06/28/2002 00:08 HST

I forgot to comment on the poor Tibetans in my earlier closing
transmission. They, especially those in the countryside, live
in the most god forsaken place on earth. The Cultural Revolution
(in the 80's) destroyed much of their history and culture. Temples
and monasteries, a very important part of their meager life,
were sacked, ravaged and often partially destroyed. Most of the
monks were banished to the countryside. The Chinese government
encouraged and subdized immigration from other provinces thus
displacing many of the locals.

The present Chinese government recognizes many of these mistakes
(not just here but throughout China) but it has its handsfull.
All of China has high expectations and the people are clamoring
for infrastructure and benefits. Tibet is a small blip in the
total picture. You can't bring back what was destroyed and it
is very hard, and expensive, to restore ancient works.

06/27/2002 HST
Well, I made it to Zhangmu which is on the Tibet/Nepal border.
Tomorrow I cross over to meet my Nepalese guide at will pend
the night in Katmandu. Sunday I fly to Delhi (110 degrees yesterday!)
and then on to Rochester via Frankfurt and Washington.
I didn't write yesterday as I was in a two bit town with no phones,
nonetheless Internet access.
For the past two days I've been traveling through valleys on
the backside of the Himalayas. Large, level (not the road!)
1-2 mile arid valleys with 2-3,000' barren, deeply eroded hillsides
on each side. Large aluvial fans at each wash much like the
lava flows on the big island. Every couple of miles we encounter
shepherds herding yaks, cows or sheeps, sometimes in the road.
Also small villges here and there. Every 10-15 miles the valley
tightens up and we start climbing a cliffside road along a river
gorge and the descend the same way. Several passes over 16,000',
one higher than the 16,400'Everest base camp! (We passed the
access road but it was a 6 hour, very rough road so we didn't
go in.)
The last 20 miles were quite spectacular as we crossed through
the Himalayas. We got below the tree line (10,000'?) so it was
heavily forested. We climbed several thousand feet, about half
way up a winding river gorge. Waterfalls everywhere, many world
class. The road hugged the cliff all the way.

It looks like I'm in the clear so this will be my last journal.
I'd like to thank Becky for letting me do my thing, Jim Apts,
Becky's e-mailman, Fred Lins for posting my notes and last of
all, the good Lord (and his local incarnations) for watching
over me.

Aloha

Lenny

06/25/2002 21:21 HST

I arrived safely in Shigatse (Tibet's second biggest city) about
12:30 pm. I didn'y write yesterday as I couldn't find access
in Giyatse. Today I've got the best computer and connection
in the past week.

THE ROAD FROM LHASA TO GIYATSE (Tuesday)

It was about 7 hours, 175 miles on unpaved, 1-1 1/2 lane, mountain
roads hugging the sides of 2-3,000' deep gorges. Two of the
passes were over 16,000'. According to my guide, approximately
the height of the Mt. Everest base camp which we will pass (at
a distance) on Friday).
The area is very dry and desolate although we often encounter
nomadic peoples grazing yak, sheep and cows. Generally we follow
river gorges which sometimes open into verdant meadows when we
get below 12,000'.
It always interesting when we encounter another vehicle, especially
heavily overloaded trucks (about every 10-15 minutes). Going
up, we get in his dust cloud and the driver tootles his horn.
Nothing happens so we get in tighter and blow it continuosly.
If my driver can get abreast (on a 15' wide road), we can usually
"outrace" the other vehicle and get by before the next zag in
the road. That is if we don't encounter something (anything
from people, animals, another vehicle) coming the other way.
If so, we have to start over.
We had one particularly scary experience coming down yesterday.
We encountered a truck which would be rated for 5 tons in the
US coming up. It had about a 10 ton load with a dozen "riders"
on top (about 15' off the ground). Off course niether driver
used one of the few wider areas so we end up side by side on
a 15' wide roadway. We've got a 12-18" ditch (for drainage on
our right), the truck has about a 2,000' gorge on his right.
He can't back up as he would surely lose it all on the 10 degree
grade. In fact, he was in great danger if he even started to
roll back if he took his foot off the brakes or tried to shift
gears. We can't go forward because of the ditch (or backup because
of the grade). The two drver roll down their windows and scream
at each other for 10 minutes. Finally my driver takes a chance
and manages to squeeze by in a coordinated move where one inches
forward and the other does the same in the opposite direction.
Later we encountered about 40 "locals" (nomads) muscling a taxi
into a dump truck. It had obviously gone over the edge near
a switch back and had cartwheeled several hundred feet down to
the road below. My guide's comment was that the taxis drive
too fast.

