Shigatse, Tibet 1987 and the 2025 earthquake

 In early January 2025 there was a massive earthquake near Shagatse, in the Himalayas in Tibet. 

From BBC

Map from Reuters -

Shigatse city is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, one of the most important figures in Tibetan Buddhism.

In 1987 I travelled through Tibet. I went from Kathmandu in Nepal up to Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region. It was quite a tough journey, travelling by bus and when that wasn't available, hitching rides in back of trucks. Also had to walk some distances when the road had been washed out. I was suffering from the altitude.

From Zhangmu to Nyalam we had a terrifying ride in the back of a truck, going fast up hairpin bends.

At Nyalam we discovered the truck was going on to Shigatse, so negotiated a price, this time sitting in the cab. From Nyalam at 4000 m we began climbing a high pass and saw the first snow capped peaks (30 Sept). 

We saw Mt Xixabangma, at 8012 m is the only 8000 m totally in Tibet. Reached the Tibetan plateau, a really beautiful but desolate area with no vegetarian, barren rocks and clear blue sky. 

We drove along the Friendship Highway to Tingri West at 4300 m. Past Cho You then my first close view of Everest. We stopped that night at a Tibetan truck stop hotel where the Xegar road turns off. We were at 4300 m and I was suffering from the altitude. 

Thankfully Shigatse is lower as I couldn't afford to go any higher. But we had to go up first. We climbed the Lak Pa La pass at 5220 m, the highest I've been. Then over the Po La pass at 4500 m. The journey was a bit of a blur for me. I experienced the first really smelly Tibetan toilet when we stopped for salt tea.

We eventually reached Shigatse and were dropped off outside town. We walked in really slowly as both felt lethargic. We got a 3 bedded room in the Tibetan Hotel No 1 for 83p each, then collapsed exhausted. I later had my first wash for 4 days, in the courtyard from a cold water tap, mixing it with a bowl of hot water meant for tea, and the locals thought it was a spectator sport! There is not much water in the mountainous areas of Tibet. 

The next morning, after trying to get rid of an altitude headache, we set off for Tashilhunpo Monastery. But we weren't allowed in as we were wearing shorts - having washed our trousers that had accumulated several days worth of dust - the atmosphere is very dusty in the dry air. The Tashi Lhunpo Monastery was founded in 1447 and was formerly the home of the Panchen Lama. More than 4000 monks used to live here. 

So we crawled into town, unable to go any faster in the altitude. Shigatse is at 3860 m and the oxygen content of the air is only 67% of that at sea level. We ambled around the market. Many stalls were selling odourful yak cheese, wrapped up in skin -

Meat stalls were selling every part of the goat, from the head to the fur and there were many split heads along with legs, stomachs etc, but most of the meat looked really dry. Dogs sat below the stalls.

We walked down the road towards the fort. The Shigatse Dzong, also known as Samdruptse Dzong was dismantled during the Cultural Revolution in 1959 and very little remained. But it was rebuilt in 2007.

This is the rebuilt fort, photo from Wikipedia -

The town was quiet and peaceful, considering it is Tibet's second largest city. We saw no cars at all and very few bikes. There were some nice  buildings but it was all typically Chinese. We looked at some of the local stores and bought a tin of pineapple! It was a slow crawl back to the hotel, slightly uphill.

After lunch we changed into trousers to tackle the monastery. We were in luck, even though it is officially closed in the afternoons. Paid the entry and went in - it is like a small town in itself.

The Panchen Lama was the leader of the Yellow Sect. The Panchen is the most important reincarnation after the Dalai Lama. We walked around the main courtyard and complex which was being rebuilt. There are many halls, all containing hundreds of tiny Buddhas but few big ones. We saw the kitchen containing huge cauldrons and implements, then the printing works. 

It was really hard work climbing the steps  up to the back to get a view over Shigatse, which is quite small, in a plain surrounded by barren hills. 

