Exploradus
Tibet here we come – finally!!!
All went well once the Air China plane arrived in KTM. We boarded quickly and were off across the Himalaya. We had a spectacular flight past Everest, Makalu and then the peaks in Bhutan before turning north to Lhasa. We are travelling with several large groups from Russia, Italy, Germany but no other Americans or Nepalese.
This trip had a few times when we were not sure it was going to happen or not. Audrey had made an attempt in 2008 to travel to Tibet but the Chinese closed the border after we arrived in Nepal so we were forced to go to India and Ladakh instead. We received our Tibet visa the week before the central government changed the entry rules to read ’“” –—…œourist groups must be made up of a party of 4 or more all from the same nationality’“” –—…Nt Luckily for us my good friends from years ago were able to get our visa reissued despite the fat we were really two parties of two travelling together. Finally getting the Group Visa and then getting through the China Customs and Immigration was a huge relief.
After a lengthy arrival process we were finally in Tibet/China. We were met at the airport by our guide Tashi and two drivers who will be with us the entire trip. We packed the Land Cruisers and off we went towards Samye.
My first observation upon returning to Tibet after being gone since 1995 was that the roads were paved and in good order and the traffic police were everywhere and the drivers were mindful of the speed limits ’“” –—…“at least our drivers were. The place seemed clean and in reasonable working order. The towns along the way all had a definite Chinese presence and style to the building. The homes however still seemed to be Tibetan. There was a definite difference.
The drive was longer than I remembered. Some things still have not changed; you must still get ’“” –—…œravel Permits’“” –—…Ntto visit anything special’“” –—… lots and lots of red tape. Finally we arrived and checked into the New Samye Guesthouse. The rooms were clean and the water worked. We settled in for the night in a state of shock finally having arrived in Tibet/China.
Day 1 complete.!!!
We finally arrived in Tibet
Audrey and Ang Purba at the Lhasa airport
New Tibet... paved roads and chinese shops!!!!
All went well once the Air China plane arrived in KTM. We boarded quickly and were off across the Himalaya. We had a spectacular flight past Everest, Makalu and then the peaks in Bhutan before turning north to Lhasa. We are travelling with several large groups from Russia, Italy, Germany but no other Americans or Nepalese.
This trip had a few times when we were not sure it was going to happen or not. Audrey had made an attempt in 2008 to travel to Tibet but the Chinese closed the border after we arrived in Nepal so we were forced to go to India and Ladakh instead. We received our Tibet visa the week before the central government changed the entry rules to read ’“” –—…œourist groups must be made up of a party of 4 or more all from the same nationality’“” –—…Nt Luckily for us my good friends from years ago were able to get our visa reissued despite the fat we were really two parties of two travelling together. Finally getting the Group Visa and then getting through the China Customs and Immigration was a huge relief.
After a lengthy arrival process we were finally in Tibet/China. We were met at the airport by our guide Tashi and two drivers who will be with us the entire trip. We packed the Land Cruisers and off we went towards Samye.
My first observation upon returning to Tibet after being gone since 1995 was that the roads were paved and in good order and the traffic police were everywhere and the drivers were mindful of the speed limits ’“” –—…“at least our drivers were. The place seemed clean and in reasonable working order. The towns along the way all had a definite Chinese presence and style to the building. The homes however still seemed to be Tibetan. There was a definite difference.
The drive was longer than I remembered. Some things still have not changed; you must still get ’“” –—…œravel Permits’“” –—…Ntto visit anything special’“” –—… lots and lots of red tape. Finally we arrived and checked into the New Samye Guesthouse. The rooms were clean and the water worked. We settled in for the night in a state of shock finally having arrived in Tibet/China.
Day 1 complete.!!!
We finally arrived in Tibet
Audrey and Ang Purba at the Lhasa airport
New Tibet... paved roads and chinese shops!!!!
22-24 May 2012
Red Tape, nationwide strikes and uncertainty...
