Of course we were very tired when we got off the plane. Our tour company, ChinaPlus, had given us a detailed explanation of what to expect, how to fill out the entry card etc. and so the process of immigration, baggage collection etc went fairly smoothly. I think one of the reservations I had about the entire trip was worry about the attitude of the Chinese officials with whom we would have to deal. Right away we had to be admitted to China via the immigration officials and my fears were eased. They were pretty much like our TSA/Immigration officers and even spoke a little English. My worries continued to abate as the trip continued. They were not to be messed with or joked with, but were always courteous and trying their best to do their job while being respectful.
Our local guide, Wendy, met us just outside baggage claim and led us to a waiting car to begin the drive to Beijing. Most Chinese airports are well outside the cities and Beijing is no exception. It took us about 45 minutes to get to our hotel, The Beijing International Hotel, and by now it was close to 1 am. Wendy was very concerned that our visas to enter Tibet were waiting for us at the hotel. As soon as we got there, she left us to finish checking in and went to find the documents. It took a few minutes and her face reflected great concern but they were finally located in a drawer. We could finally head to our room after receiving the information about breakfast (where and when) and when to meet her in the lobby the next morning.
The next day our flight to Lhasa departed at 9:00 am. Therefore, we had to meet Wendy at 7:00 in the lobby, having had breakfast. We got very little sleep that night, which was an often repeated event. We staggered up, repacked, dressed and managed to wolf down a little food - such a shame because the buffet was awesome! - and made it to the lobby on time with our bags.
When we got to the airport, Wendy got us our boarding passes and warned us strongly about there being a special security line that we had to find to get to our flight to Lhasa. She couldn't go with us to that area because it required a boarding pass. After inquiring about which line to go to - "Lhasa?? Lhasa??" - we went to one line only to reach the attendant who told us we were in the wrong place. Happily, the next try was successful.
As most of you know, Jon uses a C-PAP machine to ensure his breathing when he sleeps. For this he needs distilled water. He has a small zippered bag that his machine fits in, along with two one liter bottles of water. China has the same rules as we do about liquids. We were doing fine in the security check - baggage screened and we were patted down which is usual Chinese procedure - until they discovered the water and then things broke down. Jon tried to explain that it was special water for his machine but the language barrier was too much. It took several tries and folks being summoned but finally an English speaker (sort of) arrived. She understood the situation but still insisted that he drink from both bottles. After he did, we were free to go.
Our China Air flight was ready to depart on time but had to wait for quite a while before it could take off due to many planes ahead of us, another oft-repeated occurrence. I would recommend China Air to anyone. The flight attendants were courteous, food and beverage were good and served often and the plane had good leg room. It was relatively new and clean. We had an aisle and a window seat with no one between us and the flight was pleasant. It was longer that we expected but we were flying across most of the country. We stopped at Chengdu, the last major city before Tibet, for about half an hour and then continued on.
I had the window seat and enjoyed being able to see the landscape. I was appalled to see how far the smog from Beijing followed us across the country - almost to Chengdu! Brown air everywhere. This is a huge problem for the Chinese government and they are trying to reduce it but it still pervasive.
After taking off from Chengdu, again with a major (20 minute) delay, the view out the window began to change. The terrain became more mountainous. And then we were flying over the Himalayas - beautiful! There were clouds in the way about half the time but I still tried to take photos. These were the highest peaks we had ever seen and were so spectacular! After a bit, the air got quite turbulent, understandably, and I did a lot of self talk about how the pilots that fly this route do so all the time etc. etc.
China is all on the same time zone. By the time we landed in Lhasa, it was 3:30 pm and we had been on this journey from Beijing for over 8 hours. Our guide, Yang Dron, met us after we left the airport building and went across the street. She got us to our mini van, had water for us - the air temperature was quite warm, amazingly - and also gave us each a pilgrim's shawl. They are white and soft and are left often at temples by the pilgrims who arrive constantly in this Buddhist community. We liked Yang Dron immediately.
Again the drive from the airport to the city of Lhasa and our hotel took an hour. Since we were pretty tired from the previous day, and the altitude was already effecting us, we decided to have dinner on the way to the hotel so that once we were checked in, we could stay there until morning. It was after 5 by this time and so dinner wasn't totally out of the question. We went to the Tibetan Steak House where Jon and I both had yak meat, in different preparations. It was delicious - not gamey or tough at all.
Then we were off to our hotel, the Xin Din Hotel, owned by the government and run by a private company, about six years old. Our room was great and finally could unpack, settle in and sleep. We decided to meet our guide at 10 am the next morning.