I was feeling really lifeless and everything was hard work, not being acclimatised to the altitude. We ambled round to the Hall of the Maitreya which contains the 27 m high Champa or Buddha, but it was closed. Saw many other halls that contained pictures of previous Dalai and Panchen lamas. 

The next morning, as we left and walked past the monastery we saw several prostrators doing kjangchag outside, throwing themselves flat on the ground , although some were using inner tubes or blankets for protection. 

We started hitching for a ride but no trucks stopped, so we walked out of town and after about 3.5 hours one finally stopped and we set off for Gyantse. 

--

Tashi Lhunpo Monastery on Wikipedia

Maxxis drive Bangkok to Tibet BT 2008

Extremes meet in long drive from Bangkok to Tibet

Liz Price
The Brunei Times
Sunday, January 13, 2008


IT WAS the longest drive of my life. Almost 6000km in 10 days, through three countries, and from sea level to 3500m, and from 34 C to -6 C. I was on a 4WD adventure expedition, from Bangkok, through Myanmar and into China's Yunnan province and up to Shangri La, close to the Tibet border. Many of my friends thought I was mad to go on such a trip. But I loved every minute. Time flew, even though we were on the road for more than 12 hours most days. There was always something different to see, a whole variety of every changing scenery, different style architecture, varying costumes and faces of the local people.

Having lived in the Tropics for so long, I don't have any winter clothing. It was only a few days before departure that I realised that the temperatures would be around freezing up in the Himalayas, which came as rather a shock. Luckily I managed to borrow some warm clothes from a friend. It felt strange going to KL airport laden with jumpers and jackets, sun screen and scarf. The only items I lacked were gloves and a hat.

Bangkok was the starting point. The group assembled with people arriving various days before the official start. On Day One my wake up call was at 4.50am. This came as quite a shock as I hadn't been expecting such an early awakening. But it was to be the norm for the next 10 days, wake up calls always before 5am with the exception of one day when we had a lie in until 6am. We all assembled outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok for the official start. There were 15 4WD vehicles, all from Thailand except for two from Malaysia, one from Singapore and one from Taiwan.

After a photo session we began the drive to Chiang Rai in northern Thailand. We mostly drove as a convoy, and apart from a lunch break we had occasional toilet and petrol stops. It took 10 hours to reach Chiang Rai, where we checked in to our hotel.

Next morning we left at 7am and there was thick fog all the way to the border town of Mae Sai. One car had already dropped out due to mechanical problems. We cleared Thai immigration then crossed to no man's land and waited on the bridge over the Sai River which separates Thailand from Myanmar. Our cameras were clicking the whole time as we snapped the locals walking across the borders. Once we had clearance, we set off through the town of Tachilek. We drove as a convoy the whole way, which made it easier for the SE Asian drivers to remember to now drive on the right side of the road.

There is now a new sealed highway all the way to the Chinese border, built by a Chinese company. We had an official escort, and fortunately our group was exempt from paying the tolls. It was a very scenic road, initially following a river, then going up and over some small mountains.

We stopped for lunch at Kengtung, which is the sleepy but historical capital of the Shan State's Khun culture. The town is built around a small lake and has crumbling British colonial architecture and aging Buddhist temples. It is probably the most interesting town in Myanmar's entire Shan State, and in fact was the only town we went through. Later that afternoon we reached the border town of Mongla and soon crossed through into China. Phew! Three countries in one day.

Normally right hand drive vehicles are not allowed in China but we had special permission. We had to have our vehicles inspected and have temporary Chinese number plates affixed. Throughout our entire trip in China we had a police escort leading the way. This was actually a great help as we were able to cross red lights in the towns, and on the narrow mountain roads the police would stop oncoming vehicles, thereby enabling our convoy to keep together.

The other big advantage of having a police escort is we were able to beat the queues for fuel. Diesel is scarce in Yunnan province, and is only sold from 9am to 5pm. Consequently trucks would start queuing in the evening, resulting in huge lines. The truck drivers were probably not happy when our police escort would allow us to jump the queues. Fuel is expensive, a litre of petrol being more than RM2 ($0.90).

