At Lhasa I had the same task as captain Ivanov, to find a partners to share price of Land Cruiser. For a few days I cannot find anybody who wants to go for 7-8 days trip. Eventually I found 2 coupes, American and English, who want to go for 6 days trip for $125 per person. I knew that couples, are worst travel partners, but I had no choice. Couples, especially young couples have tendency to get locked at each other and ignore others.
After we left Lhasa, for hundreds of kilometers we did not see a single tree or bush, only grass. Well, it is a shame to call it yellow grayish pricky something a grass. Only yak can eat it. It is became understandible why Tibetans make everything from yaks and their own body parts. There is notning else there.
First stop at Guantze, the most Tibetan town in Tibet. When you sit on the roof of Tibetan temple in the evening, surrounded by these naked mountains and hear Tibetan monks pray, you start to feel fluids of Tibetan Buddism going through you. Temples are mistical, misterious, ancient (dremychie). They are not tourists objects, they are for real. They are dark inside, smely, durty, functioning, with monks insde doing their daily duty.
Every evening after dinner we had a quiet time, somebody read, somebody relax. American couple use this time to write down daily expenses. They were not married yet, so they kept their finances separately. While one of them pay for a lunch or dinner, they remember how much the dishes of each cost and allocate these expences accordingly. Food is very cheap there, so dinner for two cost $2-3. When they came to Katmandu, they reward themself for difficulty of trip and decided to stay in expensive hotel for $90 per night. By contrast mine with toulet and shower cost $5. Oh my Russian readers, if you are trying to understand this misterious western soul, abandon your attemps you never will understand it. I will write later about misterious Slavic soil.
Our Land Cruiser did not go to Everest base camp and stop at the monastery 8 km from EBC. I went there on bike. Altitude of EBC 5200m. In spite I was acclimatise at Lhasa, I felt all simptoms of high altitude. Soon I stop riding and walk. I notece for myself point of next stop, and usually have to stop well before. Hang on my bike and relax until my heard and lung came to norm, more or less. Everest as I already sait is scary. Southern slope, in Nepal is slow. Northern in Tibet extend almost vertically from morenas, on which yak herds to stratosfere. My way back I made on bike. It was real mountain biking. Amasingly, my Brompton survive it. I left Land Cruiser before last pass of Tibetian plateu by mistake. Then I reach last pass, the bus with tourist from Chech Republick reach it too. I was like folk hero them, like you, PhillBike for me. There are you by-the-way. They make pictures on my and my bike background. I was stupid enough to take no food with me, so they gave me their krendlikis and shpekachkis, which was very useful because till evening it was no place to buy a food.
After initial sharp decent a road became flat and sandy, with strong head wind. I got exosted and tried to stop passing cars, nobody stop. Evening approach it was cold and Nualam which I have to reach was far far away. I realised how stupid to travel without tent and sleeping bag. Suddenly car passed me and stop, and even backed back toward me. It was russian group with Russian tour gues Katia, I wrote to you before about her and her Sirdar husband. These guys saved my life if not them I probably will freese before I reach Nualam.
Katmandu nepal
Oct 25 2000
midnight
Alex Mumzhiu