return to Index

Wake-up call 3:30 am. (by which time neither of us had slept!); we then slept for 1/2 hour at which time Tony’s alarm went off. I got dressed and went downstairs for breakfast, Tony joined us a little later for coffee. Into the bus soon after 4:30 am for the airport. It was decided to miss our day in Delhi rather than a day elsewhere (because of the flight from London being late). 6:05 am flight to Bagdogra, with one stop at Patna. Arrived at 8:30 am or so, had tea (for an hour while passports were sorted out - we are met by a local guide), then into cars for the drive to Darjeeling (3.5 hours for 77 kilometers). Mostly there were 3 passengers/car but there was only Tony and myself in ours. Checked into Hotel Windamere and had lunch. Afternoon at leisure - we walked around a bit, bought a new carry-on bag for me for 45 rupees (approx. $4.00) as the strap on my old green one broke yesterday. I slept a lot on the flight and also on the car trip up to Darjeeling. Rested (and slept!) again before supper. Supper at 7 pm, then a hot bath and to bed and asleep by 9 pm. Fire burning in the fireplace and electric heater made the room nice and warm.

Wake up knock on door at 4 am., tea at 4:15, then off at 4:45, in land-rovers to Tiger Hill to see the sunrise over the mountains. There were a number of Indians there as well. We then went to the Ghoom Monastery (yellow sect), then back to our hotel for breakfast, including porridge. The owner (a Tibetan woman, her husband died 2 years ago) dropped by our table - she is 74 years old, has a daughter (doctor) in San Francisco. She was dressed in Tibetan clothes and has black hair (dyed!) not white. After breakfast, we were using our cars again - to the Himalayan Mountaineering School and a zoo where there were some animals of the mountains - Siberian tiger, leopards, Bengal Tigers, red pandas, including one that danced around. At the zoo, we talked to some Sikh’s - 2 men and 3 women. They were from Delhi and were on vacation. After the zoo, we drove by a tea plantation to the Tibetan self-help refugee camp. We had to walk part of the way up the hill as our car couldn’t make it with us in it. We were asked to send a copy of the photo of 4 girls making a carpet at the refugee camp. Saw "CARE" on 3 sewing machines - it appears they are helping in this area. Quite a lot of industry -carpet making, wool making and coloring, at the camp. Back to the hotel for lunch. Our room had been changed in our absence (from a 4 bed room to a 2 bed room) as they wanted the larger room for 4 people. After lunch we walked up the hill to a Buddhist temple. The group then went on a 45-minute train ride from Darjeeling to Goom (highest railroad station in Asia). A steam engine, took on water for about 10 minutes after we had travelled for 5 minutes; soot everywhere. The railroad tracks run right beside the road so we saw busloads, cars and trucks of people right beside the train. Our cars came to get us at Goom and drove us back to the hotel where we had tea and biscuits in the sitting room. A bath and then supper. To bed soon after supper.

After breakfast, our cars picked us up and drove us down to Siligori; stopping once for a tea break. Lunch at Siligori, then a few hours wait for our Bhutan guide - apparently they (the guide and 2 drivers) were waiting for us at the airport. We set off at 3:15 pm (Bhutan time which is 1/2 hour ahead of Indian time), stopped to take photos of a river and a tea plantation; also a short stop at a toll bridge. Arrived at the India/Bhutan border at 6:45pm, very quick border crossing and then another 3 kilometers to our hotel. A hot bath, supper and to bed. The border town is called Phuntsholing. Soon after we arrived at the hotel, we bought a small book on Bhutan and some post cards. The hotel people are dressed in their native dress and very friendly. Poured with rain after supper -our first rain. Hot weather today (90deg F.) after we got into the plains.

