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	location:Home > You can also try a Railway Trip to Tibet
	You can also try a Railway Trip to Tibet
	We took a plane from Beijing to Xining then on to Golmud to begin our journey. Golmud is a town of about 100 000 people in the province of Qinghai western part of china. Flying into such a small airport and almost having a man walk away with my luggage was the beginning of a journey with obstacles to overcome. Lucky for me the mans son noticed the suitcase was wrong and brought it back, his was small and brown while mine was big and blue, go figure. Driving to the hotel was peaceful as our surroundings were natural and open. Ladies worked along the side of the road with their heads and faces covered by silk scarves to protect their skin. I had never seen woman do this kind of hard road labor in china before, but they seemed to be holding their own in the situation. The town felt small as the streets were not crowded but rather dotted with people walking casually by, a nice change from the hustle of Beijing. I sighed. Upon arriving to our hotel we were invited to the usual Chinese banquet dinner to meet the officials and the people who would be helping us for the week. Mr Fu would be the man to organize it all for us. A thin man with a big toothed smile and a genuine heart cheered and welcomed us to the experience. The dinner was short and filling and we were grateful to go to the hotel to sleep soundly in the silence of the small streets.  The next morning we woke up ready to see some of Tibet. Due to accommodations being poor in most of Tibet, we would drive to our destination then return back to golmud. I was fine with this; I didn't really want to have to sleep with Yak blankets anyway. Our first drive out showed us a glimpse of what was to come as we drove through vast plains exposing blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds. These vast plains turned into rocky mountains covered with light brown sand along the bottom. Heading up along the highway we came to our destination. We were situated 3700 meters above sea level at the tallest bridge built along the railway standing 54 meters high. I reported upon the difficulties for construction that I had yet to fully understand. The air was a little light and I could feel my chest heaving more than normal. No headache or brain swelling yet from altitude sickness, I think I may be ok. After reporting down below the bridge we ventured up on top. Here we found the first railway workers I would see of many who dedicated so much of themselves to the project. Their faces held smiles while the lines in their face proved the harsh climate they were so often exposed to. The security man asked for our identification as it was probably the most exciting thing he would do for the day. No one was around. No one ever came to visit. Life along the railway was quiet. The sun would be going down soon and we had ventured about four hours drive away from the comfort of our hotel in Golmud. Happy to get a glimpse of the mystery of the high Tibetan lands, my dreams that night were peaceful.  Today we would drive a little further into Tibet with hopes that this gradual progression would help us adjust to the altitude. With much emphasis on the environmental issues surrounding the construction of the railway, I was happy to see my first herd of Tibetan antelope grazing along the side of the railway. Looking very similar to Canadian deer with the little white tails sticking up from behind, the seemed content in their environment, I guess the 2 billion yuan set aside for environmental protection was put to good use. I'm happy to see it. The road up ahead led us to the longest bridge built along the railway covering 11.7 kilometers long. Situated across vast grassy plains I was reminded of my childhood growing up in Saskatchewan, Canada. The sky is so open and impressionable in the plains. It seems like you can look forever and see what is coming in your near future. As I looked west I saw dark clouds preparing to release their moisture to the earth, to the east I found even more rain clouds hovering low over the land. Fortunately where I was there was sunshine. I was a little out of breath up here, about 4300 meters, but playing in the field was fun. Being surrounded by nature always brings out the best in people. After about 7 hours of driving through the rain clouds I had just seen, the little noodle place across from our hotel in Golmud was comforting. Simplicity just seemed the most natural way and all of us were tired. Tomorrow we are to begin our long journey to Lhasa. After my belly was content, I sat upon the small stairs of the restaurant. Looking around I see the little old woman carrying her large blue thermos of hot water for her tea that evening. Young boys rode past on a bike yelling hello to me to practice their English. The old man rushed as best he could to keep up to his young granddaughter on their early evening stroll. Life was simple. Life was pure. I did't miss the crazy streets of Beijing at all. Home to the hotel sleep I went, I was tired. We woke up at 5 am for our long journey. Our four by four trucks waited outside anxiously for the drive ahead. Our driver looked like a real local man with dark bronze tanned skin, small eyes and deep wrinkles