The Last Resort - Hidden Canyoning

We have enough people to do Hidden Canyoning today! Bruno, McKenize, Giles and I are confirmed for a fun-filled morning of abseiling, jumping and sliding down steep canyon walls and waterfalls. Another person, Sangeeta, really wanted to join us for Canyoning but didn't have enough money, so Giles and I agreed to split her cost. Sangeeta works at the orphanage near Kathmandu and was an orphan herself. She couldn't believe it and had a big smile on her face all day. I'm chalking this up as my community volunteer program - allowing a person to experience things s/he could afford. Note - the cost was about 4200 Rupees...not much for a 'Westerner' but it's about a month's salary for a Napali.

Our final waterfall abseil (45m)

For 3-hours, we were like kids having fun in the water...holding on to the rope and sliding or bouncing off canyon walls and waterfalls. It didn't matter we sucked or we were like pros, everyone made it down all 7 walls/waterfalls and we were all smiles at the end. The last waterfall was a 45m drop, which sounded steep and scary, but we all abseiled like pros!

After lunch, everyone left for Kathmandu - Giles and his high school students from Singapore, Bruno and his wife, volunteers Liz, Mary and Sangeeta, and the Argentinian guys. In just 2 days, I got to share some amazing adventures with them which I'll cherish them forever. I'm the only one staying at the resort for few more days, but I hear a new group of guests are arriving later today or tomorrow morning.

Dinner was very quiet without everyone at the table and I miss hearing different languages - French, Spanish, English, and Nepali. Tonight it was just me at the table with two Nepali girls at the other end of the table. The other group (I think Indian) sat and ate dinner in the bar area.

I'm told I can join the group for High Ropes and Rafting tomorrow...I wonder if there's a t-shirt for completing all the resort's activities.

Side note - I noticed couple of leeches started to have quick "bite" on my feet when we got done Canyoning. Here's an early stage of a leech sucking on my foot. They are an amazing specimen, they can produce anti-coagulant so my blood won't clot right away. Even when they're removed (simple salt works well), I'll keep bleeding for sometime.

Before

After

The other foot

The Last Resort - Bungy or Swing?

Bungy (Bungee) Jump or Canyon Swing...that was our big conversation at breakfast. Here's the pros/cons of each activity - Bungy Jump at The Last Resort is one of the longest free-fall in the world. At 160 meter over the raging Bhote Kosi, bungy-ing off the cable wire bridge has to be one of the most spectacular jumps in the world. Canyon Swing is the highest in the world. Jump off the 160 meter high bridge and free-fall 100m into a breath-taking gorge and the Bhote Kosi raging below, then swing 240m at 150km per hour. Either activity is a pure adrenaline rush...but doing both will be just insane. Yup, I did both! I decided to do the Canyon Swing first (seemed slightly easier/less scary) and then if I get my nerves up, I'll do the Bungy Jump. No more words...just watch the video. Oops, sorry I can't upload video so it'll have to be a separate link.

And guess what I did in the afternoon...nothing. It's so nice to just relax and chill, and not have any meetings or deadlines to worry about.

Zhangmu - The Last Resort, Nepal

It was foggy and raining when I got up this morning...so no biking over to Nepal. We decided to drive to the border since the road was wet and the last 8km didn't look as nice as the previous day's ride. The border area is crazy and busy with traders of all sorts. People were just about selling everything from rice to electronics from China into Nepal or vice versa. Going through Chinese immigration was fairly painless, except they kept going to the back room with my passport. I guess having "Kim" as a last name and U.S. Passport seemed odd to them. Most Tibetans seemed baffled when I told them I'm from the U.S. Just outside of the Chinese immigration building our Nepali guide was waiting for us to cross the bridge and into to Nepal. Immediately the surrounding and the mood changed, it felt so much more relaxed and people seemed more friendly. After getting a Nepali Visa, we're now free to travel throughout Nepal without a guide. Oh oh, there's a snag - we're told there are several landslides between the border and The Last Resort (and Kathmandu too) with a 3-4 hour delay, and we'll need to bike about 2-3 km from the landslide to The Resort. Thank god I still have my bike! When we got to the first landslide, there's a traffic jam full of trucks and jeeps waiting for the landslide to be cleared away. Biking over pile of rocks was a blast while cars and trucks were stuck waiting for the bulldozers to clear the road! At last, I see The Last Resort sign and their famous bridge (I'll be bungy jumping off this bridge tomorrow)! As I ride over the bridge (that was fun too!) and see the resort, I start to feel completely relaxed and quickly forget that I just cycled 800 km, climbed five passes over 5000 meters in elevation and reached/biked up to Everest Base Camp in 2 1/2 weeks.

Mat doesn't know if he'll get to Kathmandu this afternoon since he has to wait for the driver to get to the resort, and also hope the road from the resort to Kathmandu is also clear...he's told "maybe 4 hours?" He makes the best of the situation and decides to stay for lunch and possibly overnight.

Classic monsoon season in Nepal, it rains on and off throughout the afternoon (and into the evening). I actually don't mind it after a semi-arid weather condition in Tibet, it's nice to see lush green plants and trees and hear various birds and insects. The only downside is I can't do a much needed laundry since the air is so damp.

Right on time, the driver shows up after lunch (approximately 4 hours after he dropped us off) and informs Mat the road is clear to travel. I say my good-bye to my cycle buddy of 3 weeks, who helped me climb steep passes, encouraged me to continue riding on the damn dirt the road, and pulled me on windy days. I'm glad I'll get to reunite with Mat in NYC in early September (assuming I'm back by then).

