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| Qinghai-Tibet Railway |
Our train finally arrived after a 2 1/2 hour delay. We shared our "soft sleeper" with 2 other members in our group. I had the lower bunk which was very comfortable. Did I mention that this is a 23 hour train ride (1225 miles) that reaches an elevation of 18,000 feet? They pipe in oxygen directly into our cabin. It was already 10:30 pm when we boarded, too dark to see anything. We got into our pajamas, and settled into our beds.
I had a restless sleep, gasping for breath every once in a while, startling me. They say they pump in oxygen but I wonder if it is just air from the outside.
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| the hallway outside our room |
We had two toilets at the end of the car which were relatively clean.
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| the oxygen outlet and light switch above |
I woke up at 6 am and saw the lonely highway with the many trucks ambling along. The view was stark but I love seeing the open space.
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| The table with our snacks. The train provided hot water in a thermos. |
And then we arrived in Lhasa. After some commotion with the Chinese authorities, again handing over our passports, we met our Tibetan guide and driver and were on our way to the old part of Lhasa. The buildings were unique, the view so wonderfully different. We checked into our hotel, the Dhod Gu, went to their roof top restaurant and saw the Potala Palace, lit up.
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