I’ve been mentioning my recent holiday long enough, with talk on Twitter early in the year about an adventure I was going to take. It turned out to be quite an adventure indeed, for which I’m very pleased about. There’s much to be said for going on little adventures in your life.
No, I did not really go to Afghanistan, as I’ve teased you. I value my life a little too much for that sort of adventure! But I did go into Central Asia.
My adventure holiday this year was right up to what is known as the ‘Roof of the World’ – Tibet!
View of the Potala Palace by night as viewed from the hotel room
I wasn’t sure where to start my travel tale this time, as unlike previous adventures, I’d opted for the easy way out and gone on a group tour for this trip. The last time I went on a group tour was over 10 years ago, and I think I was ready to kill people by the 2nd day LOL But this time, I survived (and so did everyone else – whew!) so I’ll be able to share some tips on surviving group tours if anyone’s interested LOL! 😀
Today however, I’ll just share some highlights of my recent trip, since I know that Tibet isn’t a place many people plan to visit, nor intend to visit in their lifetime. But it was for me. You could say that it was something I had to do (it wasn’t a religious pilgrimage) because I love the mystical, and Tibet has always been so shrouded in mystery and mystic that I just had to go and touch the clouds, as it were.
I have shared quite a lot of pictures, so do be warned that this is quite picture and word heavy. But it’s allowed me to re-live my holiday and the wonder of nature and I hope you’ll enjoy it and perhaps, it might just spark your wanderlust 🙂
Coping with high elevation and thin air
Before I went to Tibet, the highest I’d ever been was to a couple of local highland hill resorts. I’m not a climber or hiker so mountain and hill climbing wasn’t my forte. While I wasn’t expected to climb any mountains or hills, I learned not long before my holiday that trips to Tibet aren’t exactly a walk in the park.
To start, you have to be in relatively good health. Tibet sits on a plateau that rises up to 6000m above sea level. It is close to the Himalayas and we know the worlds’ highest mountains are in that region. So, I was warned that just travelling into Tibet could cause altitude sickness. Was I confused? Yes. I’d heard of mountaineers experiencing altitude sickness, but me? I don’t climb mountains! I barely climb stairs!
Yet, it’s a very real concern, as I saw with my own eyes. When I got into Chengdu, my parents and I went to a local pharmacy and purchased some herbal supplements meant to combat/prevent altitude sickness known as Rodiola Sacre Root or “Hong Jin Tian” in Mandarin. I believe it’s a root of a plant.
This is a generic brand we purchased as there are different grades at different prices
In the alternative, if you’d rather not take Chinese medication, the western medication Diamox (Acetazolamide) can serve a similar purpose. I took the former, my uncle took the latter and we were fine. The tip however, is to ensure you take the medication at least 3 days before journeying to a higher altitude. A tour member who did not take any preventative medicine suffered all the 5 days that we were in Tibet, from altitude sickness. This includes constant headaches, nausea and vomiting, lack of strength and being dazed and confused. Her colour was poor and we were very worried for her health because she wouldn’t see a doctor. It was not until she returned to sea level that her colour and spirits returned. Has to be seen to be believed.
The other thing to be noted is the thin air at this sort of elevation. I read that the oxygen levels are at 30% below what you’d get at sea level and what this means is that you can find it hard to breathe, and everything you do makes you gasp for air. You have to slow down. Walk slower, talk slower (or not at all) and take slow, regular breaths. Some people may even need oxygen, in which case, you can buy cans of pressurised oxygen but most of us were fine. You just get out of breath a lot more quickly, and woe betide you if you run. I did, by mistake, up a flight of stairs and I swear, I almost passed out!
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway
My trip started from Kuala Lumpur (naturally) on to Chengdu, China and then onto Xining in China where the real adventure starts. We were taking the Qinghai-Tibet railway journey into Lhasa; a journey that takes anywhere from 22-26 hours. I’d read that taking the train into Lhasa is one way for the body to acclimatize, as you climb from Xining, which is about 2000m above sea level into Lhasa that sits at about 3600m above sea level.
