China, Xi'an -> Lhasa (by train to Tibet)

October 30, 2010

I got up early in the morning to pack my things and finally found out more about the stranger. Following the same routine as yesterday, he hopped out of bed fully dressed, said „Good Morning“ and was about to disappear through the door. Curious, I stopped him for a little chat. Well, he’s from Britain, teaches English at a school, is once again two hours late for class and has a terrible hangover - just like the past few days. He earns a bit of money at the school so he can invest it in pubs and clubs at night. Everything he owns fits into an ordinary daypack, and he only uses the hostel for a few hours of sleep at night. Well, let’s hope his teaching skills include being a good enough actor to pass as a role model for the kids…

With my things packed, I caught train T27 (car 12, berth 17, lower bunk) at 8:42 a.m., heading for Lhasa/Tibet.

Together with Lars, who was also on his way to Lhasa, I admired the meticulous wiring along Xi’an’s streets from the taxi before we finally reached the station. After what felt like an eternity of searching our way through crowds and construction sites, we finally found the right waiting hall for our train. The train was running a little late, and then we moved into our compartments - Lars in one of the front cars, me in one of the last ones.

As usual, the compartments were clean and OK…

…(no spitting allowed here)…

…with one small extra: there were oxygen outlets in the corridors and above the beds. Why oxygen outlets? The Qinghai–Tibet Railway was only completed in 2006 and is the highest railway line in the world. On the Tibetan Plateau the train runs at an average altitude of between 4,500 and 5,000 meters. Without a few days of acclimatization, mere mortals struggle with the low oxygen content at these altitudes - better known as altitude sickness. The artificial oxygen supply makes up for this and creates air like you would breathe at roughly 2,000 - 3,000 meters.

In friendly Chinese company (that’s me in the picture with Zhao, a soldier) I enjoyed the scenery and English-Chinese conversations with my curious fellow passengers.

October 31, 2010

When I opened my eyes in the morning and looked out of the window, I was greeted by…

…a stunning landscape…

…bathed in a glorious sunrise. Curious as I am, I switched on my PDA and checked the GPS data:

Almost 5,000 meters above sea level - I was now on the Tibetan Plateau - WOW!

The artificial oxygen supply may keep altitude sickness at bay, but the low air pressure is still there.

The wrapper of the breakfast I had brought along, for example, puffed up quite impressively.

*PLOP!* When I unscrewed the cap of my roll-on deodorant, it too burst with joy, and the deo ball sailed through the compartment in a high arc, taking the contents with it. Not strictly necessary, but a plus: the compartment now smelled nice and fresh. ;)

A few compartments down there was a Tibetan family of monks who were extremely curious about the pale-skinned stranger.

Every now and then curious glances came my way to see what I was up to, …

…along with „discreet“ attempts to take my picture.

Friendly as I am, I went over to this really lovely family for a little photo session, and we chatted using lots of pointing and gesturing.

And so the train wound its way on through Tibet, …

…past small settlements…

…until Tibet’s capital, Lhasa, finally came into view.

The train pulled into Lhasa’s main station at 5:30 p.m. Everything in the station was remarkably clean and orderly… Outside the station some of the arriving tourists, me included, were asked for their permits. After a cursory glance and a nod from the guards, I went looking for my mandatory Tibet tour guide. Dorjee, my guide, and my fellow travelers Ingrid from Suriname and Michael from the Netherlands seemed really nice.

I quickly took a photo to mark my arrival in Tibet, and then we were off to our accommodation and a quiet evening to get used to the thinner air.