Now as Mat is loading his bike into the car, the driver is very interested in his bike and looks like he might want to buy Mat's bike. We mention that my bike is up for sale and I'm looking sell it at a good price. He asked what I'm asking, I quickly say 7000 rupees (that's only US$100) - he hesitates but is still very interested and ask if he can call me if he can get the money. Next thing I know, his friend who works at the resort is walking back to the resort to check out the bike. Now another guy (the driver's friend's friend) offers me 5000 rupees and tells me that he's buying it on behalf of his friend (at this point I really don't know who's buying it) and he only has 5000 rupees. I hold firm at 7000 rupees...he comes back in few minutes and offer 5500 rupees. I say "let's meet in the middle and make it 6000 rupees"...he says he only has 5500 rupees. We finally come to terms at 5500 rupees and 2 bottles of beer! I got to sell my bike, maybe at a slight loss, but at least I don't have to worry about trying to sell it in Kathmandu.

The rest of the afternoon was spent chilling and drinking the "free" beers with new friends (Giles and Trisha) I met here at the resort. Giles is a high school teacher escorting 4 students on a school trip to Nepal from Singapore. Trisha had just finished volunteering at a hospital in Pokara for a month and came to The Last Resort to relax and bungy jump before heading back to UK. After 3 weeks of high altitude and cycling, this was the perfect way to relax and rejuvenate my body!

For the next four nights, my "home" will be tent #7. By NYC standards, my tent is almost the size of a large bedroom - it has a double and a single bed. I'm using the double as my bed and the single as my afternoon chaise lounge...living the life of luxury!

Nyalam - Zhangmu

Getting up this morning felt different...the air was warm and moist, the landscape was green and lush, and I wasn't freezing cold. I must be in Nyalam (interestingly Nyalam means 'gateway to hell' in Tibetan), and no more climbing passes anymore! When our guide said today's ride is 'downhill', I was a bit suspicious since he always say 'yes, downhill' but rarely do we get just a downhill route. Today was different, our ride from Nyalam to Zhangmu is exactly that - downhill. The 30km route is possibly one of the best and most beautiful downhills in the world - Tibet should promote it as one of their great natural wonders (similar to the Kilauea Volcano bike ride in Big Island of Hawaii). From Nyalam, the road twists and turns along the Tibetan plateau into a deep gorge of evergreen trees, numerous waterfalls and raging rivers. What a contrast from Tingri to Nyalam to Zhangmu - going from dry, arid, stark landscape to wet, lush, and colorful landscape. The cascading waterfalls, many over 200 meters, were like veins feeding into a thundering river (photos can't do the justice).

The town of Zhangmu is your typical border town - lots of 'moneychangers', hotels and restaurants catering to tourists, cheesy bars and lots of stores full of nasty, touristy trinkets. Zhangmu is basically a one street town and it's ugly, there's no reason to stay here except to use it as a transit town between Tibet and Nepal crossing.

My hotel, The Sherpa Hotel, is nothing special other than it has a 'western-style' bathroom and a killer view of the gorge. Sadly, the advertised hot shower is anything but hot. Next stop - Nepal.

Random pasture by a small village - Nyalam

It rained all night but thankfully stopped by the time we got up. But it was still cloudy and cold when we started our ride up the last (two) pass of the trip, so we decided to use our 'extra' day and cut the ride into two. We would climb the short (not so difficult) pass today and the more difficult pass (Thang La) tomorrow. Change of plans - we decide ride the full distance, including the second pass, during lunch when the weather started to get nicer. The second pass was not as challenging as we thought, it was no more difficult than the other four passes we've climbed in the past two and half weeks. Ironically, when we reached the summit of Thang La, the sign above said - 'Enjoy the sights of Nepal, just at the Nyalam port' - it was like saying good bye to us. Even though we have two more days in Tibet, today felt like it's our 'last' day in Tibet.

The downhill portion was 15km of just giddy fun...and then our friend, the headwind, decided to pay us one last visit - for the next 40km! I thought the last 40km was going to be a gradual downhill to Nyalam; but no, it was constant uphill - downhill with the damn headwind. Once I got over the initial shock of the headwind and my body running on empty, the last 20km was absolutely beautiful with the landscape changing from grey arid plateau to green ridges. After riding 90+km in the cold, rain, wind and sun, we finally reached our destination - Nyalam. Our guide recommended that we have dinner in town since it was too late to camp and make dinner...we happily complied. Noodle soup and beer for dinner sounded like the perfect way to end our ride (and day)!

Tingri - Thang La start

Sometimes life's simple pleasure is just a bowl of noodles and a bed. After a hearty dinner and a good night sleep, today's ride started off on the right note. 67km of mostly flat or downhill (and paved) road...now this is what I call a "recovery" ride. The first 35km was a breeze with no cars, trucks or people in sight. Mat and I had the whole road to ourselves. This is also when I understood why Tibet is called "the roof of the world" - the cumulous clouds were so low and close to the plateau, we felt like we were on the roof of the world! I didn't really understand or see it until today - what an amazing view.

Ok life can't always be so easy....just after lunch at 45km, the winds picked up (headwind of course) with a light rain. Our ambitious plan of climbing the first of two passes quickly disappeared, as we struggled to complete the final 20km in the rain, wind and cold. Tomorrow will be a long day with back-to-back climbs...the second pass (Thang La) I hear is the highest and toughest climb of our trip.