The thing is, this isn’t a luxury train. It’s not even a very comfortable train, truth be told. There are different classes of seats, and I was told that ours, the 4 berth sleeper cabins were the most luxurious of the lot.
Unexpected OOTD: Everything Uniqlo lol! Uniqlo Ines de Fressange blouson jacket over Bra Top, Uniqlo striped flared skirt, Uniqlo leggings and Geox sneakers
As you can see, it isn’t saying very much. Now, I can’t tell you very much about how to purchase the tickets (mine cost about RMB780 based on my stub) or where you can purchase them as I was on tour and it was all sorted out for us. Truth be told, after knowing the mess and nightmare the accompanied the booking and purchase of the berths, I honestly am glad it was left to the tour company to sort out. Let’s just say that China isn’t a very flexible nor friendly country.
There were 4 fairly comfortable berths in the narrow cabin, with a little table. I was travelling with family and friends so it was easy for us to split ourselves up and share the confined space. But if you’re not, it can be awkward. There are 2 toilets in each carriage – 1 squatting and 1 sitting, with a vacuum flush like that in an airplane. At one end, there is a bank of sinks for your daily ablution and there are also large containers with constant supply of hot water. You’ll need this hot water for your instant noodles (Oh, Malaysians, we love our Maggi ok!) which you’d have to eat on board. You could also eat in the dining car or purchase food from the vendors as they come by, but I took a peep and unless you are used to eating food in China, I’d stick to the instant noodles. Trust me on this one!
This was a highlight for me, because I’d never taken such a long train journey before, and I’d read so much about the beautiful scenery that accompanies you on your journey. It did not disappoint. The large picture windows are perfect for you to sit by to watch the majestic mountains go by, fields of sheep and yak and beautiful, wild country.
I haven’t been to many mountainous regions in the world so I was in awe. This is the closest I’ve seen mountains covered with snow, stretching out as far as the eye can see. Central Asia, where I was heading into is ringed with mountain ranges formed by the crashing of the Indian sub-continent into Asia and seeing it rise right before my eyes was mind-blowing. Quite often, I didn’t know where to look, wanting to take everything in at once!
The trouble however, started the next morning. At some point in the journey, the railway hits a high of approximately 5000m at Tanggula Station, the world’s highest railway station. It was early morning at this point and I believe it was around this time that the motion sickness due to the rocking motion of the train, and the altitude affected most passengers. I remember waking up with a sharp headache, but I took a couple of Panadol, went back to sleep and woke up in the early morning feeling a bit better.
Not everyone was as lucky. I woke up to find the happy, gleeful faces of the evening before, looking drawn and pale as people queued for the toilets and sinks to throw up. Most felt and looked better after a while, but a majority looked drawn for most of the day, until we pulled into Lhasa station. Our journey took 22 hours, a little shorter than expected.
Did we leave Lhasa the same way? No, we flew out. We’re not gluttons for punishment 😛
Visiting Potala Palace
The Potala Palace was said to be built by Tibetan King Songtsän Gampo for his chinese bride, Princess Wencheng and has been the chief residence of the Dalai Lama until 1959. It is now a museum and world heritage site. There are still monks in residence, tending to the prayers and the palace, which houses priceless works of Thangka art, carvings, statues and tombs of previous Dalai Lamas covered with gold and precious stones.
First though, you have to get up there. And boy, is it a climb!
I found it ironic that despite the thin air and tough conditions, many monasteries in Lhasa are built on hills and mountains, inaccessible by any form of vehicular transport. So you have to physically drag yourself up the hill/mountain, panting and gasping as you go. It’s bad enough climbing hills and mountains at the best of times. Cut oxygen supply by 30% and try it and see! Oh joy 😛
View from halfway up to Potala Palace
But the view, oh the view!
Every corner you turn brings another feast to delight the eyes. The mountains stretch as far as the eye can see. Nearer mountains are brown in Spring-Summer when I was there. Further, higher mountains were still capped with snow and will remain that way.
