Trekking in the Himalayas

On Friday, March 16, we awoke early in the morning and made our way to the Kathmandu Domestic Airport for our scheduled 6:55 am departure for Lukla. A small Sherpa village, Lukla is a half-hour flight from Kathmandu, and at 2840m, it provided the starting point for our trek to Everest Base Camp and the Gokyo Valley. The domestic airport at Kathmandu is kind of like a big bus terminal, but with planes. Half squashed boxes of noodle soup, huge expedition gear bags, and cases of beer all get piled together, in seeming chaos, until it's time to go. Miraculously things and people end up on the proper planes, and about a dozen little twin-prop planes zip off to the mountains, flying in pairs alongside the Himalayas before landing on the steeply angled airstrip at Lukla. Here, things are so efficient that two planes are unloaded of their gear and passengers, and reloaded for the return trip to Kathmandu within 5 minutes. That is, of course, once things get going. Due to fog in Kathmandu, we were 4 hours late in taking off, so we spent our time trying to keep warm and for me, trying not to make too many trips to the toilet. After a week's worth of strong antibiotics to ward off infection for my finger, my belly seemed to be quite weak, and I had picked up some kind of bug. We landed in Lukla, gathered our bags, and had the first of many bowls of noodle soup at a little restaurant where we could watch the remaining flights arrive. And then we began.

Here's a few facts and figures:
* Total distance = approximately 160 kms
* Total days = 15, which included one acclimatization day where we just went for a short walk
* Total climbing = from 2840m up to 5550m, down to 3810m, then back up to 5360m and down to 2840m

For the first eight days, we were trekking in the Khumbu Valley, through villages made world famous by the likes of Sir Edmund Hillary, Tenzing Norgay and other Everest summiters. We stayed in the market town of Namche Bazaar, and the monastery village of Tengboche before ascending through Dingboche and Lobuche to Gorak Shep, the highest point at which we would sleep. From Gorak Shep, we climbed to Kala Patthar at 5550m, the stunning viewpoint from which we could see Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, and countless other peaks over 7000m. We also visited Everest Base Camp (EBC), where the spring 2007 expeditions were starting to set up. In the next month, EBC will become a small city - approximately 100 foreign summiters, at least 100 Sherpa summiters who guide the climbers, and hundreds of additional support team members will call EBC home until the end of May. We were very lucky, as we had clear views and stunning weather the whole time we were trekking. Our normal day would be to get up at about 6:30, breakfast and pack, walk from about 8:00 until 10:30, stop for a snack, and continue walking until 2:30 or 3:00.

We were a little bit proud/stubborn/cheap in wanting to carry our own packs, and were surprised that an overwhelming majority of trekkers had hired porters and guides. We only missed the correct path 2 times - once I led us on a "shortcut" near Pheriche which resulted in us having to backtrack and cross a river, whoops. Another time, Edwin took us scaling a pretty steep hill at Phangla in order to "re"find the correct path. Other than that, it was difficult to get lost. To economize on weight, we each had one long-sleeved shirt and pair of pants that we wore for walking, and one change of warm clothes for the evening. So, when you see our photos, they aren't all taken on the same day - we really did wear the same thing every day! The heaviest items in our packs were our hired 4-season down sleeping bags and jackets (oh, and a box of Snickers chocolate bars each). Edwin's pack weighed approximately 14kgs, and mine weighed approximately 11kgs (before we added our daily supply of iodine-treated water).

During the day, we'd walk between villages, criss-crossing rivers on suspension bridges, listening carefully for the sound of yak bells, which warned us to take the high side of the path. When a yak train comes through, it's wise get out of the way quickly! There was a constant stream of "namaste" from the people we'd pass, and sometimes we'd stop to share information and stories with other trekkers. We definitely got stronger as the days went on, and our time in Tibet helped us acclimatize to the altitude very well. Especially at the beginning of our trek, the most difficult thing was to stand at the top of a hill, look down at the bridge crossing the river below, and across at our destination which was at the same altitude as where we currently were, knowing we had a 600m descent and 600m ascent to go. Where's a flying fox when you need one?
In the 16 days we were away, we only splurged on one bucket of hot water for washing, so needless to say, we didn't smell very good by the end. In the afternoon, when we'd arrive at a teahouse, we'd have a little sponge bath with babywipes, smear on more deodorant, and spend our evenings in the dining areas, huddled around the yak-poo burning stove with our fellow trekkers, sharing stories and the warmth of the stove, or playing cards with the porters. Dinners varied between dhal bhat (rice, curry and lentil soup), fried potatoes, rice or momos, or noodle soup, along with pots of tea and hot lemon drink. Most nights, we were in bed by 8:00.