Rongbuk Monastery - Tingri

It was cloudy this morning but I could see Mt. Everest in full view...what a way to send us off as we prepare to leave Rongbuk Monastery and the Everest region.

If I haven't said this before, I'll say it now - "I'm not a mountain biker, I'm road cyclist!". Today was our final day of riding on dirt road...and I still hate it. It's just more of the damn 'corrugated' bumpy dusty dirt road to Tingri, approximately 65km from Rongbuk Monastery. I was happy to learn that we would turn off from the 'corrugated' dirt road and go on to a different road...and of course, a dirt road. Mat just smiled and off he went, and I just screamed out - "I hate dirt roads!". Instead of being 'corrugated', the road became more rocky, sandy, pebbly, muddy and bumpy, but never smooth.

About 20km into our day, Mat and I come across our support car stuck in mud. It's pretty bad and looks like it could take some time get the car out. Yep, the car is not a 4-wheel drive (rear-wheel) and it's the rear left wheel that's stuck. After an hour of digging out the mud (with a jawbone or hipbone of a yak), adding traction with stones, trying to jack up the car, then removing our luggage and equipment/tent stuff, we finally got the car free and back on the firm road. It could have been worse but everything worked out ok, and our car went off to set up for lunch down the road. Whew!

After riding 30km, I called it quits...maybe it was the rocks, sand, pebbles, mud, ruts, bumps, hills or rain; I just couldn't stand riding on the damn dusty dirt road anymore. Mat continued on for almost 40km by himself in the rain, sleet, and on the damn dusty dirt road, but always with a smile!

BTW, I believe we went through some amazing semi-arid landscape with deep gorges and the Himalaya mountain range in the background...but I was in a car half asleep.

Rongbuk Monastery - Everest Base Camp - Rongbuk Monastery

This is it....what I've been waiting for since Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp (EBC)! We got up super early this morning and rode out to EBC, so we can catch Mt. Everest at sunrise. We weren't sure if the Chinese military would allow us to ride up to the Base Camp since no "vehicles" are allowed after the Tent Camp (a row of yak tents situated between Rongbuk Monastery and EBC, with a killer view of the mountain). Well at 6 in the morning, no one was up to stop us, so we took (walked) our bikes up the road to EBC. After walking a kilometer or so, we decided to ride up since no one was around and our guide took a short cut up to the checkpoint. Thank god we rode since I was starting to fade trying to walk up the last 4km with the bike. Too our surprise, Everest was hidden behind a fog when we got to the checkpoint (we were the first ones to EBC and we had to wait for the guards to wake up!). Now it became a waiting game between us and Everest...will Everest appear before we need to head back to Rongbuk Monastery or can we get past the cold and hunger to see Everest in full? After 3 hours of waiting, the fog and clouds cleared up and there it is - the north face of Mt. Everest! The guards allowed Mat and me to walk our bikes up to the Base Camp marker, ironically doesn't even mention the word "Everest" - it reads "Mt Qomolanga Base Camp, 5200m (above sea level)". There's a dispute on the actual elevation of the Base Camp - Chinese has it at 5200m, other measurements have it at 5020m or 5150m, and my watch has it at 5130m - who cares what the correct elevation is, it's still an amazing view! Qomolanga in Tibetan is interpreted as "Goddess Mother of the Universe" (or literal translation is 'Princess Cow'). I like Qomolanga better than Everest...I just wish I can remember it and say it correctly.

Being at the Base Camp and seeing Mt. Everest, it's hard to comprehend that I'm staring at the highest point on Earth. We have reached our destination, that started in Lhasa, and these past 10 days have felt like I've climbed to the roof of the world.

Small Village - Rongbuk Monastery

We decided to get an early start and so we can get to Rongbuk Monastery before the afternoon clouds cover Everest. But before we can think about seeing the majestic Everest, we have to deal with riding 50km on the damn bumpy dirt road. Yep, the road sucked, my arse hurt, and my legs felt like jelly after the ride. Thankfully, Mat and I had some company - several Chinese cyclists (riding from Shanghai!) were also on the road with us and we played "hare vs tortoise" with them. We'd passed them and then stop for a break, then they would pass us, and so on...they were the slow & steady tortoise and we were the jackrabbit. After being on the road for 8 hours, we final reached Rongbuk Monastery (and we beat the Chinese cyclists)!
What an exhausting day...maybe harder than climbing 5000+ meter pass or riding 100+km, but our prize was the view of Everest. The mountain peak was hidden behind clouds when we arrived, but after we had our tea & biscuits, the clouds moved out and there it was - Everest in full glory! Pictures can't do justice of Everest's grand size or its spectacular view. Tomorrow is ride to the Base Camp...I can't wait!

Shegar - Pang La

Well, we didn't follow the itinerary again...but it turned out for the better. Today's route should have been from Shegar to Pang La and camp just on the south side of the pass, instead we ended up riding past the summit and all the way down the mountain to a small village on the way to Rongbuk and Everest Base Camp (EBC).

The ride to Pang La started out easy and relaxed....until we got to the "dirt" road after entering the Everest region. For the next 20km, we were riding on dirt packed road and gained about 1000 meters in elevation. If it wasn't bad enough to climb on a dirt road full of rocks, gravel, and bumps...but we also had to deal with SUVs and trucks kicking up dust as they sped by us. 20km...possibly the hardest climb I've done to date - steepness wasn't the issue, it was the dirt road that got me good. After three hours of climbing, I was excited to reach the summit of Pang La...this is where we get a chance to see Everest (or not). Unfortunately, clouds had moved in so we couldn't see Everest's peak, just the base of the mountain. Ugh, now I have ride downhill on this crazy dirt road? At least I don't have to ride up any more! The ride down was more insane and bumpy and dusty and painful (my head was rattling so much I thought it was going to split open!).