The flight to Nepal went smoothly as it almost always does when flying on Thai Airways International. Things seem to work on time and with a great deal of attention to detail. The only new change is that Thai has return to the old schedule that requires you to overnight in Bangkok. All went well and we arrived in Kathmandu on time with all our bags and ready to go.
Nepal on the other hand is under a constant attack from the political wrangling within the ’“” –—…œewly elected’“” –—…Ntgovernment. After years of civil war the Maoist groups have now been elected to the government in a hope that things will improve for all people. It has been nearly four years since the election and still no constitution. This has been fueled in part by the constant changes in demands by both sides. The tactic used to support each cause is to call a general strike. This means that everything shuts down from 5am-5pm except tourist transportation. The challenge is to get even basic supplies and preparations for the trip taken care of in time to meet our flight to Tibet/China on the 24th May 2012. We needed to get our travel documents issued by the Chinese embassy before we could leave. Luckily we were able to submit our passports and papers through friends to the Chinese Embassy and as promised they arrived a day ahead of our departure.
Things in KTM were mostly shut down and there was little to see or do but wait. The good thing that happens as a result of the strike is that the air gets a little bit cleaner. This is especially good because to get anything done you must walk. When the traffic is in full swing the air is fowl and can cause some real respiratory distress. This is not something any of us needs before we fly on to Tibet/China.
Nima and Phurba walked over to the Malla Hotel to see us and to check that everything was OK. Luckily for them they are used to walking so the 2 hour round trip was not too big a hardship. We on the other hand ventured out only a little during our stay in Kathmandu. Audrey did get in a half day of sightseeing. She went in search of ’“” –—…œodern art’“” –—…Ntbut found traditional arts and crafts instead. Check out her blog at www.audreygonzalez.net for details on her sightseeing and shopping spree!!!
The strike ended the day before we left for Tibet/China and was still called off the morning we departed. We arrived at the airport and checked-in for our flight only to be told it was to be delayed by two hours. Again waiting’“” –—… Will we ever get to Tibet/China?
Nima Tashi and his wife Ang Phurba after their walk to the Malla Hotel to greet us.
Audrey eating pizza after the strike... finally a place to go and something to do!!!!
Red Tape, nationwide strikes and uncertainty...
The flight to Nepal went smoothly as it almost always does when flying on Thai Airways International. Things seem to work on time and with a great deal of attention to detail. The only new change is that Thai has return to the old schedule that requires you to overnight in Bangkok. All went well and we arrived in Kathmandu on time with all our bags and ready to go.
Nepal on the other hand is under a constant attack from the political wrangling within the ’“” –—…œewly elected’“” –—…Ntgovernment. After years of civil war the Maoist groups have now been elected to the government in a hope that things will improve for all people. It has been nearly four years since the election and still no constitution. This has been fueled in part by the constant changes in demands by both sides. The tactic used to support each cause is to call a general strike. This means that everything shuts down from 5am-5pm except tourist transportation. The challenge is to get even basic supplies and preparations for the trip taken care of in time to meet our flight to Tibet/China on the 24th May 2012. We needed to get our travel documents issued by the Chinese embassy before we could leave. Luckily we were able to submit our passports and papers through friends to the Chinese Embassy and as promised they arrived a day ahead of our departure.
Things in KTM were mostly shut down and there was little to see or do but wait. The good thing that happens as a result of the strike is that the air gets a little bit cleaner. This is especially good because to get anything done you must walk. When the traffic is in full swing the air is fowl and can cause some real respiratory distress. This is not something any of us needs before we fly on to Tibet/China.
Nima and Phurba walked over to the Malla Hotel to see us and to check that everything was OK. Luckily for them they are used to walking so the 2 hour round trip was not too big a hardship. We on the other hand ventured out only a little during our stay in Kathmandu. Audrey did get in a half day of sightseeing. She went in search of ’“” –—…œodern art’“” –—…Ntbut found traditional arts and crafts instead. Check out her blog at www.audreygonzalez.net for details on her sightseeing and shopping spree!!!