We considered the option of taking the Cho La Pass to the Gokyo Valley, but heard that there was still considerable snow and ice, so we descended back to Phortse (3810m), to begin our journey up to Gokyo. By now, we were pretty fit and well acclimatized, so we made our ascent in 2 days. The Gokyo Valley is much quieter than the Khumbu, and on the first day out of Phortse, we were the lone trekkers heading up the east side of the valley. We saw many pheasants, marmots, and vultures, and were enjoying the spectacular scenery until we discovered why we were the only ones on the trail - snow and ice and sheer cliffs! Although more than 90% of the trail was clear and dry, in the shadows, there were about three sections of the trail where snow and ice build up meant that all that was left to walk on was about a 30 cm wide path of slippery ice. (Did I mention this was on a downhill slope?) On our right was a wall of snow, and on our left, about a 500m sheer drop to the Dudh Kosi River below. I was terrified, but after Edwin (thank you honey!) relieved me of my pack, I managed to shuffle along, fingers splayed as best as I could into the snow wall, trying not to look down. We were both very relieved to make it to Tharme for lunch with Mingma, a lovely lady who I had stayed with four years prior when I did this trek in 2003.

We spent two nights in Gokyo, and in between Edwin popping Immodium and ultimately Ciproflox for a bad tummy, we managed to climb Gokyo Ri (5360m), the viewpoint which provided wonderful views of Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu, from a farther back, but wider perspective than we had enjoyed at Kala Patthar. We then began our speedy 3-day descent to Lukla, both feeling quite strong and enjoying the oxygen rich air below 4000m. We decided to descend the west side of the Gokyo Valley, (to avoid me sprouting any more gray hairs), and spent about 8 hours slogging through mud up to our ankles. Nepal has experienced more snow this year than any in the past 66 years. Kathmandu even had snow as late as February - its first snow in 66 years. Although good news for the water and hydro supplies, it did mean slushy, muddy trails in the Gokyo region especially.

We met some pretty great people along the way. For most of our 8 days up the Khumbu Valley, we were sharing tea houses with a group of 5 men and one woman from Iran. They were great fun, and we celebrated Iranian New Year with them (March 21). They had brought sweets, nuts, and wine from Iran for the occasion, and we spent the evening listening to Iranian folk songs and sharing their treats. As they trekked, they would listen to their MP3 player and portable speakers blasting Iranian folk songs - we don't think they walked the mountains, they danced them! We also met Jean Clemenson, a 69-year old Frenchman, who summitted Ama Dablam (6812m) three times during his climbing career, and who was part of the fourth expedition ever to summit Cho Oyu (8201m). He returns frequently to the Himalayas to trek and keep in touch with the next generation of climbers. Like another woman we met, Nadine Laborde, also from France, who will be attempting to summit Everest for her first time this spring. A life-long dream, she has been training for the past 9 months, and has summitted Aconcagua (in South America) in preparation. She is being guided by Pasang Sherpa, a professional guide and instructor who has already summited 3 times. They all shared their stories and their plans with us, and their excitement was contagious.

As we descended, we were surprised by the changes in the valley. Things were green! Magnolias and rhododendrens had started to blossom, gardens were starting to grow, and the number of people starting to ascend had also grown exponentially. There were hundreds of porters and yaks carrying expedition gear up to Everest Base Camp, and an almost constant stream of people beginning to trek up, both summit hopefuls and trekkers. Although there was an air of excitement building, we were happy to complete our trek when we did, ahead of the rush. We finished our trek back in Lukla, and were happy to arrive in Kathmandu yesterday, Saturday March 31. Showers, laundry and a nice dinner made us feel almost civilized, and ready for our next adventure in Chitwan National Park.

Location: Kathmandu, Nepal

Beware the Biting Chair

Well, in over 3 years of cumulative travelling (Cathy's time only), I guess it had to happen - a little visit to the local hospital. On Sunday night, after sending a few emails, Edwin and I decided to go for a late snack. We went to a restaurant near our hotel, and as I pulled the chair closer to the table, while hovering over it, the top cushion and wooden frame of the chair came away from the base - I sat down with my left ring finger caught underneath the frame and cushion. I sliced about 3-4mm of my finger almost clearly off. Right through the nail, and hanging on by a flap.

