Everest Base Camp, Tibet (April 23rd 2017)

On Thursday, April 20th, we had breakfast early and left Lhasa shortly after 8 am. With eleven people, our group included three young guys, an American, an Australian and a Venezuelan. There were two middle aged men, one from Singapore, the other from the UK., along with an older British couple, the guide, the driver and us. Right from the beginning it seemed like a nice group and with extra space in our mini bus we looked to be in for a comfortable ride.

As we headed south-west, gradually increasing altitude, we passed small villages and farms. The villages were made up of plain square or rectangular stone buildings. Although there were no trees, yak and sheep dotted the hills and mountain sides.

The road conditions were good and distance wise it was only 280km; however, with the numerous police and military check points, the trip from Lhasa to Shigatse took about 6 hours. Security measures here seemed to exceed anything we remembered when we travelled in Israel or the West Bank. As time went on we lost track of how many times we were asked to produce our passports and other various documents.

At 2pm we arrived in Shigatse, also named Xogatse which means 'the fertile land.' Shingatse is Tibet’s second-largest city and the capital of Tsang province.

That afternoon we visited the Tashi Lhun Po Monastery. It was founded in 1447 by the 1st Dalai Lama, and is the most important monastery in Shigatse. This grand building with its golden roof and white walls is an impressive palace and contains gigantic statues and paintings.

This area, which enjoys the reputation of being the roof top of the world, is also known for causing altitude sickness for many. Having spent a few days in Lhasa and allowing ourselves to slowly adjust to the higher altitude we were hoping we could avoid this unpleasant experience.

Fortunately for us, we had little trouble other than some minor headaches and shortness of breath. We did notice a tingling sensation in our finger tips and were often aware of our breathing especially during or just after any significant movement. Oxygen tanks were available if needed and we saw others making use of them along with one lady in our group who did experience high altitude sickness.

The next day we were up early again and were on the road just after 8 am. Along with more regulated stops and checkpoints our 340km drive today included a number of very high altitude rest stops, the highest being at 5248m.

A couple of these mountain top stops can provide views of Mount Everest when conditions are right. Although it was sunny and clear where we were, cloud cover was blocking the Everest area. 

We finally arrived at Everest Base Camp mid afternoon.  It was overcast at first; however, just knowing where we were was enough at this stage of the game. We still had the rest of the day and the next day for the sky to clear. After missing out on a few opportunities to see Everest in Nepal we were hopeful our luck was about to change.

As the afternoon went on, the clouds gradually lifted and like giant curtains on a grand stage, the massive star of the show slowly appeared. Each time we looked up we were able to see more and more of what we came so far to see.

It was, after all, one of the main reasons that we wanted to  go to Tibet. At 8844m, Everest is the highest point on Earth. Unlike base camp in Nepal, which is known for limited mountain views, the Tibetan camp offers an amazing view of Everest’s famous North Face and EBC in Tibet, at just over 5200m, is only 19km away from the summit. By early evening we had a spectacular view of the world's most famous mountain right in front of us.

Everest Base Camp consists of a number of tents. Our tour company made arrangments for us to stay in these tents that are maintained by local Tibetan families. Most tents are equipped to hold about 8 to 10 people. As soon as we entered our tent we were welcomed by our hosts and given a thermos of hot water and a number of large quilts.

Meals were prepared by the host family and 'all the tea in China' was available to us; however, as you can imagine there were no showers or sinks for washing. Squat pits were located a short distance from the tents. Although the lack of comfort and privacy was a reality of where we were, it was a small price we were very content to pay.

During the evening we huddled under quilts and got to know each other as we told stories of home and travels. Yak dung was used to burn in the stove. The source of heat offered an endless supply of humour and "shitty" puns, as one can imagine. It also kept the tent quite warm and cozy surprisingly without a smell.

The small light in our tent went out at midnight when the generator was switched off. Shortly after, voices went silent and we were left listening to the sound of the wind and the flapping of our tents.

Six of us along with our hosts stayed in one tent and the rest stayed in another one.
Spending a night at Everest Base Camp had to be the "highpoint" of our trip. At about 5200 metres nothing else comes close.

We woke up about 7am the next morning. The air was crisp and there was a fresh coating of snow on the ground. As I headed outside I looked up and had a perfectly majestic view of the highest mountain on earth!

Jueun and I had lots of time to walk around and take pictures before we made our way over the hill to the climbers base camp nearby. After wandering around yaks and seeing climbers prepare for their ascent we took a couple of last pictures and started the long drive back to Shigatse.

The next day we left the hotel before 8 am and after a couple of hours of driving we stopped at Pelkhor Chode Monastery. It is different from other monasteries with its unique structure and is located at the foot of Dzong Hill about 100km east of Shigatse.

It would be the last monastery we would visit as the rest of our day we focused on  mountains, glaciers and lakes. We finally made it back to Lhasa at about 6:30 pm.

That night in Lhasa we celebrated where we had been and what we had seen. We went to the Shambhala Tibetan Heritage Hotel and Restaurant where we treated ourselves to the Sir. Edmond Hillary Steak with Nepali Curry Sauce. It was a delicious meal at a restaurant full of Tibetan character and western comfort. It was our last night in Tibet and we enjoyed it to the fullest. 

Lhasa, Tibet (April 25th 2017)

Tibet is not an easy place to visit. The only way to enter this special administrative zone is with a group tour. It takes time, planning and a great deal of patience to arrange a trip. There is tedious paperwork involved in obtaining the permit that goes along with the Chinese visa to enter this unique region.

