Tibet Day 6: Lhasa - Settling in and Change of Plans

We all piled into a minibus which was arranged by our guide and headed into town. Our first decision was to choose a hotel and we all wanted to stay in the old Tibetan quarter. David had visited Tibet about 5 years before and suggested the Rama Kharpo which we all accepted.

I find it quite ironic that Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet, has a Tibetan quarter. The Chinese have embarked on a massive economic and migration plan over the past few years which was facilitated by the railway we just arrived on. As we drove through the town we could see that it looked no different than any modern Chinese town. This pattern would repeat itself as we continued our tour into Tibet: any town with significant Chinese migration would have a new section settled by the Chinese with the original Tibetan inhabitants relegated to the old part of town.

We drove through the gates of the Muslim quarter which also served as the entrance to the Tibetan quarter as well. There were two guard boxes on either side, each with 4 soldiers staring in 4 different directions. While I can understand heavy security or even a military presence at vital infrastructure points this was my first experience in seeing military surveillance in a civilian area. Although they were professional and unobtrusive, I never could get used to their presence and you were never very far from them either. I suppose this is what a military occupation feels like.

Our hotel in the Tibetan Quarter (left side of the street): The Rama Kharpo

We checked into our rooms at the Rama Kharpo and Lumbum, our tour guide, told us of the plans for the evening: we would be attending a dinner-show with traditional Tibetan dress and dance. He also told us some bad news (which explained why he was so hard to reach for the past few days): his father-in-law passed away recently and he has been busy helping his wife with the funeral. Tibetan Bhuddist funerary rites last for 49 days which is the length of time one's spirit wanders the Earth after death. During this time, family members carry out various rites to help the spirit find its way. It's quite labour-intensive -- one duty involves family members taking shifts to ensure the candles are always lit.

We were quite disappointed -- David was highly recommending Lumbum not only for his English skills and background as an ex-Bhuddist monk but also for his congenial personality. However, we understood and accepted a substitute who we would meet the next morning.

After settling in a little we met downstairs and headed over to a hotel where the dinner-show would take place. During the dinner we were introduced to some Tibetan dishes: yak meat which I found surprisingly similar to beef (I was expecting it to be more "gamey"), momos which are a type of dumpling, and yak-butter tea. Yak-butter tea is definitely an acquired taste! I think the Lonely Planet described it best: "tastes like smelly socks". It's a salty type of tea and, from a North American perspective, I think it would be more palatable if it were sweetened instead. However, the salt is apparently useful for rehydration.

After the meal the show started and I was fumbling around with my camera trying to get an external flash to work. Unfortunately, the main pin at the base of the flash had lost its springiness and refused to make contact with the hotshoe. In the end, I gave up and used the built-in flash instead.

Tibetan designs are quite colourful from their Buddhist temples to their clothes. Over the next hour we were shown many historical and contemporary dresses from the various regions of Tibet. We were treated to dances and even a brief opera.

Colourful traditional dresses.

Impressive looking historical dresses with some religious significance (as indicated by the skulls) that I can't remember.

Group dance at the end. I was a party-pooper and took pictures instead.

All-in-all it was a good evening with good food and our only opportunity to see Tibetans dress up in traditional clothing. We headed back to the hotel and turned in for the night.

Tibet Day 5-6: Onboard the Qinghai-Tibet Railway

Outside the railcar. The sign says "La Sa" and "Xining West / Lan zhou"

The Qinghai-Tibet Railway was opened on July 2006 to much fanfare and controversy. On the one hand it represented a significant engineering achievement (highest railway on the planet) and yet on the other hand was criticized as being a political tool to increase Beijing's control on Tibet through mass immigration. Symbolically, the project was also important because Tibet was one of the last provinces to connect to the national railway network. For the purposes of my trip it was simply the quickest way into Tibet which still allowed for acclimatization to the altitude.

For those of you who have traveled internationally on long distance train trips you'll find that the experience is quite similar in China. The train is divided into multiple classes:

1. Soft Sleeper. Completely enclosed cabin for 4 people (no ensuite washrooms though) with higher quality mattresses.
2. Hard Sleeper. Despite the name, the beds are quite comfortable although perhaps not as wide. There are 6 bunks to a compartment which is open to the hallway so there's less privacy. Noticeably less space to store luggage compared to the soft sleeper.
3. Soft seats and hard seats. For those truly on a budget you can spend the entire trip in a seat.

However, Tibet is no ordinary destination and the trains that ply the Q-T Railway are not ordinary either. First, special high-altitude diesel locomotives are used. I noticed that the train switched loco's at some point overnight. Secondly, for passenger comfort, the railcars are sealed and pressurized to I think the same extent as an airplane at altitude (10,000 ft). This would prove to be somewhat problematic given a) the high rate of smoking in China and b) the fact that the A/C would fail in my railcar 1-2 hours before arrival!

The geography apparently presented additional engineering challenges. Part of the railway is built upon permafrost which is only solid while frozen. The Chinese engineers built an elevated track with deep foundations with some sections requiring passive heat-exchange systems to prevent the permafrost from thawing. Secondly, the railway crosses the Kunlun mountain range on Tibet's northern border; the area is noteworthy for being an earthquake zone and so the railway is monitored.

View of the hallway from the hardsleepers. David is sitting on a tiny seat by the window. If you look closely, you can see the foot rests halfway up the wall so people can climb up to the upper bunks.