At the Chinese border, 10 expedition cars forming the team from China met us. Leaving Jinghong behind, we drove through the mountainous Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, which is tropical rainforest, and then went past the famous tea plantations of Pu'er. A new highway is being built and it was amazing to see the construction of the new road through valleys and along the mountainsides, over huge bridges and through numerous tunnels. We stopped for a late lunch in Simao, then went on to Kunming. This stretch of highway was already completed and was a superb road with great views. Again we were exempt from paying tolls. We had a photo stop at the highest bridge in the world, 169m; a few months later a bridge in France took over this record.

We reached Kunming at night and it was a major to shock to feel the seven degrees Celsius temperature. At lunchtime it had been 27 C. We got to the hotel at midnight, and our wake up call was 4.15am. I wondered if instead of a holiday I had come on some form of endurance test! It was time to get out the cold weather clothes. Many of the Thai drivers had never used their car heaters before and later that day we stopped to put antifreeze in the radiators. We stopped at Dali for lunch, and that night stayed at Lijiang. I enjoyed warming my hands by the coal fire. Already, I was noticing the effects of the higher altitude.

From Lijiang it was a beautiful drive and we saw our first snow-capped mountains of the trip. We climbed up into the mountains, and followed the mighty Yangxi River for a while. Throughout the entire 10 days we had less than half a dozen stops for photos, but this was one of them, a stunning scene of mountains and river, snow and blue sky. This is the place where you can enter the famous Tiger Leaping Gorge. The highest mountain here is Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, an impressive 5500m.

The road went up and up onto the plateau of Shangri La. We stopped at a pagoda and had a welcoming ceremony by singers and dancers in Tibetan dress. We had made it to Shangri La.

The town is actually named Zhongdian. It is the last major stop in Yunnan before Tibet. It lies at an altitude of 3500m, which was a problem for many of us, as we suffered from altitude sickness. As we drove through the streets there was fresh snow on the pavements. The temperate was -6 C when we got up the next morning, so I don't know what it went down to during the night. Quite a contrast to the tropical climes of KL and Bangkok!

Despite the temperatures and altitude, we were elated to reach our destination of Shangri La, high in the Himalayas. We had got there in four days, a distance of some 2560 km. We wondered if this was a world record. As far as we know this is the first "Asia international touring event" to cover such a route. All that remained was the long drive back to Chiang Rai.

The Brunei Times

Maxxis, Shangri La & back - Star 2005

THE STAR
Saturday January 29, 2005

To Shangri-La and back
Story & pictures by Liz Price

It was the longest drive of my life. Almost 6,000km in 10 days, through three countries, from sea level to 3.500m, and from 34°C to –6°C. Many of my friends thought I was mad to go on such a trip. But I loved every minute of it.

Time flew, even though we were on the road for more than 12 hours most days. There was always something different to see, a whole variety of ever-changing scenery, different styles of architecture, varying costumes and faces.

It was November, and I was on a 4WD adventure expedition from Bangkok through Myanmar, into China’s Yunnan province and up to Shangri-La, close to the Tibetan border.


Women in tribal costumes sharing a giggle.

Having lived in the tropics for so long, I didn’t have any winter clothing. It was only a few days before departure that I realised the temperatures would be around freezing up in the Himalayas. Luckily, I managed to borrow some warm clothes from a friend (thanks, John).

Bangkok was the starting point. I had the option of joining a car from Johor, and driving up to Bangkok, but I elected to fly this section. The group assembled in Bangkok with people arriving various days before the official start.

On Day One, my wake-up call was at 4.50am. This came as quite a shock to the system as I hadn’t been expecting such an early, rude awakening. But it was to be the norm for the next 10 days. We all assembled outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok for the official start. There were 15 4WD vehicles, all from Thailand except for two from Malaysia, one from Singapore and one from Taiwan.