By the next day, the altitude was really bothering us. It is 11,000+ feet there. We decided to pick up a bottle of oxygen to help us adjust. It was a good idea. We both made use of it over the days we were there.
Our first stop was the Potala Palace, former home of the Dalai Lama. It sits on "Red Hill" in the center of the city and rises about 13 stories. Our trip to Lhasa was a pre-trip, not part of the regular tour we were on, and Jon and I were the only ones with our guide. Yang Dron planned for all three of us to climb to the top of the palace but early on Jon decided that it would not be wise for him to continue. We agreed on a meeting place and time, and he turned back. The two of us kept going. In hind sight, I should never have attempted this the morning after we arrived. Between the jet lag and altitude change, we were not at our best. However, I was determined! I had to rest several times (happily other climbers, native Tibetans, had to also) but I eventually did it!!! I am still proud of that accomplishment! Along the way, I learned a lot about Buddhism and Tibet from Yang Dron. I am so impressed by the devotion of the people, their perseverance and their timelessness.
Meanwhile, Jon had connected with two women doctors who spoke English. He was waiting for us outside the entrance to the palace and since it was obvious that he was either European or American, they decided to converse. He wishes now that he had had a camera with him since he enjoyed them so much. It was one of the highlights of the entire trip for him.
After the three of us met up again, we went to lunch at a private (non-government owned) hotel restaurant and then on to the Jokhang temple. This temple houses the holiest relic in Tibet, a statue of Buddha made during his lifetime and actually blessed by him. Five of these were made but this is the only one that survives. This temple was heavily damaged during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s but monks were able to hide the statue and the temple has been rebuilt. Thank goodness!
There is a noticeable Chinese presence in Tibet. They have occupied Tibet since 1959. The army is visible and there are military buildings with guards. There are also Chinese areas of the city where the restaurants have Chinese food rather than Tibetan etc. There is construction everywhere - roads are torn up to replace pipes, housing and buildings are in process of repair or being built. According to our guide, most of the Tibetans are happy with some of the changes that make their lives more comfortable but not happy with the constant dust and confusion. It is an occupied city and the Chinese are very concerned with security since a year or two ago there were some protests. We were glad that we had the opportunity to visit.
We rested at our hotel for a while and then enjoyed a nice dinner, although my appetite was suffering due to the altitude. I took 600 mg of ibuprofen as recommended by the Group Health travel nurse, which helped with the headache and the oxygen helped with my slightly blue fingernails. We also tried to drink lots of bottled water. A good night's rest helped too.
The next morning our first stop was the Sera monastery. It currently houses 400 monks, although in the past it has had as many as 7000. Many Tibetans bring their children there for a special blessing. We saw many babies, toddlers and primary age children with a black ash smudge on their noses! The monastery also has a print shop where wood blocks are used to print holy scriptures, sayings of Buddha or commentaries. Another room held beautiful sand paintings - mandalas - which reminded me of Navajo sand paintings from our southwest.
After lunch we went to a village outside of Lhasa. It was a farm village of several hundred people. The houses were built of cement block. There was a stream running along one side. Nearby were chickens, scraggly looking dogs and yak dung which would be used for fuel. One had the impression that life here hadn't changed for generations. Then back to the hotel and dinner there, on our own. The hotel had very few English speakers which made for an interesting experience when we tried to order off the menu. Jon's lamb chops were good as were my pot stickers, although the filling in them was unidentifiable.
Our last day in Tibet began slowly as we had the morning to ourselves to pack etc. We had a leisurely breakfast, including a nice conversation with an Irish couple who sat near us. We had previously visited with an aunt and niece from Chile and a Polish man who had lived in the US earlier in his life. Tibet is not a major tourist spot and those who go there are adventuresome and have lived interesting lives. When Yang Dron arrived to meet us, Jon asked her to write an explanation for his water for his C-PAP in Chinese to help us avoid the issues we had faced earlier. She was happy to do so. Then we were off to the airport. She got our boarding passes for us and got us headed to the departure gates. As we went up the escalator, we looked back and there she was, smiling a waving at us.
We had an hour and a half flight back to Chengdu, a layover and then a longer flight back to Beijing. We arrived at about 9:45, got our luggage and then a taxi to our hotel. We were staying at the same hotel as before, happily, and got into our room at about 11:30.
Tibet: a holy people and place, spectacularly simple and graceful, maintaining dignity while in the grip of an iron fist.
Photos: mountain peaks from the plane window, Jon and Yang Dron, the Potala Palace, we're ready to climb, beautiful temple eaves, gilded Jokhang temple roof, on the third floor of the temple, a mandala sand painting, and a yak in the Sera monastery grounds.
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