September 6th, Shigatse.
About a week ago I boarded a train to Lhasa (Tibet) from Chengdu. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I travelled 3rd class (Chinese Standards) because it was the only ticket available. The trip was 46 hours long. All of the 3rd class cabins were like full on refugee camps. People sleeping everywhere, vomiting, smoking. I had a sleeping mat but on the first night couldn't bring myself to lie on the floor. But by the second night I had sprawled out on the floor between cabins beside a toilet. I was exhausted. I was woken up by some guy after and hour or so and told to go sit down. But my seat had been stolen. So I sat on the floor. The next and final day I played shit head (a card game) with Dave, a Huang Mao a couple of cabins down. I had met Dave at the Hostel in Chengdu. I would end up spending a lot of time with him.
In Lhasa we got a place at a Hostel. The plan was to visit a lake a couple Hundred KM out of town. I proposed the idea to ride bikes. I was laughed at. Riding 200 Km on a bike was a ridiculous idea!?!? Two days later Dave and I were riding our newly purchased, 115 dollar chinese bicycles, with backpacks bungee corded to the back, towards Kathmandu Nepal. The only thing between us and Kathmandu were 1000 Kilometres and the Himalayas.
We've tossed our guide book as it is no use to us in the small towns we've been staying in. Yesterday Dave (out of Habit) said "I'm gonna head back to the Hostel." I started to laugh. We've not been staying in Hostels but rather Tibetan's houses and spare rooms. Last night there was no electricity. The night before there was electricity but no toilet. There was one toilet in town that closed at sunset. After that people just watched and wazzed on the street.
Along the way we've had a cheering squad: people honking and waving at us from their cars, kids screaming hello as us, and all sorts of animals making noises that I had never heard before. We've got 750 Km to go. Tomorrow we start the first mountain stage. As of now the plan is to keep on given'r, fueld bike yak butter tea and 25 cent bowls of noodle soup.
Cheers,
Tyler
About a week ago I boarded a train to Lhasa (Tibet) from Chengdu. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I travelled 3rd class (Chinese Standards) because it was the only ticket available. The trip was 46 hours long. All of the 3rd class cabins were like full on refugee camps. People sleeping everywhere, vomiting, smoking. I had a sleeping mat but on the first night couldn't bring myself to lie on the floor. But by the second night I had sprawled out on the floor between cabins beside a toilet. I was exhausted. I was woken up by some guy after and hour or so and told to go sit down. But my seat had been stolen. So I sat on the floor. The next and final day I played shit head (a card game) with Dave, a Huang Mao a couple of cabins down. I had met Dave at the Hostel in Chengdu. I would end up spending a lot of time with him.
In Lhasa we got a place at a Hostel. The plan was to visit a lake a couple Hundred KM out of town. I proposed the idea to ride bikes. I was laughed at. Riding 200 Km on a bike was a ridiculous idea!?!? Two days later Dave and I were riding our newly purchased, 115 dollar chinese bicycles, with backpacks bungee corded to the back, towards Kathmandu Nepal. The only thing between us and Kathmandu were 1000 Kilometres and the Himalayas.
We've tossed our guide book as it is no use to us in the small towns we've been staying in. Yesterday Dave (out of Habit) said "I'm gonna head back to the Hostel." I started to laugh. We've not been staying in Hostels but rather Tibetan's houses and spare rooms. Last night there was no electricity. The night before there was electricity but no toilet. There was one toilet in town that closed at sunset. After that people just watched and wazzed on the street.
Along the way we've had a cheering squad: people honking and waving at us from their cars, kids screaming hello as us, and all sorts of animals making noises that I had never heard before. We've got 750 Km to go. Tomorrow we start the first mountain stage. As of now the plan is to keep on given'r, fueld bike yak butter tea and 25 cent bowls of noodle soup.
Cheers,
Tyler
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