Luckily, the hospital was just around the corner, and they took me in right away (well, after paying the 150 Rs - $3 consultation fee). The doctor was very nice, and spoke excellent english. I was given a local anesthetic, and he sewed my fingertip back on for me - only 2 sutures, one on either side. We were a bit concerned about the cleanliness, but everything seemed OK - the needles came out of sealed containers, etc. Edwin tells me little details that I missed (as I was lying down) when he thinks I can handle them - like how big the tip was that was cut off, and the fact that someone came in to watch who was eating popcorn - apparently he was shooed away! I didn't lose too much blood, and as it was sewn on right away, I think it's going to be OK. The first thought that went through my mind was what about playing guitar?????

I went back yesterday morning, and they changed the dressing for me. It appears to be healing well, and we are still planning on going trekking on Friday. There is a hospital on the way, and they can remove the sutures next Sunday or Monday. So, another glamorous accident for me - first I dislocated my shoulder when I was barely moving skiing, and now bitten by a chair!

Location: Kathmandu, Nepal

International Women's Day - Tibet Style

I have to say, (and Edwin agrees with me) that it is much easier for women to make connections with each other, even with barriers of language and culture. I feel very lucky to have met some very nice ladies in Tibet, and to have had some special contact with them. While in Gyantse (on the first night of our jeep tour), we visited the local monastery, and a woman was there with a young boy of five years, who we were playing with - chasing him, holding hands, etc. We were sitting with the woman, and she pulled two small pieces of turquoise out of her pocket. From what we could understand, they were her mother's, and her mother had died. She gave them to me and motioned for me to loop them through my earrings. I tried to give her one of my silver rings, and then my woolen hat, and then a pair of mittens for the boy, but she refused all gifts - very nice.

Then, on March 8, it was International Women's Day. They really know how to celebrate in Tibet! We began our day in Sakya, and everyone was heading down to the grounds behind the monastery, with horses, carts and donkeys in tow. So, we followed - there was a huge festival going on in honour of Women's Day. All the locals were dressed in their traditional costume (which they wear everyday), but with gorgeous fur hats, and their best jewellery. We wandered through the crowd, having a good look. Most people were quite camera shy, except for the young boys, who loved to have their photos taken, and then view themselves in the digital camera.

Reluctantly, we left for our next destination, Toshi Zong (on the way to Everest Base Camp). When we arrived, there was a group of ladies (about 14 women, ranging in age from about 17 to 50), in the kitchen area of our guesthouse. Our guide, Jabu, told us that they were collecting money for their party later on. On Women's Day, the local men must give the ladies money to celebrate. One older lady was counting the collection, and she had over 2,000 yuan (more than $300 CAD). They ate dinner together, and had yak butter tea, and then the beer started. And red wine mixed with Sprite. Soon, I was asked to join, and one older lady kept pouring me shot glasses full of beer. To begin the party, the young women sing to the older ladies and pour for them. The way the Tibetans toast is one sip for God, one sip for your parents, and then drain the glass to toast your friends. After a little while, they were teaching me Tibetan swear words, and making funny/rude gestures pointing upstairs where Edwin had retired to leave the ladies alone. It was a funny experience - the only Tibetan words I know are hello and thank-you, yet it is amazing what you can communicate with laughter, smiles, winks and nudges.
I left the party long before it was over, to giggles from the ladies as to what may happen in our bedroom upstairs. The next morning when we went downstairs for breakfast at 8:00, the kitchen was full of empty beer and wine bottles, and the woman who ran the kitchen was rubbing her head as she served us our tea - she hadn't made it to bed until 6:00 am!


Location: Kathmandu, Nepal

6 Days through Tibet

Our jeep tour through Tibet was wonderful - we spent 6 days travelling by Landcruiser along the Friendship Highway from Lhasa to the border of Nepal with Jabu, our guide from Shigatse Travels, and our driver (who we're not sure what his name actually is - whoops!) Four years ago, just after we had met in Nepal, Edwin bicycled this route in reverse - from Kathmandu to Lhasa, and then continued into Eastern Tibet and beyond. It was interesting for him to see the changes that had occurred, both in the towns along the way, and to the road linking them. The Chinese government is pouring millions into infrastructure in Tibet, and what was a dirt road four years ago, is now a beautifully paved highway with proper on and off ramps for much of the way to the border. The towns (especially Shigatse, now the second largest city in Tibet) are growing, and while the Tibetan quarters in these towns have not changed too much, the Chinese areas in the towns are rapidly expanding and developing.