The best part of today's ride was when we followed couple of 4x4's down a vertical drop - I felt like I was in some wacky Japanese TV show or a commercial for a Range Rover, where you see the disclaimer - Professional stuntmen on closed course. We were sandwiched between several SUVs and I was flying off rocks and ruts, while the passengers in the SUVs were taking pictures of me and Mat riding down this crazy trail. What an adrenaline rush!

The dirt road continued for what I thought was eternity, but after 20+km of bumpy downhill, we finally met our support car in a small village where we decided to sleep in a guesthouse. Tomorrow we continue on to Rongbuk Monastery..another 50km on the damn dusty dirt road.

Lhatse - Shegar

Another long and boring day of riding...well, except for a 25+km climb that took us to Gyatse La summit of 5248 meters (our highest climb so far). I was painfully slow, I just couldn't get enough oxygen to my legs. Maybe the EPO pills weren't really EPO? The final 5km of the climb was just painful, as I had zero fuel left and felt like I was breathing in a plastic bag! At last I see the prayer flags and our support car...yippee! After lunch, it's all downhill...for 35km to our campsite in Shegar. Of course my journey wouldn't be epic without the damn wind - half way into our downhill, the wind picks up and it's a headwind for the final 20km of our ride. I'm happy to be in Shegar, drinking beers, waiting for dinner and looking forward to a good night sleep.

Shigatse - Lhatse

Today, we need to ride almost 100km with a 'small' pass. Majority of the day was just long and boring. We rode alongside farms and mountains, passed plenty of farmers on trackers, children running out to greet us, and sheep grazing on the steppe. Basically the same ride as Gyantse to Shigatse.

Now I thought we were going to stop and camp just before the Tso La pass (around 100km), but we had a miscommunication with our guide and would end up in Lhatse. Lhatse is additional 45km from where we're suppose to camp, which is after the Tso La. I called it quits after 100km and got in the support car, Mat wanted to continue and go over the 'small' pass, not realizing the pass was Tso La. We picked him up at 122km (he had gone up and down Tso La) and drove straight to Lhatse. The miscommunication turned out to be good thing as we just saved a day (original schedule had us at Lhatse on June 20)!

Rest Day in Shigatse

Today is rest day...a much deserved rest day! We didn't have a full day of activities, just a visit to Tashilunpo Monastery.

We had the afternoon free to ourselves, so Mat and I decided to walk around the marketplace and maybe have some momos and beer at a local spot on a side street, where the locals would go. We definitely found the spot - off the marketplace, on a side street, no sign, locals drinking butter tea and playing games, and us totally out of place. However, the momos were cheap and delicious! Even after few bottles of Lhasa Beer ('from the roof of the world') and double order of momos, we were still hungry. We decided to check out Gongkar Tibetan Restaurant for dinner...they definitely offered many dishes but we were not impressed with the food or service.

Gyantse - Shigatse

Our destination, Shigatse, is 94 kilometers away...it's going to be a long day of riding. After a hearty breakfast, we start riding faster than I wanted to keep up with the support car since we weren't sure of our direction. Within few minutes we lose sight of the car and we question if we're on the right road. After a quick check on the iPhone compass and a map, we're heading in the right direction. The road is flat and pretty boring with stretches of farmland along the side of the road. Since it's a long ride and the view is the same (kilometers of farmland sandwiched between mountains), we started to rotate taking the lead to conserve energy. Kilometer 20...40...60...still farmland and boring. The first half of the ride was fast - more than a hour ahead of schedule which surprised our guide - we ended up having lunch at 11:30 instead of originally planned 1pm. By kilometer 60, I start to fade but Mat is riding strong to pull me all the way to Shigatse. Thank you Mat!

Shigatse is NOT beautiful or charming or historic...it's dusty and ugly. Shigatse greeted me with a smelly, dusty and ugly sight as I entered the city. Our hotel was on the fringe of the city with road construction going on right in front of the hotel. I was not happy (ok, more grumpy) and asked that we go to another hotel that has Internet connection and away from all this construction. What I didn't realize is the whole city is under construction! Streets are ripped apart, sidewalks don't exist, garbage everywhere, and the air is thick with dust and exhaust fumes. I later find out that the city is preparing for the Premier's visit in early July and the city is under a tight schedule to complete everything before his arrival.

Well our second hotel looks nice but it's in the middle of the war zone - it's in the city center area and there's more construction here than previous hotel. Just picture a building behind a scaffolding (if you can call it that), the sidewalk pile of rocks and dirt, and the street being re-paved...that's our hotel. At this point, I'm just glad to have hot water, comfortable bed and access to the Internet.

After a nice hot shower and change of clothes, I'm feeling great and excited to explore Shigatse. Mat and I decided to dine at a nice restaurant than our usual back-room spots, so we're off to Tashi Restaurant after reading about in the Lonely Planet guidebook. Since it's early for dinner, we pop in at the "Snack Bar" (I believe the real name of the place is Samdruptse Snack Bar) for some beers. What...Tashi Restaurant is closed? That's odd...oh, it must be the construction in front of the restaurant. Since we didn't have a back-up plan, we head back to the hotel and see if we can get a restaurant recommendation from the front desk. "Tashi, good choice" - but we were just there and it's closed. "No, Tashi open, second floor". We head back out and follow the direction given to us...and we end up at the same spot as before. This time we looked around more, and of course there's a big sign - Tashi Restaurant. Overall the food was good but not great. Lonely Planet raved about the naan and we thought it was just ok, naan bread at the New Mandala restaurant in Lhasa was much better.