in his face. Just from looking at him you knew he was tough, but was he a good driver? That was what I wanted to know. The sun was just coming up as we soared through the toll booth into the distant mountains. The morning quickly passed by as we witnessed the plains turn into rocky mountains, the rocky mountains turn into sandy rocky mountains, then turning into snowy mountains. We were climbing higher and higher as each minute passed up above 4500 meters above sea level and I could feel my lungs heaving for oxygen. With constant checks to see if we were feeling sick or have a headache the oxygen tanks were brought out. Our cameraman soon found out that he was not suitable for the altitude yet carried on with our work as planned. What a dedicated employee. The most dangerous part of the drive is not the actual road itself. Surprisingly the road is very modern with proper lines and a few signs and signals. It is the quickly changing climate and the large supply and army and supply trucks that are the danger. So far we had seen 3 accidents, one of them with 2 people dead and others with an array of supplies such as wood, small cars, and junk removal scattered everywhere as the truck went into the ditch. These we took as reminders of how dangerous the road is. After much driving we ended up at the Fang Hua Shan tunnel. This is the longest tunnel built on the railway at an altitude of 4905 meters above sea level and average temperatures here are between 7 and minus 40 degrees Celsius. The wind blew harsh as we drove up to where the workers were. These construction men come from all over china but are rather small in size with dark skin and deep wrinkles due to the harsh climate they live in. They have been up here living in a tent for 6 years working on the railway through snow, sleet, sunshine and harsh wind. They are tough as nails and curious to know what the hell I'm doing there exactly. I tried to take their picture but they were much too shy in front of the camera. They humbled me. Upon completing our work we drove out along the mountain tops to come across our first herd of Yaks. They look a lot like buffalo with long horns and are quite people friendly. A good sign I think to myself. The man herding the yaks just sat in the middle of them while they grazed the frozen land. Time was of no importance and I took another breath to release the old city stress. The two car loads of Chinese men I am out working with of course all gather together to take pictures of each other in front of the yaks. I took part in my mandatory 2 photos then snuck off to take some shots of the Tibetan prayer flags stretched across two poles left blowing in the wind. We were to continue climbing as our next destination was the Kunlun Mountain Pass. The drive up was amazing as the sky was the clearest blue I have ever seen in china. Puffy white clouds framed the tops of the mountains while green grassed rolling hills built their foundation. Going off the road onto the construction road that would take us to the highest altitude railway station in the world, the Kunlun Mountain station, the world seemed so tranquil and we were all happy. Up just above 5000 meters the air is about 50% of what it is on the plains. Our eyes were taking in as much of the sites while our heads felt light and woozy. Being up so high I could see some storm clouds raining over distant hills almost as if in a world away. Our next stand up was to be at the railway station explaining how incredible it was. At such a high altitude I found it difficult to think and found myself laughing as I fumbled over my words. The construction workers around me had no idea what I was laughing about but joined in anyway. As I continued to do my "work" the storm clouds that I thought were so far away quickly sprung up on us and we were all of a sudden in the middle of a rain storm that soon turned into a blizzard. Of course I ran to the safety of the truck and the warmth of my blanket inside. I took a look out the window as we drove away to the workers left there to labor and contemplated their life. Other than a few putting on a hat they continued to work as if nothing had happened. I wondered how many times they had been in such drastic climate changes. I wondered how often they dreamed of being at home with the warmth of their families. I wondered how long it would be until they could go home. The drive back down the road was of a completely different setting than the drive there 30 minutes earlier. No green grass was left, no bright blue sky, only snow flakes flying horizontally was seen through the windshield wipers. In the car we listened to jazz music and huddled under bright orange jackets to keep warm and feel safe from the hazardous mountain terrain. A cup of hot chocolate would have been perfect at such a moment like this. Making our way back to the road we found the storm still around us. The thoughts of the praying pilgrims on the road earlier crossed my mind. Their dedication to their religion is fascinating as they place themselves in such danger during the long walk to Lhasa. How did they survive such storms along the road? Where did they find shelter?? We drove for a long time along the highway, long enough for the weather to clear up again, to the Huohuohe River, the main headstream for the Yangtze River. Monuments