The fat fluffy clouds float in a bright blue sky. Because we’re so high, the sky is almost always a clear, bright blue, and clouds float so close, it feels like you can reach out and pick them out like cotton candy. But be warned, that the bright sun that shines, unfiltered by clouds, mean a very high UV exposure so sunscreen is a must!
After panting and gasping my way up the stone steps (yes, I’m unfit as well) we were eventually led into the cool confines of the palace and through the various rooms that were open to visitors. Photography is forbidden once you enter the palace, as is with most of the temples as well. My information had to be gleaned from the internet as my guide spoke Mandarin and I don’t, but I understood enough as I went along to be amazed.
Barkhor Street and Jokhang Temple
Jokhang Temple at Barkhor Street is where the pilgrims and staunch practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism come to pray.
The square in front of the temple is filled daily with pilgrims performing prostrations and their prayers. For those of us unused to these sort of physical demonstrations of devotions, it is very interesting. We’re told that some of these people may have come from afar, walking all the way to get to Lhasa and to Jokhang Temple, one of the holiest seats of the religion.
Other pilgrims may be seen circumabulating Jokhang Temple, around Barkhor Street, chanting and spinning their prayer wheels. I think it takes a great sense of devotion and belief and when you’re standing there, right in the middle of the square, watching these pilgrims go about their devotions, the strength of belief is almost tangible.
Barkhor Street is also lined with shops selling traditional Tibetan handicraft and souvenirs – woven scarves, carpets, prayer or meditation materials etc. There isn’t a lot to buy in Tibet unless you like these sorts of traditional handicrafts, or prayer material.
Seeing a Tibetan Mastiff
One of the things I’d always wanted to see up close, is a Tibetan mastiff. And since I was in Tibet, I suppose it’s a no-brainer that I’d have to see one there! 😀
And I did! 😀 The bugger is huge.
Ok, huge doesn’t begin to describe him. He was monstrously gigantic! I’d never seen a dog this big in my entire life! These dogs look more like bears than dogs, and they are just as fierce, we’re told. There were a few bounding about in their cages, barking… and let’s just say that I wouldn’t want to face one of these in the middle of the night. When up on their hind legs, each dog, even the young ones were taller than I am!
Here’s another that was larger than the more domesticated one trotted out for display. We weren’t allowed near the other dogs for fear of provoking an unwanted response in them. We saw a litter of puppies, and at 1 month old, these pups were the size of a spaniel! So yes, they grow up to be huge giants of dogs.
Yamdrok Lake
One of the towns we were due to visit on my trip was Rikaze or Shigatse, a town located near the foot of the Himalayas. Unfortunately, while I was in Lhasa, the 2nd devastating Nepal earthquake struck and the roads to Rikaze were closed. While they were reopened a day or two later, we chose not to go, for personal safety. I didn’t want to have to tell you about an adventure that turned out to be even more adventurous than I expected!
But there was a place I wanted to see and that was Yamdrok Lake, a freshwater lake and one of the three sacred lakes in Tibet. It is also located at about 4900m above sea level.
But sacred lake aside, the winding journey up to the lake offered wide open vistas of mountains, valleys, and views I’d never seen before in my life. The lake too did not disappoint.
Viewed from up high, the long lake is the deepest, brightest turquoise blue I’d ever seen. The scene is awe-inspiring, with the range of snowcapped mountains at back looking almost as if they were photoshopped. I swear that’s what I said when I saw them “They look photoshopped!”
The thin, cool air has a very sharp, crisp edge to it, and the bright sun makes edges and details stand out in sharp relief. It is almost as if a fog lifts from your eyes, so you see everything in a brighter, clearer, crisper light. Now that I’m back in the low-land, it’s as if I view everything through a filter. The air in Tibet really brings #nofilter to life!
Monk debates at Sera Monastery
Ever seen monks debating? I hadn’t. I didn’t know it was a thing. But I soon learned that it was one of the things to see while in Lhasa. And this was at Sera Monastery, about an hour out of Lhasa.
