Realisation

I stop looking out of the windows when the plane takes off or touch down.

In fact most time I fell asleep while the plane is queuing to take off and woke up when its already in the sky.

Am I growing too old or am I not amazed with flying anymore. .

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Day 10 Lhasa-Xi'an-Jiuzhaigou

After a 2.5hrs flight, I have arrived in Xi'an. As it was too early to check in for my next flight. I went to a cafe for coffee. COFFEE! !! I was in cold turkey for 10 days. I had been having a lot of tibetan sweet tea but I still crave for coffee. The instant white coffee which I brought over was not sufficient. Reckon I need to bring instant latte next time.

I ordered a beef spaghetti to go with it even though im not hungry. But after the first forkfull of spaghetti I can't help shoving forkfull after forkfull of spaghetti into my mouth. I didn't realise that I have been craving for western cuisine so much. Haha. Big discovery!


This morning the guide knocked at my room door to collect me at 9.30am sharp. I felt a little 不舍得 despite knowing that I do not like Lhasa that much. Guess the weather and the surroundings do have a little charm on me after all.

Shambhala palace, my accommodation for the night has one of the best shower room in my whole stay. Rocks and cement covered walls and powerful hot water. And the nice chill area where I can sit next to the power plug and watch running man without worrying about running low on battery while drinking tea and snacking on nuts. Yup, nice place no doubt despite the bed looking a little not too clean but all is well. Only just found out that its rated first in trip advisor. Wow. Got eyes don't recognise tazen.

With that this concluded my 10 days in Lhasa.


After meeting my friends and checking in for our flight to Jiuzhaigou we went for dinner at burger king. Board our 1hr flight and discover the temperature to be 0 degree Celsius that evening due to yhw sudden snowfall the day before. Paid 400rmb for a 1hr taxi ride to the village just outside JZG check into our accommodation for the next 3 nights shower and it's bedtime after some beer. .

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Day 9 Natsmo to Lhasa

Alarm rang at 5.30am hoping to catch the sunrise at Namtso Lake. It was cold as the heater in my room wasn't working. Finally drag myself out of bed at close to 6pm to wash up(actually I only brush my hair as it was too cold to have any contact with water), pack up and eat my last cup of tom yum cup noodles that I brought from Singapore and a cup of earl Grey tea.

I didn't have a good sleep the previous night due to bad ventilation and high altitude(4500m). I woke up several times due to insufficient oxygen but exhaustion won and I still fall asleep after a while only to wake up again to sit up and to take deep breaths and then to fall back to sleep.

The 4 wheel drive windows has ice on it and our driver and guide tried to clear them as much as possible. We finally left at 6.45am, freezing in the back seat. Full moon and many stars outside.

It was still dark when we reach Namtso Lake ticket counter. I was dozing away and not aware of the situation outside. Finally realise that due to the snow the road has been closed. We were advised to wait for the next few hours.

I went back to sleep with the scarf around my neck and the thick down jacket acting like a blanket. When I next open my eyes, the sun was up and shining down at me. I look out and see that its snowing. Little flecks of snow. I told my travel mates that its snowing and they didn't believe me. Kept asking me to go out of the car to check. I did and they did too and I was right. It was cold but snowing!

I walked around for a while and saw a little blue hut with a small little opening. Went inside and saw a tibetan lady sitting there. I ask to buy hot water and she gave me a cup for free.


I walked back with the cup of hot water in hand and the guide saw. He went to the little blue shop and later got us from the car as it's warmer in the shop. I had unlimited supply of sweet milk tea which is what I have been craving for.


We stayed there till 11am till a police came to inform that the road will still be closed and not to waste our time waiting here. We finally left and head back to Lhasa. It was a 3hrs journey back and by then I was exhausted. The guide check us into our tibetan style hotel and the first thing I did was to take a hot shower. Then boil some water to enjoy my Earl Grey with nuts and running man. After a long rest I finally went out of the room to explore the hotel and source for dinner.


Dinner alone. After so long.
Lamb and radish stew with cold spicy cucumber. Looking forward to Szechuan cuisine.


Was debating if I should buy back the Dico's fried chicken for supper as its really tasty and better than our KFC. But decided against it as I had been eating too much. In the end bought a ice cream to eat while on the way back.

Pack up, and ready for bed at 10pm. Hope I can wake up for breakfast tmr at the rooftop.

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Day 8 Gyantse - Shigatse - somewhere near Namtso Lake

As our Permit to tsedang was not approved the tour guide agreed to bring us to Namtso Lake. Hence we were on the road since early morning and only arrive in the evening.