Went to the Sunday market, which had everything there - food, clothing, prayer wheels, soap, etc. Also monks with a portable chapel! We then drove a few miles out of the town to see Simtokha Dzong, built by Ngawang Namgyal in 1627 and is the oldest of Bhutan’s fortress-monasteries. It is now used as a school for monks. While we were there, a ceremony conducted only twice a year was in progress. This included the monks blowing a couple of long horns. Tony took a polaroid picture of a little girl there. We then drove back to town and watched some archery practice, which is done every Sunday, weather permitting. Very accurate, the arrows go 150 meters and some of the Bhutanese stand guard quite close to the target without worrying! We then drove to the chorten built in memory of the late King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk (the present king’s father). Three stories with many statues inside. Rice was thrown over us and we were given "holy water" to drink and put on our heads before we went inside. Both Tony and I pretended to drink the water but we did put it on our heads. Tony upset some of our group by referring to the custom of using cow urine for this purpose. Back to our hotel for lunch. During lunch it started to rain! After lunch (fortunately it had stopped raining) we went to a Dzong which includes government offices, a monastery, several chapels and a royal residence. This was built fairly recently. Many pictures taken of the buildings, both inside and out and many monks. One of the monks was using a calculator - one of the monks in this group wants us to send him a copy of the photo; he gave us his name and address - Mr. Boto, Monk Body, P.O. Thimpu, Bhutan. We also saw the throne that the king sits in when parliament is in session. Started to rain when we left - a hurried trip to the buses as umbrellas and hats are not allowed in the compound. We were then driven into town; we did not go back to the hotel with the buses but stayed in town. Wandered around, looked at the shops, had pastries and tea at the Swiss Bakery (where there was an electronics nut in residence - there was a Heathkit box - outdoor/indoor temperature, wind speed. A light also lit up in the restaurant if the washroom was in use. Access to the washroom was available only after it was unlocked by someone behind the counter (by pressing a button). Took a picture of the gas station (fancy wood-work, like all the buildings), saw archery still being practised. No basketball today, probably because of the weather - the King often plays in the afternoon. He has his own team, which always wins (according to our guide, Chimi); the King had an American coach. Walked back to the hotel - on the way took a photo of the inside of one of the shops - flours, spices, etc. Then the shopkeeper wanted us to take a picture of him so he measured out some "stuff" on his scales and so we took a photo. He didn’t expect money, either. Dropped into a bar for a beer for Tony - we had talked to the owner’s daughter last night on our way into town. We seemed to be a novelty; a few people were looking in on us rather than us looking at them. The girl that served us was looking after her nephew; a few other young children were around. The owner came out from the back after a while with her knitting but doesn’t speak English. The younger Bhutanese people speak both English and Dzonka and Nepali. Hot bath( tub is huge), supper and to bed. Tony took a couple of photos at supper time - one of our group and one of the waiters. One of the waiters requested a copy of the photo -c/o Bhutan Hotel, Thimpu, Bhutan.