Like everywhere else in Tibet, the monastery is surrounded by rocky mountains, with soaring heights just behind each building, almost as if you could walk right up to the top of the mountain. From where the bus parked, it was another 20 minute walk (slowly, thin air, remember?) up a gentle gradient, to what is known as the “Debating Courtyard”.
Monks debating at Sera Monastery
It is here at certain times of the day that the monks gather in groups to debate the scriptures and Buddhist texts. But what’s so interesting you ask?
It’s the way the debates are carried out. As you can see, the standing monk will speak and state his views, clapping his hands loudly for emphasis at each point he makes. The ones sitting can challenge or discuss his views, but for the most part, the standing monk has the floor. It was quite entertaining. Some were more into their topics than others, with one or two looking like they were about to pop a blood vessel, so engrossed were they in their arguments! I had no idea what they were saying, naturally, but it was fascinating all the same.
That said, I’m not sure how I’d feel if I were studying in the courtyard, doing group study and suddenly have a bunch of tourists gawping, gawking and taking pictures of me. I’d find it highly distracting! 😀
Live Action Musical – Princess Wencheng
I’d probably not have seen this if not for the aborted trip to Rikaze, as it was not on the original itinerary but as they say, sometimes, the unexpected can leave the most lasting impressions. This is true of Princess Wencheng, the musical.
The live musical is staged in the open, a distance outside of Lhasa town, with a glorious mountain as its backdrop. Telling the story of Princess Wencheng of China’s marriage to King Songtsän Gampo of Tibet in 640ad who is credited for being one of the people to bring Buddhism to Tibet. The musical tells the story of her 3 year 3 month journey from China to Lhasa.
The massive stage, inspiring props, live action animals (sheep, horses, yak!), chariots, and the numbers of performers, coupled with the state of the art lighting and audio-visual proprs made this quite a feast for the eyes. It was a very cold night as we sat out in the open, underneath the stars that looked close enough to pluck out of the sky, but I sat entranced, throughout the 1.5 hour performance that starts at about 9.30pm when it gets dark.
It must be dark to appreciate the full effect of the performance, the stage lighting and the clever use of the landscape and mountain as the backdrop to the story. I had no idea what was being sung of course, in both Mandarin and Tibetan, but there are large screens set up on both sides of the stage with subtitles in Tibetan, English and Mandarin, so no one gets lost along the way. It was quite a musical extravaganza and one I thoroughly enjoyed. Even if my fingers nearly froze off.
One of the many monasteries I had to climb up miles of stone steps to visit – I gave up on this one
These were just some of the highlights of my holiday, and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about it. I’d wanted to visit Tibet but it wasn’t something I had thought about in detail. It was a chance comment by my uncle and interest expressed by my parents that had me tagging along. Ostensibly, it was also to keep an eye on the fogies, but it was a place mystical enough to lure me to spend 10 days in China and 5 days in the thin, oxygen-deprived air of Lhasa.
I’m glad I went with my gut and went. It was an experience and one I’d not soon forget. Besides, how many of us have been to the roof of the world eh? 🙂
p/s If you have any questions or are planning to go in the near future and want to know more, feel free to ask and I’ll be sure to share what I know – there’s too much otherwise and this has already hit the 3000 word limit LOL! 😀
Paris B
OMG, Tibet! I’ve always wanted to go there! (First, please permit me to ask this: I thought the Potala Palace has PLA snipers on the roof so that they can pick off any Tibetan dissenters?) It’s so beautiful, but I can imagine all the eh… hardship to get there.
I was in Yunnan for my family vacation last December, and we thought that since we managed in Jiuzhaigou just fine, I continued to jump and run around with my cousins without much problems. BUT the very moment we reached Shangri La, the altitude sickness kicked in and I was nauseous, feverish and had diarrhea for about 24 hours.
You’re lucky that you’re there in between spring and summer. We went to the famous Shangri La National Park and all we saw were brown mountains and frozen lakes. Not very scenic, and we were freezing! That being said, being so close to the mountains is a highly breathtaking experience.
