Going to Meet the Buddha

i'm still in a sort of denial that it's actually almost here. wtf.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines adventure as ...

"Adventure [ME adventure - (O) Fr. adventure - Rom...] ... 4. Chance of danger or loss; risk; jepordy ME. 5. A hazardous enterprise or performance ME ..."

WEEK 1:
Shaanxi Province
Shaanxi Province is one of the oldest settled regions of China and its history stretches back to the pre-historic. It is home to Xi'an, and the Terracotta Armies and has seen the coming and going of most of the major dynasties as rulers of China.

Xi'an
Without a doubt Xi'an is one of the three big musts in China for the visitor. The History of this city is immense, with the earliest habitation dating back 6000 years. It first starting coming into pre-eminence between the 3rd and 5th century BC and despite suffering several setbacks it remained as one of the ruling cities in China through to 900 AD. Today it is most famous for its army of Terracotta Warriors that date back 2000 years, but the city is full of other cultural, religious and historic sites.

Maijishan Grottoes & Wushan
While travelling between Xiahe and Xi'an we may (if we are allowed by the Chinese authorities - some times they allow us and sometimes they don't), visit the extraordinary caves and grottoes at Maijishan. These are actually one of the four largest temple groups in China, but some of the caves have been destroyed by earthquakes. The visit is great fun as the caves are set in cliff faces linked by spiral staircases and catwalks. The centre piece is a monumental 16 metre high Buddha with birds nesting up his nose. There are about 190 surviving caves, most dating back from the fourth to the sixth century AD. In the same area as Maijishan are a number of other impressive sites. Near Gangu is a huge Buddha, standing over 25 metres high. If time and permission is available we will try to visit this and perhaps the remote site of Shulian Dong, where we find yet another 1000 Buddha cave site with a vast 30 metre high statue of Sakyamuni.

Gansu Corridor
Gansu is one of the most rugged of China's provinces, and it is along the Gansu Corridor (the province is long and narrow) that the Silk Route ran. Historically it is a very important area. Travellers, armies and traders all had to pass through Gansu and so the trading oases and towns were highly important areas. The highly valuable Chinese Silk trade passed through these places and the Town of Jiayuguan is the western end of the Great Wall.

Lanzhou and Bingling Si
Lanzhou is the capital of Gansu Province, but holds little of interest for the traveller. It is a sprawling Chinese Town but does have a number of interesting sites in the surrounding area. The most appealing of these are the caves and carvings at Bingling Si. Here a set of Buddhist grottoes are carved into the cliff of a 60 metre high gorge. They are most impressive especially because they are surrounded on one side by the waters of the Liujiaxia Reservoir. Bingling Si is yet another of the numerous Thousand Buddha Caves that can be found in China, but it is very special. They contain 694 statues and 82 clay sculptures. The highlight of the cave is the 27 metre high seated statue of Maitreya Buddha. Indeed this cave complex is one of the best in China and yet because of its relative isolation, it is less visited than the main Chinese sites.

WEEK 2:
Xiahe
The Lonely Planet describes Xiahe as "one of the most enchanting places to visit in China", and so it is. Certainly it has that wonderful tranquil atmosphere of Tibet. Tibetans come in large numbers to make a pilgrimage to Xiahe and the combination of the pilgrims, the monasteries, the monks, the prayer flags and the wonderful scenery create a world not usually found outside Tibet. Indeed in all but name you are in Tibet, as we have climbed up onto the edge of the Tibetan Plateau and the population is over 45% Tibetan. We spend a couple of nights here to explore the monasteries and to soak up the atmosphere.

Qinghai Province & Qinghai Hu
Between the provinces of Gansu and Tibet lie the very remote and inhospitable lands of Qinghai. It is through this province that we climb up onto the Tibetan Plateau. We leave the lowlands behind and ensure our cold weather gear is ready as we climb higher through the high cold deserts of this province. We are travelling through an area that is actually a giant basin surrounded by high mountains. En route, we will pass by the vast and starkly beautiful Qinghai Hu Lake. This lake occupies an area of over 4,500 square kilometres and is situated at over 3200m. The water is saline and teems with fish, with a resulting sea bird population. Here yak graze the grasses and the icy blue waters stretch as far as the eye can see. The population of this part of the Tibetan Plateau is thinly spread and mainly comprises of Kazaks, Moguls and Hui. As we near Tibet, we will increasingly meet Tibetans. En route we will stop at the mining town of Golmud. From here our route takes us up higher onto the Tibetan Plateau. The views in this area are stunning, with vast mountains surrounding open grassland. There are few settlements and the only people we are likely to encounter are yak-herding nomads. We are now climbing over 4,500m, and so we must be prepared for the cold weather. Accommodation is sparse and most nights will be spent camping in the wilds, others perhaps in small guesthouses or hotels. Our highest pass in this area is the 5,220m Tanggula Shanku pass. This pass is the frontier between Qinghai and the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR).