Breakfast, then an hour in town for a visit to the handicraft center, where we bought a temple drum and a mask (for dancers) and went to the post office, where they ran out of the correct stamps for post cards (just after we got ours, fortunately). Drove from Thimpu to Paro, stopping at Confluence for photos, also at a few other places, including a woman and a man thrashing rice - I took a Polaroid of them and gave it to them in return for us taking photos of them. On our way from Thimpu to Confluence, we passed the King’s convoy - he was in a land-rover type of vehicle. A group of about 6 or 7 cars and trucks, with the army at the beginning and end. Lunch and checked into Olathang Hotel (field of crows) in Paro. We have a huge suite -bedroom and living/dining room. Hot water bottles on the back of the bathroom door. Central heating run by hot water, which is on 6-8 pm and 6-8 am. (but water in heating unit not on until winter). After lunch we were driven a few miles out of Paro to see the Drukgyel Dzong, now in ruins (fire in 1954). The dzong’s name means "victorious Druk" - it protected Bhutan from invaders from the north. We were then driven back into Paro and dropped in the one and only street to have a look around. 4 of us, that plan to go to the Tiger’s Nest tomorrow, walked (very fast) to the Paro Dzong where we walked around, followed by a bunch of monks (10-15 years old). We went up 4 flights of stairs, very steep and narrow, to a temple, where we were given holy water to drink and throw on our heads. Saw a few other temples. According to our guide, we were not supposed to go into the 4th floor temple. The entrance to the dzong is over a covered bridge and up a hill! Walked down the hill, over the bridge and started back towards our hotel, followed by 3 young monks. Fortunately for us, the smaller of the 2 buses picked us up before too long; the driver and Chimi, our guide, had been having tea in town. The 3 monks also wanted a lift - they sat at the back where the luggage normally goes -apparently they were going to a monastery further up the hill. Back at the hotel, we had tea and cookies, which are complimentary and back to our rooms for a hot bath. Hot water bottles filled up and put back in the beds. Tony managed to get a small heater, saying that I was sick (I have a cough!) but we are not to let anyone else know that we have the heater as they only have one. On the way to the Drukgyel Dzong we passed by the Kyichu Lhaklang, which we could not visit as the Queen Mother was currently there. After supper we had a question and answer session with Chimi. He’s quite knowledgeable about the country and it’s people.

Breakfast at 8 am, off at 8:30 am for the 6 of us that decided to go to the "Tiger’s Nest". We were driven a few kilometers west of Paro, then had to walk over a bridge to where our horses were waiting. Unfortunately, there were only 5 horses for 6 of us, so Taki said he would walk (he was supposed to swap with me part way up but didn’t!). Rode the horses and mules (I had a horse, Tony a mule) for 1.5 hours, up a slippery, rocky path. It drizzled a lot of the way. We then had tea at a tea-house. We were supposed to continue by horse but we decided to walk as it was getting quite slippery. Both my horse and John’s horse had almost fallen earlier on. Walked up, and then down and up to Taktsang Monastery which clings to a steep, 3,000 ft. rock face (altitude approx. 10,000 ft.). This monastery is called "The Tiger’s Nest" since the legend says that Padma Sambhava flew here from Tibet on the back of a tiger. We were shown around the monastery, and saw the cave that Padma Sambhawa meditated in for 6 months. Walked back down to the tea house where we had lunch - rice, sardines, boiled cabbage, potatoes and dal. Also tea. There was a wood fire continually burning in the tea house. The weather cleared for us on our way from the monastery to the tea house so hopefully we got some good photos. After lunch and a short rest we walked the rest of the way down to where the mini-bus was waiting for us - I made it down in 40 minutes, Tony and John (a 70-yr old!) were next, Ingrid, Herman and Taki last (1 hour, 10 min). On our way back to the hotel we stopped at a farmhouse - about 25 years old and only 2 stories. The ground floor had rooms that are rented out to government workers. The 2nd floor had a kitchen (with running water), 2 bedrooms (one for the family of the house and one for the workers), and a fancy shrine which had an elephant tusk on each side of it. The top floor is used for storage of rice, grains, etc. The animals are housed in a separate building. Some farm houses have another floor in which case the animals are kept on the ground floor. The owner of the farm is a grandmother in her 50’s. When a man marries, he goes to live with the wife’s family, so property is passed down to the girls of the family. Back to the hotel and arrived just after the rest of our group did. We all had tea and cookies. Then returned to our rooms to wait for the 6 pm hot water. Long baths, to the bar for a drink and then supper.