The strike ended the day before we left for Tibet/China and was still called off the morning we departed. We arrived at the airport and checked-in for our flight only to be told it was to be delayed by two hours. Again waiting’“” –—… Will we ever get to Tibet/China?
Nima Tashi and his wife Ang Phurba after their walk to the Malla Hotel to greet us.
Audrey eating pizza after the strike... finally a place to go and something to do!!!!
18-21 May 2012
Taking off from Jackson and heading to LA was a routine flight. Everything went according to plan and there was nothing really to worry about. This is a trip that I have made a great many times over the past 30 plus years. I had to ask myself was there anything different about this journey? the answer was YES!
This trip is a trip not only to take my good friend Audrey Gonzalez to Tibet and specifically to Mt Kailas but a chance to share this journey with my Sherpa friend Nima Tashi and his wife Ang Phurba. It will also be the beginning of a new chapter in the Exploradus exploration ’“” –—…“this marks the start of Exploration Travel as a new genre of travel.
Audrey Gonzalez, Reverend Audrey Gonzalez as she often refers to herself, is a colorful woman with a life of exploration. Her journeys have not taken her to the places I have visited but have taken her to places I will never visit. She has now turned her attention to exploring the spiritual worlds of other cultures while maintaining her strong attachment to her role in the "church" We have traveled together four years ago to Nepal, India and Bhutan. Audrey had the young women she worked with and the children in her granddaughter's class make prayer flags to take to the Base Camp at Mt Everest in Nepal. She made the long and arduous journey to Base Camp and with the help of Nima Tashi to place the flags’“” –—…she has again brought flags from the girls in Memphis, TN to hang in view of Mt Everest from the North side. After we make the journey to the Rongbok side of Mt. Everest we will continue on the Mt Kailas for a visit to the holiest mountain of the Hindus and Tibetan Buddhist. We hope to arrive just in time for the Saga Dawa celebration at the foot of Mt Kailas. Once there we will put all our efforts into circumnavigating the mountain along with the many pilgrims from around the world. This ’“” –—…œora’“” –—…Ntis a spiritual journey many people wait an entire life time to accomplish. Completion of the ’“” –—…œora’“” –—…Ntgives the believers a special atonement that can be gotten no other way. This journey for the Reverend Audrey Gonzalez is multi-layered and vastly different from other explorations she has undertaken. Audrey will be blogging on her personal blog about her experience www.audreygonzalez.net Check it out!!!!
Nima Tashi and Ang Phurba are two of my most trusted friends. Together we have climbed the highest mountains in the world, trekked across half of the Nepal Himalaya and watched their family grow up and prosper. Nima has had his share of hardships ’“” –—…“broken legs, fused ankle, skull fracture from an avalanche on Mt Everest that left him deaf in one ear and with only partial hearing in the other plus years and years of the tough life living in Pangboche at the base of Mt Everest in Nepal. Through this all Nima and Phurba have remained upbeat and always positive in their outlook on life. I hope this trip adds to their lives in a meaningful way. I know having them along on this journey will add meaning and depth to the exploration that I could get no other way.
I travelled in Tibet for many years in the early years of Tibet’“” –—…™ reopening to tourism from 1983-1995. Those twelve years were filed with wonder, hardship and excitement. I stopped coming to Tibet and China somewhere around 1995 for no special reason. Simply put the people I was taking places no longer were interested in China and Tibet. I am returning with my eyes wide open and no real expectation of what we will find except that things will have changed. Tibet has had a huge influx of Chinese over the last decade and a half. There is now a train that connects Tibet with China and will soon connect other parts of Tibet with Lhasa. Yet I still believe that the strength of the Tibetan people both in and outside Tibet is irrepressible. The Tibetan culture is founded in a spiritual belief that finds strength in its purity and compassion. I hope I am right.
