Shenyang Team Miller: 2016 October Tibet 2 ...road trip

1 November 2016

Greeting all,
This is the 2nd of the Tour of Tibet and this portion cover the road from Lhasa to Mt Everest (but Everest itself will be in the next part)

We started the day with a new tour guide as our original one got sick. Like the original one, she is a native Tibetan and fluent in English, so we were well taken care of.
We drove from Lhasa for a long time...7 hours or so. On the way, we go over mountain passes, see monasteries etc. All driving distances are controlled, meaning that the driver gets a time stamp on a log and he cannot pass through the next stop until xx time to control the speed limit. It doesn't really work...people still speed (unless they are in a camera zone), then they pull over and wait, waiting on the time stamp!

The first place we went was the Pabimka monastery. (Name means big rock) The monastery was built beside and on a big rock beside the cave where one of the Buddhas meditated). The beginning of the first written Tibet language is stored in this monastery on San scrit.

Stupas at Pabimka monastery

At the door to the monastery

The entrance to the cave where the Buddha meditated

The big rock with the Pabimka monastery built on top of it

Stupas around the Pabimka monastery

Another big rock around the Pabimka monastery

A monk we met just before setting out on the hike from Pabimka to the nunnery

This monk asked us to give this picture to the Dali Lama...not sure we'll be able to grant his desire!

After this monastery, our itinerary said we were to hike down to a nunnery. Our new tour guide was not wearing hiking shoes etc, so we thought this was going to be a road hike. We were wrong..and we are sure our tour guide took a wrong turn...she took us hiking up a mountain, no path, quartz rock, no firm footing, thin air! We could see the nunnery in a distance, so we knew where we were to go, but we had to follow our instincts on how to get to there without falling down the mountain! Going up wasn't actually too bad...it was coming down that was tricky! When it was obvious that our tour guide didn't have a clue on the best way to proceed, Rod took the lead and "followed the yak droppings" and got us down the mountain! Thank you Rod and thank you God for getting us off that mountain without any injuries or accidents! All part of the adventure!

Even though it was dangerous, it was beautiful!

One of the rare areas on the mountain hike where there was a path (or at least a path we could find!)

Coming up the mountain...not too bad!

Coming down the mountain a little less comfortable

Good thing we have both lost weight, or this path would not have been an option!

Some of the tough terrain we climbed up and down

Trying to figure out how to get down without going "all the way down"! The area at the top left of the photo is where we are going...it was a long afternoon! Good thing we were both in good shape !!

Arriving at the bottom!

One more obstacle to cross before the monastery! We did it!

We ended up at the Nunnery, and they had a simple meal prepared for us...after an afternoon of hiking, we both enjoyed this simple meal. Nuns must shave their head. At this nunnery, the nuns did all the work..and there was a significant construction project ongoing...they were packing big packs on their backs...strong Tibetan women!

One of the nuns serving us yak butter tea

Rod enjoying the noodles

The toilet at the nunnery..yes, when you have to go, and this is the place, you go! Watch your step please!

Daily goings on at the nunnery..check out the solar water heater in the foreground, and the woman coming towards us in the background..strong women!

The next day, we drove another 7 hours
According to our guide, all water in the world start in Tibet (Himalayan mountains) (I still haven't validated that!) We drove along the Ya Long Tsang Po River and it is the highest River in the world, longest in Tibet. It empties into the Indian Ocean. On the way, we saw some interesting things...as I mentioned in another post, Yaks and everything that is from the Yak...even the dung...gives a whole new meaning to "throw it on the wall and see if it sticks"!

Yaks are Home, home on the range (mountain range) in Tibet

Yaks along the way in Tibet..Yaks don't like banana peels either!

Remnants of Yaks...make into fire place patties ready for winter

New styles of yak piles...throw it on the wall and see if it sticks

The first mountain pass we went through was Campbella pass, 4998 m overlooking a turquoise blue Yam duk lake (1 of the 4 holy lake in Tibet). Cool and foggy here. This is a holy lake and absolutely stunning turquoise blue! Only yak skin canoe allowed on the lake to keep pure water. Cannot see the head or end of the lake, all still in Tibet. This region is known for mutton due to eating the grasses and water of the blue lake. It is around 70m deep. IT was the bluest water I have ever seen...and that includes the beautiful lakes of Switzerland and Norway...just blue as could be! This provided a nice photo opportunity to see (and pay to see) and Tibetan mastiff dogs and yaks. They are a working dog to help herd and protect the sheep. From what I understand they are quite expensive in China.

The beautiful azur Yam Duk lake in Tibet

Sarah right at home on the Yak...Thank God I'm a country girl!