GIYANTSE TO SHIGATSE (this morning)

The Friendship Highway out of town (the same highway to Nepal
that we were on yesterday but now on relatively flat land) is
under reconstruction so we take a "shortcut" using the village
backroads. First we run along a 15' high river levee for 10 miles
or so. Think moguls! Then we get on the intervillage roads.
One might call them jeeptracks other than that they are several
inches deep in dust and everyone else is trying the same thing
to bypass the construction. Numerous twists and turns. Much
conversation between driver and guide at each intersection (?).
Fiinally we get back to the highway. Its unbelievable - the
best road I've seen in Tibet. 1-2 mile straightaways, smoothly
paved, 24' wide, even 18" shoulders! We go about 10 miles and
then encounter a wire accross the road with a couple of "administrators"
collecting a toll. A couple of more miles and then another wire
so we're back to the village roads. This goes on a half dozen
times. Several more opposing traffic confrontations on the levee
moguls. Finally, three hous later, we get half decent highway
into town.

Time for my afternnon temple/monastery tour.

Aloha

Lenny

06/23/02 21:54 HST

Last week I referred some people to the June 17th Time cover
story on the emloyment problems in China. The American edition
may have been different. Try www.timeasia.com (the address on
the Asian version cover.)

I just returned from my afternoon tour of another monastery.
All have been on hills which means 3-400 steps up, 5-10 up &
down into each building, 3-4 (sometimes more) into each chapel
or room, 10 or so rungs/steps up steep stairs/ladders and then
reverse to return. All are 5-600 years old, dark, dingy, covered
with soot from the hundreds of votive lights and incense and
full of 1000's of Budhist figures and scriptures. For detailed
information, check the links on the following websites: www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/tibet/lhasa/index.htm
and ...../shigatse/index.htm (Shigatse is the 2nd biggest city
where I'll be on 6/26. We'll be passing through several passes
over 16,400' on the way. The FAA (the Federal Aviation Authority)
requires pilots and passengers to use oxygen over 12,000'!)
The entrance to all of the visitor sites, (temples, monastaries,hotels,
plazas, shopping lanes, etc.),are filled with beggars, street
urchins, handicapped, women with babies, and vendors selling
"junk". Some are very persistent and annoying. Poverty seems
quite widespread
Caucasian visitors are few and far between. I'll see maybe several
dozen in a day. Chinese tourists are the majority with some from
S E Asia. The people are extremely religious so all the religious
sites (which is where most of the tourists of all types are guided
to because of their historical significance) are crowded with
worshippers of all classes and means.
The Chinese control and occupation is a sore subject with many.
There was tremendous damage during the Cultural Revolution and
several revolts and protests have been brutally crushed. The
Chinese government encouraged and subsidized Han (Chinese (95%
of China is Han) immigration into Tibet, especially the cities.)
The Red army and facilities are quite visible, something I didn't
see elsewhere in China. Read www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/north_east_asia/tibet/
(History, pages 3-10 of the printable version, especially the
last 3 if you're pressed for time.)

Yak butter. (A yak is a hairy cow commom in Tibet.) Its used
everywhere for everything. Every meal has yak butter tea: A
mixture of tea (I couldn't taste it so it must be at least 50/50),
and a yak milk/butter mixture. It pours easily when heated but
congeals quickly with the butter on top. Also the major oil
in the religious votive lights (thousands). The butter tea is
also mixed with powdered barley to a moist ball.

Aloha

Lenny

6/22/02 20:20 HST

Several people have asked about travel arrangements. I flew
into Kunming from Bangkok. A local English speaking (?) guide
and driver met me at the airport. They take me to the hotel,
to eat and the major tourist/historical sites. The next dat
they drove me to Tiger Leaping Gorge where I was handed off to
a lady guide from Shangri La. Same routine, same driver and
then they put me on the lane to Lhasa the next day. I was met
there by a local guide and driver who will stay with me until
I cross the border into Nepal on the 29th.

Explanation from current guide on the "rock" highway warnings:
The "offical" rocks have a dab of red paint somewhere (?). That
sure helps when you're going 60 mph.

Lhasa airport was 60 miles from city. Pleasent drive over "corrogated"
road in SUV with no shocks!

Interesting experience on boarding Southwest China 757 out of
Zhongdian. Checkin counters opened 30 minutes before scheduled
departure. The guide doesn't go into boarding hall so you're
on you're own. Plane arrives and about 100 soldirs and 50 passengers
enter the hall as they are "in transit" (continuing on from Beijing).
Most reboard and they suddenly stop with me 3rd in line (actually
3rd row as nobody cues). About 30 minutes later one of my checked
bags shows up (along witha half dozen others) so I take it and
hand carry it to Lhasa. I'm still wondering what would have happened
if I squeezed through like 20 others did during the boarding
process. 15 minutes later they start unloading some of checked
baggage. Another 15 minutes later they let us board. I can't
help but wonder where my second bag is! Luckily it showed up
in Lhasa.

Time for our afternnon tour.

Aloha

Lenny