Zhangmu Sunset

We spent most of the day driving to the border town of Zhangmu and spent a brief night there before waking up to wait in line to cross over to Nepal.  Phuntsok dropped us off at the Chinese immigration station and we were on our own.  The three of us left Tibet at 10:30 in the morning to walk cross a pedestrian bridge and arrive in Nepal at 7:15 in the morning.  (Gotta love those time zone shifts!)

Upon arriving in Nepal, we were mobbed by taxi drivers offering to drive us to Kathmandu and by ladies selling trinkets.  We struggled to find the Nepalese immigration office before being swept away in the crowd.  Long story short, we got our entry visas, found a driver and set off for Nagarkot with our hopes set on seeing the brilliant view of the Himalayas from Nepal’s most famous viewing point.

On the road

Nagarkot was a cute mountain town with many fabulous viewing points of the Kathmandu valley, rice paddies and of course, through brief glimpses between the clouds, the amazing peaks of the “Snow Mountains.”

Rice Paddies

After settling into the hotel, we went out to explore the area.  It was a quick walk downhill through small alleys of hotels and shops to reach the main area of town.  I saw lots of little stalls selling handmade knit goods and briefly fancied a life here selling woolen hats, scarves and socks.

A stupa

Those folks on top of the bus have the best view!

The next morning was foggy and the whole valley was blanketed in a thick white haze.

Not quite the view we'd hoped for...

Eventually the fog eased and we caught passing glimpses of the mighty giants.

The peaks loomed high above the horizon even from this distance

This is why I bought such an expensive new camera for this trip

After our morning view, our time in Nagarkot was coming to a close.  We trekked back down the hillside to catch a bus to our next destination, Bhaktapur.

Good-Bye rice paddies

See more photos of Nepal here.

Visit more posts from my Asian Winter Odyssey here.

Thar She Blows- A view from the road to Everest

We got to Everest by way of China and a winding route through Tibet, which you can read about by visiting a few of my previous posts.  A link to all the places I visited during my Asian Winter Odyssey can be found here.

We set out from New Tingri early in the morning on 18 November 2010 and followed a Snake-n-Ladders like path higher and higher into the Himalayas.

A bird's eye view of our path

Side note: I’ve traveled to a lot of places and done my business in a lot of varied conditions.  Let me just say that nothing I’ve experience before or after this journey compares to using the public toilet on the road to Everest.  A small stone shelter with no door and a clear history of poor aiming techniques offered little comfort as I squatted in a chilly wind nearly 4 miles above sea level.

We arrived in the early evening at the guest house at Base Camp.  Sadly (or perhaps not so sadly) we arrived very very late in the Everest season and the outdoor camp ground was already closed, therefore we did not sleep in tents but rather stayed at the guest house.  (I still consider this “roughin’ it” as there was no plumbing, limited electricity and no heating except a small yak dung stove in the common room.)

A Nun and a Goat

Weather at the peak was pretty cloudy, but clear down below and we visited the world’s highest monastery, Rongbuk.  (Interestingly enough, it is also Tibet’s only co-ed monastery.)  Compared to the other monasteries we visited in Tibet, this one was so much smaller, so much poorer and so much simpler than any other.  We each bought a few blessed items for souvenirs and gifts from the Top  of the World.

The Rongbuk Monastery

I was very taken by the undefinable holy atmosphere in the shadow of Mt. Qomolangma (translation: Holy Mother) and I took a moment to hike up a small hill and say a few prayers.

I built stacks of stones for each prayer, just as I had seen countless times along the road

After visiting the monastery and saying my prayers, I spent the rest of the evening with the other visitors and the local Sherpas and Guest House keepers.  (Another side note: Though the local men work very hard as Sherpas for Everest Summitters, the women do ALL the rest of the work including cooking, cleaning and trekking miles to get fresh water.)

The Sherpas and the drivers show off some dancing skills for the ladies

The next morning, we awoke early in the morning to catch the stunning view of Everest at sunrise.  It was windy (!), it was cold (!!) and it was early (!!!).  We hiked up what most people on the planet would consider a VERY SMALL HILL to arrive at the clump of prayer flags that represents the closest point a person can get to the summit without legal permission from the Chinese government (and about 10 grand).  At sea level, this may have been an easy uphill jog, but at 5200 meters, this left us winded, coughing and panting.  It was totally worth it.  Seeing the peak of Everest turn pink with the rising sun is the closest that a “normal person” can come to the glory of actually standing at the Top of the World.

Worth it

After viewing the peak at dawn, we went back to camp, ate a meager breakfast and packed up for our lengthy trek back down the mountain and our last stop in Tibet before crossing the Friendship Bridge into Nepal.