My bunk. The bottom bunk has the most headroom and it is the communal bunk where everybody sits during the daytime. Note the tiny table by the window.

So, we settled down into our bunks which we shared with a Chinese couple. They took the top two and for the first night they kept to themselves. We had just enough room to stash our luggage and we made ourselves at home. At the end of the car there were 3 sinks and a squat-style toilet. There was also a dining car towards the front and regular meal/snack cart service.

The conductor came by and exchanged our tickets for a plastic chit. She reviewed our TTP and laughed out loud: "A Brit, a Finn, a German, and a Canadian!" (sounds like the beginning of a joke). I suppose they were more used to tour groups of a single nationality.


View Larger Map

Here's the approximate route of the Q-T Railway - it closely follows the highway into Tibet. The trains are supposedly timed so that it traverses the scenic sections during daylight hours. Unfortunately, we would later discover that the train climbed through the Kunlun Mountain range, which forms the northern border of the Tibetan Plateau, overnight -- I would have found that very scenic!

Qinghai Lake with silhouette of Aleksi.

These pictures were taken through the window of the train -- they're a bit blurry and in hindsight I should have manually focused my camera. For the first night we would be traveling through Qinghai province and we wouldn't arrive on the Plateau until the next morning. Probably the most scenic spot for this first part of the trip was Qinghai lake which is the largest lake in China. This lake is one of the attractions one can visit while in Xining.

China's main power source: coal.

It's only when the train goes through a winding section that you can actually see the track. This photo shows a stockpile of coal which is still an important fuel source in rural China.

An industrial plant of some sort.

The barren landscape is probably the most striking aspect of the geography of the area. Qinghai province is nicknamed "China's Siberia" because apparently the province is notable for 2 things: 1) Prisons and 2) Nuclear waste disposal! Although we're not on the Plateau yet we are still fairly high up and only the hardy flora and fauna can grow in this arid environment. But, I didn't marvel at the unspoiled view for long -- you would get intermittent but frequent signs of development such as the road the rail line followed, industrial looking buildings, and hydro towers. It's a reflection of how much infrastructure is required to support the rail line.

In addition to admiring the view I passed the time by chatting with my companions, eating in the dining car, and reading my Lonely Planet. We had reached Golmud, a town just north of the Kunlun mountains, by the time I turned in for the night.

High altitude, indeed.

When I awoke the next morning, I snuck a peek at the information display which was in the hallway just outside my compartment. I blinked when it said that we were over 5,000 m and the temperature outside was below zero! I didn't think to take a photo of the display immediately so this photo was a few hours afterwards. The highest point on the route is the Tanggula Pass which at 5,072 m is the highest rail track in the world. The Chinese built Tanggula Station which is nice except for the fact that the area is uninhabited! Hmm, I guess they did it for the record books since the railway station is unmanned and passengers are not permitted to disembark. Tanggula pass is also the watershed for the region with all water to the north draining into the Yangtze river and all water to the south heading, well, southwards (probably into India?). So, from this point onwards it was all downhill into Lhasa.

One of many small settlements by the rail line. Note the ice on the ground!

I once again headed down to the dining car for breakfast. Thanks to a nice tour guide from the U.S. the previous day, the waiters (who interestingly doubled as security guards) were told that (gasp!) I was a non-speaking Mandarin person of Chinese descent. I've gotten used to the shock/amazement/disdain/pity that would come my way when they find out.

Except for the snow and ice on the ground the scenery wasn't terribly different from the previous day although the mountain peaks were starting to get bigger:

Yaks. Lots of yaks in Tibet.

I could feel my excitement start to grow as we came closer to our destination. I marveled at the yak herds and the Tibetan nomads who were living off the land. At every train stop we tried to get off so we could briefly stretch our legs, look around, and become hypoxic by breathing in the high altitude air (more on this in the next post).

Na Qu Station. Lots of tourists with high powered SLRs. Note the altitude on the sign.

For the rest of the trip the train slowly descended into the Lhasa valley with mountains on both sides of the route. The snow melted away and the outside temperature warmed up dramatically in the sunshine. We went from heated cabins in the morning to A/C around noon-time. Unfortunately, the A/C died in our train car 1.5 hours before we reached Lhasa. In addition, we were held up at a station for about 30 min. for some unknown reason. Aside from these hiccups I was quite happy with how the train trip turned out.

Lhasa Station. The platform and station are about 4x bigger than they need to be.

Lhasa Station was impressively big and it was clear there was a message behind its unnecessary size. In addition, the 3 armed soldiers in full military attire at the entrance to the station was the first sign of what to expect when traveling in Tibet. Since taking pictures of anything military was verboten in China, I had to settle for this picture once we were further away:

We made it! We were given the Tibetan scarves as a welcome gift by our tour guide.

Our tour guide, Lumbum, met us at the front and welcomed us with Tibetan scarves. These white scarves (khata) are white to symbolize purity of intentions and the beginning of a relationship. A great way to start the trip in earnest!

Tibet Day 5: Xining - Plans Almost Ruined (DOH!)

Rooftop view of Xining. Note the hills in the distance.

Another view with haze/smog obscuring the horizon.

Xining is a tiny city by Chinese standards although it has roughly the population of Greater Toronto (2.2 million). It's the capital city of a poor, remote province but it has risen somewhat in recent years as a transportation hub. It is notably the first stop of the new Qinghai-Lhasa railway line and also served by a regional airport which is why it was a crucial waypoint in my itinerary and the logical start of my trip into Tibet.

