Tibet Trips

[YogiBear]

Notice how nomads live happily until this thing called 'TV' made them aware of the outside world. And life may never be the same again for them. Will they become like us one day, getting trapped in this competitive world where money rules their hearts? When that time comes, their hearts will long for the past that have been sadly gone...

...True Tibetans too, long for their happy past as servants for their kingdom, but I wonder what future they have for now. Is it worth their while exchanging their freedom of the past with material wealth of the future? Can they be once again happy and simple people, by then? or will they be like us one day? God help them.

::::::::::

Saw the Tibet pics. They are really good. Impressive, I would say.
Hope this pan shot looks good too... :bsmilie:

 

[laokayu]

Kailash ! Hope to go there some time in future.

 

[hyun]

whether money, "handphone, computer, hi-fi, highway, cars and trains and condo and etcetcetcetc" or other toys become their new ruler is certainly an issue, but it's not really our business. whether a country chooses development, fast or slow, or stagnation, is the right of its people.

in the web article quoted by boochap, it highlights the romanticisation of tibet in some literature. it also highlights what it felt to be the actual Old Tibet, much of which is true, as corroborated by many sources, including the dalai lama. it however also draws information from tainted sources without having these sources their due (dis)credit.

what is undeniable is that tibetans aren't han chinese. they don't share the same written or spoken language. they don't even share the same language class. they don't share a great many customs. to the casual visitor, despite the whitewashing done in areas visited by tourists, it is clear that we have come upon a different country.

vietnam has been similarly influenced by old dynasties of china too, and for a longer period even - about a thousand years. vietnam shared more commercial relationships with china, and even their form of buddhism is more akin to china's. if china could bully vietnam, it would be able to find more justification to call vietnam part of china. but vietnam has shown that it can't even be bullied by america. so it was fortunate that china didn't pick such a tough target.

whether money or handphones rule, i believe ultimately tibetans still want tibetans to rule. as that web article highlighted, they just don't want to go back to bad old days. which people would?

 

[YogiBear]

Kailash ! Hope to go there some time in future.

Sorry, this is definitely NOT Kailash but north face of Mt Everest near its base camp at Tinggri. Pls research carefully.

 

[Twilo]

Some of you "i-am-right-you-are-wrong-oh-i-am-so-smart" people just make me sick.

Those who contributed constructively, thanks for all the info and photos.

 

[laokayu]

Sorry, this is definitely NOT Kailash but north face of Mt Everest near its base camp at Tinggri. Pls research carefully.

Many apologies for the wrong id.

 

[hyun]

Some of you "i-am-right-you-are-wrong-oh-i-am-so-smart" people just make me sick.

Those who contributed constructively, thanks for all the info and photos.

that was so educational and constructive. any more?

 

[Diablo]

You do not have to have an agency to help you arrange things in Tibet. You will pay thru your nose using them.
I flew into Lhasa from Chengdu. I will only take you a day to get things -plane ticket, permit- arranged in Chengdu. Most travel agents that service foreigners do that, but one good place to recommend is Sam's G/H. Search for them on the net or Lonely Planet's site. It costs me 1700Y all incl of ticket & permit.
In Lhasa, the best way to go about your trip is to leave notices at guesthouses' notice boards as well as read the notices. Best place to stay- cheap and very good Tibetan atmosphere and set-up is Pentoc G/H. There are heaps of people doing the same thing that you do and normally going the same standard route all the way to Everest BC, and another trip north to Namtso Lake region. Reason is that these are more or less the only places foreigners are allowed to go. The prices are quite standard- I forgot but you can tell from the notices. You normally share with 3 or 4 others in a 4WD. There are a few places around Lhasa (Sera & Ganden Monasteries) which can be visited on a public bus. There are places such as Potala Palace and Jokhang Monastery (a couple of hundred metres from Pentoc GH) which you can visit without any fuss.
We paid 1250Y for a 3D/2N 4WD to Namtso and a detour to Retin Monastery on the way to DrigunTi Monastery (sky burial holy ground).
We also paid 3800Y for a 4D ride to Nepal via Everest BC thru Yamdrok-tso, Shigatse, Gyantse, Tingri Plains etc. You can return from the EBC and it takes another 2 days back to Lhasa. You will have to pay more but not a lot more cos the driver will have to come back to Lhasa anyway.
Please note these prices are 2003 and you share the costs with how ever many in the 4WD.
I used this guy for the 5 days trip and his driver and car was VERY GOOD- highly recommended. KEDUP tel: 6982386
Hope this is useful and have fun. I did (very much).

useful info. up for my future ref

 

[travelplanet]

Apology to travelplanet, sorry for your thread to become too OT.
Anyway, I've re-read through the threads, mybe my wordings were too harsh.
Hope no one is physically hurt because of that.

Anyway, here is my contribution.

That Ok Bro ,

I hope this thread will not create any misunderstanding ...
Thanks for ur contribution ..