Before 9 am Tony phoned the PLAN office - a driver would pick us up within 1/2 hour, which he did. We drove past the PLAN office, picked up a girl who works in the field office and drove out to the field office, which was off the highway and onto a dirt road. We stopped at the field office for a short while and were shown some statistics on their work, how they hand out the money - the family is given 100 rupees ($5) a month on account and they need to have a feasibility study done before anything can be implemented. We were then driven further into the hills, then walked 40 minute to Dil’s village. His house is set up on a ridge between 2 valleys. We stayed there for a couple of hours - we had a polaroid with us and that broke the ice - Dil loved using it himself. Unfortunately, Dil’s father (56 years old) was very sick, with swelling. We were accompanied by one of the 2 community workers in that area; unfortunately not the one assigned to Dil and his family. All 3 of us were given lei’s of flowers (marigolds, mainly) by Dil. Dil also brought out all the letters and post cards that we had sent him over the years. The whole village seemed to gather around to see us. We also gave Dil a book bag, a pen for himself and 10 more pens for his friends. He appeared to be pleased with them. When we left, Dil followed us down to the road and carried my purse for me. We took the land-rover back to the field office, where we were given tea and could ask questions. We then went back to the administrative office in Katmandu, were offered tea but declined. We were then driven back to our hotel where we managed to catch the tail end of lunch. After lunch we went to a 1 hour film processing place and got 2 films developed, including the one that we had taken at the village. Walked to Durbar Square, took a pedicab back to the film processing place and then back to our hotel. Our other films that we had left the night before were not back! However, they were back by 6 pm, we took a quick look at them, had a hurried bath and went to a folk dance show for an hour. Then a late (and slow supper), Brigita gave us a talk on China (I skipped this to pack) and to bed, exhausted, at 11 pm.

Up early and off at 7:30 am. Drove to the Tibet/Nepal border stopping at a village for a short walk around and also for some photo stops of the countryside. Had a picnic lunch just before the border in sight of Zhangmu, the border town high on the hillside. Part of the road between the Nepal and Tibetan border posts had been blocked by a landslide so we all got off the bus, sherpas picked up our luggage (sometimes two large suitcases at a time), and we climbed to where our Chinese guide and bus were waiting. Tony and I went up the short (vertical) route with the sherpas, this was a rocky steep path with loaded sherpas going in both directions. The rest of the group went the long and gradual route by the road. Our tour guide, Li Pang or Miss Li, was waiting for us. Driven to the Tibetan border post where we were processed fairly quickly. While waiting at the border there was a rock slide just up the valley from Zhangmu, very impressive with house-sized boulders tumbling down the hill. The slide was on the road that we took the next day out of Zhangmu. However the road was cleared by morning, with some rocks still in the road, and a large hole in one house. Our hotel was at the border and we walked to it. However our guide Brigita had another passport problem, the wrong passport number was on the Chinese visa (she has two passports, one to carry while the visas for the next trip are being obtained using the other). Also the hotel was overbooked, and we could only get 7 rooms instead of 10. Had supper, cold but edible, sorted out the rooms, we slept with John, the 70-year old from the U.K.. Got sorted out for the morning since lights would go out at 11 pm and not be on in the morning.

Breakfast at 7:00 am, off at 8:00. Very bright moon in the morning, woke me up as there were no curtains. Drove until 7:00 pm when we arrived at Xigaze. We stopped a few times on the way, but not for long as it was approx. 500 kilometers of dirt road. The road climbed rapidly from Zhangmu, there were good photos taken of the mountains, including a stop to see Everest from the back. Stopped at the top of two passes at 17,200 ft., and at a Tibetan village, and in the countryside for a photo of yaks wandering about. Lunch was 4 slices of bread, no butter but spam or jam, hard-boiled eggs, dried fish and coke. Not too appetizing but filled us up. Very dry desolate arid country with small villages subsisting with sheep, goats and some crops - potatoes and barley. Pictures of the Dali Lama were in great demand. Dusty and bumpy road, we were all glad to get to the hotel -the correct number of rooms this time! Had tea in the room, a thermos of hot water and green tea leaves are provided in each room in China. Supper was a good Chinese meal with beer, coke and tea included. Up to the room to wait for the 8:00 pm hot water, only got lukewarm to cold water, I had a quick shower, Tony a basin wash. To bed and read books about Tibet. Altitude of 12,800 but no adverse effects yet. The bus carries oxygen pillows, and the hotels have oxygen tanks available.