Its climate and geography are particularly noteworthy as well. With an altitude of 7,400 ft. and it's northerly location, Xining is attractive to tourists for its mild summers. As a Canadian who is not a fan of hot, humid summers this was a welcome reprieve from the extreme south of the country! In addition, its high altitude also served another purpose - a place to start acclimatising to altitude without the risk of altitude sickness. I read somewhere that spending 2 days in Xining was recommended for people going to Tibet. Unfortunately, I had a packed itinerary so I only spent one night in Xining. Although I wanted to do some sightseeing something came up that threatened to derail the whole trip.

Lete Youth Hostel

One of my soon-to-be traveling companions suggested over email that we stay at the Lete Youth Hostel in Xining. He found it on an international hostel booking website and the rates were quite reasonable. It occupied 2 floors in a high rise building with an open concept layout. The rooms were simple and facilities almost rustic but the cafe and hot water made up for that.

Shot of my room. Should have used fill-in flash for this shot.

Lete Cafe. Had a great breakfast of muesli, yogurt, fruit, and tea.

I was pretty tired after all the air travel and I was getting ready to turn in when my companions arrived back from a night on the town. This was when I met David, Annette, and Aleksi for the first time. David (UK) and Annette (German) were a couple from Switzerland and booked a few months off to go on a very interesting Moscow - Kazakhstan - Urumqi (China) - Qinghai - Tibet - Nepal - India trip. Aleksi (Finnish) was traveling from Mongolia and went across China from Beijing. It's too bad I can't drop everything for 3 months to go a really long road trip like these people were!

After brief introductions, I asked if they had received the Tibet Travel Permit (TTP) -- the document which would allow us foreigners to board the train. David then told me that Lumbum (our tour guide) had told him that I was supposed to have a copy of the TTP since he had emailed it to me several weeks ago. Ooops! He did email it to me but without explicit instructions -- I assumed he did it just to show we were approved. I didn't realize I was supposed to print it out and bring it with me! The files were sitting on my home computer thousands of miles away and there was no way anybody could access them. Our only hope was to contact Lumbum in the morning and see if he could email the files to us again. Fortunately, there was a travel agency (Tibetan Connections) upstairs who would be able to help us out.

The next morning, I headed upstairs and ordered some breakfast. The menu was tailored towards western palates which undoubtedly due to the clientele. I had a hungering for fibre so I ordered the muesli with yogurt and fruit. The serving was North American sized so it was a pretty good breakfast. After packing and getting ready for the day, I camped out and waited for the travel agency upstairs to open.

They opened at 9 am and I eagerly asked if they had a copy of the TTP. Unfortunately, the lady who handled our forms hadn't arrived yet -- she was expected to be in but nobody knew at what time! The two other female employees had no idea if a copy of our TTP was even in the office. OK, so we decided to try something else -- we'll try contacting our Tibet tour guide and see if he can fax/email another copy of the TTP to the travel agency. We tried calling both his office's landline and his cell phone -- no answer at either number! I could slowly feel my blood pressure starting to rise -- our train leaves at 3 pm in the afternoon and we absolutely needed a copy of the TTP or we wouldn't be allowed into the train station!

For the next 3-4 hours we would try calling the various numbers every 30 minutes or so. Once, we got through to somebody on the landline and we explained the situation and requested that the TTP be resent. She seemed to understand and so we eagerly waited...and waited...and after 30 min. nothing came in. We tried calling back and again, no answer! Arrgh!

In desperation, I tried searching for the scanned images on the travel agency's computers but had no luck. Around 11 am, one of the employees managed to dig up the scanned images on her hard drive -- success! Well, almost. The last page was corrupted and it just so happened to be the page with my name on it. I guess karma was working that day.

The ladies in the travel agency then phoned their contact at the central Chinese tourist agency in Lhasa -- apparently this government institution keeps a file of the all the TTPs issued and she requisitioned the last page. After a nervous 20 min., it arrived and we finally had our TTP with several hours to spare! With much relief, we headed downstairs for lunch feeling very fortunate for staying at this youth hostel. I also paid the travel agency several hundred yuan for their hard work.

After lunch, we packed our bags and then headed out to the train station. There was no time for me to check out the city thanks to the delayed flight the day before and the TTP issue. We crammed ourselves and our bags into a VW Jetta cab. We had to put a big backpack on the laps of everyone in the backseat. I was riding shotgun but had to carry a big backpack on my lap as well. We set off and fortunately the cab driver did not take the scenic route.

(L to R) Aleksi, David, and Annette in Xining West Train Station

We arrived at the station and had our luggage scanned. As soon as we were through to the other side a guard waved us over and asked for the TTP. I triple-checked before we left the hostel that it was in my backpack -- no way I was going to forget it! With our papers in order, we settled down and bought some essentials from the little shop in the station. I was a little worried about security and getting into trouble so I only took one picture of the station.

We were seated according to destination and the large number of tourist groups in our area confirmed that tourist season had indeed started. We also saw a handful of Buddhist monks as well.

When the train finally arrived we all got up en masse and prepared to board the train - Chinese-style. (Translation: no attempt to form lines and just keep pressing forward). We found our train and compartment and settled in for the long (23hr) ride ahead.

Tibet: Altitude Sickness Primer

I've experienced altitude before and, coincidentally, it was during my previous trip to China 9 years ago. I was on Emei Shan which is just over 3000 m at its peak (or roughly 10,000 ft.). I had no idea at the time what altitude I was at but I definitely noticed a marked decrease in stamina. After bounding up one flight of stairs I'd be huffing and puffing madly from the exertion.

