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.
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