I'm at the Top of the World

See more pictures of my trip to Everest here.

My Face is Frozen!!

At the beginning of my Asian Winter Odyssey, I spent a few days in Lhasa, Tibet.  After a few days of sightseeing there, we began our journey through Tibet on our way to Mt. Everest.  We visited several amazing sights along the way.

13 November- Nam Tso Lake

Our first stop outside of Lhasa was Tibet’s Nam Tso Lake. It is the largest lake in Tibet.  We were among the last few visitors to this turquoise lake in the clouds.  I would love to visit Nam Tso in the summer.  I imagine it is even more gorgeous.  There are some rocks that look like they would be amazing to climb.  (I don’t think you’re allowed to climb them , though.  :(  )

The Couple Stone

Peace Monument (just outside Nam Tso area)

14 November- Tombs of the Kings and 

We went to Shannan to visit the Tombs of the Tibetan Kings.  The monastery is really small and on top of a hill overlooking the valley of tombs.

The giant mounds are the burial sites

That day we also visited the teeny tiny Changdrok Temple.  It is the oldest temple in Tibet.

As the monastery is situated atop a very steep hill, we rode horses to the top

My friend the camel.

15 November- A Long Day in a Car to Gyantse

We set out in the morning on our way to the town of Gyantse.  We made several stops along to way to see the sights.

Reminds me of Jacob's Ladder- Tibetan prayer drawings

Yamdrok Lake

Kharola Glacier- 5560 meters above sea level!

We arrived in Gyantse in the later afternoon.  We set out to explore town before the sun went down.

Many doors have these swastikas. The Buddhist symbol of good luck

16 November- Gyantse Fort and Palcho Monastery

Don't fall off the fort!

We visited the ruins of the Gyantse Fortress.  It involved hiking up a lot of stairs and climbing over a lot of rubble, but gave us a great view of the town.

A view of the Palcho Monastery from Gyantse Fort

DANGER

Our next stop was the Palcho Monastery.

The monastery is most notable for its Kumbum, which looks like a giant stupa with a golden dome on its top.  It has nine levels and you can walk inside and see countless holy images of buddha and other holy icons.

The Kumbum

Buddha

Offerings at Buddha's feet

Green Tara

Tibetans carry melted yak butter in these thermos to pour into the butter lamps that burn as offerings in the temples

One last view of the Kumbum

17 November- Shigatse, Tingri, Tashilhunpo and Sakya Monasteries

At the Tashilhunpo Monastery

Our last day before Everest, we headed to Shigatse, stopping at the Tashilhunpo and Sakya Monsteries along the way.

A monk sorting prayer scarves at Tashilhunpo

Prayer Wheels at Sakya Monastery

A guardian at Sakya

That evening we arrived in New Tingri for our last night before Everest!

A yak along the road to New Tingri

By the end of our Tibetan Trek, our clothes smelled like incense and our cameras were filled with lots of amazing photos of many inspirational people and sights.  We were ready to head up, up, up to the Top of the World!

See more photos of Tibet here.

In NYC, beggars will sing, dance, pay drums to get your money.

In Europe, they will chase you with their sad big-eyed children.

In many parts of Asia, children sell books and cigarettes and are trained to hassle tourists endlessly.

However, in Singapore, beggars are few and far between. Most are elderly “aunties” and “uncles” with disabilities that sell small packets of tissues.

At my local MRT (subway) station, there is an old man (amputee) in an electric wheelchair who wears a Santa hat and has a horn to get your attention. He doesn’t so much as beg, rather he honks at you and then thrusts tissue packets in your general direction.

The other night, I saw something I had never seen before.

This particular man, had set up his “wares” on display at a busy intersection. In his prosthetic legs…

Not really tempted to buy his tissues…even though I do feel sorry for him.

I’ve been “sedentary” for 2 whole months.  This is a record for the last few years of my life.  (Or maybe even more than a few . . .)

My current show (Voyage de la Vie at ResortsWorld Sentosa) has a break in August and I am planning to go on a short trip to Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.  (Woah, my sedentariness will have hit 3 whole months by the time I actually get on the plane.)

Cambodia and Laos will both be new experiences for me, because even though they’ve been on my “must-go” list for a long time, I’ve never actually gone.  I’ve been to Bangkok before but my traveling companion (dancer from my show) has not.

We will spend 2 days in Phnom Penh, 3 in Siem Reap/Ankar, 2 days in Luang Prabang and 1 day in Bangkok before heading home to Singapore.

I welcome any recommendations from any of you who have been to these places before.  I think it will be an exciting trip.