Tibet was going to be a completely different kettle of fish because the altitude is above a safety zone. Up to 3,000 m you are quite safe with shortness of breath on exertion being the only symptom you might feel. Not coincidentally, 3,000 m is also what the cabin of commercial flights is pressurized to. Over 3,000 m you are in altitude sickness territory and you have to be a lot more careful with acclimatisation otherwise you can get very, very ill. With Tibetan valleys at 4,000 m and passes over 5,000 m, preparation is key.

Altitude sickness is one of those conditions where we know what happens and we know the causes but we don't exactly know how it happens. The low oxygen pressure in the atmosphere will result in hypoxia and low oxygen levels in your body. This is not good. Your body can adapt but most of the processes will take time. First, you will unconsciously start to hyperventilate in an attempt to get more O2 and this is why you get breathless so easily with exertion. Next, your red blood cells will build up more 2,3 DPG which is a compound that encourages more O2 offloading in the tissues. Finally, your bone marrow will kick in and produce more red blood cells in an attempt to increase the O2 carrying capacity of your blood.

Acclimatisation is very individualized so there are no hard and fast rules. In general, you should try to spend at least one night below 3,000 m. Starting at 3,000 m, you should not try to ascend more than 300-500 m per night. In addition, mountain climbers have developed a simple rule: "climb high, sleep low" which emphasizes the importance of your sleeping altitude. You climb high during the day so you can monitor yourself for symptoms and expose yourself to lower oxygen levels. You then sleep at night at a lower, safer altitude. There is one cardinal rule: if you get altitude sickness you must not climb any higher!

Altitude sickness is diagnosed when, after a recent ascent, one gets a headache and one of the following: nausea and vomitting, loss of appetite, fatigue or weakness, dizziness or light headedness, and insomnia. Since these symptoms are also common to other conditions and may be somewhat vague, the rule-of-thumb is that one experiencing these symptoms has altitude sickness until proven otherwise.

The symptoms are thought to be the result of cerebral edema as a reaction to cerebral hypoxia. In its most severe forms, altitude sickness can be quite lethal within a matter or hours or a few days. (Your brain swells but your skull does not).

High altitude pulmonary edema is also a known condition that develops at altitude although it is unrelated to altitude sickness per se. Your pulmonary vessels will physiologically vasoconstrict when exposed to hypoxia. In some people, the response is so vigourous that the pressures in your pulmonary circulation skyrocket resulting in pulmonary edema with fluid leaking into your alveoli. With fluid in the alveoli, your lungs are even less efficient at extracting oxygen from the air and a vicious cycle develops. Pulmonary edema can also be quite lethal and like cerebral edema it's considered to be a medical emergency.

There is only one treatment or cure for altitude sickness -- immediate descent to a lower altitude. There are a number of medications that can temporize the situation or hasten acclimatisation but they do not cure. Medevac equipment includes a special bag that attempts to raise the ambient pressure of the patient and supplemental oxygen (which is a luxury in high, remote places and is reserved for the sickest patients).

There is no way to predict who will or will not get altitude sickness. In addition, if a person has successfully ascended to altitude before it is no guarantee s/he will not develop altitude sickness in the future on an identical itinerary.

After reading a few websites I made the following preparations:

1. Overnight in Xining (2275 m). I would have liked to stay for 2 nights but lacked the time.
   
   
2. Take the train into Lhasa. Flying into Lhasa was ruled out. Even though the train is pressurized, it's only to 3,000 m and it will count as a day of acclimatization.
   
   
3. Itinerary. Fortunately, all the Tibetan tour companies start their tours with 4 days in Lhasa to help their sea-level customers acclimate.
   
   
4. Drugs: Acetazolamide to speed up acclimatization, and Dexamethasone (steroid) for emergencies.

Acetazolamide is a drug which inhibits carbonic anhydrase in your kidneys and forces you to excrete more bicarbonate. As you hyperventilate at altitude you blow off a lot of CO2 and this increases the pH of your blood. This high pH is thought to cause the breathing and sleep difficulties at night. Acetazolamide has the effect of lowering your blood pH to counteract the effect of hyperventilation. It's ability to speed up acclimatization isn't really understood. Another important effect of the drug is its diuretic effect on the kidneys. One needs to be careful and drink plenty of fluids while on this drug because you're already at moderate risk for dehydration by hyperventilating in an arid environment. Personal experience: after acetazolamide and several cups of tea I was running for the bathroom in less than an hour!

Dexamethasone is a steroid that treats inflammation and reduces edema (cerebral and pulmonary). Not a cure but rather a drug to buy you enough time to get off the mountain.

I'll be making occasional comments in my Tibet posts because, unfortunately, I did get symptoms on my trip!

Tibet Day 4: En route to Xining

I was only able to spend 2 nights and 1 day in Leizhou which, regrettably, was not much time. I would have preferred to see Guangzhou and even Hong Kong but I just didn't have enough vacation time. I was on a strict schedule and this morning I had to catch a morning flight to Shenzhen and then to Xinning where my Tibet trip will start in earnest.

My parents had prebooked a taxi to pick me up at 6 AM. We drove along a new highway which was constructed to speed traffic between Guangdong and Hainan island to the south. At this hour in the morning the highway was fairly empty and we made good time (~45 min) heading north into Zhanjiang.