Breakfast at 8:30, typical disorganized Chinese service, eggs put on tables with no people while we had no food. Eventually got scrambled eggs, quite good, but no forks so I used fingers!. Then came the forks. Also bread and jam (no butter) and 2 knives for a table of 6. No water at all when we got up, but cold water after breakfast. (Except for one room that had none). In the morning we visited the Tashilhumpo (Panchen Lamas) monastery, one of the 4 principal monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism. It is home to 600 monks, 100 of them young monks in training. The Panchen Lama now lives in Peking (as a puppet of the Chinese), but this monastery has the living Buddha Qianzha Chilie living there. In a separate building is a six-story high bronze Buddha, the largest in Tibet. There were a number of Tibetans praying, and lots of yak butter burning. I took two Polaroid pictures of a Tibetan woman and a monk, which created more picture-taking opportunities for us. Xigaze has a population of 49,000, about half are Tibetan. After the monastery we visited the local market, not very interesting, then back to the hotel where I washed my hair in the basin using the thermos of hot water. Tony, who was cold, lay on his bed in the sun and slept. We have a local guide with us today, she is Tibetan. I went for lunch without Tony, he stayed and slept. Egg drop soup, rice etc., 5 or 6 dishes so you could find something you liked. Tea in the room after lunch. At 3:30 we visited a Tibetan home, the owner had a hotel ($2/night). The grandfather, grandmother, daughter, son-in-law and 3 grandchildren live there. They also had a shrine with many pictures of the Dali Lama. If a hotel owner earns 1000 yuan/year, he will have to pay 5 yuan to the government. We had 2 types of tea - butter tea which is very salty, then the remains of it were thrown on the concrete floor, then sweet tea (red tea, milk and sugar) - quite sweet. Back to the hotel to rest since we are both very lethargic. A short sleep, supper (didn’t eat much) and to bed.

Up at 6:45 am, breakfast was supposed to be at 7 am but no activity in the restaurant until about 7:30 am. Off at 8:15 am, after having to bring our own suitcases down from the 4th floor. Drove from Shigatse to Tedang, arriving at 6:30 pm. Stopped at Gyantse for 30 mins. - saw the lamasery there - the stupa, originally built in the 13th century contains 10,000 Buddha figures. We were not supposed to go inside the stupa (a dagoba) but we got there by the side door (Also missing the money collector) and went inside; it had a number of small rooms containing Buddha’s, the gods of the east, north, south, west. A number of Tibetan’s were there to pray, which is presumably why we were allowed in - the Tibetan monks encouraged us to go in. The Tibetan’s went around the stupa clockwise, stopping at each room to pray. We also went up a few flights of stairs and to the outside where we got a good view of the town and also of the ruined fort on the hill. We then walked through the town - a lovely market town. Had a short lunch by Lake Yamdrok near a small village, which we wandered around. The picnic lunch was not very good - bread and cans of pork meat, canned pineapple and beer. Fortunately we had been warned about only beer to drink so we had taken 2 coke from the hotel last night. We had snacked on some of our food an hour or so before lunch so we didn’t suffer. Passed by the airport at Gonggar (Approx. 2 hours from Lhasa). Our hotel in Tsedang is a pleasant surprise -excellent supper, clean rooms and hot water at 8 pm, so we both had a bath - glad to wash ourselves and our hair properly. The drive today was very dusty, although interesting. The last part was through sand dunes. Before we turned off the main road to Lhasa, we went through 2 passes - one 16,500 ft., the other 15,700 ft. We are at an altitude of 11,152 tonight; better than the 12,800 ft. at Shigatse. After our baths, we sorted out our photographs, read our books and went to bed at 10 pm. On the first part of our trip today, a number of bridges were being constructed, over areas that become flooded. On one of the detours we had to go through, the water was so deep that it came into the bus at the steps.