Hmm good question about Potala Palace. When I was there, I didn’t see any snipers, but then they wouldn’t have been very good snipers if I could see them right? 😛 So the honest answer is I don’t know 😛 We were in Chengdu and Xining before heading to Tibet and in both cities, we were asked if we’d been to Jiuzhaigou and none in our tour group had been! So imagine the local’s surprise that we were headed straight up to Lhasa LOL I’ve heard that Jiuzhaigou is a very beautiful place too and I think my parents want to visit. But I think I’ll pass. I’ve had enough of China for a while LOL 😛
Oh wow, what an incredible experience! I thoroughly enjoyed your recap and for the first time ever, it really made me want to go. Those views! Heck even in your photos alone do they look magnificent; I can only imagine how breathtaking it would be in person.
Glad you enjoyed it Tine. There was so much to cover, my head was spinning! Well not from altitude of course since I’m back on terra firma LOL But it’s an amazing place if just for the views alone. Worth visiting (and braving the hardship) for once in your lifetime 🙂
Glad that u lived to tell the tale! The lake is so beautiful! Like those in NZ!!!!
As beautiful as it is, not a place i would survive even before reaching the destination right? 😀
haha yes! I should have said “I went to Tibet… and SURVIVED!” LOL The train ride was my biggest worry ironically. But I doubt you’d survive it unless you opt to fly straight in and then risk the altitude!
now you make feel like going to Tibet! Thank you for sharing about your journey, Paris 🙂 everything was beautiful and the way you wrote it made the journey sound like it’s worth a thousand times better ^_^ i’m adding Tibet in my travel list then, hopefully one day I’ll be at the roof of the world too!
I’m glad to have brought this beautiful place onto the radar of people – it’s an absolutely beautiful place and an unforgettable experience. I hope you make it to the roof of the world one day and when you’re there, enjoy the views. They’re breathtaking!
Believe or not Tibet is in my list and it is above Europe! Hahahaha.. Thanks for this post Paris!! 😀
I believe you! Haha… Time to get planning right? It’s quite tricky to get in because you need permits, which is why we opted for the easy way out and join a tour group. At least that way everything is taken care of and any problems quickly ironed out 🙂
This post is amazing! I always thought this would only be for those mountain climbers or extreme travellers… now it’s on my list of places to go. Thanks for this post.
Haha if I, a city girl who’d rather be at a cafe sipping coffee and people watching the whole afternoon, can survive Tibet, you can too Crystal! Lhasa is actually quite modern and the good hotels there are comfortable, and food is well… Chinese LOL 😀 Glad to have made you think about visiting!
The view from Potala still look quite the same from what I can see from your picture. I joked about it with a friend cos we went in different years. During the time I was there, it already look like a Tiananmen Square. That was in the year 2000 I think…but before that, the view was very different.
I love Jokhang and I remember a rather hip cafe there. Did you try the Yak Butter Tea? I was exhorted on many counts by the locals to try but I never did. Couldn’t bring myself to.
The altitude sickness is real. We went there for two or three weeks…can’t recall now and my husband was down for a whole week. We flew in all the way from Chengdu though. We’d originally planned to do some trekking but the thin air made that almost impossible. We could only trek small hills and even that left us breathless after a few minutes. We were not recommended any pills but we bought oxygen cans. LOL. Did nothing as far as I remember.
On, we went to see the Karmapa Lama before he fled to India during our trip. It was an unforgettable journey. The cab driver who agreed to take us there very much regretted cos his cab was very broken by the end of it all.
Gosh, you were there quite a while ago! I’m quite sure it was also a lot more different back then in terms of amenities as well. Yes, we were atually told about that hip cafe in Barkhor St. I didn’t stop though. And I did have a sip of butter tea!! OMG It’s unforgettable LOL The one I had was at the hotel breakfast and I noticed that no one drank it at all, but yet everyday there would be a new flask. Maybe the local staff would take it after that since they drink so much of it. It must have been wonderful to spend so much time there and it’s always different travelling on your own and when you’re on tour. But with the way they’ve been clamping down on visitors (I was told it’s actually quite hard to get a permit to enter unless you join a tour group whether from China or here) and considering I was with older folks, I figured it was better we just let someone else handle it 🙂 Sounds like you had quite an adventure while you were there!!