When I was dropped off at Zhanjiang Airport it was just before 7AM and the airport wasn't open yet. When the airport opened up I headed up to the restaurant for some breakfast. I was offered by the taxi driver to have breakfast at a nearby restaurant which was quite tempting but I decided to be safe and eat at the airport instead. Strike one: everything at the airport is more expensive.

Zhanjiang Airport before opening. Cloudy and humid morning.

The waitress welcomed me with a wave of her hand and gestured towards a table. I sat down and spoke to her in Cantonese...and she didn't understand me. And so, my assumption that everyone in Guangdong spoke Cantonese was instantly blown to smithereens. I'm not sure if it was because they exclusively spoke the local dialect (Leizhou) or maybe they were economic immigrants who were raised from other parts of China. With this language block I switched to Mandarin and instantly broadcasted the fact that I was not fluent and thus a foreigner. I asked for the menu and she handed me the English one. Strike two: English menus have inflated prices.

So, I paid a princely sum for some lowly beef and rice noodle soup and some hot soy milk. I winced as I imagined the disapproval of my father -- had he been there he would have a) vigourously bargained them down or b) stormed out in anger at being exploited. I just kept silent and enjoyed my breakfast proving once again that expediency can trump principles!

Thinking the lack of Cantonese was a fluke, I attempted to speak it during the check in process. The lady at the check in desk spoke and understood it and answered my question about my luggage -- yes, it will go all the way to Xining. Feeling encouraged, I spoke to the security guard...and heard Mandarin in return. Unfortunately for me, my comprehension of Mandarin is practically non-existant, so the security guard had to mime his instructions to me.

Once I made it through to the waiting area I could see the B737 sitting on the tarmac. I could also see a flock of birds sitting on top of the plane! I was slightly concerned since I'm a regular viewer of "Mayday" on the Discovery channel which is a show about aircraft accidents and their subsequent investigations. The last episode I saw was about that famous landing in the Hudson River in New York after some Canada Geese took out both engines on an Airbus. Given the secretive nature of China (translation: censorship of embarrassing news), I wasn't entirely sure I could trust the airline industry in China. Fortunately, by the end of the day, my opinion was going to change.

SHENZHEN AIRPORT

The one hour flight to Shenzhen was uneventful except I noticed the increasing cloud cover as we got closer. It was threatening to rain and when we arrived it we got a virtual gate: deja vu all over again but unlike Hong Kong this was in reverse. We stopped in the middle of the tarmac and deplaned onto two waiting buses which drove us to the Terminal. Also, like Hong Kong, there were signs of construction and expansion at the too-busy airport.

I had a 2 hr. layover and I explored the airport before settling down at a Starbucks for some free Wi-Fi. I walked up to the counter and ordered in Cantonese....DOH! Once again, the dominant language in Canton province has failed me. I pointed at what I wanted and tried to say "decaf". After a few blank looks they understood and told me they didn't have any (sigh). Ultimately, I settled on lemon tea and a pastry while I caught up on email and the news back home.

The rain was picking up and when I headed over to the (virtual) gate to wait. Some other flights were being delayed and when boarding time came and went I was starting to get nervous. After the departure time passed, some customer reps showed up. I couldn't understand the Mandarin dialogue between the crowd and the agents but it didn't sound good. They later taped up an English/Chinese notice which I understood -- Delay due to Weather.

By this time it was pouring rain outside and the entire airport had ground to a halt as red "Delayed" signs starting filling up the information screens. Not wanting to miss out on anything important, I stayed by the gate and waited. To Shenzhen Airlines' credit, they fed us lunch. It was a simple meal (rice, chicken, chinese greens, bottled water) in a plastic tray but it was still warm when I ate it and fairly tasty, too.

As the hours dragged on I started to get a little uneasy. Xining is a small airport and this was the only flight from Shenzhen for the day. I would have almost zero options if the flight was canceled. Not the end of the world but it would really complicate my travel plans. In retrospect, I didn't need to worry because the plane was already at the airport waiting to go and we were a nearly full load of passengers.

A cheer went up when it was finally announced that our flight would be boarding soon. Roughly four hours late we boarded when the rain started to ease up. I winced at the thought of running through the rain but the customer service reps handed out ponchos to everyone - nice!

Fortunately, the rest of my flight to Xian and then Xining was uneventful. The level of service on Shenzhen Airlines was quite high and I was fairly impressed. Later I would discover that SkyTrax rated Shenzhen Airlines as a 4-star airline. We had a full meal during each leg of the flight so I was well fed and happy for the day. It reminded me of the way North American airlines were before the rise of the discount carriers. However, what was also noticeable was the reduced seat pitch in economy class. A friend of mine commented that when flying internationally, the increased space in North American planes was noticeable and I completely agree. I'm sure it's for cultural reasons (Asians and Europeans are used to cramped quarters) and physical reasons (Asians and Europeans aren't very big -- yet).

HOW TO TELL YOUR AIRPORT IS TOO SMALL #2

After circling for about 30 min. we landed in Xian for a brief stop before carrying on to Xining to the west. Fortunately, we had a real gate in Xian this time. The airport in Xian looked fairly new and seemed large enough to handle the traffic (although the amount of time we spent in a holding pattern suggested another runway might help). This wasn't surprising given the fact Xian is a major tourist draw for its history (Terracotta Warriors).