WEEK 3:
Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR)
Tibet is made up of a number of areas. The Northern Plateau is the harshest of all and it is across this that we travel to and from the province of Qinghai. The second area is the Outer Plateau which has the Himalayas along the southern boundary. The climate here is more hospitable and consequently there is a much richer population of flora and fauna. This area of Tibet is where Lhasa and the other major settlements are and is the most populous part of Tibet containing almost all the major human settlements. Outside these towns many Tibetans still lead nomadic lifestyles based around the Yak herds. Despite the hardship of the cold, rugged landscape, Tibetans have developed complex customs and an elaborate tradition of hospitality. The Tibetan plateau has a harsh beauty unparalleled any where in the world. Snow-capped mountains to the south, glacier fed rivers, huge lakes and brown desert like landscapes. In the summer months when we are passing through there are thousands of different species of beautiful flowers that fill the plateau and the valleys. The temperatures over most of the area are fairly low through much of the year, as Tibet lies in one of the coldest parts of Asia. The months of summer are between April and October, and this is the most tolerable part of the year, when it can even get quite hot in low-lying places like Lhasa and Shigatse -the upper reaches of the Himalayas remain snow-bound even in the hottest of summers. Winters are very cold, with the temperature going to below freezing point - more so in the high altitude areas. However, Tibet is generally an extremely sunny region- around three thousand hours of sunshine annually. Religion is the backbone of the country and when Buddhism died out in India around 1200, due to the revival of Hinduism and the frequent Moslem invasions, its doctrines and scriptures lived on in Tibet. Here its importance ebbed and flowed but finally became the most important cultural influence in the country. The Dalai Lama was the religious and political leader until 1959 when Tibet was declared an Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, and the Dalai Lama was exiled from the region.

Namso Lake
Depending on circumstances, altitude problems, weather and road conditions and time spent in other areas of Tibet, we may have time to take a side trip to Namso Lake. Situated high on the Tibetan plateau, about 200 kms south of Lhasa is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Tibet. Namso Lake is set at 4700m and is frozen over from November through to May. It is the second largest salt-water lake in China (after Qinghai Hu), and has one of the most stunning locations that you could imagine. This is Tibet, as Hollywood would have it, a massive lake with even more massive mountains towering over its waters. Snow capped peaks reflect in the cold waters and yaks graze the cold bitten grasses of the shore. Pilgrims come from all over Tibet to visit the lake and during the summer period, there are always yurts and tents of the nomadic herders on the shore of the lake. We will spend some time here to explore the lakeside and to get a feel for this wonderful place.

Lhasa
Lhasa lies 11,850ft above sea level and has a pleasant climate. As we get near to the city we descend into valleys with fast flowing rivers that have dramatically cut the Tibetan Plateau. For the first time in days we will see fields of barley and many more yak herds. For most of the year the weather is sunny and dry, mild during the day from April to October, and not unbearably cold in winter. It is the religious, cultural and economic centre of Tibet. We will organise a city tour which will show the most important places of interests including the Potala Palace, (the 13 story - 1000 roomed palace of the Dalai Lama), the Jokhang Temple, Norbulingka (Ruobolink or summer palace of the Dalai Lama), Barkhur Street and the Drepung Monastery. We will actually spend three or four nights in the city to relax and explore this fabulous place.

Friendship Highway
The Friendship Highway is the name given to Route 318 between Lhasa and Kathmandu. The route is a rough road through some of the remotest parts of our planet. It cuts through gorges, across plateaus and over high passes. It passes some of the most stunning scenery on Earth. Just in case you think this is an exaggeration, try to imagine what Mt. Everest really looks like from the Tibetan side on a sunny day. We will try to camp on the lower parts of the route and cross the high passes during the day. Some nights will be in small guesthouses, but sometimes we will be camping as some of the local hostelries are a bit grim. There are a number of high passes that we will have to cross and altitude may become a problem for some. To give you an idea of the passes that we will cross, below we record some of the passes Between Golmud and Lhasa Dangjin Shankou Pass 3519 m Kunlun Pass 4849 m Fire & Wind Pass 4930 m Tanggula Pass 5231 m Kyogche La Pass 4900 m Between Lhasa and Shigatse Shogula Pass 5300 m Between Shigatse and Kathmandu Tropu La Pass 4950 m Gyatsola Pass 5200 m Lablungla Pass 5050 m

Yamdrok Tso Lake
Separated from Lhasa by the Kampa La Pass (4794m), the Yamdrok Tso Lake is the third largest in Tibet. It is yet another stunning area of Tibet, with turquoise waters, picturesque islands and small villages. This is typical of the places that we like to camp for the night, a beautiful lake and a wide plain surrounded by mountains. The views are unbelievable.