Here in Singapore, all criminal activity is taken very seriously and there is a prominent “Low Crime Doesn’t Mean NO Crime” campaign.  Taking a drink of water on the metro or a bus nets you a $500 fine.  As does carrying durian on public transportation.  Smoking indoors will cost you $1000.  Chewing gum is also illegal.

Passengers flying into Singapore on the budget airline Tiger Airways are greeted with a message similar to this, “Welcome to Singapore.  The time is 4:20 in the afternoon.  The weather is sunny and 34 degrees.  The penalty for drug crime is death.  Please alight the plane safely and enjoy your stay in Singapore.”

Even considering all of the above, I found the “Lifetime of Regret” poster extreme.  I hate being groped by strangers as much as the next lady.  However, I would hardly think the police need to intervene as I a perfectly capable of telling off a douche-bag by myself.  More disturbing though, is the thought of police intervention on a desired advancement or wanted interaction.

I don’t want the modesty police interfering with my choice of wardrobe or choice of companion.  I want to feel safe while I have fun, but I don’t want to feel monitored as I have fun.  Apparently, I don’t really have a choice in the matter.

Sign does not lie

I consider the Tibetan capital city, Lhasa my first official stop in my Asian Winter Odyssey.  I was traveling for this first leg of my journeys with my former co-worker Kevin and his boyfriend Matt.

Me, Matt and Kevin outside the Lhasa Train Station

After our 25-hour train journey from XiNing, we arrived at the chilly city of Lhasa.  We were ready to be on solid ground and enjoy the comfort of a 3 star hotel bathroom.  (Mind you, my bedroom in this 3-star hotel had a hole the size of my first in the wall to the outside.)

8 November- Arrival Day and Kevin’s Birthday

Upon arrival we met our tour guide, Phuntsok. (SIDE NOTE: The pronunciation of his name sounds like “Pencil”.  Therefore the three of us still affectionately refer to him as and think of him as Pencil.  And furtherly therefore, I will spell his name as Pencil throughout the rest of my blog.)  Pencil delivered us to our hotel and made arrangements to meet in 2 days to begin our tour.

That night, we celebrated Kevin’s birthday at a Hot Pot restaurant.  We ate lots of mushroom soup and drank the famous local yoghurt drink.   (It was very tart.)

That night I was cold while trying to sleep.  I pulled my blanket over my head and thus drastically reduced the amount of oxygen I could breathe.  With the already high altitude (3490 m (11450 ft)) in Lhasa, I started to feel pretty sick.  I’ll spare you the details and skip to the part when I get some bottled oxygen and begin to feel much better.  :)

9 November- Free Day in Lhasa and My Birthday

We used our first full day to acclimate to the altitude and explore the area on foot.

Potala Palace and Its Reflection

Yak!

We ate dinner that night at a vegetarian restaurant in honor of my birthday.  :)

We met a very talkative kid at the restaurant. All he could say in English was "Hello!"

We also found a cute little café with free wi-fi and street signs from Hong Kong.

10 November- Sera Monastery and Jokhang Temple

We met up with Pencil again and began our guided tour of Tibet.  We went to the Sera Monastery and the Jokhang Temple.

The Sera Monastery

Jokhang Temple Prayer Pole

After visiting both of Buddhist Temples/Monasteries, we wandered through the outdoor market stalls.

11 November- Potala Palace

Tibet’s most famous palace is certainly, the large Potala Palace.  It is the former seat of the Dalai Lama.  For history of the current (14th) Dalai Lama read here.

12 November- Drepung Monastery

We visited the Drepung Monastery, which is located on the side of a mountain and offers a nice view of Lhasa and has many nooks and crannies in the rocks where people have built small shrines.   The highlight of this day was sitting in the assembly hall during the monks’ chanting.  It was so powerful and beautiful that I got a little weepy.

Stupas

I SO need one of these!

My stay in Lhasa was COLD, COLD, COLD and TOTALLY stunning.  I was floored by the constant prayer of the natives.  They carry prayer wheels and build prayers into flags, scarves and everyday actions.  I fell in love with Tibet and its brilliant colors.

We did not photograph the insides of the temples and monasteries, however, they were also amazing.  Pilgrims carry yak butter to pour into vats to burn in offering.  They stuff low denomination notes into any crevice in the wood or brick and toss them at the feet of all the icons.  At most places, the pilgrims were lined up by the hundreds.

In the city center, the Chinese military was very visibly present.  They have sheltered stalls with 3 to 6 men in each at most intersections.  We were told that it is illegal to photograph the army.  See more information about this here.

See more (many) more photos of Lhasa here.

Read more about my Asian Winter Odyssey here.