After yet another meal (I think I ate too much that day), we flew into the sunset and landed at Xining well after sundown (9 pm). I collected my luggage, bought a ticket for the bus into town, and struggled with my Mandarin when the driver asked where I was going. It was around 10 pm when I was dropped off in the center of town. Oddly enough, it took me a whole 15 min. to flag down a cab despite the fact I was at a busy intersection and roughly 6 cabs per minute was passing by! They all had passengers so I guess they were very busy. Fortunately, I had no trouble telling the cab driver where I wanted to go (I converted the address into pinyin the night before). I was pretty tired when I finally arrived at the Lete Youth Hostel.

Tibet Day 3: Leizhou - Paying Respects

Just north of the city limits of Leizhou is the commune where my father grew up. It is just minutes north of the city and may very well be swallowed up by development in the next 20 years if recent history is any indication.

Main road into the commune. Hard to believe the town is just minutes away.

Dirt path next to the commune's store. Motorbikes abound in China.

My father had 2 specific goals in mind when we arrived. The first concerned the ancestral property that my father and his brothers inherited from their parents. Apparently the commune claimed ownership of it. I don't know the details but with our family having completely emigrated from China well over 30 years ago I suppose something like this shouldn't be a surprise. My father was trying to get the commune to transfer the ownership back. He made several trips and spoke at length with the commune's administration. With a small amount of money he was ultimately successful.

The second was for my father and for us to pay our respects to our paternal grandparents. As I mentioned before, my father rarely travels and with nearly 20 years since his last visit I'm sure he has been wanting to do this for a while.

Hanging out in front of the commune`s shrine.

This is the gate leading to the house of our grandparents.

The room containing the family altar. A picture of my paternal grandparents is on the left side of the shelf running across the top. I personally believe that all people over the age of 60 should be forbidden from climbing ladders.

Here I am bowing before my grandmother's grave with Dad looking on. Three times on hands and knees.

We visited the ancestral home and I noted how small it was -- a single room the size of a bedroom and then a separate room for the washroom and kitchen. We burned incense and "spirit money", lit candles, and made offerings of food. I groaned when my siblings took out the Costco packs of chocolate bars -- I told them I wanted to eat healthy food when I turn into a spirit. It's the thought that counts I guess! Mind you, those same chocolate bars were pretty popular with the fellow communers although they were mushy in the 30+C heat. We bowed before the ancestral altar and repeated the little ceremony at the commune's shrine.

We also took a look at what I think was the main property which my grandfather built but was now currently rented out to other people. It was much bigger and I could envision my father and his 6 siblings growing up there.

Lastly, we headed out to the grave of my paternal grandmother and repeated the little ceremony. I vaguely remember doing the same thing 20 years ago but the place had changed drastically. Before it was surrounded by green fields and now it was hemmed in my development and low-rise buildings. There was no grave for my grandfather -- during the Cultural Revolution he was taken away by the Communists and never to be seen again. Presumably his crime was that of being a business owner. While I shake my head at the madness that was the Cultural Revolution this familial tragedy is just one of many misdeeds committed by the Communist Party of China.

The solemn day complete, we returned to the city.

Tibet Day 2: Leizhou - Lord Thunderin'

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Despite being awake for 24 hrs. straight I was actually pretty functional when I got off the plane in Zhanjiang at 5 pm. It was raining fairly heavily as my family and I hailed a cab to head out to Leizhou. After 15 min. of waiting it finally arrive and we piled into a VW Jetta which was converted to run on - I think - propane or natural gas.

We took the slow route into Leizhou which was originally built by the French when they colonized the area in 1898. While driving through traffic in Zhanjiang I found it quite remarkable how many different makes and models of cars there were on the roads. Toyota, Honda, Lexus, Acura, Audi, BMW, M-B, Ford, and some domestic brands (Greely?). Quite a change from 20 years ago where the variety of vehicles was much, much, less. Just goes to show how the major automakers in the world have succeeded in getting into the Chinese market and how the Chinese middle and upper classes now have the earning power to buy the luxury brands.

Once we got out of Zhanjiang, the rural character reasserted itself and showed that despite all the rapid urban change, the rural areas have remained the same. Tractors and simpler vehicles predominated as we drove past farmland and occasional truck stops on the route south. The people living here were also clearly not as affluent as their city cousins just 20 min. to the north.

The rain originally started out heavy with occasional peals of thunder but then started to clear up. The Leizhou Peninsula is named after "thunder" and apparently the region is one of 2 notable thunder regions in the world (the other being Java). The local legend states that the Thunder King and Thunder gods were the original settlers in the area. During my brief stay there were, indeed, thunderstorms although they were very brief.

When I visited 20 years ago, Leizhou was just a tiny rural village surrounded by farms on the road to Hainan island. While still just a brief stop on the highway it has developed significantly and can be considered a town now. Multiple 10+ story buildings have been built and the town buzzes with activity at night. We pulled into the "2nd best" hotel in town and I dropped off my luggage. We headed out by rickshaw for a quick dinner at a local restaurant and then headed back to the hotel where I crashed for the night. Fortunately, we had air conditioning and I was able to sleep quite comfortably. Leizhou has a sub-tropical climate with high-20s/low-30s during the day and 24-25C at night with high humidity.

Hotel room with my (L to R) sister, mom, brother, family friend, and dad.

We ate at this restaurant multiple times. Another family friend is talking to dad.