During our 6 days, we had incredible views of Everest, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, and Makalu. The Tibetan Plateau itself is amazing too, with rolling hills in hues of light to dark brown, green and purple. For the whole tour, we were at altitudes between 3,800m and 5,200m. Days were quite warm and sunny, but the nights were freezing, and we woke a couple of mornings to see our breath inside of our non-heated rooms. Rivers and lakes along the way were mostly frozen, with shale-like slabs of ice piled up along the shores. The sky was a beautiful sapphire colour. At each of the four 5,000m passes that we went through, thousands of prayer flags and thangkas flew in the wind, sending prayers to heaven and granting luck to travellers passing through.

At each of the towns we stayed at, we would visit the local monastery, and saw some wonderful sights - a colourful mandala made of the finest sand at Shigatse monastery, thousand year old original scriptures at Sakya monastery, and the stupa at Gyantse, which contains 108 rooms, each holding a different representation of Buddha. While in Shigatse, we went to a Tibetan variety show called a Nangma. There were many different performances, from traditional Tibetan songs, to performances with cowgirl dressed backup dancers. All were loud and included dry ice effects and light show.

On our fourth and fifth days, we left the Friendship Highway, to travel up the 100km road to Everest Base Camp. This road is amazing - dirt and gravel switchbacks that lead to Rombok Monastery, which at 5,000m is the highest permanently habitated settlement in the world. Eight kilometers more put us at the currently deserted Everest Base Camp, elevation 5,200m. In about one more month, expedition teams will arrive, to camp at the foot of Everest (or Qomolangma to the Tibetan people), 28kms from the summit as the crow flies (if a bird could actually survive at that altitude). We were very lucky to have exceptionally clear views of the north face - we could pick out the routes the climbers might take, and could also make out the infamous "yellow band", a layer of sedimentary sandstone just below the death zone. We had a look around Base Camp and picked up a couple of old tent pegs as souvenirs.

The sixth day began with a 5-hour drive with our tour from Tingri to the border of Nepal, (then a 4 hour wait), followed by a 4 hour bus ride to Kathmandu. Known as the "longest downhill road in the world", we went through our last 5,000m pass, and then slowly descended to 200m along the Bhote Khosi River in Nepal, and back up to 1,400m at Kathmandu. As soon as we passed over the Himalayas, the scenery changed dramatically. On the Tibetan side, there was little snow, and the dry cold conditions meant crops were just being sown now. On the other side of the Himalayas, we hit lots of snow, and we were fortunate the road was actually open, as it had been closed for several days only 2 days prior to our arrival.

Arriving in Kathmandu was almost like a homecoming for us - the familiar smell of incense, the predominance of Indian looking faces, the potholes and dog poo on the roads, and the chaos of rickshaws, bicycles, cars and motorcycles fighting for every square inch of road with horns blaring. We had pizza and burritos for dinner, which provided a nice change from the rice with every meal that we had experienced through China, and ate with a fork and knife instead of chopsticks. The local people we meet are equally impressed that we have been to Nepal many times before, and that this is where we met four years ago, and that we are now married.

Location: Kathmandu, Nepal

Beijing to Lhasa

For the 48-hour train ride from Beijing to Lhasa, our home was a small but comfortable 4-berth soft class sleeper compartment which we shared with a man who was travelling as far as Xi'an, and a woman who was returning home to Lhasa. The scenery during the first day was not that exciting, as we passed through several Chinese cities. The second day, we were on the newest stretch of the rail, 1149 kms from Golmud to Lhasa. This stretch, which was completed July, 2006, and now links Tibet with the rest of China (for better or worse). The scenery was spectacular - snow covered land, with mountains in the background. We saw wild asses, hawks, foxes, wolves, Tibetan antelope, and many yaks. As we were repeatedly told over the train's loud speaker, the rail is an engineering marvel - most of the track is built on permafrost, at an altitude between 3800 - 5000m, making it the highest rail in the world. For this part of the journey no smoking was permitted (yeah!) as oxygen was pumped into the cars. Each passenger also had an oxygen outlet by their bed, and tubes were handed out by the rail staff at the beginning of the second day.