showing the ecological protection importance of the railway stood tall above a backdrop of a bridge crossing the river. Protection of the wildlife, wetlands, lakes, grasslands, and rivers are of great priority for the railway. All along we found monuments showing the dedication of individuals out to keep Tibet the way it is today. Driving along I do have to say that I believe they have done a good job. I have seen much wildlife around even close to the railway and the road proving that they do not yet feel threatened. The land that they graze looks somewhat undisturbed as the railway is fully complete now. I am a little surprised by their accomplishment yet do wonder what is to come once the railway begins their tours starting July 1st, 2006. At this time many tourists will begin to flood into Tibet for a view of what I have just witnessed before it is somewhat untouched. What will happen to this raw land? How will modernization change what is so natural? We had driven for at least 10 hours so far but were no where close to our destination of hopefully a clean hotel to stay in. Our cameraman we were losing by the minute as his sickness continued to elevate with the altitude. Driving in and around the mountains as the sun began to set, I saw some of the most beautiful scenes I have ever seen in my life. The hills glowed red from the rich soil within them, and the sun in the sky cast enormous cloud shadows along the side of the hidden hills. The greens and reds and browns and oranges that burst in front of my eyes as I snapped my camera and turned around to catch the silver lining of the clouds. I felt closer to heaven. Thank god for these feelings of serenity from the landscape as we were heading into the closest Tibetan village we could find to find some relief from the altitude sickness. We drove into the dirt streets centering run down shacks as Tibetan families wearing traditional clothes come in and out of the doors. With a casual point by one of the villagers we were sent off in the direction of the hospital. After a little searching we drive up to a building with only one light on and a broken window out front. The only sign that it is a hospital is the red cross with the white background up above the door. We hurry in our friend for some much needed oxygen. The table in the room looked as if it hadn't changed for a hundred years. The bottles of medicine lay spread out everywhere along the top of the old wooden desk in no particular order. I guess this young doctor of 30 years old wearing a dirty white lab coat knows what they are used for. He pulls the big oxygen tank over and feeds our friend the air of life. The next few minutes, as scary as they were, quickly became quite humorous. Our whole car load, minus the strong like bull driver, was sitting around the room sucking oxygen from big blue filled pillows. Thankfully when I asked for a new mouth piece to cover the dirty tube they gave me, I was blessed with a new one. There we were all sitting around getting our oxygen fix inventing different postures and positions to ensure that all the oxygen was released. The most professional was Mr Fu who seemed to have done this task a million times and finished his in almost half the time we did. With effects from the pure oxygen entering our fragile lungs we all giggled at the sight of ourselves. Sometimes the strangest situations are the ones you remember. I was just thankful oxygen was all we needed from the dirty clinic. We were all back feeling better and ready to take on the last 3 hours of our drive. The sun had gone down by this time and another 3 hours after a 15 hour trip seemed especially dangerous in the dark. Even though we were so tired we made sure at least one of us was up for the driver. The road was pitch black and the sides unmarked as we passed large trucks on the way. Common courtesy of switching off your high beams when passing another vehicle seemed to be of little importance as the tired drivers of the large trucks passed our little 4 by 4. I leaned towards the window to take a good look out into the black sky filled with endless stars. Ah yes, I say to myself, that is what the sky actually looks like without the street lights drowning it out. Another beautiful memory of Tibet¡­. We arrived into the town called Nuqu at about midnight. This town looked rather shabby I have to say with all the buildings seeming old and run down. The streets were dark with only a few street lights lined along the way. "This is an improvement to the last time I was here", Wang Er Quan our director states. "Oh gosh", I think to myself, "I hope my bed is clean." In the middle of an eerie street we drive up to the best hotel in the town which barely made a 2 star status. Thank god the 14 year old bellboy could carry my suitcase up the 4 flights of stairs. The rooms were spacious and somewhat clean but the ceilings held mold from all the moisture at this altitude. A large oxygen tank was placed beside my bed that loomed over me while I slept. If it wasn't for the 18 hour journey we had just completed, I don't think I would have slept a wink. Today we woke up late all tired. We decided not to stay another night there but rather drive on to Lhasa about 5 hours away. After being in a car with each other the whole day yesterday and being so tired needless