Borders and Ridiculous Checkpoints.

Have to make our way to the Nepal border now. The checkpoints along the way seem a bit repressive and it's odd knowing how to respond to someone literally half your age in fatigues saluting you while he takes your passport to review.

The border is just that and no more. A place to cross or rest for the night before crossing. So we got there just in time before the rain and settled in for the night and managed some sleep through the raucous music in the nearby club (or was that downstairs). At 4am they were still going so it must have been good.

Saying goodbye was more bitter than sweet as it seems to be the last embers of a rich culture about to be absorbed or overrun by the majority depending on your view. All that can be asked now is that there is something there for people to visit in years to come.

To see the top of the world...

The original plan was to stay in a guest tent near Everest Base Camp and then take in the sunrise the next day.
With the weather not too promising we stayed a town away instead.
That was even colder than two nights prior and once again it was no different from camping outdoors in the winter, only difference being a roof over your head which was no protection from the elements let me tell you.
So this with the early wake up call meant a rough start to the day.
 However all was well once we came through the pass and looked over to the Himalayas...

Since we were not planning a climb and it was cold we didn't stick around too long and headed to check out the view from Base Camp where things were pretty quiet given this is the more difficult (and expensive) side to climb from.

He of the Dark Skin and Strange Hair

More of the monastery tours and sacred sites.

While it's not a given, it's a sure bet that many of the locals here are struck by the apparently different looking male who travels as a tourist among their ranks. Unlike that one crazy in Mongolia, these people here are genuinely curious in a kind and welcoming manner. Doesn't help that we can't understand each other but a smile is a smile in any language we gather.

It is also becoming increasingly evident that I need a haircut soon or some form of grooming to remain recognizable. NOT going to happen

Remote Monastery Tours

The importance of all these sights is overshadowed by the small population of monks who live here now.
Others have fled/migrated across the border to continue practices

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Tonight our room had both hot water and at least a little heating. Now we got to strip down at least
to two layers of clothes instead of the 5 from last night.

Like an igloo

Khambala pass and Yamdrok Lake all along the Friendship way that runs 5000K across the continent.

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For the evening's accommodation?
Nice room, good beds, no hot water, no heat. So when the sun set it was just like being
at home in the arctic. The only thing this room afforded us was protection from the wind.
That apart it was basically camping on a wooden floor.

Truly new age

Potala palace and Jokham palace.
Walk don't run.
Take your time going up these stairs. The thin air only makes for bigger gasping breaths if
you pretend to have the same sea level ability here. Palaces were worth it.
Humble pie moment was watching the monk with his ipad in the coffee shop. We are so behind
the times!

Potala

Across the hills

Debating Monks

Temple and Sera monastery.

Ramoche Temple I believe

Good luck getting up there

There we saw the monks practice their question and answer repertoire. Very lively.
Also walked the streets for a bit and toured a couple of the art shops. Some of the prices
were outrageous considering they cost more than our travel budget for good art. Needless to say I passed and Jeanna, after persuasion, passed as well.

The young

The old

The persuasion

Not the Orient Express

During the night we headed up to 5000m and they started pumping oxygen into the train which
probably helped more than we realized. Awoke to the sunshine with the kids resuming their
eating marathon right where they left off last night. Through all this moving adventure,
there were actually worthwhile views here and there on various parts of the steppes.
24 hours after we started, the train arrived in lhasa and we met our guide and headed to the
old city with its narrow streets for an evening of rest and not much more.

How not to board a train

Woke up and there were still some guys passed out on the couches from their drink/eatfest
last night. Off to the station we go.
Siphoned our way into the train station and to the platform for our train ride. Found our
carriage, gave our tickets and then the drama began. Not allowed on the train.
Language barrier meant we didn't know the reason why and given the train was leaving in 5
minutes this could be a bit of a problem. They took our tickets and permit and eventually
one of the conductors gave us the pleasant 'wait a moment please' and said we could board
the train. Sans tickets it was difficult to know which beds were ours and since they were
all occupied it meant standing around clueless until help (or our tickets) arrived.

In the end we found two beds and tried to settle in for the evening amidst the chaos. Our
cabin, meant to sleep 6, currently had 9 people so again this was bound to be interesting.

On queue was the baby in the next bed who needed to relieve herself so why bother with
toilets when you could just pee on the carpet. That's what the no diaper slit in your pants
is for right?!!! Poor Jeanna, now aghast was frozen in a corner wishing she had flown instead.

The other two young girls who looked to be 7 and 9 were about to prove themselves metabolic
machines. They ate non stop, literally without any kind of break, for the next four hours.
Skinny as sticks they must do a lot of hard daily walking to compliment the food burnoff.

Combine with the usual onlookers who like to stare at the foreigners but don't like to be
stared at and it was the wholesome environment we had envisioned when planning this trip :)