Tibet Day 1: St. Anthony to Zhanjiang

Packing for this trip proved to be somewhat troublesome. This is the first trip I've ever taken where I had to be prepared for some large swings in temperatures. It is quite common for high-altitude places to get quite warm during the day when in direct sunlight but only to have the temperatures plummet to single digits overnight. In addition, I was also visiting southern China (30C) and Kathmandu (40+C !). I was hoping to borrow a large backpack from my sister but my planned return trip to Toronto didn't materialize and I was forced to use a regular suitcase. I packed lots of layers and hoped that laundry opportunities would present themselves during the trip.

As usual, my trip started with a 5 hr. drive to Deer Lake from St. Anthony yesterday and I spent the night at a B&B. I had to catch the 6 AM direct flight to Toronto. Ordinarily I would balk at getting up so early for the flight but I didn't have any choice this time. This was the only direct flight to Toronto by Air Canada plus it gave me lots of time to connect with the flight to Hong Kong.


The flight to Toronto went off without a hitch and was on-time. When I arrived in Toronto at 7AM I immediately went looking for breakfast. I made a beeline for the Tim's at the foot of the escalators in the Terminal 1 Domestic section. Let me just say that I am so happy that Tim's introduced oatmeal to their breakfast menu. Bagel, oatmeal, yogurt, and decaf coffee and you've got yourself a healthy breakfast without blowing your daily allowance on fat.

This was also the first time I ever went to the International section of Terminal 1 in Toronto. It was a good long walk along the upper floor and you had to pass through 2 checkpoints with your boarding pass. It was smaller than the Domestic section which surprised me -- I expected it to be bigger given that Toronto is the largest airport hub in Canada. I suppose there was a separate US section as well.

So, I arrived at my gate and took a picture of my plane:

This is a B777-200ER docked at gate 177. I called Mom and Dad in China to let them know I was on the way and then spent the next 2 hrs. wandering the airport and surfing the internet. Boarding went smoothly and we pushed back from the gate on time. But then we just sat there on the tarmac for the next 30 min. The pilot then explained what was going on -- they were having trouble separating the tractor from the nosewheel of the jumbo jet! Well, that was a first for me. They finally managed to separate the plane from the tractor and they called out an inspector to make sure there was no permanent damage. We finally took off 1 hr. late. Although I had 2 hrs. to connect in Hong Kong, the delay did make me somewhat nervous since I wasn't sure how long I would need to connect in HKG.

The pilot then informed us that we wouldn't be taking the polar route that runs close to the North Pole. Instead, we would be flying south of Alaska. I was actually disappointed to hear this as I thought it was pretty neat to be flying close to the North Pole. The good news was that the alternate routing wouldn't take any longer and we would still fly over Russia, Mongolia, and then through China into HKG.

The flight itself was uneventful. The meals were alright but nothing to write home about. I was quite envious of my siblings when they said that on their Cathay Pacific flight they had salmon and unlimited cup-a-soups! I think I watched 2-3 movies on the inflight entertainment system and rested my eyes for the rest of the trip. (Yes, I am incapable of sleeping in economy class on airplanes...one day I'll give first class a try but I'm a very light sleeper).

Sixteen hours and change later we arrived at Chek Lap Kok airport in Hong Kong. The 1 hr. delay meant I only had a little over 1-2 hrs. to connect so I didn't have time to take pictures or look around. Fortunately, the connection was quite painless. I headed for the Transfer section and showed my ticket at the airline counter. They asked for the luggage tag from Air Canada (very reassuring) and printed out my boarding pass. I had to line up for a security check before heading off to my gate. It quickly dawned on me that I was walking to the opposite end of the airport! But, I was going at a good pace and I arrived with an hour to spare.

HOW TO TELL YOUR AIRPORT IS TOO SMALL #1

When I arrived at the gate....I was immediately confused. I was at a cluster of 4 gates which were impossibly close to each other. There was no way an airplane could dock at these gates! When I looked closer I realized that the gates lead to two parking spots and a road and I saw some parked airport buses. This was my first experience with a "virtual gate" and HKG has 7 of them. Apparently HKG is slated for expansion in the near future and I could see some construction work across from the runways.

Half an hour later we started boarding and we walked through the gates and onto the buses. The buses then - wait for it - took us back to the opposite side of the airport (sigh) and out onto an open area of the tarmac where a small Embraer jet was waiting for us. We got off the bus and transferred onto the plane.

The flight out to Zhanjiang was uneventful as well. We flew out over the South China sea and while I could see the water below us it was cloudy enough to prevent me from seeing the shoreline. It was raining when I arrived in ZHA. I went through customs and immigration which was painless enough. Interestingly, in China they ask for and keep your luggage chit to ensure that you are the rightful owner! I wonder if luggage theft was an issue.

My family was waiting on the other side and all things considered my trip went rather smoothly up to this point.

Tibet: Planning a Trip to the Roof of the World

So, why Tibet? There were multiple reasons and coincidences which lead me to choose Tibet as my next destination. Probably the most important reason was the fact that my father was also planning a trip back to his home village and wanted his family to come along. He hadn't been back for a visit for over 20 years -- a trip which I also tagged along for back in Grade 5. He also does not travel much and so this was a truly a big occasion.

Well, if I'm going to be in Southern China for a few days then it would make sense if I chose my vacation spot to be somewhere close by. I went on a 3 week tour to China in 2002 just before I started residency. I enjoyed the tour immensely but there was one major destination which we did not visit: Tibet. In addition, one of my colleagues had gone on a tour of China including Tibet less than 2 years ago and he raved about the experience. Lastly, China had finished a new train line into Tibet roughly 5 years ago and that seemed like the perfect way to enter Tibet (controversy notwithstanding).