to say we were all a little grumpy. We did our work like good little CCTV employees but all of us wanted a break. We drove out to an area that had a monument from the Asian games. Out of nowhere we were greeted by 3 old Tibetan women with barely any teeth and a small boy about the age of 6. The women approached up immediately begging for money. I saw the Chinese men we were with pay them off then try to shoo them away, but I spoke up as I noticed an opportunity for me to maybe connect with the people of this secret land. I gave them some money and some chocolate crackers, not sure which one they wanted more. One of the old women posed happily for my camera as I excitedly sprang to the occasion. After they bored of me a little I walked out a bit closer to the road. There I found the little boy sitting in the grass picking the longest strands he could find. He had a sparkle in his eye and peace in his tone. That moment held the first true glimpse for me of the harmony of the Tibetan people with their land. He sang to himself and watched me as I sat near him. It made me think of my niece and nephew back in North America who have more toys than they would ever need, toys that to me only seem to be distraction from the real freedom of imagination they could find in their own backyard. I saw a happiness in this little boys eyes that I don't believe the modern world can give. For a human to grow up so in tune with nature is something modern day society has unfortunately begun to stray away from. I was then called to work. We moved to another place up along the railway track where the yaks grazed happily. As part of the conservation along the railway, the grass underneath was cut out and moved while the construction happened. Upon completion, all the grass was moved back to its original area where the yaks seem to have not even noticed a change. While we interviewed the head of the construction site, a tall, thin Tibetan man walked up to see what was happening. He was so funny as he stood right beside the cameraman as if he was part of the group. Amazed by my white colored hair, he walked over to me and smiled. I smiled back and tried to ask if I could take a picture. I believe that if this man was to have grown up in my society, he to would be a cameraman for he took my camera right out of my hands and attempted to take a picture of me. I think this may have been the first time he had ever held a camera for he did not know which button to push, but with a little guidance from me, he snapped the picture happily and gave me back my camera. I think he is the most endearing photographer I have ever worked with. Driving on to Lhasa we followed a rushing river at the base of the mountains. We had about 2 hours to go until we would find civilization again. This drive into Lhasa began to show the Buddhist side of the people. Buddhist temples of all sizes I could see in the land around me. Some of them were just a pile of bricks placed like a small house with Tibetan prayer flags around it. Others were large and white with a tall thin gold rod out the top of them. These ones were quite modern and became more so as we drew nearer to Lhasa. Just before Lhasa, about 10 kilometers, we entered a small village where many farmers were working in their crops. The background showed layers of mountains displaying different colors due to the suns spot in the sky. Every so often your eyes would be blessed by a sea of the most vibrant yellow flowers waving in the wind. As I caught my breath from the beauty I saw 3 little girls skipping down a path between the fields. Their multi colored dressed danced behind them with each step of their delight. This is Tibet, this sacred, serene, lush land blessed by people in harmony with nature. This is the Tibet I came to see. This is the Tibet I hope will stay. I was so happy to see our nice hotel with nice sheets and towels and clean carpets. Out of my window I can see the Patella Palace up at the top of the hill. The sky behind it was blue with white clouds as the sun setting makes all the buildings of Lhasa shine. Our banquet dinner was one we were all happy to be at. Red wine filled our glasses, fresh seafood filled our plates, and laughter filled the air. As we looked each other in the eyes at dinner we knew we had just experienced something so rare together that we will remember forever. The hard part of our journey had completed and our programs were almost done. We celebrated as 2 Tibetan women sang us Tibetan songs, one by one, and we had to thank them by sipping red wine twice, then finishing the glass on the third sip. Their voices were so powerful and they naturally did a little dance when they sang their traditional song in Tibetan language especially for me. My eyes had tears of joy in them but I don't think anyone saw.  