2016 October Tibet 3 - Mt Everest and Shikatste

3 November 2016

As I write this, it's a little over a month since we saw Mount Everest with our own eyes.  I have reviewed me notes and am trying to recount our visit to the highest place on earth!  When I stopped the last post, we had spent the night in the dump hotel...and now I start this one with an early start Sat 6:00am to try to see the sunrise on Mt Everest.  First stop was the border police station to register.  This time, Rod and I had to go ourselves with our passports to register. 
After that, we went up to Kyawula pass (altitude 5198m) .  From the top of Kyawula pass to the bottom the road has 108 curves, to have the same number as the 108 subjects of the Buddhist teachings.

Rod and Sarah at the Kyawula Pass.  The sign says welcome to Qongmolangma, which is the Tibetan name of kMt Everest

The sunrise on the Himalayans was so very peaceful!  The clouds cleared and we saw Mt Everest and the other mountains with the sun on the snow. It was early, cold, and very worth it to see...the pictures do not do it justice!

Sunrise on Mt Everest from Tibet

Early morning on the Kyawula Pass

Kyawula Pass and Prayer flags with Mt Everest in the background

After seeing the sunrise, we drove to tent city of the base camp.  Some people spend the night in these yak wool tents.  We had a cup of tea in one of the tents...it's quite cozy inside withe the wool carpets and if it were private, much better place to stay than the hotel...but we were not interested to sleep with 10 other strangers!  The tents are only open from April - October in case you are wondering!

A panoramic of the inside of a basecamp tent of Mt Everest

Rod and Sarah at Tent City of the Mt Everest base camp

 At the basecamp, we got in a van with others that was a  "so called environmentally friendly vehicle”  drove to the actual base camp. The weather was pristine at the base camp!  Obviously we cannot predict the weather...so we were happy when it was clear!

Mt Everest from Tibet

Rod and Sarah at the Base camp

The world is at her fingertips!

Rod and Sarah at the basecamp of Mt Everest.

Our view of the tallest mountain in the world!

 This was my last day of being 55 years old...and to my surprise, Rod got the people at the basecamp to sing happy birthday to me!  Hard to top that!!  I will always remember my last day of 55 spent at the base camp!


We decided to not stay a 2nd night at the 2 star Chinese hotel, so we drove back, get our stuff and go back to Shikatste to spend the night in a little better hotel and see yet another monastery!
So after seeing the tallest mountain in the world, we drove  another long road trip.  Originally we wanted to drive from the base camp directly to Nepal...but with the earthquake of 2015, the roads were destroyed, and not replaced so we had to drive all the way back the same way we came!

On the way, we had to stop to wait in our speed check point time and we met another sheep herder who was weaving.  This time, I was close enough to take a photo and video close up.

In Shokatse (2nd largest city in Tibet) we visited the Tashilhunpo monastery. Built in 1447 by 1st Dali lama. There are 4 temples, only 1 is original, the rest were destroyed in cultural revolution.
Before 5000 monks lived here, now around 400 who have registered.  The location was an ancient sky burial place.

The 2 stupas at the entry of Tashilhunpo monastery

A sign that looks alot like a Swastika...but it's not. It is a tibetan symbol that means everlasting and according to the Tibetans,the Germans stole it!  

Rod and Sarah at Tashilhunpo monastery in Shikatse

I was not feeling very well...too much Incense, sewer gas, dehydration from the altitude so I didn't explore too much, so we continued our drive to Lhasa.  Even though it was late when we arrived,  it was still my birthday, and Rod got the hotel to fix me a birthday cake and a special birthday greeting in Tibetan, Chinese and English!  What a nice way to end my birthday celebrations today!

A very special birthday greeting in  Tibetan, Chinese and English!

The day after my birthday was National day in China 国庆节！A special ceremony was held, in Lhasa but very few people allowed to attend (big crowds are tightly controlled in China and now especially in Tibet!)  As foreigners we were not allowed to go, or even get close. Our tour guide made sure we know that if we went there, or anywhere alone,  she and the driver would get in trouble!  So we had a relaxing morning at the hotel and prepared for our flight to Nepal on the next day.
So, I leave it here and we finished our lovely visit to Tibet, the final "T" of the forbidden topics of China (Tibet, Taiwan, Tian An Men) ..now, onto Kathmandu, Nepal!

Sarah & Rod