmer's hotel, where the room was supposedly 3 star.  Last night of normal hotel room with inside shower and bathroom.  There was cable TV in the room, but only Chinese channels.  We rested and walked around looking for a place to eat.  Returned to the hotel for dinner.  Excellent dinner - Chicken Chow Mein and Tomato Egg Soup.

Sept. 6 - Drive from Lhatse to Saga [4,600 m/14,950 ft] - did not get the first choice of hotel, but the second guesthouse was pretty decent.  This was becoming a norm, but we didn't have too many expectations in the first place.  Last night of normal bedding (but pit toilets.  Bring your own toilet paper, and turn off your smell senses, if you can.)  From now on, we will use sleeping bag on top of their bedding which is rarely washed/changed.  This is the last truck stop going West, the last place for lavish meals (which we did on the way back.) and 24 hour electricity.

Most of today's route was parallel to Brahmaputra (Tibetan: Yarlung) river on the north side.  Yarlung Valley is considered the cradle of Tibetan Civilization, which originated thousands of years ago.  Brahmaputra river, as it is commonly known in India, flows east, and then drops down 12,000 ft in to India and Bangladesh on to Bay of Bengal.

Yaks swimming in Brahmaputra.  The water is white here.

Another view of Brahmaputra