Although I had already visited many Tibetan areas of Qinghai and Sichuan provinces, this trip into Tibet itself had a different feel to it.
First off, foreigners must join a tour group in order to visit Tibet. Second, Tibet itself seemed much more developed than the places we had just seen in Qinghai and Sichuan.
For example, the hotels were much better and the roads were nicely paved and not pockmarked with potholes. Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet, seemed clean and orderly and caters to tourists with its many restaurants, sites and souvenir vendors. The scenery also seemed much larger: brighter sun, bigger mountains, more snow capped peaks and skies that are clear and blue. Temperatures can be warm during the day and then cold at night. The Tibetans that live here are different from the Kham Tibetans we encountered in Qinghai and Sichuan; the attire and language are very different.
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“Do you realise that normal people prepare for months for a trip like this?” remarks my friend Lee as we stand knee deep in snow on a 5000 meter high mountain, trying to get the car back on the road.
They do? I feel I have prepared well for our hitch-hiking trip by packing winter clothes and by reading the section on Tibet in my road map book of China: “Avoid discussing politics, religion and other sensitive subjects. Bring sunglasses and -cream.” Besides, pick a location, pack and go has always been our travelling style.
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Today Bookpleasures and Sketchandtravel are pleased to have as our guest, Brandon Wilson, author of Yak Butter Blues.
In 1992, Brandon and his wife Cheryl travelled 40 days from early October to the end of November in 1992 over 1000 kilometers travelling along the ancient pilgrimage route across Tibet. Evidently, they were one of the first Western couples to trek this ancient route alongside, by the way, a horse they named Sadhu.
Good day Brandon and thank you for accepting our invitation to be interviewed.
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