Beijing To Tibet, Mt. Everest And Nepal All In 10 Days
 

After spending a day and a half in Beijing, I make way to the West Beijing Train Station. With my ticket and passport checked, I purchase an advertised Noodle Bowl special (RMB$15.50) and head towards Track No.2. There I join a queue of hundreds where again my ticket is checked. Descending a set of stairs I am staring down at my home for the next 44 hours.

Making my way to the 5th Train Car, I meet two of my travel companions for the next 10 days, Kathy and Bill from Montana. After brief introductions, we do some jostling around to store our luggage and get somewhat comfortable.

We are sharing a 4 person soft sleeper cabin along with a Chinese national and I end up with an upper berth.

At 8pm, T-27 leaves Track No.2 at the West Beijing Train Station and our 10 day adventure begins.

I am joining you for this journey, so share as much as you can as I want to experience it all while sitting at my desk far, far away.
Hoping someday I will follow your trail in the real manner and benefit from your experience.
So you have taken a train from Beijing and where will be your first stop and how well is the ride, the scenery and is there any food available or you are carrying your own.
Love to hear all details.
Wishing you a pleasant and a safe journey filled with all the adventures you have been dreaming of.

Train To Lhasa Day One

For a regular train traveler there is probably not too much to get excited about when your future holds 44 hours of swaying back and forth in the same direction. However, for a non-regular train traveler headed to one of the more restrictive and unique places to visit on the planet, for now, it is 44 hours of rocking and rolling fun.

Our departure from Beijing is in the evening so after a little settling in and exploring a few cars of the train it is pretty much “Bedtime for Bonzo”. My upper berth bed is somewhat firm although it is called a “soft sleeper” and my pillows are like oversized beanie bags, uncomfortable. Fortunate for me, I have the gift of a horse to be able to sleep standing up.

About twelve hours into the journey we make a stop and I wake up to views of China that I have never seen before, a mostly barren landscape under clear morning blue skies. Occasionally some green and other blues are added to the scenery as we past what appears to be grazing land along with some high altitude lakes and river streams. The views remind me of crossing some parts outside of Chandler, Arizona minus the cactus.

Posted on the walls in different cars is our itinerary to Lhasa showing points of interest along with the time and altitude at various spots along our journey. At about 8am in the morning we will be at the highest point on our trip 5072m, well over 15,000 feet. There are oxygen outlets in our room should we need it.

Although we have provisions for the trip, Kathy, Bill and I decide to venture to the dining car for an early evening supper. We order up thin sliced green peppers that can be easily mistaken for green beans, pieces of pork with lots of grilled onions and rice along with a beer that surprises us when it is served.

On a Chinese train bound for Tibet we are drinking “GI Beer” made by PBR in memory of the US Army.

I never would have imagined I would be drinking a beer in honor of a branch of the US military in of all places, China. I hope the Chinese will always feel this way about us because in my opinion it is difficult to be angry with someone that you are willing to share a cold brew with.

Night falls with us still rocking and rolling a long about 60 miles an hour. As I look out at a rising full moon, I think this is still fun and I am one lucky traveler.


Video:http://youtu.be/KegeTHP-tko

ileen,

Glad to have you along :)

So glad you are posting this report. I loved the video. Many of us will not be able make this trip so give us all the details.
Plus, how much was the train fare? More or less than flying? I do understand that the train trip is an adventure in itself. Will you fly to Nepal? or how will you exit Tibet. I do hope you will post videos of your entire adventure.

DMB---Sincere Thanks for sharing the video. I am truly enjoying my armchair travel with your help. You are doing a superb job in capturing the scenery, the train's interior, the meal and the excitement.
Keep up the great job of sharing your travel adventures to inspire others.
A few questions:
*Did you come from US to Beijing to continue on this journey or were you already in China? What made you decide to take the train and not a plane? Maybe the fare!
*Did you have to get any special visa or other papers?
*When altitude changes while you are in the moving train do you physically feel something---maybe light-headed or something?
*Did your train fare include the meals or is it a la carte?
Beijing weather is hot these days, so what sort of weather will be you expecting at your destination?
Have fun.I am chugging along with you for the entire journey!
ENJOY

Great questions! Reading along and waiting for more info.

Following your trip also, love it

ileen,

Flew from US to Beijing. This was my third attempt to visit Tibet. First trip cancelled because needed 5 of same nationality in a group for Tibet permit but 3 family members had to pull out at last minute. Second trip unable to get permit because China closed Tibet early because of Chinese New Year.

Took the train to minimize altitude adjustment problems. Still took getting use to... so I imagine more time would have been required if I took airplane.

