At the Lanzhou train station I inquired on how to go about getting a train ticket to Lhasa. People all pointed me to the ticket counter. I asked many people and in shock of how easy it is to get a ticket. I had heard how difficult it is to get into Tibet and all train tickets were sold out till next year. I guess it was inaccurate information. I went to the counter and was told the train leaves in two hours and I lucked out because the train does not run daily during the low season. I handed the clerk my money and almost had the ticket in my hand when the officer standing next to me asked for my ID. I handed him my US passport and he flagged my ticket from me. Having a foreign passport I needed a permit before I could buy a ticket. I told him I was Chinese and a voice of a young man behind me in line budding in said with unfriendly sarcastic attack, “she calls herself Chinese!” This same young man was friendly when he was in line behind me, now he appears to be foe and not a friend. It was so weird. So I patiently asked the officer how I can go about getting a permit, where is it, whom do I talk to, how do I get there, etc… I bombarded him with all these questions because I needed the answers and somehow he made a decision and reluctantly decided to asked for my Chinese name and let me have my ticket. I couldn’t believe it. Just like that. I had told myself ahead of time that if there was a train today, and I could get on it then it was meant to be for me to go to Tibet and so I will. If not then forget it. So I did.
I dropped my bags at the baggage storage and I was overwhelmed with mixed emotions on the verge of tears with my Lhasa train ticket in my hand. I had a sensation of going home after being away too long. There were tears of joy welling up and tears of grief and sadness.
I went to a market to buy things for my Tibet trip. I had read somewhere that I better bring my own food in so I bought crackers, seaweed, oatmeal, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate, fruits, and a case of bottled water. There were 15 bottles in that case. It was so heavy I had trouble carrying it.
I decided to try the very famous Lamien or Ramen, meaning hand pulled noodles. It is famous because it is said Ramen originated from Lanzhou like pizza in Naples, Italy. I ordered a bowl of ramen for two and half yuan and it was so good, that I was sad that my stomach was only able to contain one bowl and that my train leaves in an hour after 1pm and it will be my only bowl.
I sat in the waiting room for the cue to board the brand new two month old German designed train. I sat among Tibetans. They were in their traditional clothes. I befriended a Lanzhou Chinese girl who might as well have been a Tibetan because she looks more Tibetan than any Tibetan there. She was dressed as a Tibetan from head to toe. She spoke Tibetan and her Mandarin was full of Tibetan accents and grammar. She was young, beautiful, elegant, and there was a kind of grace in her speech, she looked liked a Tibetan princess to me. I couldn’t remember how to pronounce her Tibetan name. When we boarded the train her father decided he would help me carry my case of bottled water onto the train. She and all the Tibetans were in seated cart. I was in the hard sleeper berth cart. I told her I would visit her during our 27+ hour train ride..
I paid 558 yuan for my top sleeper bunk. In my compartment there was another man Hsieh and that was pretty much it. Same goes for the rest of the cart. It was spacious during low season. I moved from top bunk to middle bunk because the vent was on the top bunk and this made me cold. The attendants were like airline stewards. The entire train was brand new. I found it to be better than airplanes. Each compartment has control over the broadcasted music and can adjust the light too. The air tubes were passed out for us to use whenever we feel like we needed more oxygen.
Hsieh is in the construction business and going to Tibet upon recommendation by friends to see what opportunities are there. I learned the business of construction is where the money is at right now in China. Everywhere there is construction going on of the road or buildings.
I also bought all sorts of food in Lanzhou. People on the train laughed at me for packing all this stuff. I decided I couldn’t carry all that water and decided to share my water. The amazing part was no one wanted to take my water. I begged people to take my water but they all refused. I noticed people were not used to this at all. They were all waiting for the catch behind my giving and so they refused in fear. So then I decided I need to just drink it myself. It was a good idea because DunHuang was very dry, lacked water, and I also did sand dessert hike so I drank half of the case on the train. I definitely hydrated. If I hadn’t been illogical about buying the case of water that I couldn’t carry, I wouldn’t have thought of drinking that much water. I might be very sick upon arrival in Lhasa. So it all worked out really well.
People all frowned at my oatmeal and tell me oatmeal is for old people that I shouldn't be eating stuff like that. It doesn't matter what they think or say, I just tell them I am inexperience and dumb. They also tell me I've got too much clothes on and shouldn't of pack all these female products and medicine. That everything is very easily accessed especially with all these trains going in and out of Lhasa. I like all the products I packed and hauled from US, even if I just needed it once, it would have been worth it. I tend to get headaches when I am in switching from environments of drastic temperature variances. So I tend to like to be warmer dressed than cool. It works for me.
