Hello everyone,
Last week I made the trip back into China from Mongolia. Over 3 days and 2 nights I spent 42 hours out of 45 covering over 1,420 miles on 4 trains. This got me from Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia to Xining, China, a city in Western Qinghai Province just south of currently troubled Xinjiang Province and east of Tibet. In fact, Xining is one of the launching posts for trips to Tibet and is the closest railway station to Lhasa. That’s why I came straight here. However, after 5 days in Xining I haven’t been able to find a group to pair with. To visit Tibet, foreigners must be on a certified tour group and accompanied by a guide at all times. This is quite different than past years as the government increasingly keeps controls on who can come and go and what we see. The tour group price includes renting a guide and jeep each day, which becomes quite expensive. I was prepared to pay this, roughly $50-$70 per day with a group of 3 or 4 people. But without a group, it would be well over $100 per day, I cost I’ve decided is not worth it. In addition, I would have to wait another week here in Xining while the travel agency sends my passport and visa to Lhasa to get the proper Tibet Permit, which all foreigners must have and apply for before entering Tibet.
Instead, I’ve decided to head south from here along the eastern border of Tibet, which is still rich with Tibetan activity and culture. In fact, one city I will be staying in is Litang, with a 95% Tibetan population. Many of these cities have not been repressed as have the cities in Tibet, so their culture has continued to flourish. Hopefully, I will catch parts of the 7-day Horse Festival, full of song, dance, and horse riding contests. It’s full of promise.
According to other travelers who’ve been here, this trip should be rich, and a fraction of the cost compared to Tibet, where soldiers march in the streets daily. I’ll be village and mid-size city hopping for the next three weeks before flying out to Bangkok from Kunming, the capital of China’s Yunnan province. I’m also hoping to explore the 2-3 day hike through the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world at 3,000m+ from the rushing river below. Don’t worry, I’ll be safe.
As for posting, I’ve been writing, but the internet censorship and speed in China has kept me from editing and posting blog posts in a time efficient manner. I have plenty in the pipeline, including my recap from Shanghai, Beijing, 3 weeks horse-trekking in Mongolia, a video of my after-dinner scorpion snack, and some really cool profiles of some friendly, world-changing people.
Thanks for listening and stopping by. Help make July a good month by visiting a few sponsors. I’ll announce the recipient charity in short time.
From China with Love,
Adrian
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