Breakfast at 8 am, off at 9 am for a morning’s sight-seeing which turned out to be quite disappointing. Went to the Ymbulakang Palace which was on the top of a hill, which we had to walk up. The palace was built by the Tibetan kings many years ago. Now only 2 monks live there, both of them very friendly and smiling. A good view of the valley from the palace. We saw 2 rooms, one on top of the other, both of them basically prayer rooms. We then drove to Changzhu Temple which is being rebuilt, presumably it was destroyed during the cultural revolution. It is in a small village and a few people gathered to look at us but not the hordes that some places produce. Since we still had an hour to lunch, the group was taken back to the market for 1/2 hour; we were taken back to the hotel as Tony wasn’t feeling too well - very lethargic and diarrhea! Made him some weak tea and put him to bed for 30-40 minutes. Lunch at noon. At 1 pm, we left for Lhasa - we arrived at 5 pm. On the outskirts of Tsedang, we stopped for gas, but couldn’t get it as the gas station attendant couldn’t find the keys! So we drove along for a while and stopped on the road - our driver had extra gas in a large container which he then put in the tank. Also stopped for a few photo stops - 2 yaks pulling a plow in a field, and the friendship bridge about 80 kms. from Lhasa. We are staying at the Lhasa hotel, which was taken over by Holiday Inn last August. The manager, who is Welsh, told us that she is here for 2 years and has a year to get this hotel up to Holiday Inn standards. The hotel is clean, has hot water all the time and is heated. Also oxygen in all the rooms. What a change over the last few hotels. We got our laundry organized, had baths, and went to the bar for a drink. - Tony used his "perfect" Chinese to order 1 beer and 1 coke. Met the American consul and his wife from Chendu - their office is in the hotel we are staying at in Chendu so we are invited to visit them. We then had a group meeting to tell us what we are doing for the next 2 days and then to supper. All meals are buffet-style, good food and lots of it. Mostly Chinese food, but some Western-style food. Walked around the 2 Friendship stores, bought the 3 separate sets of post cards and back to our room. Put the TV. on - a game show in Chinese! Tony took a few sniffs of the oxygen before supper; he appears to be back to normal. On our way in to Lhasa, we saw a long line-up of trucks waiting for gas - a gas shortage?

At 9:30 am, went to the Jokhang Temple, in the center of the old city and one of Tibet’s holiest shrines. Many pilgrims were there, prostrating themselves outside and then in a long line, very closely packed, around the inside of the Temple. A number of smaller temples and lots of yak butter around the outer edge of the building. The head abbot stopped the line of Tibetan’s to allow us to go into some of these smaller temples. Also went up onto the roof of the temple where we could take photos (none inside the temple). We could see the Potala from the roof. Also took a polaroid picture of the head abbot - he was very pleased to get it. In front of the temple, prayers and juniper were being burned. We then walked around the market, which surrounds the Jokhang Temple. We took a polaroid of a monk who was prostrating himself facing the temple, then taking one step left (always go clockwise here), then prostrating himself again. Presumably he will do this all around. We saw a wooden prayer wheel and a container containing a knife and chopsticks but decided not to buy either. When we asked how much, the amount was punched into a pocket calculator. After the market, Tony and I walked back to the hotel, via the Potala Palace. We walked up the front steps (the tour tomorrow will take us to the back entrance which is less of a hike) to the level below the roof. The monks would have let us on the roof but "the Chinese have the key". A maze of rooms and passages - we saw only a small amount. We then climbed down and back to the hotel for a late lunch. Wrote 3 post cards and off again on our afternoon tour, which first took us to a carpet factory, which employs 200 people, 100 people full-time and 100 on a piece-part basis. After the rugs are made, some of them are sculptured in another room. Someone then opened the shop - 3 from our group bought carpets. We were then driven to the Norbulinka, which used to be the summer palace of the Dali Lama. It is now in the People’s Park. We were then taken through the summer palace. After this, we were driven to the river where some of us took a short ride in a yak-skin boat - our boat was made out of the hide of 4 yaks and the tail of a yak is used to sew it together. There are wooden cross-bars on the bottom on the boat which we had to stand on - the yak skin is not strong enough to hold the weight of a person. We were taken down the river a short way, with the current, dropped off and then we walked back to the bus, which then took us back to the hotel. We had a new guide today - the national guide that will stay with us until we leave China. He was very informative, sometimes too much, trying to make up for Miss Li’s lack of information. Supper and back to the room to write postcards and pack - we have to have our suitcases ready tomorrow morning - 24 hours before we leave on the flight for Chendu! Tony went with the Vincent’s (Chuck and Ingrid) and our tour leader, Brigita to the coffee shop in the hotel to have ice cream.

