Shegar - New Tingri
Trip Start
May 21, 2010
1
5
8
Trip End
Jun 05, 2010
Xegar, Xizang, China
Sunday, May 30, 2010
We started the day off with a visit to Tahilumpo/Tashilumpo monastery. This too was featured in Michael Palin's Himalaya which we watched just before we came out. It has the largest Bronze Buddha in Tibet but taking photos had been made prohibitively expensive. Deliberately I think. The photo policy varied from monastery to monastery we found. Some of the monasteries banned photos in certain temples altogether. Most charged 5 or 10 Yuan, this one was 75 yuan or even for some temples/rooms 125 yuan. We didn't take photos, but it was a sight to see.
Before we left Shigatse there was a supermarket stop so we could stock up on pot noodles, water and loo roll for the next couple of days. Our guides were not sure what food would be available in both Shegar and Rombuk or wherever we end up (this part seems fluid and a bit disorganised).
Pretty much that was the 'cultural' part of the trip done and now it was time for some scenery. Our drivers switched into super Top Gear mode as we climbed higher and higher over mountain passes.
En route to Shegar we stopped for lunch at Lhatse. This is truly a one horse town, the locals seem to prefer riding about on tractors. Lunch was a real experience here as we were a public curiosity. The locals crowded around the restaurant window like a scene from a Zombie movie. At one point there were around 25 people there. Now I know I'm rubbish with chopsticks but it's not that entertaining to watch. It was quite unnerving, and of course we had been placed in the window seats! I can't believe we were the first tour party to ever pass through. Shame as well the food here was pretty bad - really salty and the toilets were truly minging for ones attached to a restaurant!
On the way out of town, The Hamster broke down. Our driver, being the fixer, stopped to help him. I think we were around three quarters of an hour while they tried to get the car going. Eventually it sparked into life and off both jeeps went.
Onwards and upwards. Just a few miles after we entered the Qomolangma National Park was got our second sighting of Everest after the plane journey at Gyatso-La. We generally all stood there gasping a lot!
The drive continued across really bleak countryside until we reach the no horse town of Shegar (variously New Tingri, Xegar or renamed Shag-all).
Again our hotel looked promising on the outside but the rooms were a bit grubby and we found out at night there was no heating and very little hot water. We put all the blankets on the bed and still froze.
We were confined to barracks overnight as we were on the edge of the town so we ate at the hotel. Our stock of food has remained untouched so far! Food was OK here, better than expected. The hotel had a little souvenir shop and we all bought something Everesty/Qomalangma-ish to take home.
So to our cold beds....