The Singaporeans, Ang Choon Kiat, 61 and his wife Sum Yoke Jeng had had the longest drive, in their new Landrover Defender. This turned out to be one of the most admired vehicles in the group. Other makes included Ford, Isuzu Rodeo, Mazda Ninja Fighter, Mitsubishi Strada and Pajero, Nissan Frontier, and a Toyota Landcruiser.
We mostly drove as a convoy, and it took 10 hours to reach Chiang Rai, where we checked into the Rimkok Resort Hotel.

Next morning, we left at 7am, and there was thick fog all the way to the border town of Mae Sai. One car had already dropped out, the sole Taiwanese entrant, due to mechanical problems. We cleared Thai immigration, then crossed to no-man’s land and waited on the bridge over the Sai River which separates Thailand from Myanmar. Our cameras were clicking the whole time as we snapped the locals walking across the borders. Once we had clearance, we set off through the town of Tachilek.

My car companion Jessie told me she did this route four years ago when it was just a dirt road and they got stuck in axle-deep mud several times. Now there is a new sealed highway all the way to the Chinese border. It was a very scenic road, initially following a river, then going up and over some small mountains.

We stopped for lunch at Kengtung, which is the sleepy, historical capital of the Shan state’s Khun culture. The town is built around a small lake and has crumbling British colonial architecture and ageing Buddhist temples. Later that afternoon we reached the border town of Mongla and crossed into China. Phew, three countries in one day.

Normally right-hand drive vehicles are not allowed in China but we had special permission. We had to have our vehicles inspected and had temporary Chinese number plates affixed. We even had a police escort leading the way throughout. This enabled us to cross red lights in the towns,. On the narrow mountain roads the police would stop oncoming vehicles so our convoy could keep together. We were also able to beat the queues for fuel. I can’t imagine the truck drivers were very happy when our police escort allowed us to jump the queues.

At the Chinese border, 10 expedition cars from China met us. This called for more photos. Leaving Jinghong we drove through the mountainous Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, which is a tropical rainforest, and then went past the famous tea plantations of Pu’er.

A new highway was being built and it was amazing to see the construction of the new road through valleys and along the mountainsides, over huge bridges and through numerous tunnels. We stopped for a late lunch in Simao, then went on to Kunming.


Colourful shawls on display in Shangri-La.

It was night when we reached Kunming, and it was a major shock to feel the 7°C temperature. It was time to put away the shorts and get out the warm clothes.
Next day, we stopped at Dali for lunch, and that night stayed at Lijiang. I enjoyed warming my hands by the coal fire, and already I was noticing the effects of the higher altitude.

From Lijiang it was a beautiful drive and we saw our first snow-capped mountains of the trip. We climbed up into the mountains, and followed the mighty Yangxi River for a while. Throughout the entire 10 days, we had less than half a dozen stops for photos, but this was one of them, a stunning scene of mountains and river, snow and blue sky. This is the place where you can enter the famous Tiger Leaping Gorge. The highest mountain here is Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, an impressive 5,500m.

The road went up and up onto the plateau of Shangri-La. We stopped at a pagoda and had a welcoming ceremony by singers and dancers in Tibetan dress. There were group photos of the entire convoy. We had made it to Shangri-La.

The town is actually named Zhongdian, but is now commonly known as Shangri-La. It is the last major stop in Yunnan before Tibet. At an altitude of 3,500m, the town was a problem for many of us, as we suffered from altitude sickness. As we drove through the streets, there was fresh snow on the pavements. The temperature was -6°C when we got up the next morning – quite a contrast to the tropical climes of Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.

Despite the temperatures and altitude, we were elated to reach Shangri-La, high in the Himalayas. We had got there in 4½ days, a distance of some 2,560 km. We wondered if this was a world record. All that remained was the long drive back to Chiang Rai. On the way back, we stopped at the newly opened Maxis shop in Kunming.