At breakfast, an envelope went round our group to collect money for the driver of our bus since we’ve been in Tibet; also for the driver of the van with our suitcases. We volunteered to look after getting cigarettes for them. In the morning, we were driven to the Potala Palace, home of the Dali Lama. The bus drove up to the back entrance which is nearly at the top. We were then taken through a number of rooms, including the stupas of 8 Dali Lama’s, the Dali Lama’s living quarters. NO photos were allowed inside but we were allowed to take 2 - one of the "wick-maker" and one of a statue of some god. I took a polaroid of the wick-maker which prompted one of the Potala guards to request a photo of the statue for himself. We said yes, provided we could also photo it ourselves. Normally this would have cost us 30 yuan (approx. $10). Walked down the front steps of the Potala, drove to the nearby park to take an overall photo of it (which we also took yesterday), then back to our hotel for an early lunch. Bought 3 cartons of cigarettes and 2 butane lighters for the drivers in the Friendship Store in our hotel. However, there wasn’t any butane in the lighters, so we walked a block to the Tibetan Guest House (a new hotel), where there was also no butane. Asked at the taxi stand at our hotel and were pointed to a shop 5 minutes walk away that sold butane. Walked there, bought the butane, filled up the lighters, to the amusement of the shop girls, walked back to our hotel for 1/2 hour rest before the afternoon tour at 3:30. In the afternoon, we went to the Sera Monastery, about 3 miles north of the city. It has a number of temples, a large Buddha which is richly decorated with gold and precious stones. It also has a number of fine frescoes, particularly one representing Tibetan Wheel of Life (Samsara); and some ancient silk tankas. There were quite a number of Tibetans worshipping there. In one room 5 monks were chanting and ringing bells; unfortunately no photos allowed. Any offering given was blessed by one of them, then put near a statue. Back to the hotel and a (cool!) bath. The advertisement of lots of hot water only lasted for one evening. The water is hot later in the evening and in the morning though. At 7:30 pm, we were driven out of town to Tibetan Guest House #3 (previously the only hotel in town, now not used) to see a film on Tibet. We actually saw 2 - one about the Panchen Lama on a visit to Tibet (propaganda!) and one on the geological structure of Tibet. Back to the hotel by 9:30, picked up our breakfast for tomorrow in the lobby and to bed.