Gyantse
Gyantse is a small agricultural town set at 3950m above sea level and is famed for its wool carpets. It has a very traditional feel about it and Tibetan rural life continues here as it has done for many years. There are numerous great buildings in the town, including the Pelkhor Chode Temple complex, a unique structure built in 1414, with five stories representing the five steps to enlightenment, topped by the thirteen rings which symbolise the stages of achieving. There are 108 halls inside, 'buddhahoods' each with frescoes and Buddhist shrines. We usually spend a night in Gyantse.

WEEK 4:
Shigatse
Shigatse is Tibet's second biggest city and is a very important cultural centre. It is about 12,600ft. above sea level but has a lovely climate in the summer months. Its historic importance (it was the capital of Tibet from 1565 to 1642) has left the city with a wonderful historical legacy of great monasteries, fortresses and palaces. The most famous is the Tashilhunpo Monastery - the seat of the Panchen Lama, the second most important spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism behind the Dalai Lama. The most impressive thing in the monastery is the Chapel of Jampa, housing the world's largest gilded statue. Standing at 26 metres high, the image of Jampa (the future Buddha) took four years to complete and uses a remarkable 300kg of gold. The site was built in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama. Elsewhere in the town, near the ruins of the Shigatse fortress, there is a bustling bazaar which is an excellent place for souvenir shopping including local handicrafts embedded with coral and turquoise, Chinese porcelain and yak butter. We will stay in the twon for a couple of nights

Friendship H'way and New Tingri
This part of the highway is a gravel road and the scenery is constantly changing. The area is very traditional with more small rural peasant communities along the way. We will be fording a number of small rivers and the road is rough, but the stunning views and scenery make this one of the world's most visually fantastic journeys. We may have to camp out for a night or two crossing this area, but will always try to do so at a lower altitude. We stay for two nights in New Tingri (one before and one after the Mt. Everest base camp trip). This is the junction of the road to Everest and we will plan our trip from here and then return to the town after the excursion.

Rongphuk & Everest Base Camp
On Arrival at New Tingri, we will prepare for our side trip to Mt. Everest. On trips coming up from Kathmandu, we general spend an extra night here to acclimatise to the altitude. If conditions are favourable and the roads passable (landslides and rock falls can close these steep routes), we will trip to take this side trip by jeep to the Rongphuk Monastery & Everest Base Camp. The drive is not an easy one, passing over another 5200 m pass but the vistas that we get in this area are sensational and weather permitting, we should have excellent views of Mt. Everest, especially from the Rongphuk Monastery. Here we will spend the night either staying at the Monastery, at the new hotel or perhaps camping if the other options are not available. The Monastery is comparatively recent (20th Century) and is in fact the highest in the world. We will head out on foot towards Everest Base Camp itself (an 8km hike). From base camp the view of the north face of the highest mountain on earth is something you will never forget. Take plenty of film, for you will use it here.

Friendship Highway & the Border
The Highway between New Tingri and the Nepalese border cuts through the Himalayan range via the Lalung La and the Nyalam Tong La passes. On all the passes that we cross you will see the ever present pilgrim prayer flags, cairns and scattered "wind horse" papers. Zhangmu, the border town in Tibet, clings precariously to the sheer mountainside and is seperated from Nepal by a cascading river over which spans the famous Friendship Bridge. Thi is the real frontier between the two countries. On trips coming up from Kathmadu we will spend longer on this section of the Friendship Highway, to acclimatise to the sudden change in altitude. We may even have to retrace our footsteps at various points and camp lower than the altitude that we achieve earlier in the day.

FINAL DAYS:
Nepal
Nepal is the birthplace of the Buddha and is a land of legend and beauty. Within its narrow confines Nepal contains an utterly spectacular variety of culture and landscapes. Nepal has a stunning natural beauty and a simple charm.

Arniko Highway
This is the road between the Tibetan border and Kathmandu which winds through steep gorges and zigzags its way around the mountainside. Near the Nepalese and Tibetan border the Tibetan Plateau tumbles into a steep descent through sharply dramatic scenery of heavily forested mountainside. This is the worst section of the road to travel along and we will probably have to walk for a few hours up or down the road, which is constantly at risk from landslides. The vehicle will drive empty through this area.

Kathmandu
Situated on the banks of the Bagmati River, Kathmandu is the hub of life in Nepal. A small medieval city, it is easy to get around on bicycles which can be hired very cheaply by the day or week. Worth visiting are Durbar Square, the Temple of the Living Goddess, the Royal Palace, Pashupatinath (Hindu Temple), Bodnath (Buddhist Stupa) and Swayambunath (Monkey Temple) - and all set against the magnificent Himalayan backdrop. Alternatively you can relax in the numerous cafes around Thamel and 'Freak Street'. If you can afford the time, we do recommend that you allow yourself at least a couple of days to explore the fascinating Kathmandu Valley. You will not regret it. For those with less time and money, a day trip to Nagarkot on the rim of the valley will give a magnificent panoramic view of the great Himalayan range including Everest.