We will do our best to post blogs and dispatches throughout the trip. Audrey is better than I am at writing and has a much different prospective. I suggest you read her blog as well www.audreygonzalez.net
We are off to Nepal and then to China/Tibet. The next few days will be travel’“” –—…travel’“” –—…travel’“” –—…
Taking off from Jackson and heading to LA was a routine flight. Everything went according to plan and there was nothing really to worry about. This is a trip that I have made a great many times over the past 30 plus years. I had to ask myself was there anything different about this journey? the answer was YES!
This trip is a trip not only to take my good friend Audrey Gonzalez to Tibet and specifically to Mt Kailas but a chance to share this journey with my Sherpa friend Nima Tashi and his wife Ang Phurba. It will also be the beginning of a new chapter in the Exploradus exploration ’“” –—…“this marks the start of Exploration Travel as a new genre of travel.
Audrey Gonzalez, Reverend Audrey Gonzalez as she often refers to herself, is a colorful woman with a life of exploration. Her journeys have not taken her to the places I have visited but have taken her to places I will never visit. She has now turned her attention to exploring the spiritual worlds of other cultures while maintaining her strong attachment to her role in the "church" We have traveled together four years ago to Nepal, India and Bhutan. Audrey had the young women she worked with and the children in her granddaughter's class make prayer flags to take to the Base Camp at Mt Everest in Nepal. She made the long and arduous journey to Base Camp and with the help of Nima Tashi to place the flags’“” –—…she has again brought flags from the girls in Memphis, TN to hang in view of Mt Everest from the North side. After we make the journey to the Rongbok side of Mt. Everest we will continue on the Mt Kailas for a visit to the holiest mountain of the Hindus and Tibetan Buddhist. We hope to arrive just in time for the Saga Dawa celebration at the foot of Mt Kailas. Once there we will put all our efforts into circumnavigating the mountain along with the many pilgrims from around the world. This ’“” –—…œora’“” –—…Ntis a spiritual journey many people wait an entire life time to accomplish. Completion of the ’“” –—…œora’“” –—…Ntgives the believers a special atonement that can be gotten no other way. This journey for the Reverend Audrey Gonzalez is multi-layered and vastly different from other explorations she has undertaken. Audrey will be blogging on her personal blog about her experience www.audreygonzalez.net Check it out!!!!
Nima Tashi and Ang Phurba are two of my most trusted friends. Together we have climbed the highest mountains in the world, trekked across half of the Nepal Himalaya and watched their family grow up and prosper. Nima has had his share of hardships ’“” –—…“broken legs, fused ankle, skull fracture from an avalanche on Mt Everest that left him deaf in one ear and with only partial hearing in the other plus years and years of the tough life living in Pangboche at the base of Mt Everest in Nepal. Through this all Nima and Phurba have remained upbeat and always positive in their outlook on life. I hope this trip adds to their lives in a meaningful way. I know having them along on this journey will add meaning and depth to the exploration that I could get no other way.
I travelled in Tibet for many years in the early years of Tibet’“” –—…™ reopening to tourism from 1983-1995. Those twelve years were filed with wonder, hardship and excitement. I stopped coming to Tibet and China somewhere around 1995 for no special reason. Simply put the people I was taking places no longer were interested in China and Tibet. I am returning with my eyes wide open and no real expectation of what we will find except that things will have changed. Tibet has had a huge influx of Chinese over the last decade and a half. There is now a train that connects Tibet with China and will soon connect other parts of Tibet with Lhasa. Yet I still believe that the strength of the Tibetan people both in and outside Tibet is irrepressible. The Tibetan culture is founded in a spiritual belief that finds strength in its purity and compassion. I hope I am right.
We will do our best to post blogs and dispatches throughout the trip. Audrey is better than I am at writing and has a much different prospective. I suggest you read her blog as well www.audreygonzalez.net
We are off to Nepal and then to China/Tibet. The next few days will be travel’“” –—…travel’“” –—…travel’“” –—…
The Exploradus Return to Tibet Kailash Pilgrimage will start 24 May 2012
This spring we will return to Tibet for a pilgrimage.
