Lhasa/Xining - A pictorial TR

[Ric]

Four mates and I decided in April to do a quick trip to Lhasa in mid May. General itinerary was to fly from Guangzhou to Lhasa and then take the Qinghai Rail from Lhasa to Xining (23hrs train ride) and fly back down to Guangzhou from Xining.
Neither a good narrator nor writer, I will let the pictures tell the story....
We started from Guangzhou on Southern China Airlines and transited at Chongqing.

Pics from plane over the Himalayas...enroute to Lhasa from Chongqing




On descent to Lhasa and Lhasa Airport....



Footnote: Don't expect anything from your Skyteam matched status, Platinum, Gold or otherwise from Southern China!! No priority lanes, no priority tags, no lounge invitation...zilch! No nothing! In Guangzhou they just record your number and in Chongqing...they have no freaking idea what to do with it!!:shock:

From airport to Lhasa City....into the mountains

 

[Ric]

and passing by Lhasa River.....

 

[Ric]

Back of Potala Palace from my hotel room...



Different angles of Potala Palace..the ex-official residence of the Dalai Lamas.
Now it is basically a museum and unfortunately, no photos inside and this goes for all the monasteries...


Note: Devotees have to walk around the whole block of the palace before entering.

 

[Ric]

Interesting Architecture....




more to come..

 

[munitalP]

looking forward to more!

munitalP

 

[Ric]

Entrance to the Palace is through a side door



A monk with a young and old lady (sis and mum?)about to embark on the climb up..

 

[Ric]

Lhasa City from the top of the Palace...



Long way down...



At the bottom..."spinning the wheels" for blessings..

 

[Ric]

Potala Palace from across the street...in all it's glory...



And a thirst quencher after the tiring climb up and down....

 

[Ric]

Another famous monastery in Lhasa.... The Jokhang Monastery..



Paying penance infront of the Jokhang Monastery...

 

[Ric]

Tourist shopping at Bakhor St. This street goes around the Jokhang Monastery...colourful!!

Next....trip to Lake Namtso - The Heavenly Lake

 

[Ric]

Lake Namtso is about 250 kms from Lhasa. We took a min van to get there passing elevation of 5000m +...

A hitchhiker but unfortunately we were full....would have been interesting to pick him up for a chat!



A prayer station....

 

[Ric]

The rest of the photos of Lake Namtso were from fom my friends as I was undone by altitude sickness after the prayer station! And me mates thought I was sleeping when I was drifting in and out of consciousness!! Do not underestimate high altitude sickness!!

 

[Ric]

Pony and Yak rides to the lake shore.....

 

[docjames]

What a great TR. The pics are amazing.

 

[Maca44]

Thanks. A picture says a thousand words.

 

[munitalP]

I am SO envious. :mrgreen:

I want, no I MUST go there...

How did you recover from the AS? Get lower and just snap out of it, or did you need to oxygenate?


munitalP

 

[Ric]

When me mates realised that I was drifting in and out of consciousness, they pump oxygen into me. Luckily the tourist guide had about 10 oxygen canisters in the mini van and they fed me the whole lot! I had 2 doctors waiting for me back at the hotel! :shock: They insisted that I go straight to the hospital but I insisted not. They put me on a drip (don't ask me what was in there!) and one of them stayed with me for about 6 hrs. Also consumed another 5 canisters of oxygen back at the hotel room. I also developed a fever and they gave me an injection for it. All these cost me only RMB500! I also found out later that I could have a Doctor accompany me on the trip to Lake Namtso for RMB600 only!

Ric

 

[Ric]

Lhasa to Xining - A 23 hr ride on the Qinghai Plateau Train

Lhasa train station...



Inside the VIP cabins...sleeps 4 with individual oxygen supply...



Oxygen also available at the corridors.....getting high on it!

 

[Ric]

Spectacular scenery along the way...

 

[Ric]

Lots of places are still covered with snow/ice....




Elevated tracks over permafrost terrain...