We arrived in Lhasa (3800m) right on schedule on the evening of March 1, and found accomodation at the Yak Hotel. Our first day in Lhasa was spent meeting with our travel agent and finalizing arrangements and permits for our 6-day jeep tour to Nepal. It is very exciting just to walk the streets in Lhasa - there is a wonderful energy in the Tibetan quarter, and people are still quite curious about foreigners. Children, especially, call out "hello", and in the 4 days we've been here, we think we've seen maybe 15 other westerners. It is still quite early in the tourist season, and although the mornings are very cold, in the afternoons, the sun comes out and warms us up as we walk around seeing the sights.

Yesterday (my birthday) was a very special day. In the morning, we went to Potala Palace, the imposing former home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government. Built in the seventh century, the building is an incredible structure made of stone and wood, and containing over 1000 rooms. It houses solid gold, jewel-encrusted tombs of the fifth through the eleventh Dalai Lamas, and tens of thousands of Buddha figures. Hundreds of devotees visited the palace with us, many of them adding their offerings of yak butter to the many lamps throughout the Palace, or leaving small donations of money, or thangka scarves at the statues.

We joined the devotees outside the palace for one circuit or "puja" of the palace - walking in a clockwise direction around the palace, which was close to 2kms. This was the most remarkable part of the Palace - seeing the devotees spinning their prayer wheels, chanting prayers, and doing prostrations. It was quite overwhelming watching some of the pilgrims laying down and stretching themselves out on the cold stone pavement, pressing their foreheads to the ground, saying a prayer, and then standing, taking small steps to where their hands had extended and then repeating the whole motion. Some wore aprons and used wooden slats strapped to their hands to protect themselves as they slid to the ground. Many had a permanent bump on their forehead. We gave small donations to help them as they cannot work while doing their puja. People were very friendly, and one woman took my hand and pressed it to her cheek to warm me up. We walked together hand in hand for a few hundred metres, unable to communicate but for smiles and hand squeezes.

In the afternoon, we went to the Sera Monastery, a residence and study place for over 500 monks. We were hoping to see the monks debating points of Buddhism. As it was full moon, and the first full moon after the New Year, we weren't sure if the debates were going to happen, but luckily we stayed for a couple extra hours with our fingers crossed, and we were thrilled when we started to see the monks gathering in the main courtyard. Two senior monks sat like judges in the centre, while the rest of the monks were divided into two large groups, facing each other, sitting on small cushions or pieces of cardboard on the ground. The debates were kicked off with one monk making some points in front of the senior monks. Soon, he was joined by several additional monks, who all wanted a piece of the action. The mood was lighthearted, as points were accentuated by a loud clap of their hands, and even a little wrestling.

After about 30 minutes, the monks disbursed, and then were called back about 5 minutes later by a loud gong and two Tibetan horns blarring from the roof. They all returned and took their places inside the temple for a special chant (which we understand to be in celebration of the full moon). The sonorous chanting was wonderful, and we listened for quite a while, until all of a sudden about a dozen monks sprinted out of the temple, and returned with large urns of yak butter tea which they poured for all the monks there.

This morning we visited the Jokhang Temple, which is one of the most holy places for Tibetan Buddhists. On Sundays, only foreigners and special groups are allowed inside the Temple, and while this meant it didn't have the same atmosphere as if it had been full of pilgrims, it did allow us to take our time looking at all the statues of Buddha, and enjoying the amazing view from the rooftop.

Tomorrow we leave Lhasa on our way to Kathmandu. As travel is closely monitored in Tibet, we are a tour group of two, taking a 6 day jeep tour through Tibet to the Nepalese border.

Location: Lhasa, Tibet

Beijing - Acrobats, Temples and a very Great Wall

We arrived in Beijing on February 22 and made our way by bus and by subway to the Jade International Youth Hostel, near the Forbidden City and the center of the city. The "hostel" was really more of a hotel, a multi-story building with spotless, (if a bit characterless) rooms, a travel agency, restaurant and internet cafe. It provided us with a very comfortable home for the next 5 nights.

