The BEST, the Worst and the MOST!
(My Trip to Nepal & Tibet)
I am glad to be back to CIVILIZE Singapore but I can't say I am glad to be back to start work. Heh Heh Heh! ;o) Good thing I have return earlier to rest before I start work. Here is a little compilation of the BEST, the WORST and the MOST in my trip to Nepal and Tibet.
Before I start with that, let me give you a little background about this trip:
The Nepal trip started on 7 June to 12 June. John Larson (my Nepal traveling partner) and myself stayed in Kathmandu, Nepal for 2 days then we went to Chitwan National Park (at the Kathmandu Valley) for 3 days. Then back to Kathmandu for 1 day.
Then I am off to Tibet with 4 Singaporean that I meet there. One of them happens to live in my Housing Estate! That trip is from 13 June to 24 June. Now this is where the REAL adventure begins! We traveled for 11 days around Tibet and then I went back to Kathmandu for 1 day before flying back to Singapore.
Without further a do..
Note : Click on thumbnails to get a big picture! This will opens a new windows. Always use this new windows to look at the big picture you have clicked.
The
BEST Motorbike Driver : John Larson
(my traveling partner in Nepal).
You have to admit that John Larson is the best motorbike driver after watching
the way the Nepali drive!
The BEST Tour Guide : Jigmy,
our Tibetan Tour Guide.
Hey! Give this soft-spoken guy a break! He had to sit together with our backpacks
on the back of the Land-Rover but never complain about his agony and headaches
caused by the bad (really really really bad) condition of the rural Tibetan
road. You have to understand how bad the road is. We are literally bouncing
up and down on our seats! My intestines are tied into knots! And also at the
end of the tour, he actually went to one of the monastery to get us packets
of blessed barley and other stuffs. How nice!
The BEST Welcome : Kathmandu, Nepal.
Arriving in Nepal, we are welcomed warmly with a Ring of flowers put around
our necks.
The BEST Farewell : Jigmy's mother. Lhasa, Tibet
at Jigmy home.
Sob! Sob! Sob! We had such an enjoyable time visiting Jigmy's Tibetan home
that we didn't want to leave. I am sure all of us will treasure the precious
memories we had in a very hospitable Tibetan home.
The BEST Animal Ride : Elephant Ride in
Chitwan National Park and Yak Ride at Karol-la mountain pass (5045m) in Tibet.
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The BEST Search : Searching for Rhino in Chitwan
National Park.
The BEST Scenery : Kathmandu Valley & Yamdrok-tso
Lake, Tibet.
 Kathmandu Valley |
 Yamdrok Lake |
The BEST Architecture : Potala Place, Winter
Palace of the Dulai Lamas. Lhasa, Tibet.
This Palace is built on a steep mountain. The fact that it is still standing
there is an amazing feat. When you enters the city of Lhasa, your eyes are
unresistably fixed onto this amazing architecture!
The
BEST Air-Flight : Flying from Tibet
to Nepal over the Himalayas over Mt. Everest up close and personal.
The BEST Burger : Yak Burger! Nothing else!
The BEST Chat : A Young Lama Lho Rigsum Lhakhang.
Lhasa, Tibet.
This little monastery is suppose to be close and the young lama was not wearing
his lama attire. When I enters in, I am surprise there isn't any lama around
except this young chap. It's only a while later that I discover that he is
the lama mending the monastery. We started chatting in English because he
is learning English but soon we switch to Chinese. He is only 20 years old
and he has a older brother that is also a lama. His parents seems to be happy
that both their sons are lama and doesn't mind not having grandchildren. Wonder
what my mum has to think about that? Hahaha!
The BEST Art Masterpiece : Mona
Lisa, Tibetan Style!
The BEST Toilet : Kathmandu Guest House & Flora
Hotel in Lhasa, Tibet.
You cannot say it's the best in the world but it's definitely the best in
Nepal and Tibet!
The BEST place to do ...a-hem... BIG 'business'
: Namtso Lake, Tibet.
What better place than to view the lake topped with snow-peaked mountains
while squatting there in all nature doing your 'business'. No Barriers attached!
(this is not a single toilet here or rather should I say toilet is wherever
you want it to be!)
The BEST Mistaken Identity : Myself!
Hahaha!
This
is interesting! Everyone in Nepal thinks that I am a Nepali. The locals would
speak to me in Nepalese. When I am with John Larson, they would think that
he is the tourist while I am the local tour guide. When I am alone in the
shop asking about something I want to buy, they would be so shock that I am
speaking English and not a Nepali. I thought this would end in Tibet especially
when I am with 4 Singaporean. Still it occurs, the local still thinks I am
the local guide. I can't say I didn't enjoy this mistaken identity. In fact,
I enjoyed it because somehow the local feels closely knitted to you because
you look just like one of them. Oh yes! Did I tell you that a local say I
looked like one of the TV star in Tibet? Hahahaha!
The BEST T-Shirt : The
'YAK YAK YAK' T-shirt.
This T-shirt has 5 Yaks on the front of the T-shirt. The word 'Yak' is printed
below each Yaks. It's so funny that I just have to buy one for myself!
The WORST Vehicle Ride : Kodari (at the border
between Nepal and Tibet) up to Zhangmu, Tibet.
After going through the Chinese Customs, we were put into the back of a truck
(more like a 3-tonner). There isn't any seats. We are like prisoners-of-war.
