2001-11-19 Some good news from central Tibet and an alternative route.

Hi Janne

I just arrived in KTM 2 days ago and I have first to get in connect with this busy city after the wonderful quite time in Tibet.

Maybe some information you can need for updating your homepage:

I stayed in Lhasa and cycled to Yamzho (The Kamba La is great, you are right), then Gyantse. From Gyantse to Shigatse they are building a new road (I think they will have some weeks, maybe months) so you better take the road along the river (the northern road). In Shigatse I got a permit for 10 days, costs me 200Y. (100 for the bike!) From Sakya I went on the way to the south to Dinggye. I m not sure if it is realy allowed to do, but it was a good trip (I saw in 3 days less then 10 cars) and there where a military checkpoint. They where a little bit confused about my arrival but where friendly and helpful (like nearly every chinese I met). But after Dinggye it s not easy to find your way to Baila and the peoples there just hardly understand what you want. On my map there was a way to Baila just to the west. But I had to make first a big loop to the soth and then after the mountain back to the north. There are many kilometers you have to carry your bike because there is to much sand on the way - thats also the reason why I had 3 days for this detour.

Then back on the Friendship Highway just some kilometers after Baila (and about 15km befor you have to turn left to the base camp) was the first and only checkpoint I saw on the hole way. And then the wind starts to work against me (or my power). But generally I had realy good weather and no bad impressions (just on the highway the begging childs - even very young childs).

PS: In Zhangmu they didn t had a look to my permit!

Hope you can maybe need some infos - I have to explore and try to get comfortable with the capitel of Nepla now.

By

Andreas