I woke up at 4am having only slept 6 hours I was very tired. Thoughts ran through my mind reflecting on how I take care of myself or not. I recalled experiences where I pushed myself to continue forward when I am tired too tired or scared refusing to pay attention to my exhausted body. How I force myself to ignore my sensitivity because somehow I categorized it as inconvenient timing and could be bothered. I thought of my silly fears, my silly worries that consumes me. I questioned what or who I do I lean and depend on in my life and what is independence and what is dependency. I decided to get up for a sip of hot water and try to get more rest.
At around 7am we came across a critical section that everyone warned me about. In this section, the pressure change is dramatic for 20 minutes. I was told that if I make it through without significant ill symptoms then I won’t have trouble in Lhasa. The way to adjust through this section is to plug the tube into the oxygen outlet and inhale lots of oxygen. The pressure was felt on my chest in my lungs and my lower extremities. I felt the extra oxygen supply was what did it for me. It totally helped to me acclimate.
The snow capped mountains outside my windows looked like powdered sugar on chocolate truffles. The water looked like blue crystal with pieces of mirror in it. It was all very beautiful way to start a day. I had tea, crackers, and an apple pear for breakfast.
I spent the rest of the morning reciting the Surangama Mantra. It was an historical moment because it was the first time I enjoyed reciting the mantra. All the times before I struggled and it was torture for me to make it through the mantra but now there is a sweetness I feel when I recite and I do it in joy and peace now, finally.
I had lunch in the dinning cart and met a guy from Colorado named Nate who was traveling with his girlfriend Stef. We talked about possible things on our to do list in Tibet. I learned along with the permit he had to get to buy a ticket into Tibet was a tour he had to be signed on. This tour wasn’t a guided tour but a 3 day hotel arrangement and a pick up at the train station. I went to visit his cart and his cart was full unlike mine. I liked the spacious cart I was in.
In the afternoon there was a crowd gathered around me all discussing how I would get around in Tibet on my own and where I would sleep. They were serious concerned for me and I found it all to be cute. They were still nagging me for carrying all that food. People offered to help me onto a bus and then helping me to locate a place to sleep afterwards
When I got off the train I found it to be cold in Lhasa. Everyone rushed out upon 4:30pm arrival. I walked with the Inner Mongolian friends who invited me to join them but they were cold and distant. I talked to the guy Yan and he told me to find my own way. Yup, they ditched me. By this time, everyone else had rushed out of the station. I quickly chased after them but I was too late, I wasted too much time walking with the Mongolians. I didn’t know where to go or what to do. I spotted my Tibetan Princess friend and stood by her. I told her I would like to ride with her into Lhasa downtown. She negotiated in Tibetan how much money it would cost to drop us off at the door. It was decided that we would pay no more than 10 yuan each. We hopped onto a truck and sat with two other men. They were all interested in my friend and she kept her cool all during the ride. Since I didn’t have a designated hotel to go to, I was dropped off on a main busy street to find a hotel.
Having had a short rest and adjustment to the elevation, I was tired and taking short breathes. Had on two packs and one hand bag, I was tired and I didn’t have a place to stay. I walked into Snow Land Hotel and came across three French girls who was looking for a third person to join them on their 7 day trip to Everest and Namtso Lake that would depart on Thursday the day after tomorrow. I had just arrived and was not prepared to make such a decision. Somehow I had already had my heart set on visiting the Potola Palace before I do anything else. So I didn’t take their offer right away and would think about it some more. They were staying at the Yak Youth Hostel.
I decided to keep walking and came across two Israelis who were staying at Shangbala Hotel for 30 yuan a bed at the dorm facility not in the hotel. I settled for this place because they had a phone card phone in the main lobby where it was heated. I wanted to stand in the warm room to call my family to let them know I was in Tibet. The last that they had heard from me was back in Xi’an. Plus it was already sun down and I didn’t want to walk in the night on my own with all my luggage on. The room was nothing fancy or even economically clean looking. I was within walking distance to Potola Palace and markets. And they had running hot shower all day long here. I was just happy to drop my bags off and be on a main walking street close to everything. I took a very long shower. I am learning how attached I am to bathing and access to hot water. I waited late into the night to call my family in US, I thought I had the correct time zone difference all calculated but I was still off and woke people up too early in the morning. But it was late for me and I was very tired.
It’s amazing, on the phone my mother was very nice to me and even gave me her blessing for this trip. She said to me in her mother nurturing way, ”Since you are already there, have fun, do it all and have no regrets.” What a drastic change from, “What! You are going on a trip! You haven’t earned it! Young people need to invest their youthful energy into their career and not traveling like you! Come back after your stay in Beijing!”