Ralung - Gyantse

Last night was a full moon but we didn't get a chance to fully appreciate the beauty from the roof of the world because the weather just got nasty with blistery wind and cold rain. This morning wasn't any better - rain and wind. At breakfast, we asked our guide the same question we ask every day - what's the route like? And we get the same answer, "it's easy"...followed by "oh there's a pass you have go over". Hum...rain, wind, pass...WTF?!?

Mat and I just sat in our tent trying to figure out if it's worth riding in the rain or taking the support car to Gyantse, as we wait out the rain. No such luck...so we decide it's not worth getting sick before reaching Everest. We load up the support car and drive to Gyantse, feeling defeated by the rain and wind. And of course, as soon as we start driving the rain stops. Mat and I look at each other with the same thought - let's ride from Simu La pass if it's not raining there. We figure it'll be about 35km to Gyantse (mostly downhill), easy. Not so fast, there's a small pass we need to climb over....ugh!

We get to Simu La and sure enough, the rain has stopped and we can even see blue skies. We tell our guide that we'd like to ride to Gyantse from here...he had this dumbfounded look on his face, as if we're crazy. Snap...snap...snap, we take couple of photos of Simu La, and we're off! Would you believe the day turned out to be gorgeous and we had an amazing ride to Gyantse. We quickly forgot about the nasty rain and wind, instead we just soaked in the warm sun, beautiful countryside terrain and long stretches of the road to ourselves.

Since we got to Gyantse early, we had an opportunity to visit Kumbum Monastery in the afternoon. Kumbum Monastery has the largest stupa (chorten) in Tibet with 77 chapels built into the walls along six floors. Unfortunately, Kumbum Monastery is no different from the other touristy attraction; just outside of the Monastery, dozens of street vendors are lined up selling every trinket one can imagine.

The evening ended with a hot shower and comfortable bed at the Tibet Gyantse Yu Tuo Hotel.

Yamdrok Tso - Ralung

"Today, it's easy", said our guide. Really, how far is Ralung from here? Is it flat? "Yes", answered our guide. Hum...not sure he understood me, so I checked the itinerary that I had downloaded from VisitTibet's website - After Nagartse we climb our second major pass, Karo La. It is an awe-inspiring site to see the massive glaciers rising nearly straight up from the road.

Yup, today's ride is not easy...nor flat. Mat and I decided today's ride will be a "recovery" ride and we're going to take it easy to the climb. Problem is...we're starting our day at 4400 meters and I didn't get new set of lungs or legs overnight! According to Tsereng, today's climb is only 10km long so we should be ok. Did he mention Karo La is a 5000 meter pass!

The first 15km was flat (just as Tsereng said), but as we pass Negartse, the wind starts to pick up...and it's a strong headwind! I guess the recovery ride is over, so we start taking turns pulling to save as much energy as possible for the climb to Karo La. The wind continues to hammer us and doesn't let up when we start our climb...back to slow and steady, and pray to the wind god. Sadly, our prayers went unheard...but the rain god heard us and didn't rain on us. At last, we see Karo La...and it's an "awe-inspiring" view! At the top, the wind is answering countless prayer flags, the mountain is holding back massive glaciers; and I am in awe and inspired by what man and nature can achieve. Unfortunately, Mat dropped his jacket somewhere on the climb and has to go back to find it, since he'll need it to go down the mountain. No luck. We rig Mat up with whatever clothes we have in our backpacks - my arm warmers for his arms, my rain pants and his rain pants wrapped around his chest to block the wind. We say good bye to Karo La and head down to the base where our guides are waiting for us. It's a fast switchback descent and at the final turn, the mountain suddenly becomes massive and can see giant crevasses on the glaciers...what an amazing view, just breathtaking. I have a feeling I'll be using "amazing", "awe-inspiring", massive", and other superlative words over and over again.

It's another "10km" ride...which is really 15 or 20km to campsite. The wind continues to be stubborn and just won't back down, but thankfully our final "10km" is mostly downhill. We're back down to 4400 meters and ride along a beautiful plain with sheep and yaks grazing along the river. Our campsite is few hundred meters from the river, where I got to soak my tired feet and have a "lite" wash in cold water (freezing cold but felt amazing!). Tomorrow's ride to Gyantse should should be an easy one...we'll see.