It had been a wonderful tour, with excellent organisation and planning. It is quite a feat to arrange for 25 vehicles to cover such distances, especially across three international borders and back. W

Related Story:
Getting a feel of Tibetan life at Shangri-La

Maxxis rally Bangkok to Shangri La 2004

MAXXIS Adventure Xpedition 2004 Report



[From : ORTEV THAILAND]


The expedition - 25 cars covering almost 6000 km in 10 days, through 4 countries, and from sea level to 3500m, and from 34°C to –6°C.



This 4WD adventure expedition was from Bangkok, through Myanmar and into China’s Yunnan province and up to Shangri La, close to the Tibet border in the Himalayas. It was organized by Ortev in Japan and sponsored by Maxxis International. It was the first ever Asian event of its kind, and took place from 13 – 22 November 2004.

A very successful expedition. It was well planned and well organized and everything went smoothly. 15 cars from 4 countries left Bangkok. There were cars from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. Unfortunately the Taiwan car developed mechanical problems on the first day so did not continue. In China 10 cars joined the expedition, making a total of 24.

Day 1, the convoy drove from Bangkok’s Grand Palace to Chiang Rai. On day 2 they crossed into Myanmar at the Mae Sai – Tachilek border. A new road through Myanmar meant fast progress. Lunch at Kengtung, the capital of the Shan State. The Chinese border at Mongla was reached late afternoon. Again border formalities went very smoothly and the convoy entered its third country in one day. This is quite a feat, to get 14 cars across 3 international borders in one day.

10 cars from the China team joined the expedition at the border, and after a photo shoot, the convoy set off for Jinghong. Throughout the stay in China a police escort led the way. Day 3 in Jingong the cars had to go for a vehicle inspection and attach temporary Chinese registration plates. Then the expedition drove through the mountainous Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, past the Pu‘er tea plantations, and had a late lunch in Simao. A new highway to Kunming meant faster progress, it is a spectacular highway with many long and high bridges (including the highest bridge in the world) and dozens of tunnels.

The team reached the hotel in Kunming at midnight and had a wake up call at 4.15 am. Some people were getting tired from the constant travelling, and one car (Malaysian) decided not to continue with the expedition, electing to wait for the group to return to Kunming in a few days.

Day 4 dawned and it was 6°C. The SE Asian drivers had to learn how to use their car heaters! The highway from Kunming to Chuxiong is still being constructed and due to the rain this meant a very muddy journey. From Chuxiong to Dali the highway is completed. In Dali the cars all went for a well deserved wash, and most of the drivers put antifreeze in the radiators in preparation for the subzero temperatures of Shangri La.

After lunch there was a delay as the Malaysian service car had problems. As a result the itinerary was changed, and it was decided only to go as far as Lijiang that night, rather than all the way to Shangri La. This was actually a good decision, as it could be potentially dangerous to negotiate the narrow mountainous road from Lijiang at night, due to other vehicles on the road, and also the threat of ice. It was also a blessing for the photographers and passengers as they were able to see the stunning scenery in daylight.

This section of road was one of the most stunning of the trip. In Lijiang the team had their first view of snow capped mountains, and as they drove up the mountainous road, the impressive 5500m Jade Dragon Snow Mountain was visible for much of the way. There were few official photo stops throughout the expedition, but today there were several. The first was at some stalls selling Tibetan items, with a view overlooking the Yangxi River. The cars then descended and followed the river for a few kilometres, again stopping for photos of the river with the backdrop of snowcapped mountains and entrance to the famous Tiger Leaping Gorge.

The road then ascended through a smaller gorge and climbed up on to the plateau of Shangri La. There was an official welcome by singers and dancers in Tibetan costume at a large stupa. The team was elated to have arrived and unfurled the Maxxis banners for a photo shoot.