During the train ride, beautiful snow fell onto the ground in the QinHai region. The view was spectacular. It felt like it was computer generated for a Hollywood movie, too perfect to be true. In the vast sea of nature all around there were elements of different terrain all in one. Sand dunes and solid mountain layering each other with crystal lakes to one side, it would be snowing in an area and raining in another and cloudy over there, and sunny over here. This is all contained in one panoramic view, amazing just amazing! This view alone was worth the ride. Everyone was glued to the windows. Some people were even jumping in joy. People’s jaws were dropped in awe. I was sad when night fell and the views were inhibited, it was pitch dark and that was the end of the scenic views.
I also got to see mountain bulls, they are full of long hair. The native call them Huangneo, yellow ox, we call them yaks. Some of them are dark body with white face, almost appears as if they have masks on. They were beautiful from far away. Looking at their faces closely I saw sadness. It wasn't what I was expecting. I thought to myself how awesome you get to hang out in this beautiful land and call it home. Then I asked a local what is to become of these bulls, he said, human meat in meals. So that is why they are so sad. That's sad.
The man Yang from WuTaiShan gave me two tablespoons of tea leaves from PutuoShan. So I have been using these tea leaves very sparingly to make it stretch. Just 6 leaves for 18 oz used at least 2 seepings. It usually takes 5-10 minutes of seeping to get any flavor in this sparing ratio. I can't stand getting bad tea and then not wanting to drink it or dump it so I haven't bought any. This was good tea. The canteen I bought leaks, it's not made in Japan I was so disappointed.
I do enjoy quality things that delivers what it promises to I went to hang out with my Tibetan Princess friend in her cart. It was filled with Tibetans. She has been in Tibet for the last 6 years and has been staying with her aunt. She works in her aunt’s shop as a seamstress. She sows traditional Tibetan clothes for a living. In her compartment was an elder Tibetan woman who might as well have been Native American because she looked like one. She was beautiful especially the lines on her face on her dark sienna colored Tibetan skin. My friend translated for me. I enjoyed talking with them, sharing my crackers and pistachio nuts. Pistachio nuts are from Xinjiang, there were very delicious and fresh. They were expense and so it was very popular among my new friends. The elder handed me yak butter desserts and yak butter dough. It was very precious to her and she spared one for me. I tried a crumb and it was very flavorful, better than any buttered biscuits or desserts I’ve had. Unfortunately I couldn’t handle yak butter smell and couldn’t eat what she offered.
I befriended a Gansu girl who is Islamic in my cart. She is in the compartment next to me. She was very sweet and enjoys singing. We had some artist and song we both like and it was played over the PA we sang along in joy. She was traveling with her grandma to Tibet to visit her uncle. Her family is taking time to take her on travels before she enters college in Pakistan to study Arabic and Islam. She plans to return to her home town to teach Arabic and Islam. She hopes to be able to travel the world. I told her to get her Ph. D and she may have opportunities to travel to conferences all over the world. She told me she cannot marry a non-Islamic man by birth but an Islamic man can marry a female convert. She also cannot eat food that is not prepared by Islamic people but she was eating instant noodles made in Taiwan. I guess I don’t understand everything. Somehow her grandmother was distrusting of me and kept a tight leash on her and limited our interactions.
The man named Yan who attacked me with his comment at the ticket line was also in the same cart. He was with his wife and sister in law. I chatted with him and he seemed really friendly and not. He is from Inner Mongolia. We talked about traveling as a foursome together in Tibet. He told me he was staying with his friend now a tour guide in Tibet and it wouldn’t be a problem to add me into his group. Well, I guess he forgot to get his wife’s permission because the two women were unhappy about it. Later on his tone changed and he was afraid to talk to me and would look for sightings of his wife and her sister whenever we came into a conversation. Somehow he found out I was from Taiwan and started to go off on trashing Taiwanese people on a political note. He insisted that Taiwanese people were wasteful with their blessings with their lifestyle etc…. I don’t know what to make of this guy. He is friendly one moment and then with a blink of an eyes he is the opposite to the point that I fear for my safety.
Among the Chinese Muslims, I cannot tell them I am Buddhist, they are very protective and afraid of other religions. Among the inner Chinese who declare no religious preference I cannot tell them I am Buddhist, they are afraid of religion. Among the Buddhist I cannot tell them I am Buddhist unless I am trying to stay at the monastery and it's just too much a wide spectrum. I didn't even feel safe to sit in half lotus and when I did in the train and people all stared at me with curiosity and kept their distance as they pass by. I had to tell them I am just sitting waiting for the toilet and they relaxed. I quietly lip recited Surangama Mantra at the bus terminal in TaiYuan to kill time and people all moved away from me. So now I do my practice in bed and under cover like I am asleep. I do miss sitting meditation.