Surprisingly, there is really not much difference in plane or train tickets when booked thru an agency. My tour cost was US$1086.00 (Beijing-EBC-Nepal) which included a single supplement and did not cover admission fees and tips etc.

I have a one year Chinese Visa from last summer but had to get permits for Tibet and Mt Everest base camp. All handled by travel agency.

No effect from altitude while on the train and I did not use any medication. Did experience some shortness of breath climbing a few stairs and hills, I did have to use some portable oxygen during stay at EBC.

Brought provisions for the train with the most important being T.P. Meals were not included during tour but were affordable in general on the train and elsewhere.

Actually, outside of Beijing weather was very nice about 60's during the day with low 40's over night except at EBC where it was in the 30's during the night.

Waiting for more. Will you be flying or training back?

coming along for the ride.

Train To Lhasa Day Two

I wake up after my second night on the train and the scenery has changed a bit from the previous morning. There now areas of white on the ground and in the distance as the signs of winter linger around even into late April.

Somewhere earlier this morning we were at the highest point on our journey about 15,000 feet above sea level (5072m). Surprisingly, I have felt no noticeable affect from the change in altitude and have taken no medication for altitude sickness.

My plan is to stay hydrated, eat well and avoid doing jumping jacks or my regular 1,000 push-ups a day. So far, it seems to be working.

Life on the train has not been too difficult and with just about five hours to go I cannot believe I have had a one track mind for over 30 hours. The only disappointment on the train has been going to the bathroom after fellow passengers that seem to lack some common public decency.

The train staff has done a good job keeping the train clean and the environment comfortable. I was surprised to discover that regular toilet paper was not available after the first day but I came prepared thanks to Wal-Mart in Beijing.

About three hours from Lhasa we make a stop and a good majority of passengers leave the train. Our stop is long enough to give us an opportunity to get off the train for a few minutes. It is nice to step outside and breathe the crisp cool air at about 12,000 feet.

One more non-verbal all aboard call and we begin the final leg of our 44 hour journey. The scenery is still amazing as we pass fields with grazing yaks and a few small towns become more common with snow capped mountains in the background.

At about 3pm in the afternoon we arrive in Lhasa pretty much on schedule. For me, the trip has not been a bad one and the time has passed well enough. I am sure my travel companions had a lot to do with it. Thanks, Bill, Kathy, Craig and Marciso.


Video:http://youtu.be/VtQc_2j5f2Q

dgunbug,

It's a one way trip to the Nepal border with plans to fly home from Katmandu :)

Loved seeing the mountains. The Lhasa station is very clean.

DMB--Thanks to replies to all my questions.
Your 2nd video is gorgeous, the mountains with snow covered peaks are beautiful and I am envious!!!!
But, glad you are taking me along as I have watched the video more than once and I feel I am experiencing everything through the pictures and your voice.
Please keep up the good writing and recording as we tag along!
So glad to know that altitude did not give you any problems and the train is sort of clean. Bathroom is not neat is kind of very typical of China toilets, thus no surprise.

Your second day is complete and you have reached Lhasa--so exciting. I am surprised to see the very nice looking train station of Lhasa. I had the impression it is kind of a not too developed area and assumed that the station would be a tiny little place, but it looks pretty charming to me.

You were even able to get out and breathe the fresh air---that is indeed a bonus! Beijing air is so foul, so I am sure you could tell the different---cool, fresh and nostalgic!
Surprised to see so many elks. But you did not see any people near the elks---farmers! I love their outfits---seen in some photographs. Hope you get to capture some colorful photos of the natives in their outfits.
Enjoy your adventures, I am sure there will tons of fun stuff, so we are waiting. It is almost night in the US, so while we sleep, you explore. Hope you have a fantastic day and see some really new things.
Have a safe and a memorable time.

Enjoying your trip! Thank you so much for sharing and sharing the videos!

Thank you for sharing DMB..video tell a story for us...will be awating Nepal and the peaks. It's been 68 years since I tasted GI Beer (3.2%)...can't say that I miss it..but it sure brings back memories for a 17-year old enlistee.

A Police Welcome

We arrive at the Lhasa train station and as a group face a little bit of confusion. We all expected that we would be met by our tour guide once we got off the train. Earlier as we pulled into the station at one end of the platform there was a large group of singing school kids that for a fleeting moment I thought was our welcoming committee.

As we are pondering our dilemma, we are approached by a smiling and friendly police officer or member of the Chinese military. I guess he has seen this situation many times before and beckons us to follow him. I quickly gather that all visitors are met at the outer boundary of the train station.