Oh, I didn’t go Yamdrok but I visited Namsto Lake. It is the same blue as Yamdrok. Beautiful! But I wish I’d tried horse riding back then. It would have been quite an experience.
Being on tour, we only had that requisite “15 minutes and then get back to the bus” drill LOL I would have loved to go down to the lake side and as you said, go on a horse riding trek. But I didn’t see any on offer nearby. I think Tibet is changing quite rapidly, politically and socially so it was probably a lot more relaxed when you were there? The police presence and the requirements for police to accompany our bus out of town was quite eye-opening for me.
Such an enjoyable read 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it Patrick 🙂
Oh my, the mountains and the lake are so gorgeous!! At first I thought the white mountains in the background of your 4th photo were clouds, until I realised no, they’re mountains!
😀 Believe you me, in person, I had to squint to be sure they were mountains and my eyes weren’t deceiving me! It’s such an experience!
This is amazing, thanks for telling us and showing us about it! I don’t know if I want to visit Tibet in particular, but I love travel stories, and you have so many beautiful photos of the sights.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Larie 😀 I love reading travel stories too and sometimes, not necessarily by a travel blogger because different niches put a different spin on things right? 😀
Wow, Paris, that sure is an amazing adventure! May I ask which tour company did you book this with? My parents have always wanted to visit Tibet but we are a little wary of heading there on our own!
It was, Sukie and it was an adventure in more ways than one! 🙂 I went with GTT and barring some hiccups, it was generally a smooth trip. I wouldn’t really recommend doing it yourself because you need a permit to enter Tibet which is separate from the visa to enter China and that permit was applied for by the tour company. I’m not even sure if you can apply for it yourself, because I’m told they are very strict about issuing these permits due to their political problems. So the easiest way to get one is to join a tour, either from here or from China. But I’d go with a local company because that way you know you are taken care of all the way there and back. Not my most favoured way of travelling but I made an exception in this case because of where I was going. Also, the train tickets can pose a lot of problems because of the technicalities in how to buy them. Apparently you can’t buy them online and there’s a lot of double booking and even more technicalities. Our tickets weren’t even confirmed until the afternoon we were taking the train and even then, the tour leader had to iron out the issues by paying for extra tickets due to technical issues. It was all very complicated but because you’re on tour, you can kick back and enjoy the view while someone sorts it out for you 😉 So for Tibet, I’d say take a tour. Everything else, you can DIY 😉
Love the pictures! Tibet is really such a gorgeous country indeed. A good friend of mine and her mother went to Tibet last August in a tour group of 16 Malaysians including both of them. From what I understand, China is very strict on the entry of foreigners into Tibet and if anyone were to visit it, you need to go in a group of 4 persons of the same nationality.
My friend took the flight into Tibet, but the train out. So they did not feel the effects of the altitude because sitting on the plane into Tibet, the cabin pressure helped them to acclimatise. They also did not do the princess wencheng thing because it was expensive and it was raining. Some people did go and the show was cancelled halfway because of the rain. I think it cost around RM300+ to watch the musical.
A funny or rather unfortunate incident happened to my friend and her mum. They wanted to take a photo of the mountainous backdrop where their hotel was located at night because it reminded them so much of the mountain range they saw in New Zealand in 2013. They were detained by a policeman who was doing his rounds on his motorcycle because he thought they were spies! He did not believe they were tourist and insisted they were pretending not to be able to speak Mandarin although they really did not know the language. They were brought to the police station in a military car and interrogated further.
