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The Great Cyber Walker in Lhasa : First Leg Completed
Jan 27, 2005 06: 49 EST
"The Great Walker" arrived Kathmandu, Nepal October 24. His aim was to walk to Mount Kailash, in Tibet, to retrace the steps of Nain Singh. He would walk to Lhasa, then follow a river to the mountain. At the check point to Tibet however, Diego was turned back by the police.
He had to take a plane to Tibet, head back to the check point but on the other side of its border, and then walk to Lhasa to resume his trek to Mount Kailash. A few days back, Diego had walked to Lhasa at last, and now it's on to Kaliash through the cold of the Tibetan winter. Diego dispatches regularly over Contact 3.0, and you can also check his positions on his website. Here goes his report from the arrival to the Tibet Capitol:
First Leg Completed!
"As I walked out onto my long road (late as always) I knew I had a tough day ahead of me.
Tenzin and Shimpa walked me out and welcomed me to return anytime I wanted. Another group of amazing people (or the magic ones as Nathan put it) that will no doubt make it into my post-expedition stories and my tales to my grandchildren (if my memory still works by then).
Stoned duck
North-East, less than 6km away, I walked past these beautiful Buddha rock paintings overlooking the mighty Tsangpo. But not so beautiful was the scene I unfortunately witnessed only meters after I left the paintings: two well grown up Chinese men had parked their black Santana on the side of the road so that they could stone a poor little duck to its death.
If there is any life in winter on the Tsangpo, it is the beautiful flock of multicolored ducks that swim along its glacier waters. Except of course when these two decide that eating wild duck sounds like a good idea.
Perhaps it isn't fair to judge them since to them, this might be no different from sitting by the river to catch fish for dinner.
Potala; symbol of Tibet
Ten kilometers ahead, a roundabout packed with all forms of public transport shows a blue sign that reads "Welcome to Lhasa." To me, this sign gave not the pleasure one would expect since I actually still had about another 13km to go before I could walk through the old city gates just below the magnificent Potala; symbol of Tibet and architectonic masterpiece.
Also, absolutely ALL the way from the "Welcome to Lhasa" sign to the Potala, is under heavy construction. In any normal ground I could pull this remaining 13 in just over 2hrs; but today, it took me way over three. Although in part due to the little torture chamber my strangled left foot was walking in, but mainly due to the mess that this road was in.
Lhasa could well end up like Mexico
It makes me sad to see so much construction and extremely fast development, not because I think new roads or development is bad but because of the incredible amount of pollution that I breathe since I crossed that 'welcoming' sign. It made me realize that if nothing is done to prevent it, Lhasa could well end up like Mexico DF where locals have practically never seen the sky. Apart from that gray blanket that floats over there heads.
Lhasa as well as practically every other city in Tibet, lies surrounded by Mountains. When pollution is exhaled on the ground, it'll be quite hard for it to dissipate. Hopefully those in charge are already aware of this and have a plan of action waiting to be launched. It would be a shame to stain one of the bluest and most beautifully purest skies on earth.
My predecessor 139 years ago
Having reached the moment I'd been waiting for when just as my predecessor did 139 years ago, I entered the city on foot through the old gate, another 'welcoming sign' appeared in front of me: as I sat at the foot of the main gate's stupa for a moment to contemplate the city by night, a local man approached me and asked whether I needed a place to spend the night. Sweet.
Exhausted, with my feet hurting but extremely pleased to have made it to Lhasa (Nain's first challenge has just been accomplished!) I sat at the foot of the stupa for a moment to contemplate the city by night, and wandered what a completely different place this is now than when Nain sat where I now did.
A lot has changed since Nain marked the way in
Back on my feet and still with my wandering thoughts about Nain's personal impressions of Lhasa, a 1.5m person walking towards me caught my attention: A 14 year old boy with a toy machine gun hanging from his left shoulder and a lighter on his right hand trying to light up the cigarette that hung from his mouth.
A lot has changed since Nain marked the way in; surely my last day to Lhasa was very different from His."
Check Diego's website for dispatches.
The Himalayan mountaineering season have not yet started, but there are trekkers around, and one such is Diego Azubel. Diego is a great walker. In 2000/2001 he traversed China on foot along the Great Wall. The trip took 15 months and covered 4000 km.
This time around, Diego arrived Kathmandu, Nepal October 24. His aim was to walk to Mount Kailash, in Tibet, to retrace the steps of Nain Singh. He would walk to Lhasa, then follow a river to the mountain. At least that was the plan, until the police got involved.
Diego is among the first world travelers using Contact technology. Check his pics, positions, and altitudes as he strolls his way across the passes.
Image over Contact 3.0 of Potala palace in Lhasa, Tibet courtesy Diego Azubel.
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