Scanning the crowd we are a bit disappointed that no one seems to be there to meet us and we are right. A phone call by our police escort and we learn that our driver is late to pick us up. I guess 44 hours was not enough notice that we were coming.

Before too much longer we are given a lame “Tibetan Welcome” and loaded into a mini-van that we will spend a lot of time in for the next few days. Traveling solo, I am a bit lucky because I will have the whole back seat to myself along with just a few small pieces of luggage.

My first impression of Lhasa is “wow”. This is a lot different than expected especially when I see an amusement park with a large Ferris wheel being built not too far from the train station. I am told that last year only about 30,000 non Chinese nationals visited Tibet, so no doubt this is a popular destination for locals to support a "Mini-Disneyland".

The weather is near perfect as we cross a modern bridge and head into town. The main street where our hotel is located is lined with high end shops and is bustling with activity. I wonder if I can get a bargain on an iPhone-10 at The Apple Store?

Our stay for the next three nights is at The Yak Hotel a 4-5 Star tourist class hotel. It is about 5pm when we arrive there and I am definitely feeling the need for a hot shower and a comfortable bed without beanie bag pillows. However, we have been advised to not take a shower until the next day. Not quite sure of the reason but it is suppose to help with the altitude adjustment and prevent us from getting sick with a cold.

This will make about three days that I have not taken a shower. The last time I did that I started to grow a long black and white tail and lost a few friends. At least this time hopefully it will be a group effort and whether they like it or not Bill, Kathy, Craig and Marciso are stuck with me for the next eight days.

I get my first dose of not being use to high altitude living as I climb a set of stairs to my fourth floor room. By the time I hit my bed there is not much motivation to do much of anything else than to catch my breathe. Taking the "no shower" advice comes easy.

Now if I can only drown out the street construction noise beneath my window I just might get a good night's sleep.

tower,

Thanks for your service :)

Maybe you can fill us in on the history of GI Beer and why it is served on a Chinese train which I found interesting.

I imagine you had to put up with your travel companions lack of hygiene as well. As long as the odors blended together, I'm sure you were fine! Looking forward to more video and tales of your adventures.

Welcome to Lhasa.
Hope you have been having a fantastic time.
Very surprised to read that there is some sort of a mini-Disneyland as well as high end stores. I always thought Lhasa is a laid back and primitive place. I guess, it is getting a modern age make-over!
Tell us more about the Yak Hotel. Are you happy for the amenities you are getting for the price you are paying?
How is the food in the hotel or in the surrounding areas?
And is Wi-Fi connection decent?
Hope my questions are not totally stupid, I really have not read much about the area, but want to visit it someday, thus a deep interest.
Are you able to use Yuans or is there some other currency?
I am pretty sure the scenery is gorgeous, the air pure and excitement just to see the mountains around you.
Have a wonderful time, waiting for more travel experiences.

Most of the built-up area of current Lhasa is built by the Han Chinese, inhabited by the Han Chinese, which has little to do with Tibetans. So, it's just like another "medium-sized" Chinese city. It's only in and aroundthe old town and at the monasteries/temples where one see the real Tibetan Lhasa.

The OP is lucky to be staying at the Yak Hotel which IS in the old town area, though on the main thoroughfare. Just a few steps either way into the smaller streets and alleys and there are still plenty of Tibetan stuff around. If he had stayed further out, it would be much worse.

ileen,

Love the questions :) Will try to incorporate them and the answers into my postings where possible.

The Yak and all accommodations were included in the price of the tour although I did have to pay a single supplement. Wi-Fi worked great and the hotel in general was nice. However, the front rooms facing the main street were very very noisy from 24hr road construction and beeping horns :(

Food around hotel was decent but overpriced in tourist restaurants and quality not all that good. There are lots of local shops nearby and two large grocery stores with good prices and selections.

Isolated ATMs around town at banks only but no issue with Yuans. Just used ATM for cash and did not use credit cards.

More trip postings later...

Great! Thanks.

How disappointing to think that Lhasa has been so built up by the Chinese and that the old Tibetan areas are limited to only a small area.

DMBtraveler - what's your take on Lhasa now that you've spent time there? Is it different enough from China to make it worthwhile to visit?

DMB---Sorry to hear about the noise near the hotel. Hope it stops during the weekend so you can have a good rest.
Have you seen any western restaurants or are they basically Chinese, Tibetan, Indian etc.

How is the weather -- sunny and cool or just pleasant?

Are you planning to go on some hikes with the tour group. I dont have any training in mountain climbing, so can healthy, untrained tourists climb some small peaks or that is not possible.