On the top of the Cambella pass..look at the blue water...it was stunning!


Rod having fun on the yak! You can't really see the blue lake due to the fog..the yak looked pretty happy and so was Rod!

Sarah at home with the "puppy" Tibetan Mastiff

Closeup of the Tibetan mastiff

Hugging up at Cambella pass

Another view of the Yam Duk lake

At the water side of Yam Duk lake with a dry stack rock stupa. These formations were all around the lake side.

The 2nd mountain pass was Carula pass 5020m where we were up close and personal with a glacier
and saw some more grazing yaks.

Rod and Sarah on the pass with the Glacier behind us

Yaks in the field with the glacier

The 3rd mountain pass was Semilla pass at 4330 m over looking another lake. This lake is also blue/green, but not as turquoise blue as the 1st one we saw. So beautiful and clean! So many prayer flags. Evidently, a person can only hang these on special days..not sure what that is...we bought a couple from the sellers here, but we didn't hang it.

Prayer flags at Semilla pass in Tibet

Samilla pass over looking the lake (This one is a hydro power lake)

The same lake at Samilla pass, on the shadow side of the pass

We continued driving (actually, we were riding!) until we arrived at Gyang Tse: All along the way they were harvesting barley, we were driving, so hard to take a picture, but imagine that this was all done manually. In Gyang Tse the centerpiece is a monastery built in 1497. This is an ancient city where there was a battle with British army and Tibet defeated them, so also called hero's town. In this monastery, there was a lady carving the mantra, she was so nice and so gentle, we just had to do some business with her! She carved her signature on the back.

Inside the actual Tyang Tse monastery complex, we toured the monk's kitchen...and all around. There was a lady there who just adopted us, she took us around, gave me a pin that she wanted me to have and she actually cried when we left.
At the entry to each of the monasteries (where you can still take pictures), there are typically scary paintings...this is to scare away the even spirits..I'm sure there is an more official version of their purpose, but that's my take-away. In addition to the scary painting, there are paintings or statues of the 4 protectors.

Typical scary guy at the entry to the monastery

2 of the 4 protectors.

The other 2 of the 4 protectors

The yak butter tea pots in the monk kitchen of the Gyang Tse monastery

Gyang Tse monastery in Tibet

The Tibetan lady who adopted us and gave me a pin...such a sweet lady

Rod with our Tibetan lady friend at Gyang Tse monastery

Outside the Tyang Tse in the flower garden

Some of the vast landscape of high desert in Tibet

Finally after a full day's driving and touring we ended up in Shigatze and spent the night. (more about that place in the next post) The next day drove another 150km through Barron land. We took the road 318 which was he first road that Chinese army built in Tibet. At the 5000km mark there is a big monument. This road goes all the way from Shanghai to the Napal boarder. The monument means it is 5000km from there to Shanghai.

Rod and Sarah at the 5000 mark on the 318 road. I equate this to US Rt 66..only much more modern as it was built very recently as a trans continental road all across China.

Some where along the way we came across some sheep down by the river and they were just doing what sheep do...eating and playing under the watchful eye of their shepherd...nomad life in Tibet.

We took a tour into the Sakya monastery. During the cultural revolution 1956 "peace revolution" this northern part of monastery was mostly destroyed. The only thing left was 3 chapels. North part built in 1067, in 1956 started reconstruction after cultural revolution. The one we visited was built in 1268. Very well preserved.
Each sect the protective deities are different. 150 monks are living here. Largest collection of Tibetan scriptures over 8 million scriptures in the library since 1000 AD and after. It is a treasure for Tibet. also bought a traditional dress bead thing. I'm not sure why I bought it...just attracted to it! It is glass beads, and this thing (still not sure how or what it is used for) is all individually beaded..just feels good in my hands, so I bought...a few!

Beaded traditional head dress in Tibet

We stopped in Lhatse county village that is famous for making knives and they are quite unique.

Photo take from the top of the display case of the Lhatse Tibetan knives

We finally arrived in Shika (where we spent the night). Nothing special about this town, only where the hotel is. When we got there, all electricity went off...the symbol of things to come! The only thing about this town was that it has a 2 star Chinese hotel which is the only hotel option for people going to the base camp. We didn't think we wanted to stay at the base camp itself (sharing a tent with 10 strangers) or at a monastery (sharing with xx strangers), so we opted for the hotel...probably could have reconsidered this. Heat came in and off all night, bathroom was not clean (Rod cleaned it himself) high altitude, neither one of us slept so good. It was a dump...but we survived...it's part of the adventure in Tibet!