Chutsu - Yamdrok Tso

Today is our first major test - riding over the Khamba La pass, a 35km climb which peaks at 4900 meters, then straight down to Yamdrok Lake. We started just after 9am and already cars, buses and trucks were zooming and blowing fumes right at us. Slow and steady...remember it's 35km. The climb isn't so bad, it's the elevation that's killing me! Switchback after switchback, the view gets more beautiful and majestic. At each turn, we can see the valley floor stretch in one direction and continuous switchbacks the other direction. About 20km into our climb, we stop at a small prayer stones/flags that has an amazing view of the valley below. No time to rest, back on the bike to finish our climb and have lunch at top of the Khamba La. The next 15km was shear hell...I felt like I was suffocating with every breath! My heart rate is at max, my fingers are numbs from lack of oxygen, my legs are screaming for more oxygen...and my head just pounding. Did I remember to take my EPO? We're now taking more frequent breaks to catch our breaths, thankfully the view just gets better and better. Yaks are grazing along the side of the mountain and looking at us as if we're some crazy herders on bikes (yup, the crazy part is correct). Finally we reach the top of the pass and what do we see...a beautiful turquoise lake that stretches for miles (kilometers) with snow capped mountains behind it. Now we haven't really reached "the roof of the world" yet, but this is damn close! The guides have prepared a "picnic" lunch for us - basically sitting by the shoulder of the road and enjoying a vacuum-packed chicken drumstick, bread and Tang...yum! The next 15km is what I've been waiting for all day - downhill! We wait for the military convoy to come up to the pass, so we can scream down some crazy-arse switchbacks at +50 kph! Now that was fun! Once we get down to the lake, the road turns flat and view gets more stunning, where we can see "Everest"...wait, it can't be Everest! Maybe it's K2? Of course, that's it...but wait, it can't be K2 either! We didn't care, the view was just magnificent. We were awed by the peak hidden by the clouds and talked about how amazing Everest will be when we get there in few days. We continued on for 20 more kilometers before settling down at our next campsite, near the lake. Mat and I are completely exhausted from riding over the Khamba La but elated knowing that we just completed our first mountain pass in Tibet. Tomorrow, we climb our second pass, Kora La...just peaking at 5000 meters. I'm going to need a good night rest and dream of new legs and lungs!

Start of our climb

Prayer flags alongside the mountain road...maybe I should have hung a  prayer flag
(photo courtesy: Mat Buri)

One of many switchback turns
(photo courtesy: Mat Buri)

He's wondering why we're cycling when everyone's driving

Our reward!

...and here comes the Chinese military convoy
(photo courtesy: Mat Buri)

Keep cycling towards the mountain...
(photo courtesy: Mat Buri)

Beautiful turquoise color of Yamdrok Lake
(photo courtesy: Mat Buri)

Mat
(photo courtesy: Mat Buri)

Our campsite
(photo courtesy: Mat Buri)

Lhasa to Chutsu

My epic journey begins today...first day of biking towards Mt Everest Base Camp! Today is a 75km flat ride from Lhasa to Chutsu where we'll camp overnight. As Mat and I ride out of Shanbala Hotel and onto Beijing Road, I'm excited and scared (shitless) about the thought of riding 800 kilometers, climbing 5 mountain passes over 5,000 meters in elevation, and dealing with altitude sickness - can I really do this? However, as I pass the Potala Palace, my fears turn to jubilation and I'm ready to take on this challenge!

The first 20km is basically riding on the shoulder of a busy road (highway), leading out of Lhasa and towards the airport...cars, buses and trucks honking and blowing toxic fumes as they drive by (ah, China at its best). The roads become quieter once we pass the airport and into rural areas, but those damn trucks with toxic fumes continue to follow us. At times, it's so bad that I had to cover my nose & mouth with my bandana (I now understand why the Chinese wear those masks). The nasty thought of my lungs turning black changes to excitement as we ride along rice fields with incredible mountain peaks far away (soon we'll be climbing those mountains!).

At half way point, we stopped for lunch along a roadside restaurant (if you can call it a restaurant), where I had my first taste of Yak Butter Tea! What I thought was Butter Tea was actually 'Milk Tea' - makes now. It definitely has an "interesting" taste...let's just say it tasted very salty. After a bowl of noodles and a can of Coke, we're off again. The country becomes more beautiful every kilometer and the anticipation of seeing the himalayas is just over-whelming. My first view of mountain peaks with snow! Wait...why am I excited about that? Does this mean it'll be snowing when I'm going over these peaks? Now my anticipation is not so positive...ugh.

15 more kilometers to camp, and the wind starts to pick up and the sky turns dark (very dark) and my legs feel like rubber...now rain. However, the rain drops are a welcome as it's been a long hot day of riding, but I could definitely do without the wind. I'm starting to crack as the wind continues to get stronger, thankfully Mat was willing to stay with me and pace me to the campsite. Frack, looks like a climb coming up! Oh wait, I hear Tsereng calling our names...yeah, our first day is done!

Lhasa - Day 3: EPO?

Our last full day in Lhasa and I'm getting use to the altitude. Or it could be the 'EPO' I'm taking for altitude sickness and the extra oxygen boost needed in the mountains. Of course, I have no idea if it's EPO since Mat and I went to a pharmacy and showed a red pill packaging to the pharmacist and she said "ok" and gave us a bottle of blue & white pills (Mat got his red pills in Beijing and claims they're EPO). I was told to take 2 pills three times a day; but not knowing what the pills can do, I'm only taking them twice a day for a week. Better be safe than sorry, right?

We rode our bikes to Sera Monastery, our last monastery visit in Lhasa (trust me, there'll more on the way to Everest). It was founded in 1419 by Jamchen Choje Shakya Yesh, who was a disciple of Tsongkhapa. The Monastery is the second largest monastery in Tibet, including an Assembly hall, three colleges and 33 houses. At its peak, over 5000 monks resided in Sera Monastery, but the population has now been reduced by 90%. Unfortunately, we missed the monks debating in the debating courtyard, since they do not debate on weekends. One of the most impressive views in the Monastery is a small building to the side that holds a sand mandala -- very impressive.