Always interested in souvenirs--wondering if you have seen any neat stuff.
Also, it is summer time, do you see lots of good fresh fruit and vegetables, roadside vendors, stalls etc.

Hope you have an exciting day exploring the neighborhood. Waiting to hear more details. Have a pleasant day.

Polata Palace

After a night of sleep interrupted by jack hammers and beeping horns, I am up at 8 am for breakfast and my first shower in over three days.

Refreshed, I am still exhausted after climbing a set of stairs to the roof top restaurant. The lack of adjustment to the higher altitude in Lhasa becomes pronounced for me when I do any hint of activity that can be perceived as extraneous. Even a brisk walk can make you oxygen deprived at these altitudes.

With breakfast complete we meet in the hotel lobby for our first tour of a monastery in Tibet. It is an important one as Polata Palace is the former winter home of the Dali Lama who now lives in exile in India.

After clearing an airport type security check, we approach Polata Palace from the right front side and find ourselves going against the grain of traffic. In a clock wise direction the faithful as a part of their daily ritual are circling this holy shrine.

Prayer wheels are spun and prayers are muttered as this spiritual tradition is carried out. I watch up close something I had seen along the highway from the train a few days ago. A ritual is performed by a young man along the sidewalk and he is given money I guess for prayers and blessings.

Entrance to Polata Palace is not free and visitors are given an allotted entrance time. Entering the palace we are scanned through another security check point and reminded that photography is limited in certain areas.

The weather could not have been any nicer for our visit and the massive structure with its distinctive red and white colors seem to glow in the morning sun. Our tour will be a bit of a challenge as we will have to climb about thirteen stories of stairs. I am sure that not many of the locals here do this on a regular basis.

Knowing that this maybe a challenge for visitors there are rest benches along the steep set of stairs we must climb. We are encouraged to take our time and to make small baby steps as we begin our ascent. With a few stops to take in great views of Lhasa below us the walk uphill becomes manageable.

Unfortunately, we reach the area of the palace where pictures are not allowed but it is still cool to walk through and see all of the neat exhibits and Buddhist artwork. We do get to visit the area where the Dali Lama lived and see various tombs of the past Dali Lamas but not without climbing a lot more set of steep stairs and navigating narrow passages.

As with many Buddhist monuments the amount of gold used to build them is phenomenal. What is also surprising to me is the amount of money that is donated as offerings inside the monastery. While all of this is amazing to look at it gives me a different perspective of the life of monks and the operation of monasteries.

It is a real disappointment to me that I cannot take pictures especially when we are encouraged to purchase books that have pictures of everything we are looking at.

After about two hours of touring we begin our descent down thirteen stories which is certainly less painful than going up. Again the views of Lhasa below us is stunning with clear blue skies and towering snow capped mountains surrounding us.

For me, we pass an interesting item on the way downhill, a tree with money attached to it. Now I know that despite what my parents told me, money does grow on trees, at least in Lhasa. It is time for lunch then more touring around Lhasa.


Video: http://youtu.be/4aLPYu4Y6sE

dgunbug,

I think a visit to Tibet would be worthwhile only because it is a place that few outsiders get to visit.

However, I think a 3/4 day visit to Lhasa would be enough. In a weird way Lhasa was too modern for me and the restrictions being on an organized tour did not really suit my style of traveling.

In many ways once you have seen one monastery you have seen all of them. In my opinion there was only one of them that was really interesting and it was about US$50 if you wanted to take a picture of it's coolest exhibit :(

ileen,

There were restaurants advertising "Western Food" but I would say we were all interested in the local stuff. Near the hotel there is a large outdoor street market area with all kinds of goods for sale including fruits.

The weather was actually very nice during our stay. Cool in the mornings, sunny afternoons with rain showers in the mountains. The air was very dry and I often ended up with a bloody nose. Lining the inside with Chapstick (a tip from Kathy, a RN) helped :)

Unfortunately, no mountain hiking as the local mountain were actually far away. With the tourist restrictions here you probably would need a permit to visit them and I am not sure much hiking is done nearby.

The typical souvenir items are around but I am not much of a souvenir collector except pictures. However, I think it would have been cool to bring some yak cheese or butter home.

Looking forward to hearing about the Nepal portion of your trip. I was hoping to hear more enthusiasm regarding Lhasa. We also found the portions of china that we visited to be a bit disappointing as in each city/town, there was only a small preserved "old town". That's not to say that the trip was not fabulous...it just wasn't the very foreign.

So interesting!! Love your video. You did have great weather. I think only the very young and hardy could have climbed those stairs. Congratulations that you did. Your views of the mountains wonderful. Good to know that the people still make lots of offerings to the temples. The Chinese have not wiped out the people's beliefs. Also so many people with face masks. Is the air dirty??
Keep up the reports, when you can. This is a trip that I will not be able to do.

