Well - it's far ... I mean really, really far... Maybe 80 km away from we are, but I can still see his Greatly Glorious Magnificent Massive White Peak Undisturbed by anything Peacefully Drilling into the sky with Ice Cold Simplicity a parting clouds from both sides. The Everest let me knew in the morning who is The King of this area. Just by one look towards it makes me willing to bow before His Majesty.
Outside is really cold! Maybe just a few degrees above zero. I have not slept all night - was sending e-mails to my friends, reading book and reviewed photos. Probably because of altitude. It's about 4700 in here - 1 km higher than in Shigatse where I stayed for two nights and about 1,5 km higher than Lhasa.
At the breakfast I had the same ginger soup with vegetable rice. I know that it's bad to eat rice in the morning but I felt hungry and It's delicious in here especially when the food is accompanied with the beautiful Tibetan music!:) meanwhile phone was on the super-slow charger to continue charge up what missed yesterday.
Also I tried Tibetan national dish which Dalai Lama eats every day and recommends to everybody eat it every day against cancer, called "tsampa" made from barley and dried yaks cheese turned into powder, mixed with sugar and added hot water.
Also we made a "Tibetan shower" - on coal made from yaks shit burned juniper incense after which I felt really great - my nose opened and I felt fresh energy coming inside me.
Actually it's amazing in how many ways Tibetans are using yak -they make even the fire from their shit dried in sun instead of wood! They collect shit all summer, dry it and in winter burning it.
If yesterday I was dreaming of leaving this tourism business obsessed country then today I feel sad each minute going more and more out of it. I experienced a part of the real Tibet. It is something different than tourist filled Lhasa. The couple who managed this hotel and restaurant was shining with peacefulness and love. It was a pleasure just to be accompanied by them. The atmosphere was blessed and their business filled with love everyone can enjoy. Great man and devoted wife. Om Shanti Om.
As we are getting closer to the Nepal border the altitude gets lower. Seems like Himalayan mountains just don't want to stop showing their beauty.towards Nepal they become more greener and full of waterfalls. It seems like mountains are milking clouds and they happily gives away the best water that ever possible vet on earth.
Mountain serpentine are crazy. Very often we drive under some waterfall, bit sometimes there are tunnels when waterfall is to strong. Driver knows roads well, but anyway even with a speed of only 50 km/h, looking just behind the shoulder and seeing nothing down for at least 300-400 meters except rear clouds makes me feel how much currently my life depends on drivers mastery.
Just before some 15 km before the border we saw car crashed and our guide told us that two days ago there was a big bus who felt dawn the cliff...So after two more kilometers the border zone started and I had to take of my bicycle from the back of the car and drive down the hill by myself. It was the best part I ever experienced driving a bicycle!:) 15 kilometers down the hill!!!:)
I made a lot of pictures and even managed to make some videos!:) at the Nepal border I waited for them to come for about half hour and after we met we went to some restaurant for the last time have Chinese noodles in china.
And afterwards we crossed the border. It was full of people caring some heavy stuff on their heads, shoulders and - basically anywhere on the body was possible to put something on - there was something...
The difference between China and Nepal is HUGE!!! First of all people - since the very border we have been followed by two Nepalese people who wanted to give us some help even if we refused for 20 times.
From one of them we got lucky to get rid off after I turned to him straight walked eye-to-eye in a distance less than 5 centimeters looked straight into his eyes and told him that I don't want to see him anymore following me and got sure he understood it.
To get rid-off the second one was harder - he had some connections on a border and when we stood in a lane to get our Nepal visas, which costed about 25 EUR for each, one of the border controller came to us and said that we HAVE to use this guys offer if we want to go to Kathmandu. Quickly we figured out to say that we are not going today but tomorrow as we had a long day and it's enough for us to travel further today and we will stay in some local hotel on a border.:)
So after each of us got Nepal visa, we moved forwards and through hotel found a jeep who could bring us from border to Kathmandu: three people plus bicycle for 50 EUR, which for us was OK and we attached bicycle on the roof of the car and comfortably begin our move through the incredible fairy-tale look-like country side beauty of Nepal untill we reached road block caused by land-slide.
We stocked on a road for about hour. I took a quick "shower" in a nearby waterfall and felt good!:) Meantime local children managed to gather around our car and check everything what was in a back, what was on a roof and even managed to ask us a money which we had to refuse.
The landscapes are beautiful in Nepal. Everywhere waterfalls, hugged in between green and huge mountain valleys, surrounded by different kind of trees and plants and gigantic butterflies!:)
There was one car which could not pass the valley after road was partly rebuilt just to continue the cars moving. Everybody was helping them up towards the hill. We came, too. And I saw 4 people sitting in a car. I was like wtf!? And we opened a doors and said them get out. And with a big smile they got out and finally there was enough power to move the car up the hill.
And afterwards we moved forward to Kathmandu, where we arrived in the very evening and moved in our hostel. Instead of paying for transportation I left my bicycle to the driver as I thought it is a good deal - I lost only about 15 eur, but had an unique biking experience in Tibet. It was like a "rent a bike" option. So now I'm free again!:) We were tired and after supper went sleep.
The difference between China and Nepal is HUGE!!! First of all people - since the very border we have been followed by two Nepalese people who wanted to give us some help even if we refused for 20 times.
From one of them we got lucky to get rid off after I turned to him straight walked eye-to-eye in a distance less than 5 centimeters looked straight into his eyes and told him that I don't want to see him anymore following me and got sure he understood it.
To get rid-off the second one was harder - he had some connections on a border and when we stood in a lane to get our Nepal visas, which costed about 25 EUR for each, one of the border controller came to us and said that we HAVE to use this guys offer if we want to go to Kathmandu. Quickly we figured out to say that we are not going today but tomorrow as we had a long day and it's enough for us to travel further today and we will stay in some local hotel on a border.:)
So after each of us got Nepal visa, we moved forwards and through hotel found a jeep who could bring us from border to Kathmandu: three people plus bicycle for 50 EUR, which for us was OK and we attached bicycle on the roof of the car and comfortably begin our move through the incredible fairy-tale look-like country side beauty of Nepal untill we reached road block caused by land-slide.
We stocked on a road for about hour. I took a quick "shower" in a nearby waterfall and felt good!:) Meantime local children managed to gather around our car and check everything what was in a back, what was on a roof and even managed to ask us a money which we had to refuse.
The landscapes are beautiful in Nepal. Everywhere waterfalls, hugged in between green and huge mountain valleys, surrounded by different kind of trees and plants and gigantic butterflies!:)
There was one car which could not pass the valley after road was partly rebuilt just to continue the cars moving. Everybody was helping them up towards the hill. We came, too. And I saw 4 people sitting in a car. I was like wtf!? And we opened a doors and said them get out. And with a big smile they got out and finally there was enough power to move the car up the hill.
And afterwards we moved forward to Kathmandu, where we arrived in the very evening and moved in our hostel. Instead of paying for transportation I left my bicycle to the driver as I thought it is a good deal - I lost only about 15 eur, but had an unique biking experience in Tibet. It was like a "rent a bike" option. So now I'm free again!:) We were tired and after supper went sleep.