Lhasa - Day 2: Monasteries & Temples

Our second palace/monastery visit is the Potala Palace. The Potala Palace was built in the 7th century, around the time of King Songtsen Gampo. In the 17th century, the fifth Dalai Lama extended the Palace to its present size and made it his primary residence. The Potala is divided into two palaces - Red (Marpo Ri) was built by King Songtsen Gampo and resided during the mid-7th century, and White (Kharpo Podrang) was built by the fifth Dalai Lama and moved in 1649 from Drepung Monastery. The Potala Palace includes Dalai Lama's living quarters, chapels, funeral stupas and monk dormitories, plus the tombs of fifth to thirteenth Dalai Lama.

Next up...The Jokhang Temple, located in the Old Town section of Lhasa, was built around 647 by King Songtsen Gampo. The temple was constructed to house an image of Mikyoba (Akshobhya) brought to Tibet as part of the dowery of his Nepali wife Princess Bhrikuti. The Ramoche Temple was constructed at the same time to house another Budda image, Jowo Sakymuni (Sakya Thukpa), brought to Tibet by his Chinese wife Princess Wen Cheng.

In the afternoon, we went shopping for a bike. I decided that it was silly for me to rent a bike when I can buy a new bike for about the same price. My other logic...a new bike should not breakdown compared to a used bike, and I can also sell it in Kathmandu to get back some money. After negotiating hard with the Giant salesperson (she wouldn't drop the price), I ended up leaving the store empty-handed but got a fantastic deal for a new UCC (Chinese brand I believe) bike at a local bike shop...essentially it's the same bike as Giant but without the name. Mat and I rode our bikes out to Drepung Monastery for a test ride and then back to Spinn Cafe to show off my new mountain bike. What a fun day!

Lhasa - Day 1: Butter Tea, Anyone?

Today, we're scheduled to meet our guide, Tsereng, in the morning at our hotel and spend the day visiting monasteries and get acclimated to the altitude. Drepung Monastery, one of the six largest monasteries of the Gelupa Sect, is our first stop in visiting monasteries and temples in Lhasa. Today, about 600 monks reside in the Monastery, but had reached over 10,000 monks prior to the Chinese Liberation. Drepung was built in 1416 by Jamyang Choje, a monk and disciple of Tsong-Khapa. In 1530, the second Dalai Lama established Ganden Palace, a palace that was home to the Dalai Lama until the fifth Dalai Lama built the Potala Palace.

After visiting Drepung Monastery, I have my first taste of "Yak Butter Tea"...it doesn't taste as bad as everyone claims. It's sort of sweet and tastes like a milk tea with hint of coffee flavor.

Mat and I had the afternoon off to wonder around Lhasa, mostly in the Old Town area, and find cool alleyways to explore...of course, we ended up at Spinn Cafe, owned by couple of guys who love to bike.

Tashi Dele

I guess it pays to get to the airport early, I was second in line. Originally I was concerned my bags may be overweight based on Eastern China Air's website, but I had no issues and they didn't even care my carry-on was heavier than the 7kg limit (Virgin Atlantic was more strict). After checking my bags, I get escorted to a security desk where they check my passport and my Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) permit, it seems all is in order and I'm free to travel to Tibet. Next stop - Lhasa.

Upon arriving in Lhasa, I immediately sense Tibet is like no other place on earth. But right now I'm sort of lost, I don't see my pick-up person, I don't know a single word in Chinese or Tibetan, and I'm not sure if Visit Tibet Tours really exists. This is when it hits me that I'm completely alone, don't know the language, and I really don't have a clue - why the fuck am I traveling alone to unfamiliar places? (Hopefully I'll have an answer when I'm done traveling)

As I follow people outside of the airport and about to get into a bus (of course the bus driver doesn't speak English, and points to the bus and says "Lhasa"), I noticed few people standing by the parking lot with signs. I skipped the bus and walk over the parking lot and I see a sign - KIM EDWARD - yes, someone is looking over me! My tour guide's friend (can't remember her name) is standing there with the sign and now my epic journey in Tibet is about to begin.

Lhasa is the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), and is the only place within the region where one does not need to have a guide. Outside of Lhasa, one must have the TTB permit and be escorted by a guide along with hired transportation.

Along the way into Lhasa, we picked up Mathieu (Mat) at the train station and drove straight to our hotel (Shangbala Hotel), in the Old Town district, just steps from the Barkhor Square.
Barkhor Square is the heart of Lhasa and a focal point of many political protests and battles between Chinese and Tibetans - most recently the 2008 protest. The addition of Dico's (tacky fast-food joint) at the western corner is a shameless infiltration of Chinese capitalism. On the eastern end of the Barkhor Square is The Jokhang - the most revered religious structure in Tibet.

Frog's Legs Anyone?

You have to love Virgin Atlantic's Economy Premium when you're not flying on company's dime...10+ hour flight from Heathrow to Shanghai was a cinch! We landed early morning so I took the metro to my hotel in the old French Concession area. Not knowing where I am or the city made finding the hotel interesting and challenging....but I did find it without getting too lost. The hotel said "it's a 5 minute from the metro", but not if you're carrying a 40+ pound bag and a backpack!

The Old House Inn is a "boutique" hotel that has all the charm of 1930's Shanghai era. The room is decorated with simple yet elegant traditional Chinese furnitures. The room felt a bit dark but added the "great Gatsby" vibe.

