China, Tibet (Farewell to the plateau, Nepal is calling)

March 12, 2011 · 5 min read

November 5, 2010 – continued

After all the mountains of the past few days, it’s now time to say goodbye. Mount Everest Base Camp was definitely, and quite literally, a high point. Mount Everest – nothing in the world is closer to the sky, at least not permanently. There’s still so much more to see on our planet, and I had only just started discovering it. Full of endorphins (as in euphoria), I said goodbye to the top of the world and we set off for the Nepalese border. To be on the safe side, since our jeep no longer seemed all that reliable, we drove in convoy with the other (jump-start) jeep.

We passed crystal-clear, partly frozen mountain rivers…

…and worked our way on and on across the Himalayas.

A large part of the route ran at over 5,000 m. We were out for a spin on the proverbial roof of the world.

The route was anything but comfortable. Past sheer drops, along roads without any barriers…

…and across rocky deserts. This route was definitely an extreme stress test for our vehicle and for our spinal discs.

In return, the Himalayan landscape and its seemingly endless expanses were simply breathtaking.

After about three hours of seriously bumpy road we finally reached a village and stopped for a bite to eat first.

The street dogs were thrilled with our car and laid siege to it straight away.

Eventually we continued our crossing of the Himalayas and began to see the mountain range from a new side.

Slowly but surely we wound our way further and further downhill…

…and with every kilometer there was less snow.

Along the way there was also a brief fighting interlude from a yak, which tried to kick us off the road with its hind hooves.

We quickly got past our really unfriendly-looking fellow traveler.

From one moment to the next, everything was green. The last time I had seen such dense forest was in Germany – not in Russia, certainly not in Mongolia, and not in China over the last few weeks either. And Tibet had been the crowning finale of these largely vegetation-free landscapes. It felt really strange and at the same time incredibly beautiful to see such dense forest now. After the last few days of extreme mountain scenery, I was well overdue for some healthy vegetation again. On top of that, I felt an inner warmth rising. We were now well below 2,000 m. At last there was a normal amount of oxygen in the air again. I felt my physical energy coming back. The extreme altitudes of the last few days had really taken a noticeable toll. My body had gradually adapted more and more and was now back down at a normal altitude – I felt in top form. Now I experienced first-hand why competitive athletes like to spend a few weeks at an altitude training camp in the mountains before a competition…
All in all, I can say that the Tibetan mountain landscape is truly, incredibly beautiful to look at. But I couldn’t live there for good. The extreme altitudes make the environment too barren and hostile to life. Besides, I visited Tibet at a very good time of year. What must it be like in the depths of winter? My deepest respect to the people who live there. It’s certainly not easy and really takes immense faith.

Once we had arrived in the border town of Zhangmu, we first checked into our hotel.

There wasn’t much left of the luxury of the past few days…

…and the “toilet” took some getting used to.

Today was our last evening in China, and it was slowly time to say goodbye. We asked Dorjee whether he’d like to check out Zhangmu’s nightlife with us. That was right up his street. We roamed the streets and noticed that China’s ban on prostitution apparently didn’t apply to this border town. Our hotel was in the middle of a street lined with small red-lit doorways and windows with the odd lady behind them. By chance we ran into Thijs, whom we had met at the guesthouse at Mt. Everest. The five of us went to a nearby club, and the first thing Dorjee did was order a ten-pack of canned beer for us. The waitresses poured the beer into small glasses, which were then downed in one. Before the glass was even back on the table, the waitresses had refilled it straight from the stock of canned beer. And on to the next round. Holy moly, the motto here apparently is: “No time for chatter – heads back and down the hatch!” A few rounds later we went looking for another venue. Winding our way through narrow alleys, we finally found some kind of disco. The atmosphere was great and the music just right. So one thing led to another, and it wasn’t long before we hit the dance floor. Dorjee and Michael in particular were the life and soul of the party and rocked the dance floor. I quickly noticed the effect I had on the local women and, polite as I am, could hardly turn down all those invitations to dance. ;)Literally the whole club danced until deep into the night. You only got a few minutes to catch your breath before being lured back onto the dance floor. In conclusion: a really great, unforgettable evening and a crowning finale to Tibet.

Tomorrow we’re off to Nepal. What will be waiting for me there?

Further links:

Endorphins – A wonderful drug
Euphoria – A state of boundless elation
Himalaya – Asia’s great mountain range
Yak – Tibetan grunting ox, a.k.a. Bos mutus
Zhangmu – Border town on the Chinese side of the border with Nepal