31 July to 1 August - Beijing to Lhasa

Well, I was picked up from the hostel on time, to the minute actually, a difficult proposition in that city I would think. The agent talked all the way to the West Railway Station even pointing out the original one and only station that existed in Beijing at one time and commented on how the city had expanded since he was a boy to the extent that it now has six ring roads. He handed over the Tibet permit but did not have the train ticket with him saying that someone else was at the station with the tickets and would look after me there. Then he said that the other person was to pick up a Dutch couple at another hotel but while  their bags were there they were not. He commented that while I had phoned him to to tell him where I was staying and arrange the time of pick-up the Dutch never did this, and as they were 80% of his clients he could not understand what instructions they were given before entering China. He did say that communication with the Dutch passengers was quite difficult.

My train ticket, passport and China visa were checked twice in the station and then once again by the carriage attendant before I was allowed on the train. Once we had started moving the attendant took them away, to record the details I suppose, returned them and the took the train ticket and replaced it with a plastic card of a credit card size. I know that the actual ticket will be returned before the train reaches Lhasa
.

The Beijing to Lhasa train ready to go

At the station they were given soft sleeper seats while I had a hard sleeper one, not what I had asked for as I wanted a soft sleeper as well. The difference between the two is that the soft sleeper has a four berth cabin with a door while the hard sleeper has a six berth cabin without a door. Each has a pillow and a duvet supplied. There’s about £40 difference in price as well with the hard sleeper costing £75 for the two day journey. The Dutch couple turned up and we waited for the barrier to be opened while the agent explained that while I had a ticket all the way to Lhasa (the Chinese have renamed it Lasa) their tickets only went as far as Nakchu, the stop next before Lhasa. He actually managed to wangle his ay to the train with us and spoke to the carriage attendant for the Dutch carriage to sort out with her that they could go all the way to Lhasa. He then asked for me to be moved to the soft sleeper part further down the line if there was room.  He then took me to my compartment, (all carriages, compartments and beds being numbered), sorted out which was mine and for me to see that there were two 21 year old girl students, one 14 year old girl with her mother and a Tibetan lady in the compartment. I had a middle bunk thank goodness as it is a pain trying to get to the top bunk! Before leaving the agent said that I would be better off in this compartment and not in the soft seat one as here two of the girls understood English and would help me if I wanted anything. He said that he was going to tell the carriage attendant that there would be no need to move me now. It turned out that all the others in the compartment understood and spoke English anyway.

The train left exactly on time, 8pm, into a dark humid evening. As soon as we were moving the Chinese were up filling up their thermos flasks with hot water and topping up tea flasks. Dinner for most seemed to be pot noodles. Every carriage as free access to boiling hot water (marked 100C), something I could never imaging possible in the UK. At least they take responsibility for their own welfare in this respect; boiling water on a moving train, It’s just normal. Even service stations and garages on the roads we travelled on had free access to boiling water for noodles and quick food.

I had taken my shoes off as the train was carpeted and was questioned as to why I was not wearing shoes by one of the girls. When I showed her my sandals she said that they were not suitable as it was going to get cold. She was somewhat pacified when I said that I had socks and walking boots in my bag. Although I thought it was still warm people had started to wear cold weather clothes as they said that they were feeling cold. Strange!

About 9.30pm the carriage attendant walked through the carriage telling everyone that it was time to go to bed and a little later the lights were put out, all except the corridor lights. There were no reading lamps above the bunks. I cannot remember when I last had that done to me.

Train corridor

Compartment

Washing facilities near the toilets (I'll let you imagine them)

In the morning people were about at 6am but I did not surface until 9. There was no point as there was nothing to do and definitely nowhere to go. I was given breakfast from the mother, two boiled eggs, boiled dough and vegetables. I ate the eggs and dough, the rest I left. During the day the six of us in the compartment either wandered about the train or sat on the bottom bunks. None of the bunks were of the folding type but there was enough height between the bottom and middle bunk to sit up straight. That’s one reason not to have a bottom bunk, during the day everyone uses it so it is difficult to go to sleep.The train was not an express, if there is one on this line, but meandered along all day at about 80/100 kilometres per hour, a comfortable and quiet ride.

The back end of the train

Passing scenery

Being the only non-Chinese in this carriage I have had students, other than those in the compartment with me, come up to me and want to practise their English. Some were shy when trying to talk and I eventually understood that while they could understand English they had no real English speaking person to practise with. Some just wanted to know how to say specific words while others commented that they watched Downtown Abbey and Pride and Prejudice in English with Chinese subtitles. One of the girls was going to Lhasa to have her residents permit transferred to her home city. It seems that people may move around China with some difficulty but if they want to buy a house or car they must have a residents permit for each city and apparently these are difficult to obtain especially for Beijing.

At 10.30am of the first day on the train everyone was given a health form to fill in, mine being in English. It basically wanted a signature to show that I was fit to travel over an altitude of 3000 metres on on the train. It was too late for anyone to do anything about it other than put people off the train but no-one checked anything. Someone did say that a medical team would come on the train at a particular station to check the passengers but that did not happen. I have been taking Diamox and questioning the others in the compartment they said that they used a Chinese medicine for the same purpose, offering some to me with the comment that it was good for ‘older’ persons, then roaring with laughter when they realised what had been said.

The weather changed during the first day from dull in the morning to a beautiful clear sky about 4pm with huge fields of yellow rape to be seen. For more than an hour the train travelled part round the biggest lake in China, the Blue or Qinghai Lake which has a surface area of 4317 square kilometres. A little later the mountains approached and the train turned right, travelling along the slope of the mountains but slowly climbing all the time. I went to the dining car for dinner and had a very nice tasting meal of beef, onions and rice for not too bad a price.

The train restaurant

Passing scenery

Sunset

Bedtime was announces at 9.40pm and the lights put out at 10. 











The following morning (pot noodles for breakfast) it was wet and dull outside and I heard a hissing noise and to be told that it was oxygen being pumped into the compartment. The were fittings in the wall and there was something coming out of one, extra ait or oxygen I do not know but it continued until we arrived at Lhasa. As we travelled up a very wide valley the Tibetan influence could be seen with villages and towns being more prevalent with many herds of yaks, sheep and some horses and cattle to be seen. I asked about the tundra and was told we were going over it. The only difference I could see was that the train was up higher than normal and was going slowly, something I had read about regarding travelling over the tundra. 

Tibetan village

I did see a little snow on the mountains but it was the wrong time of the year I guess.

Tibetan houses

Tibetan village

Passing scenery

The Potala Palace approaching Lhasa station

The Potala Palace approaching Lhasa station

The train arrived in Lhasa at 4.10pm, 50 minutes early, after a journey of 43 hours and 10 minutes. I have done what I wanted to now and travelled on this train. After getting off with a stiff back and wobbly legs I doubt that I would ever do it again, but it was an experience I am glad to have done. I was met at the station by the travel agent, again after having my passport and permit checked twice and again being asked if I was travelling alone, and a 20 minute drive took me to the hotel, The Yak Hotel. Not wanting to just sit down and with the sun shining I went for a walk to the Jokhang Temple so that I could figure out where the hotel was in relation to the temple having been to Lhasa before but not stayed in this hotel.

Jokhang Temple

Jokhang Temple

 By 9pm I was feeling tired so it was off to bed. Having starting to take the Diamox tablets two days before arriving here I think has benefitted me as i am not as tired as I felt on my last visit, only taking the tablets then as I went into the higher altitudes, not before. The earlier the better seems to have done the trick.