Tibet seems to be a forgotten world. It's like time has stood still here until now. There is an amazing sense of calmness around Lhasa despite the large amount of people around the temples and the vendors. The streets sort of look like regular small town china streets in the sense that there are shops and restaurants all with light up signs and the usual offerings of tea, china and cigarettes But at a closer look you see things are all a little different. There is a definite aura of mystery here. You can feel that it is a spiritual place that causes the people in it to be giving. With many Buddhists asking for small offerings the giving becomes a way of life. And in this task brings pleasure for both the receiver and the one giving leaving both individuals with a smile. There are many elderly people around whose lives have been dedicated to religion. They have deep wrinkles in their faces like rivers through the mountains of Tibet, their missing a few teeth and have eyes that sparkle like diamonds. As I passed by a few would reach out and touch my hand or my face and give me a gentle smile. They were enlightened and happy in their wisdom. The common dress of the Tibetan people in Lhasa is simple. The women wear long skirts and long length tops past their waist. They show originality in the multi colored striped aprons over the skirt. Many of the women wear hats to protect themselves from the sun with large brims. The men wear hats almost like cowboy hats made of either yak leather or a canvas material. Their clothes are brown in color as well in the form of simple pants and a dress coat. Large bags are strung across the shoulders of the people carrying various forms of goods. They seem to walk everywhere and the large bags are needed for convenience. As they walk to the temples they all carry prayer wheels spinning clockwise, each time around is one prayer to Buddha. The prayer wheel is made up of a cylinder with a cap on the top and the bottom and a stick through it allowing you to hang on. In the center of the cylinder is a prayer scroll wound up tightly inside. The momentum of the cylinder is kept by a small chain with a stone on the end strung out from the side. They come in various sizes and designs and are a staple in the daily lives of the people here. We went to a market area around the temple. Here you find religious Tibetans of all ages in the form of the praying pilgrims to the monks in their deep maroon and burnt mustard colored robes. There are small tables under red, yellow and green umbrellas with displays of all sorts of goods possible to buy for a good price if you know how to bargain well. I can see that they have had tourists come through as they can be rather aggressive at times grabbing your arms and walking in front of you so you can not pass by. Many of them carry the same things so competition is fierce: a reminder that I am still in china. After much shopping of the typical Tibetan goods I happily went for dinner with my film crew and had a good sleep at the hotel. Our last day in Lhasa of course was to be spent at the Patella Palace. Walking up the long winding walkway to the top of the hill where the palace stood, trees lined both sides and stone palates engraved with Buddhist scriptures found shade in them. The outside of the palace was mostly white with blue trimmed windows covered with fabric along the top that rippled like waves when the wind came. Typical Tibetan fabric hangings of white with a knotted continual black pattern in the middle hung all around. As we walked up the stairs to enter the palace you could hear women singing continuously from the rooftop. The inside of the palace holds deep red, blue, green, and gold. In many of the rooms it is quite dark except for the small areas left in the ceiling as a skylight that goes all the way through the 5 levels, the top level being the residence of the Dali Lama. The palace seems to be in 2 parts, one building in the center and another one built around it. The center building is a large room that is off limits to tourists, with high ceilings and long columns in the center. The outside of this building is painted in bright yellow with beautiful flowers and leaves and scrolls in reds, greens, blue, purple, and orange. The outside building has its hallways running along the center of the square surrounding the inner building. The ceilings are painted bright blue and each door is bright red with huge gold knockers tied with braided multicolored silk. The staircases are steep and off each hallway are the entrances to the individual rooms. The rooms hold Buddhist statues of various sizes and the walls are covered with small boxed shelves, each opening holding scriptures of the commandments. They are dusty boxes with deep red fabric covering two thirds of the front and just radiate importance from their presence. In different rooms you will find the thrones of various Dali Lamas. You will also come across the tombs of the lamas all covered in gold and precious jewels. The tomb of the 5th Dali Lama is the most impressive standing almost 9 meters high with 8 gold statues to his right and 8 gold statues to his left. In these rooms hang embroidered flowers and vines coming down from the ceilings all around the room. As well, heavy silk of different colors patterned with gold flowers hang all around making everything seem grounded and stable. In each room a large gold bowl filled with offerings of wax from the local Buddhist pilgrims kept the 16 candle flames alive. Tediously taken care of by the dedicated men and woman with ritual, the wicks were trimmed with sacred scissors and carefully placed into the can for removal while still burning. An ambiance of serenity and stillness can be felt all around and gentle smiles seen upon everyone's face.
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