On Monday, April 17th, as we checked in at the airport in Kathmandu we were informed that  our flight would be delayed. We were told the Indian Prime Minister was coming and the airport would be completely shut down for everyone else during his arrival time. By now we were getting very used to delayed flights; however, being told the reason why was a new unexpected novelty for us.

Our Sichuan Airlines flight was originally scheduled to leave at 11:00 am. The flight finally left Kathmandu shortly after 1:00 pm. The flight north over the Himalayas offered some stunning views; however, it felt like we were in a state of severe turbulence for the whole hour and fifteen minutes that we were in the air.

As we clung to our arm rests and looked out the window I couldn't help but think about the movie "Alive." With clouds below us and mountain peaks next to us, all the memories and scenes from that film came back to me. I later learned that the Kathmandu to Lhasa flight is normally quite rough and our trip was likely nothing out of the ordinary. We landed safely in Lhasa at 4:30 pm local time.

It was hard to believe we were only about 600 km from Kathmandu. The airport was new and modern and everything looked clean and fresh. With its Chinese structure, order and strict immigration procedures, it felt like we were a world away.

Upon arrival at Lhasa Gonggar Airport we completed the stringent immigration procedures. We were met by our Tibet Vista representative, given our white silk, 'Welcome to Tibet' scarves and taken to our hotel. We were now 3656m above sea level and here we were in Lhasa, Tibet!

Although we were only a short distance from Katmandu, we were now two hours and fifteen minutes ahead of Nepal time. Even though China is a country similar in size to that of the United States, it only has one time zone. It is a time zone that seems appropriate in cities like Beijing and Shanghai; however, in the western city of Lhasa it made for some very light evenings and very dark mornings.

The next morning, we got to know our local guide, who would be spending the next week with us. TJ, was a young likeable guy with a good sense of humour. Although he worked for the Chinese operated Tibet Vista tour company, he was Tibetan and there were times when his Tibetan views came through crystal clear.

That first morning, we were taken to the Drepung Monastery. This monastery was founded in 1416 and is located on the outskirts of Lhasa. We were told by TJ it was once Tibet's largest and most influential monastery. At one point it was home to over 10,000 monks. These days, that number is only about 700; however, it still attracts pilgrims and visitors from around the world.

As we toured the monastery we learned a little about government policies that were put in place during the cultural revolution. Along with trying to modernize Tibet, the Chinese government also imposed numerous policies  regarding culture, religion and language.  Along with these restrictions, a rule has been imposed that limits the number of monks allowed at each monastery.

In the afternoon we were taken to the Sera Monastery which also sits on the outskirts of Lhasa. At one time it had a population of over 5000 monks, but now houses only a few hundred.

The most fascinating thing about the Sera Monastery for me was the giant courtyard used for debates. Here the monks hold these lively events each day. During this time the area becomes a sea of burgundy robes and you can hear the rowdy religious ruckus as you approach the area.

Monks test one another by firing questions at each other in rapid succession. It's amazing to watch how passionate and intense these debates become. Although we had no idea what theological wisdom was being exchanged we watched the arguments play out with great enthusiasm, with one monk often pointing at the other and loudly clapping his hands together to hammer home his point.

We learned that in many cases these verbal  exchanges were actually teachers testing their students. As is the tradition, monks must remember everything by heart. Notes are not written down and Buddhist scriptures are always memorized. Young monks have their knowledge tested verbally in this manner to demonstrate what they have remembered.

The next day, Wednesday, April 19th, we went to Potala Palace. Perched upon a hill in the middle of town, it is easily the most recognizable structure in all of Tibet. When watching the news and one hears, "from Lhasa, Tibet this... is CNN," Potala Palace is the building in the background.

This famous palace has been the residence of the Dalai Lama since the 7th century until the current Dalai Lama went into exile during the 1959 Tibetan uprising. It is now a museum and World Heritage Site.

The building symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism and its central role in the administration of Tibet. It was both interesting and strange to walk through such a historic building and the private living quarters of a man who hasn't been allowed to return in so many years.

In the afternoon we went to Jokhang Temple which means ‘House of the Lord.' This temple was originally built in 647 AD to house a sacred image of the Buddha. This statue is still enshrined within the temple and is considered the holiest object in Tibet.

Although we didn't know where we were, we actually stumbled upon this area during our first evening in Lhasa. After checking into our hotel, we went out to explore a bit on our own and just happened to walk into the spiritual centre of Tibet. 

We saw many people walking, chanting and praying. We also noticed everyone moving  past us in the same direction. We figured out that they were circling the area in a clockwise manner, always keeping the temple to their right. As we walked into the crowd we couldn't help but join the flow of people shuffling along, chanting and spinning prayer wheels.

As we moved along we saw people kneeling and some pushing their bodies along the ground, using wooden blocks to protect their hands. Many rubbed their heads along the cobblestones while murmuring sacred prayers  and wishes. 

It was overwhelming to see the spirit and devotion that still exists here especially considering the recent history in Tibet and what it has been up against.

As we walked along in both amazement and awe, I thought how grateful I was to be in this unique place and witness such a sight. I felt great admiration for these people, that against all odds have managed to maintain their traditional way of life. Tibet may not be an easy place to visit; however, as we've learned, the most rewarding places never are.