Up at 5:45 am so that Tony could have a shower and wash his hair while there was warm water. Ate a small bit of our packed breakfast -rolls were very sour, the cake was dry but tolerable and had coffee -packages that I had brought with me. Off to the airport at 6:30 am, arriving soon after 8 am. Went through security into a COLD waiting room; the only consolation was that there was free tea available. At 9:15 we started loading on buses to go to the run-way; we had to stay on the buses a further 5-10 minutes until the plane (a Boeing 707) arrived from Chendu. On to the plane for a 1 hour 35 minute flight to Chendu, a non-smoking flight which was nice. We had a snack and coffee on the plane, quite a good snack, rolls and cakes. Arrived in Chendu at noon, picked up by our local guide and taken to our hotel, the JinJiang Guest House, the best in town. A number of people were checking in so we had our lunch first. The waiter spilled sauce over Tony (fortunately mostly on his hand which washes off easily) and then almost spilled it on him again later! I reached out and it went all over the table cloth instead. Got our rooms which are quite pleasant; we have hot water in the taps, hot and cold water in thermoses. When we enter the room, there is a key holder in the wall; when the key is in it, we have electricity, otherwise there is no electricity in the room. This prevents one from leaving the lights on all the time. After lunch, we went on a short tour of Chendu - stopping for a photo at a tea house beside a river, where people were fishing. Went to Tu Fu’s Thatched Roof Cottage, a replica of the residence of the famous Tang poet who lived here and wrote 240 poems during 4 years from 759. The cottage is in a park with bamboo and flowers. We then went to a brocade factory where young girls do embroidery - 6 days/week, 8 hours/day for 100 yuan/month ($30). They do eye exercises regularly during the day to prevent eye strain. Tony bought himself a pair of silver chopsticks at a shop there; I bought a thimble. Back to the hotel; I had a short sleep before bath and supper. Bought a small panda for my collection in the hotel shop. Then back to the room to pack for tomorrow’s trip on the train.

Off at 9 am to the Chendu Zoo where we saw 6 pandas, one of which was in an open area - climbing on a ladder and quite active. Then to the bamboo-ware factory - the only one around here. We bought a small vase with top for my "animal etc" collection. Then to an artist studio where there were a number of painters that had won prizes in Japan. Traffic was bad all morning so it was slow going in the bus. Our bus driver wears gloves, as do most bus and truck drivers. Lots of bicycles. Lunch was at the Dung Fung Hotel - a Schezuan banquet, with many different dishes. Some were hot (spicy) but most were not. Also plum wine and a liqueur (diesel-type?), Mao Tai type. Also beer and orange soda. After lunch we had some free time to walk around the markets and shops. We saw a parking lot attendant, for bicycles. Back on the bus and driven to the train stations where we took the 4:10 pm train to Kunming - this takes approx. 23 hours so is an overnight train, 4 to a compartment. We are sharing with Ingrid and Chuck Vincent, from California. Supper on the train, talked until 10 pm when we went to bed.

Breakfast at 8 am in the dining car. There were many tunnels and bridges overnight and continue during the morning. Coffee and cookies at 10 am. Lunch on the train. Arrived Kunming at 3:30 pm right on schedule. Met by our local guide and taken to the People’s Park for a brief visit, then to our hotel, the Green Lake Hotel. Had a hot bath, spent 20 minutes walking around Green Park (across from our hotel) and had a banquet for supper with many dishes. This banquet was supposed to be tomorrow night as it is the last day together, but the local people put it on tonight instead.

Drove to the Stone Forest and back - a 3.5 hour trip each way. On both trips, stopped at the "nut house" for nuts (peanuts and walnuts) and tea. Our guide gave us lots of information, too. The Sani people, a minority group, were at the stone forest selling their wares, mostly embroidery. There are many potted plants in Kunming, presumably for the Queen’s visit about a week ago. After supper we walked to the night market with the Vincent’s. Lots of food being cooked and eaten there.

Out to the airport where most people’s bags were searched. Taki had a prayer wheel taken away from him (they claimed it was more than 30 years old - if so exportation is illegal without a red seal); the Sim’s had a petrified rock taken away from them. Smooth flight to Hong Kong (lunch on plane) until we started to come down - lots of clouds. Landed in the rain! Thin plastic raincoats were provided for us to get from the plane to the bus. Our group cleared immigration and customs quickly and were driven to the Lee Gardens Hotel where we will stay for one night. Wandered through the shops in the hotel, also some around the hotel. I then decided to rest while Tony went in search of a watch, which he found - the same kind as the one he got in Bangkok about 7 years ago. Supper in the hotel - Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indonesian, Philippine buffet. Marked up the order of our negatives - we got 10 films developed today; up-to-date except for the small Minox camera.

return to Index