The police found out that there was a hotel that has just opened not 50m from the military base. However, in Tibet, all hotels need to have two permits – one to accept domestic tourists, the other to accept foreign tourists. The hotel that they were staying at only have one permit i.e. domestic tourist permit. That meant, they weren’t supposed to accept foreign tourists like them right next to the military base camp.
By then, things had come to passed that they had to contact the tour group leader, who called the local tour operator to get them out of the police station and show them their group’s permit to be in Tibet. Their local tour guide was also ordered to delete the (illicit) photo from their cameras as the military and police didn’t know English.
So to sum it up, within 5 hours of arriving at Lhasa by noon, they were arrested by the China airforce, interrogated for 1.5 hour in the cold weather before being hauled up at the police station for another 1.5 hours. By 9 pm, that same day, the whole tour group were conditionally evicted from the hotel. My friend can laugh about it now but at that time, it was very scary being barked at in Mandarin without really understanding what was going on.
Hi Victoria, thanks for sharing your friend’s story with me. You know I can actually believe it, because the police presence is seriously crazy. We had to have a policeman on board the bus whenever we leave Lhasa and each bus/vehicle can only carry a maximum of 20 persons each time. So tour groups going from here tend to be quite small.
Also yes, permits to enter Tibet are limited and very strict. I didn’t know about the number of people thing, but I know that they don’t issue individual permits so you have to be in a group and therefore on tour. Also, at random checkpoints, police would come on board to make sure the headcount tallied with the permits! It’s crazy there so I can just imagine what your friends were going through!
Thanks for the holiday review. Tibet is beautiful! Never felt like going there till now, haha. Can I ask how much the tour costs approximately? I’ve taken a train ride in China to my grandma’s village before and it was way worse than the one you took! We couldn’t even sit up straight in between bunks, and they were triple decker, so it was pure torture! Lasted 7 hours but I think that was about all we could take… Wouldn’t trade these experiences though, cos it only toughens us up and helps us view the world in different eyes.
I’m glad you enjoyed it Yu Ming and I’m glad to have at least made you think about visiting 😀 My 10 day package cost about RM9k per person everything inclusive, all tickets and everything. Our hotels and food were of a better quality and we flew commercial airlines not budget, hence the price as well. Basically went with hardly any cash because there wasn’t much to buy anyway LOL Oh I know the train you mention! On the Qinghai Railway, the cabin I got with 4 sleeper bunks were the “luxury” option. The next down is one with 6 bunks in the same space, which sounds a lot like what you described. I saw mostly locals in there, and because you can’t sit upright, most of them were milling about the narrow corridor. Next down is hard seats – upright seats for 24 hours. Now, THAT would be torture!! I’m glad you survived hehe…
Thanks for the info! It was about 15 years ago when I took that train with 3 other cousins, my mum, 2 aunts, grandma and an elderly relative (both in their seventies then) and our 2 local grand-uncles who accompanied us. It really was a good trip. When we arrived at the village, they lit firecrackers while we were walking in, very much like in the Chinese movies! A bit embarrassing for us… haha! But we got to see the house grandma grew up in and even the room she was born in! Amazing experience. 4 years after that we didn’t need to take the train, we could fly in to a city nearer the village and take the van in 🙂
Wow that was quite a welcome you received! What fun it must have been. I don’t have relatives in China anymore (At least none I know about) so that isn’t something I’d likely experience ever! But how amazing must it have been to see your grandma’s home!
wow wow woww! Those are amazing scenes. Thank for sharing your travel tales with us. Now I want to go too. But, I am not fit enough and I can’t do ‘funny’ lavatories. How??
Thanks Peiqing, I’m glad you enjoyed it 😀 I’m not fit la, and if I survived it so can you 😛 As for funny lavatories erm… my only advice is to hold it in as much as you can till you come to a restaurant. If you can’t and REALLY have to go, bring a bottle of Vicks and rub it under your nose before you enter, and where possible, close your eyes, mouth, ears and nose and BE QUICK! 😛 To be fair, the hotel and restaurants I went to in Lhasa had decent toilets. But once you get out of Lhasa, erm, it’s fair game AND you have to pay RMB2 to enter a doorless low-walled cubicle with an overflowing wastepaper basket and no flush. I think you get the idea LOL
Hey Paris! Tibet looks so much fun. It reminded me of my little trip to Singapore next week. Do you know any Singaporean/Malaysian person who knows where to buy what candles? And is able to compare the prices in Malaysia and Singapore? Do you know about candles in Singapore? Would appreciate it very much if you could help.