So much for a first impression of a communist country. The journey is about
1 hour. The road is so rough; we are throw all over the place and we have
to cling on to our dear lives!
The WORST Sound : Beeping
from the Bus, Nepal.
These Bus drivers actually beeps at every vehicle the passes by. If you are
trying to sleep during the long drive, think again!
The WORST Pain : Altitude
sickness (Headache).
The worst pain is altitude sickness in the form of headaches in Namtso Lake
(4718m). I am so sick that I lost all appetite to eat anything. Probably because
of this I am not able to enjoy Namtso Lake as much as I should.
The WORST Food : Egg
Fried Rice in Nyalam.
It's so salty. You even have pieces of salt inside in rice!
The MOST Pleasant Discovery : Ani
Sangkhung Nunnery.
I enters into this Nunnery without knowing it's a Nunnery. The nuns dressed
like any male Lamas. It is only with a closer look that I realise all the
lamas are women! Imagine how awkward I felt when I exclaimed to one of the
nuns, "You are a WOMEN!" when I make this discovery. I nearly slap myself
silly.
The MOST Amusing Sight : Cows
in the middle of heavy traffic. Kathmandu, Nepal.
As most people here are Hindu, cows are their sacred animals. So, cows are
king. They can do whatever they wish - one of which is the lay down in the
middle of a heavy traffic and watch the vehicles go by. "Hey! They would dared
to hit us.", says one cow to the other cow.
The MOST Beautiful Sight in the Dark : Fireflies in Chitwan
National Park.
There is little light here at night other than your hurricane lamp. You can
see fireflies flying outside your tent.
The MOST Peaceful Experience : Chitwan
National Park during sunset.
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Imagine your tent is right in front of the river. You can hear the sound of waters flowing down the river, together with what sounds like thousands and thousands of birds and insects chipping away. The sun sets causing the scene in front of you to glow with orange. In a distance on the the river, a layer of midst settles right on the surface of the flowing river. It's you and nature and no one or nothing else. This is PURE PEACE!
The MOST Devoted Act : Pilgrims
on Pilgrimage.
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Pilgrims prostrating while doing their pilgrimage circuit. Prostration follows a sequence - placing your hands in a namaste position, touching one's forehead, throat and heart, getting down into a half-prostration (like Muslim prayer) and then lying full on the ground with one's hands stretched out. The devout carry out the whole pilgrimages like this, stepping forward the length of their body after each prostration and start all over again. How long is a circuit? Well... it can be as short as 3 rounds of 800m to as long as a few hundred kilometers (this will probably last for 3-4 months. It's unbelievable!!!)
The MOST Exciting Argument : Gaylek (our Tibetan
driver) & Jigmy (our Tibetan Guide) with a Elderly Lama in Tashilhunpo Monastery,
Tibet.
(Gaylek on the left and Jigmy on the right)
The day was the 15th of the Lunar calendar. This mean it will be a full moon
tonight. Thus there are a lot of Tibetans visiting the monastery. There was
a long queue to enter the Chapel of Maitreya. As tourist, we brought tickets
and thus are able to enter without queuing. But somehow, the Lama that is
in charge of this Chapel refuse to let us in. There are other tourist there
have entered in but not us. Hence, an argument broke out between Gaylek with
Jigmy and the Lama. We have no idea what they are talking about but it's definitely
really spectacular and exciting. Heehee!
The MOST Common Health Problem : Diarrhea.
All of us suffer from various seriousness of Diarrhea in Tibet.
The MOST Irritating Experience : Harassment
in Kathmandu, Nepal.
One of such guys actually stayed with us for more than 1 hour trying to sell
us his wares. Talking about persistent! The MOST shocking Act : Burning deceased
family members and then throwing it into the Bagmati river. Imagine setting
your deceased family on fire and then trying the ashes into the Bagmati river.
Now, this river is sacred and anyone bathing in this river will be blessed!
The MOST Intoxicating Journey :
Leaving Kathmandu along the Kathmandu Valley.
We were in a traffic jam. Some fellow has caused the jam because his truck
stopped working. Meanwhile, every vehicle is releasing toxic fumes into the
air. The whole bus is filled with intoxicating fumes. There is nowhere to
hide!
The MOST Agonizing Walk : Zhangmu, Tibet.
We are told that we have to walk 1 km to reach our tour vehicle. Little did
we know that 1 km is actually climbing up a HILL!!! We had to carry our heavy
backpacks and climb that 1 km up the hill. Zhangmu is 2300m above sea level
so the air is thin and any work will tires you fast. At this stage, we have
not climatise yet. At the end of the climb, my heart is pounding like a machine
gun!
The MOST Interesting Toilet : Tingri,
Tibet.
(this is not the toilet, mind you. It's a little restaurant
in Tingri)
This toilet built on a 5m platform. On top of the platform there is a rectangular
hole (probably 50cm by 30cm). You can see what's beyond the hole. I don't
think I have to tell you what the hole is for. There is no roof and the walls
are only 1.5 metres high. The men's and women's toilet are next to each other
so if you wish you can stand and check out what's going on in the other toilet.
The best part of it all is the natural automatic butt dryer. Air blows from
the outside into the toilet hole right onto your butt. You get this tinkling
cooling sensation as you shit, not to mention the distinct fragrance of your
shit and other people's shit. All you can pray is that the wind is not too
strong as to blow your shit back into your butt!