We spent our first day in Beijing sorting out our train tickets from Beijing to Lhasa. We had been corresponding with an agent based in Lhasa and went to the local office in Beijing to pick up our tickets. Unfortunately, most everything in Beijing was closed due to New Year celebrations. We were very lucky though - as we were staring at the closed door, a local man who spoke english offered to help us. Using his cell phone, he telephoned the office for us, was able to relay a message on to the agent (who was at home), who then called him back on his cell phone so that we could arrange a meeting time later that evening at our hostel. We found the people in China very interesting - the response we received ranged from being ignored, to having kids saying "hello" to us, to very friendly and helpful people the minute we looked like we might need some help. We definitely sensed excitement and pride about the upcoming Olympics.

Beijing seemed to us a city of contrasts - there are shopping malls filled with shops like Nike, Starbucks, Benetton and Addidas - and lots of shoppers spending their new found wealth. But you only have to stroll down a side alley off this shopping area to find the impoverished areas of Beijing, too. In preparation for the Olympics, the government holds monthly "queuing days" so that the locals get used to the idea of waiting in line ups. China recently passed an "anti-spitting" law, but you still have to watch your step on all the walkways, and you can constantly hear people hoiking (Edwin recalls SARS 2003 which called for an end to public spitting in Beijing).

That evening, we went to see an acrobatic troupe perform. We had excellent seats in the second row of the Chaoyang Theatre, and close up views of the breathtaking performances. As promised, we saw "Spinning plates, juggling umbrellas, contortionists and acrobats fill the air. Integrating superlative juggling, unicycling, balancing and jumping through hoops with the finest ancient Chinese dancing, the star-studded cast will amaze." We truly were blown away with the precision and strength of the troupe, most of which appeared to be between 8 and 18 years old. I have a sneaking suspicion that Cirque du Soleil has borrowed quite a few of their tricks from the Chinese traditional acrobats.

On our first full day of exploring, we boarded a very squishy bus that took us to the Temple of Heaven. Built in 1420, during the Ming Dynasty, it was built as a place of sacrifice for good harvests. Our favourite part of the temple was the outside grounds, where we watched dozens of people playing with feathered Chinese hackey-sacks, and practicing balancing and coordination drills with soft badminton racquets and weighted balls. One of the men in the park gave us both racquets and we gave it a go, although we were both pretty clumsy compared to how the local people make it look like a graceful dance.

We walked back through Tien'anmen Square, which was full of local families, many of whom were on vacation for the New Year spring holidays. We then continued on through the Forbidden City, a huge complex of 74 hectares surrounded by a 6 metre moat and 10 metre high walls. This was the Imperial Palace for 24 different emperors for over 500 years until 1924. The architecture and ornate paintings were incredible, although some were in scaffolding as much renovation work is being done throughout Beijing in preparation for the Olympics next year.

The next day we went to the Silk Market, famous for cheap imitation goods and hard bargaining. I bought a new "Tommy Hilfiger" shirt ("beautiful lady, why you so hard...give me good price") and Edwin bought a canvass bag for his camera, after removing a "North Face" jacket that two girls had pretty much forcibly put on him. That afternoon we got a little bit lost, but ended up enjoying a walk through Ditan Park which was just cleaning up after New Year festivities, and then we went to the Lama Temple, where we gazed in awe at an 18 metre high Buddha carved from sandalwood.

Our last major sight to see in Beijing was the Great Wall. We decided to walk a 10 km stretch from Jinshanling to Simatai, away from the tourist crowds. We were very glad of this decision, as there were very few tourists at these locations, and we had wonderful views of the Wall, through the mist. At the beginning of our walk near Jinshanling, and toward the end near Simatai, there had been quite a bit of restoration work and the steps were relatively easy (although steep) to climb. In the middle section; however, there were parts that were quite a scramble over gravel, broken rock and steps. The 10 km walk took us through 32 watchtowers, and we were accompanied nearly half of the way by some ladies from Jinshanling who self-appointed themselves our guides and tried to sell us beer, cola, postcards and t-shirts. We were impressed with their persistence, but not so much their guidance "this wall is very old". It was an incredible day, and a very cool feeling to have walked a stretch of such an historic monument.

On February 27, we left our hostel with what we thought was lots of time, and made our way to the Main Beijing Rail station for our 9:30 pm train. We went through the security checks at the entrance and as we couldn't find our train number on the electronic board, we asked at which platform we should go for our train. The police lady told us that we were at the wrong train station, and we needed to go to the West Beijing Rail station for our train to Lhasa. Whoops! We ran for a taxi which weaved in and out of traffic and got us to the correct station with time to spare.

Location: Lhasa, Tibet