Finding a restaurant for lunch was an adventure onto itself...by the time I checked-in, changed, and freshened up, it was almost 2pm and I was starving. The front desk told me there are several restaurants around the corner - "just turn right and then left and I should be able to find Xi Jia Garden restaurant". So I turned right, then left to a side street where I passed a sushi place (no!), a Chinese restaurant (not the one I was looking for), an Aussie bar (beer? no food!), another restaurant that I couldn't figure out (no one was inside, pass); but didn't find the restaurant I was looking for...so I turned around and walked back to the beginning of the street. Now it's almost 3pm and all the restaurants I passed by were closed, and I still haven't found the restaurant. As I'm about to the give up, I saw a security guard and showed him a piece of paper with the name of the restaurant - he points to the direction behind me, says something and goes back his post. I walked in the direction he was pointing and finally find the restaurant...success! But they're closed. The hostess tells me to come back after 6pm for dinner (ugh!). Now starving and no chance of finding food, I now look for any place that has food. Cafes, maybe...KFC, no! As I'm about to give up, there's a restaurant (more like a diner) that looks open. The menu is a book with pictures (hum), but at this point who cares. I skipped the frog's leg dish and ordered a bowl of noodles and pork bun...yum! If anyone's up for trying frog's legs, the name of the restaurant is Bi Feng Tang.

Now that my is belly full, it's time to explore the French Concession area...oh wait, I still need a haircut. I didn't get a chance to get a haircut in New York or London...so Shanghai seemed like the best option. For 50 Yuan, I got my hair wash, neck massaged and a hair cut, now that's a bargain!

With only few hours left in the day, I decided to just explore the immediate French Concession area. The Bund will have to wait for another time. The French Concession is sort of interesting with numerous French colonial style homes and buildings but it's very spotty and hard to know what's what. There's plenty of boutique stores along the major streets, but the alleyways were far more interesting. After walking in a loop, I'm back at the hotel and I'm exhausted since I haven't really slept in four nights. I put my head on the bed and next thing I know, it's 8pm. Well there goes the idea of having dinner at Xi Jia Garden, instead I went downstairs to The Purple Turtle (popular with ex-pats) and had a great dinner outside on the patio. I felt like part of the ex-pat community, enjoying the surrounding environment and various conversations around. This was a wonderful way to get my first taste of Shanghai - cheap local restaurants to high-end restaurants, plus there are plenty of clubs and flashy bars in the district, but I was too exhausted to check them out. I have an 8am flight to Lhasa, which means I need to leave the hotel by 6am...ugh!

Haircut in London?

I met Kerry for coffee by her office, near London Tower. We had a quality one-on-one, though it was far too short. I still needed to get couple of errands done before my flight, so back to Ana's apartment to pack (to "unload" some excess baggage weight) and try to get a haircut since I didn't have time in NYC. Big thank you to Ana for letting me crash at her place, taking care of me, and helping me do last minute errands! I wish I got to spend more time with all my friends in London...maybe I'll fly back towards London. Next stop - Shanghai.

London Calling

It's raining in London and cold...and that should surprise me? Actually, I was caught off guard when I got out of the Pimlico Station, near Ana's corporate apartment. I didn't have an umbrella or raincoat...but wait, I have my Patagonia Torrentshell jacket on the topside pocket of my Patagonia Scramble backpack (shameless plug for Patagonia). Ana met me half way since I wasn't sure where her apartment was from the station. It's so weird to see Ana in London, I saw her last week in Brooklyn and now she's an ex-pat living in London!

Ana and I went over to South Kensington area for lunch, then walked over to check out Ana & Scott's new apartment in Bolton Gardens Mews. She wasn't sure if she wanted to take the apartment since there were mysterious security guards across from their potential apartment. It seems someone has rented out three apartments only to use them as 'garages'...hum. As we were leaving, we ran into a neighbor who told us that Marcus Evans (owner of Ipswich Town Football Club) is the person who rents out the apartments. Ana was relieved to learn who the person is and her neighbor seemed super sweet. We walked around the neighborhood a bit and then headed to Victoria & Albert (V&A) Museum before meeting up with Kerry and Jocelin for drinks and tapas at Casa Brindisa. It was wonderful to catch up with Kerry and Jocelin, both who I haven't seen in over a year.

The adventure begins!

But first a beer at the airpot bar before take-off! Here's to my "American" beer and fried food (it was really hard but I walked right past Panda Express...) before I start my crazy journey to "The other side".

My move went well considering I had less then 12 hours to complete my packing. OK, I still had more stuff to go to my parents' house than I expected...but I'm out of the apartment and ready to embark on an increible journey. I'm saying good-bye to NYC and hello London!

First of many airlines I'll be taking this summer

Have a fantastic summer and I'll be in touch soon.

Finally packed! (I wish I could say the same for my apartment)

Bags finally selected and now stuffed with clothes, gears, electronics and enough Q-Tips to last me 6 months!  I've decided to bring an extra bag, my Patagonia Scramble 30 backpack, since I may need the bag for shorter (2-5 day) trips in Mongolia and Australia (or maybe I'll go check out all the 'stans').  Fingers crossed I didn't forget something major - oh crap, TP!  Oh well, I'll have to snag some at the hotel in Lhasa.


Well this is it...in roughly 36 hours, I'll be boarding Virgin Atlantic's A340 to London (my first stop on my way to Tibet)!  In case you're wondering what my route is and when/where I'll be riding in Tibet, here's the link to my trip itinerary via Trippit.  I'll keep adding itineraries as soon as I know where I'm going.


http://www.tripit.com/trip/public/id/429991E6A480


Have a fabulous summer and see you all soon.  Ping me if you get the itch to travel and want to join me along the way!  I'm open to suggestions ;-)


Cheers!