Kathmandu -> Lhasa

On completing the Buddhism course in Kopan, I'm eager to continue my travels and decide on the only overland route into South East Asia from Nepal, via Tibet and China. Due to Chinese beaurocracy, the only option to get into Tibet appears to be an organized tour along the so-called Friendship Highway, across the Tibetan Plateau and into Lhasa.

Leaving early in the morning, we take a bus up the Kathmandu valley through scenic hills, past the world's highest bungy jump (169m!) to the border town of Kodari. It's raining and becoming colder. Once through Nepali immigration, the huge group of over 50 people continues afoot up hill and across the bridge to the Chinese side of the border, where forms are filled and body temperature is recorded using a zapper pointed at the forehead. For some reason, my temperature repeatedly registers "LO", much to the amusement of the Chinese official. Finally, I muster up 34°C and continue up the muddy road where a convoy of 13 Landcruisers is awaiting the group. I eventually find a free seat in one with three Americans, Matt, Amy and Terra, already sat in the back. After a short drive up to the nearest town, an ugly array of square grey buildings lining the roadside, there's more immigration stuff to deal with. It's raining hard now, and in the confusion I manage to misplace my Landcruiser, opting instead to partake of some jasmine tea with some fellow travellers. Eventually our aggitated guide finds us and the convoy sets off again through the rain, up along the winding muddy track, arriving at Nyalam (3,700m) shortly before dusk. It's freezing here, we've got a basic dorm room, some nasty shared toilets, and no running water. By the morning, several people are feeling sick from the sudden gain in altitude, I decide to take a half-dose of Diamox just in case.

Days 2 to 5 we spend traversing the spectacularly bleak Tibetan plateau, crossing several 5000m+ passes, with occasional views of tall mountains in the distance, including Xishapagma (8,012m), Cho Om (8,201m) and Everest (8,848m). Along the way, we visit the beautiful old monasteries of Tashi Lhumpu, Pharkor and the Kumbum Stupa. On day 3, one of the Landcruisers overturns while trying to avoid a tractor. Luckily nobody is hurt, but the surviving passengers are squeezed in amongst the more roadworthy vehicles. We gain one extra, a friendly Malaysian guy called Valen.

Our final day's drive takes us through the snow past Yamdrok lake, before descending to the banks of the Yarlong Tsangpo river, continuing on to Lhasa. The drive into the city is uninspiring except for the occasional glimpse of the Potala Palace towering above the ugly functional Chinese strip-malls of Western Lhasa.

We have two days of organized sight-seeing in Lhasa and there's plenty to see: Potala Palace, Sera Monastery, Drepung Monastery, Barkhor Bazar and Jokhang Templer. On our last night, a happy Israeli guy named Guy organizes a farewell party for the group. Finally I'm travelling alone again, considering options for heading into the relatively untravelled areas of Eastern Tibet en route to Yunnan province, from where I can drop down into Northern Vietnam or Burma.