Glaciers and Gyantse

June 8, 2012

Today, as we leave Tsedang for Gyantse, we also start our climb toward higher altitudes. Since we arrived in Lhasa we have been at an altitude of approximately 12,000 feet, and occasionally we have gone higher during our day trips...like the Ganden Monastery where we reached 14,000 feet...but generally we have been able to acclimatize well by staying for six days at a relatively constant altitude. As we make our way to Gyantse today we will get our first taste of higher altitudes. It will also be our longest day of driving...a total of about seven hours.

When we depart our hotel, the staff is sad, understandably, because we are such a polite and fun-loving group...so they give our two bachelors the VIP send-off...

Our route today takes us back toward the airport outside of Lhasa, and this is our last bus ride with Tile. We rendezvous with our two Land Cruisers and our two new drivers who will drive us all the way to the Nepal border. We also take this opportunity for a comfort break and we all head down the embankment to find a suitably private spot. Unbelievably, as some of our party were in the midst of their break, we are suddenly overrun by a herd of sheep...really?! In this whole, wide open chunk of land the size of Texas you decide to drive your sheep through our outdoor restroom during the 90 seconds we are "busy"?!

We transfer our luggage and board our Land Cruisers and we're back underway...I think we'll get along well with these new drivers...check out the sticker on the back of one of our vehicles...

There is much to see as we pass through the Tibetan landscape headed west toward Gyantse.

As we head west we need to cross two passes, the first is Khamba La, which is about 16,300 feet high. We notice the altitude gain as we drive up the long, sharp switchbacks...but how must this guy on the bicycle feel?! As we climb to the pass we get some great views too...of the climbing road ahead, and the valley behind...

We stop at the top of the pass to take a stretch break and take some photos of Yamdrok Lake (the Jade Lake). Wait...what is this?! Yes it is a yak, and we are about to add another important use for the yak to our already impressive list...shameless tourist magnet! Now, if you haven't already figured it out by now, our group of travelers is up for just about anything, so put a yak in front of us all dolled up and ready for riders, and you'll see yuan start flying out of our pockets. Here is an impressive and handsome clan of yak riders, we must say...

OK, now let's take a look at that lake...wait! A chance to get a shot of a Tibetan Mastif?! Sure! Why not!...And a baby goat?! Great! What's another ten yuan among new friends...smile...!

OK, NOW we'll get a picture of the Jade Lake...

Just down the hill from the yak photo shoot, we break for lunch on a knoll overlooking Yamdrok Lake, and it is another great open-air lunch. There are Tibetans with a yak and dogs here too, and it seems they take over this building and live in it for the tourist season.

There is also an open-air restroom here which is a design we had not seen before...kind of a chute design that exits the downhill side of the structure...at times like this you really appreciate gravity...

We make our way down the west side of the pass until we are driving along the shores of this huge lake. The mountains again a giving us a hint of the views that are coming later, so we stop a few times for photo ops...

One of our vehicles needs to fill up with gas, so we go ahead to the little town up the road and pick up some supplies.

This is a one-street town, and even though there is electricity here the residents obviously heat the old-fashioned way...with dung...

Our drive takes us over another pass, Karo La, which is over 16,500 feet, and along the way both climbing and descending we are greeted by beautiful glaciers...one is so popular that the locals have carved out a little business charging for parking and setting up their stalls to sell trinkets.

Ted decided to break out both cameras for this stop...

Steve and Neil takemthe opportunity tomengage the locals in heated debate about the current political situation in China...not really, just some friendly and inquisitive kids...

A short while later we stop for afternoon tea...we are a very refined and proper group...we do not go without our tea and biscuits just because we are in the middle of nowhere in the Himalayas...

We make another stop during our drive to look at a river that has been dammed, and it looks like the water is low at the moment. Down among the curves of the river we see the ruins of an old fort that was used as a watchtower...

Finally, after a long day of driving, we arrive at our hotel. After we check in and get settled, it's time for happy hour and lively conversation.

Tonight we are eating at a local restaurant operated by a Nepalese family, and on the way out of our hotel parking lot we see our next RV...look at this, it is called a rolling hotel...! We gotta get one of these...

Dinner was great, and on our way out of the restaurant Steve bought an old panorama picture of the Potala Palace in the early 1900's...and Patty bought a Toblerone...

Despite having a long day of travel, we saw some magnificent landscapes and awesome glaciers and peaks. We're looking forward to more of what Tibet has to offer tomorrow as we will tour the monastery in Gyantse and then head for Shigatse.