The journey to Shigatse was a short one and Shigatse is a small city. We left after a early lunch to begin our long journey.

The sights along the way. .


Yaks


Dotted yaks






View from the hotel for the night

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Day 7 Lhasa - Gyantse

Finally we are leaving Lhasa. After spending so many days in the city I honestly can't wait to get out of here and all the horning. Sometimes really feel like showing the middle finger to the drivers. Seriously.

The road out on a beautiful autumn morning.




Along the way..


Going up to a pass 5000m.

The right way to shoo them off

I wonder how long it takes for them to climb up here.


At one of the lookout. I was scared walking all the way out but the thought that I will only be here once push me to walk out. Scenery wise, it was alright but really high up.


Our first sighting of yamdrok lake.

At the second lookout



At the Lake.


Things to do at the lake. .
Pay 5rmb to take pictures with the Tibetan mastiff or yak (background)


Or BYO big bag of accessories to change and pose to the ipad photographer.


At another pit stop


Me and my furry down jacket

At the Lake, this prc was commenting to his friends ' 真的有哪么冷吗?'。
I felt like replying ' 管你屁事, 老娘来自新加坡, 天天如夏,想怎么穿你管的着.'

But I hold my tongue and walk away because I know I look too local to them.

Sights along the way


If I didn't remember wrongly, that is a glacier.


Best toilet in the world


Like they say, theres always a black sheep in the family.


Another lookout



And when you put them together. .


Finally at our hotel in Gyantse. For such a small town, this hotel is considerable good. Big rooms, decent view, well priced restaurant, clean bed n toilet. Just that I forgot the name.


Gyantse Kumbum


Then we went out for a walk as it was too early for dinner and saw a cobbler. Her shoes was falling apart so the cobbler sew it back for her. $8 sgd per pair. Not cheap sia.



And we walk into a school.



And we were all thinking how lucky the children are..


Pretty path


A couple


Me


Dinner

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Lazy Saturday

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Day 6 Still Lhasa-ing

Horse riding! !!!

On the way there.


Our tour guide brought us to his home town for horse riding which is a 2hrs car ride from Lhasa. This place is call..


While waiting for my turn


The viet horsemen


Me on horse.


I like horse riding. My first was in Melbourne where they really teach you how to ride a horse and let you ride your own horse. My second n thrid were still in Aussie. Second, I was allowed to gallop, for a while. Scarry exciting shit. Third, we rode on a beach and it was awesome. Fourth, in Zhong Dian but a xiao mei was leading my horse, her horse to be exact. Fifth, in Tibet noone was holding but I didn't have the guts to go on my own. Old liao ma. I really like ridding but in natural park not in cities.

The little one. My horse is its mummy.


Naughty little fella. Kept disturbing the other horses and tempting them to play with him. But so cute.


Our guide invited us to his sister's house for lunch.


How cool is this!! To stop it from boiling, turn it against the sun. They only use this for boiling water and cooking rice. And one cost 350rmb (sgd70) without the kettle.


The unfriendly watchdog!!!


Sweet milk tea! !! Yums! I get to try the real 酥油茶 here but I still like my sweet milk tea better.


Lunch is served.


The yellow round thing taste just like our pancake. Soft and light. The soup is tasty with minimal ingredients. But so delicious, I had second helpings of course. Not in the photo, they actually serve us a plate of boiled potatoes with skin on. It is our normal size potatoes but taste just like the mini potatoes, if not better. It was so yummy that I kept eating. Or maybe I was just hungry. But this was one of the best meal ever.

As we are still waiting for news on our permit, we decided to hang around here instead of going back to Lhasa.

So we went to walk around.


I climb up a little hill which takes less than 5mins. The front

The back.


The rest are in my dslr. =)

Being here, one cant help but feel free n happy.

Im just nothing in this big wide world! ! =)

Then begore we make our way back to Lhasa. I revisit their open air, elevated hole in the ground toilet. The door is a old piece of board which only cover your below when you squat down, you can feast your eyes with the amazing landscape while you do your business. But I didn't dare imagine how it will be like in winter and at night or when you have diarrhoea. But, no wonder the guys all pee in public.

We went back to Lhasa as news has it that we still have not receive our permit. So we check back in to the same hotel and spend one last night in Lhasa.

I went out to do some shopping as this has become our last night instead of our last day in Tibet being the last night in Lhasa. Anyway, bot fried chicken, instant miso soup, prickles n beer for dinner.


Chill in the hotel room for the rest of the night.

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