Hi Sarah, I’m not familiar with prices in Singapore. I know you can get Bath & Body Works and Yankee Candles there, the same way you can get them here. I don’t know their prices but at the current exchange rate I’d hazard a guess that it’ll still be cheaper to buy it in Malaysia. Can’t help you otherwise, sorry.
Your photos are beautiful and I enjoyed reading your travelogue. Not the first choice of destination for most as it’s not for the faint hearted. I don’t think we can do this type of travel till our son is maybe a teenager? Or an adult? Or when he’s old enough to be left with relatives and the hubs and I can have a great adventure like yours 😉
Glad you enjoyed it 😀 And yes, it turned out to be not as relaxing a holiday as I hoped it would be LOL but it was an experience for sure. I wouldn’t recommend bringing kids because of the hardship and because you won’t know how they’d be affected, but it’ll be one for the bucket list then! 😉
hi Hi Paris .. i envy you! i wanted to visit Tibet one day … i was in JiuZhaiGou in 2008 and always wanted to go back into that region again .. we were there during winter … it was damn cold … one funny accident was, once we were out of airport there and in the bus, hand started to be dry so, i brought out my hand cream .. due to altitude and pressure, the cream keep oozing out from the tube .. hahahah ..
Hi Iza, put Tibet on your list! It was a place I’d always wanted to go too but it was a chance conversation and encounter that made it a reality. You know, sometimes, I think it’s fate that we do/go certain places 😀 I’d not been to Jiuzhaigou but I’ve been told that it’s beautiful! Oh and LOL at your experience with the neverending ooze of lotion – happened to my mom in Lhasa! I think half the tube of sunscreen oozed out before she managed to contain it LOL!
Wow – I loved reading about your trip Paris! I was saving this post for when I had time to ‘concentrate’ and really appreciate your writing and photos 🙂
I love travelling to places which haven’t been totally destroyed by people or that haven’t had their landscapes totally changed by the last century. I haven’t been on a ‘proper’ overseas holiday in about 4-5 years, so I’m absolutely dying to go somewhere new atm (change of scenery and all) and recharge my batteries. I do admit, that I am very lucky for being able to travel as much as I did when I was studying.
Are you thinking about maybe doing a post on your time spent in China? I can’t say China is a place I would go to for a holiday (I forsee way to many stressful scenarios and challenges for this white girl lol) but I would love to hear about it! It’s also lovely that you got to go away with your family, most people don’t tend to be able to do that to often when they are adults 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed it BB! 😀 Ooh it sounds like you’re overdue for a nice long holiday! I know how you feel. Short breaks don’t cut it sometimes, right? Especially not when it’s within the same country and everything is just the same, except you’re not at home haha!
Actually, I won’t be writing about the other parts of China that we visited en route. I’m not a big fan of travelling in China and like you, it’s not a place I’d consider for a holiday because the food, culture, and people just aren’t something I’m keen on. You’d think I’d have less issues since I share the same ethnicity, but it’s different for me because I don’t have the same language (I can’t speak mandarin) so I’m pretty much a “white girl” in China too LOL! 🙂 I do realise I’m quite lucky that we get along as a family. I know of so many people who don’t or who’d rather not travel with their parents but I think there’s a lot to be said for spending time with them, and even more so as adults because that’s when we’re “equals” right? 🙂
Wow! What an amazing experience! So glad you had a lovely holiday. You’re so lucky I’ve always wanted to go to Tibet. It’s unlikely though.
Never say never, Mrs. Tubbs! 😀 Perhaps when the time is right, the opportunity will come 🙂