DMB--Thanks for the latest video. Looks like you are having fun seeing the palace. No Photos is disappointing, but I am sure the sights are etched in your mind!
Take care of your bloody nose!! Hope it does not continue throughout the trip.
Yak curry looks almost like chicken curry. Did you taste it? Does the meat taste different or you cant even tell what you are eating as the curry flavoring is usually powerful and appetizing.
Are you able to walk everywhere or sometimes you have to use the rickshaws?
Well, have another wonderful day and taste something new.

I visited Tibet for 3 weeks in 2010 and spent total of almost a week in Lhasa. I just wanted to add a point or two here.

Potala Palace was not and IS NOT an active Tibetan Monastery. Right now, it's more or less a museum run by the Chinese Government. As the OP mentioned, entrance is not free, and the vast majority of visitors to Potala Palace are NOT Tibetan. Instead they are mainly Chinese (ethnic Han or other groups) tourists from other provinces, and a few foreign tourists.

Tibetans DO make pilgrimage to Lhasa, of course, and one of the things they'll do is walk (and/or kneel and prostrate thing) clockwise around the mount that Potala Palace sits atop, but most won't go up to visit. And they certainly won't be offering RMB/Yuan there.

Pilgrims and local Tibetans mainly go to the major monasteries in the city, like the Jokhang. While tourists pay a modest fee to visit, Tibetans can go worship free of charge (though the line in the morning can be very long). What they do offer is yak butter, which they buy from vendors in the square outside the temples, and then they scoop the butter into butter lamps inside the temple.

Another interesting report DMB and it seem that a lot of people like this one!

As a Buddhist I must point out that what you wrote <i> "As with many Buddhist monuments the amount of gold used to build them is phenomenal." </I> is not true. I have never heard of any monastery or temple made out of gold and you probably misunderstood gold paint for real gold.

No shower for 3 days! Lucky you don't need to wash your hair :)

Elainee,

I did not think the air was dirty (polluted) mostly dusty from being dry and from a lot of construction around the city.

That part of Tibet is quite barren with not much vegetation. Therefore dusty.

It would be terrible if TIBET had major industrial pollution. Good to know it is "natural".

New Mandala Restaurant

From Polata Palace we are driven around the streets of Lhasa and then exit our mini van to walk a dusty path for lunch. Our first group lunch in Lhasa is at New Mandala Restaurant and although we have the option to dine on the roof top we decide to eat inside instead.

Interestingly, from our table we can see a group of police or military personnel stationed on a roof top across from us. They are probably keeping tabs on the streets and square below us or maybe just seeing what we will be ordering.

After breathing the dry and sometimes dusty air I cannot wait to coat my throat with a refreshing Coca Cola. Not surprising the Coke is served not quite cold and although I can tell a slight difference in taste from the ones back home, this one still does the trick.

Wanting to try some local flavor I order a yak curry set and naan bread. Although we are just a few steps from the kitchen my meal is served lukewarm. However, the portions are huge and in all honesty a “set” should and can be shared between two people.

On the train to Lhasa we passed a lot of grazing yaks and my first impression combined with seeing the harsh environment was that this was one tough animal. Sampling my curry dish my first impression was right. However, it did turn out to be a good exercise for my jaw without having to worry about running out of breath.

Another interesting thing about dining at New Mandala was the wait staff seemed indifferent to us being there. This did not really bother me and I pass it off as just them being uncomfortable to communicate with us because of our language and cultural differences.

Overall my lunch experience was okay but nothing to get too excited about. Nonetheless, I am recharged for some more touring around Lhasa.

rkkwan,

Thanks for posting and adding "good stuff" to the thread. You have filled in some of the things I should have mentioned and also confirmed some of my suspicions.

copinesp,

Thanks for joining in :)

My posting mentioned "monuments" not monasteries or temples built from gold. My reference to monuments in this case were many of the former Dali Lamas tombs that we were told are plated in gold. One tomb we are told used one thousand kilo of gold.

As in other postings, I am only sharing what was told to me and have no way to verify the truth of it. As before, I see no reason for a tour guide to purposefully be less than truthful. I am just not that cynical about people.

I would certainly hope there are not any monasteries or temples made of gold.

By the way, do you know what is done with all the money offered and collected in the monasteries?

We visited one where I was surprised to see about 3 or 4 monks sorting and packaging large sums of it on long tables. I would guess it goes to support the monasteries but I wonder how much of it goes to the government.