So, the decision was quite easy but the planning was not as straightforward -- while Tibet has become tremendously more accessible in recent years in terms of transport, the bureaucracy and layers of security one needs to navigate has only tightened since the monk riots of 2008. I pored over postings on the Lonely Planet forums and researched several tour companies. If you're interested in Tibet, this is what you're in for:

1) All foreigners must hire a tour guide while in Tibet. The most popular sites will not let you in without a tour guide. In addition, if your tour leaves Lhasa then you must also hire a vehicle and driver. While this quite possibly a brazen attempt to juice their own tourism industry, fortunately, China and Tibet are still affordable places to visit.

2) All foreigners must apply for special permits to enter the TAR (Tibet Autonomous Region). This is in addition to the standard China Tourist Visa which lets you into the country. You'll need a Tibet Travel Permit which gives you permission to enter the TAR. You may also need an Alien Permit to access sensitive areas like Everest Base Camp. Lastly, there is also a military permit which you might need if you're going close to some disputed borders (like a trip to Mt. Kailash). I think at the heart of all this paperwork is a clear desire on the part of the Chinese gov't to track foreigners in Tibet. For example, for the TTP, you must state your itinerary in advance and, once approved, you are not allowed to deviate from that itinerary. Luckily, all the Tibet tour companies are well versed with the regulations and will take care of all the paper work behind the scenes.

3) All foreigners may only stay at "Foreigner approved" hotels/accommodations. I'm not sure if this is Tibet specific or if it's true for all of China. There are stories abound about being charged a higher "foreigner rate" when compared with native Chinese tourists. Despite this "Foreigner tax" (as one of my co-travellers euphemistically termed it), the trip was still affordable but I found it galling to be charged double or triple the usual going rate. Again, your tour guide knows which places you can go.

I next had to figure out what kind of itinerary I wanted. That was relatively straightforward since I was constrained by time -- 2 weeks. After looking at various tours that were offered for that timeframe there were only 2 that fit the bill. One tour involved a circular route which started and ended in Lhasa -- I didn't really like the idea of backtracking so I vetoed it. The other tour was a Lhasa-Kathmandu (Nepal) overland trip which included a visit to Mt. Everest basecamp. This caught my attention and I quickly decided on this one. If had more time I would have entertained a trip out to Mt. Kailash in Western Tibet but this was not possible.

Lastly, I looked at how I would fit Tibet into my pre-existing travel plans with my father in Southern China. I had heard of the new train into Lhasa and I decided I wanted to ride that train for the novelty but also to minimize the main health risk surrounding this trip: altitude sickness. Although flying into Lhasa was possible it was clearly the worst thing you can do when it comes to acclimatising for altitude. My co-worker flew into Lhasa during his trip and he told me the altitude symptoms were pretty harsh. In addition, Tibet was high enough in altitude that you were at risk for developing the more serious forms of altitude sickness: high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and cerebral edema (HACE). Nasty stuff so this made the decision to take the train a no-brainer. I looked at the route map for the train and found that the first major city where one can hop on was Xining, Qinghai province. Not only did Xining have an airport for easy access but it was also a high-altitude city in its own right (7,464 ft.). Perfect! I could fly in a day or 2 early and start acclimatising to the altitude before heading into Tibet.

I scoured several search engines for flight tickets and found that it was possible to fly into Xining from southern China. I would then take the train into Lhasa, start the tour, and finish in Kathmandu, Nepal. I actually grabbed a globe at the office of my travel agent and found that from Nepal flying west was the shortest way to reach Atlantic Canada. Kathmandu has limited connections and most of the ones to the west are in India or the Middle East. I was keen to collect Aeroplan points and so I restricted myself to Star Alliance airlines. With the help of my travel agent I booked flights from Delhi, India, to Frankfurt, Germany, to London, and then to Halifax.

Great! So, plans were shaping up and there was only one major hurdle remaining -- I needed to join a tour group. Technically speaking, you don't need to join a "group" per se -- you can be a "group of one" but I wasn't looking forward to footing the entire bill for a guide and 4WD vehicle. After making inquiries on the Lonely Planet Thorntree forums I was able to find a good number of people who were interested in travelling to Tibet in May. Half of them wanted to do a Lhasa-Lhasa trip while 3 others were interested in a Lhasa-Kathmandu trip. Unfortunately, these 3 were also interested in Mt. Kailash but due to my tight schedule I wouldn't be able to do it. I encouraged them to drop me and go to Kailash on their own but they decided to go to Kathmandu instead. It pained me to think they were cutting their trip short just for me but I am grateful that they chose to form a group with me.

Lastly, I needed to apply for all sorts of visas to the various countries I'll be visiting. The Chinese visa was delayed after they requested my old passports -- an unusual request but I think they figured out I was potentially interested in visiting Tibet based on my intended destination of Xining. Next, I applied for an Indian visa due to the fact I was connecting in Delhi. I don't have the space to explain here but to sum up: New Delhi is an awful airport to connect through and you will be stuck in a "Transfers" room unless you get a visa which will let you exit the secure area and explore the airport. Lastly, I applied for a Nepalese visa even though you could apply for one right at the border -- I decided it would be more prudent to get one in advance.

With the visas secured the Tibetan tour company took care of the rest. I was all set for Tibet!