As they entered the town of Zhongdian there was fresh snow lying on the pavements. Zhongdian has been christened as Shangri La, taken from James Hilton’s 1933 classic “Lost Horizon”. After lunch, the expedition set off for an afternoon of sightseeing. First destination was the Napa Lake, which is actually a seasonal lake or wetlands. It is part of a nature reserve and is surrounded by a large grass meadow, important for bird watching. Several people went for a pony ride across the plateau, whilst others tried their hand at archery.

Then on to the Ganden Sumtseling Gompa, a 300-year-old Tibetan monastery with around 600 monks. It is the most important monastery in southwest China. That evening a lot of people began to feel the effects of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), also known as altitude sickness. Shangri La lies at an altitude of 3500m and as the ascent from sea level had been made in just a few days, there was no time to acclimatize. AMS affects different people at different altitudes, generally starting at 2500m. That evening there was a cultural show, but several people didn’t go, due to AMS.

As the expedition was running a day behind schedule, visits to the other sites around Shangri La had to be abandoned. Consequently only one night was spent at Shangri La, but this was actually good for those suffering from AMS as they needed to return to lower altitudes. Day 6 it was -6°C at 9am and the cars were covered in ice. Departure was delayed due to problems with one car, also the fact that the mountain road was still covered with ice. The terrain was covered with frost as the cars drove across the plateau and back down to Lijian. After lunch there was another delay before setting off for Dali. Here members were able to visit the famous Three Pagodas, San Ta Si. The tallest pagoda is 70m and was originally erected in the 9th century. It is flanked by 2 pagodas 42m high.

Day 7 was a drive from Dali to Kunming, stopping for lunch in Chuxiong. The convoy reached Kunming in the Friday evening rush hour and had slow progress getting to the new Maxxis showrooms, then on a search for fuel. That evening a few participants enjoyed a free massage after dinner whilst watching a cultural show.

Next morning the participants paid a rushed visit to the world famous Stone Forest at Shilin. After lunch with a chance for shopping, the expedition headed back to Simao, stopping for photos at the world’s highest bridge. Day 9 saw the return to Jinghong for lunch, then onto the border at Mongla. Immigration and customs were cleared quite easily and the night was spent in the casino town of Mongla.

Day 10 and the final day, the cars returned through Myanmar to Tachilek. The expedition officially ended in Mae Sai and the cars went their separate ways.

- - - -

It was a very successful expedition, well organized and with very few problems.
The convoy had covered a distance of some 2560 km from Bangkok to Shangri La in 4 ½ days, which is possibly a world record. Total distance covered was about 5500 km in 10 days, through 4 countries, and from sea level to 3500m, and from 34°C to –6°C.

The expedition was on the road for an average of 12 hours a day, but time flew. There was always something different to see, a whole variety of every changing scenery, different style architecture, varying costumes and faces of the local people. All in all a great success.


- Liz Price (29th Nov. 2004)

Shangri La: Tibetan way of life (BT)

Published on The Brunei Times

Shangri La: The Tibetan way of life
Liz Price

SHANGRI LA


Sunday, January 13, 2008


WHEN I was invited to a trip to Shangri La, I had no idea where it was. Of course I was familiar with the term Shangri-La being used to describe an imaginary paradise on earth. When I looked it up in the dictionary, it described it as the name of a hidden Tibetan valley in J Hilton's Lost Horizon (1933).

Next task was to check my Encarta world atlas. Nothing. Shangri La didn't exist. So out came the trusty old Lonely Planet guidebook to China, and lo and behold, there it was. I realised it was a new name given to attract tourists to this area. The main town is Zhongdian and lies in the north of Yunnan province, in southwest China.

At least I knew where I was going. I enjoy mystery tours, but I also like to read up in advance of where I am going, so I have some idea of what to expect. Although there is an airport at Zhongdian, we were doing things the hard way, driving there. In a convoy of 15 cars, we had driven from Bangkok to Mae Sai, then through Myanmar and into China, and through Yunnan province, from Kunming to Dali, then Lijiang and up to the Himalayan plateau where Shangri La lies.

As we entered the town of Zhongdian, I was excited to see snow lying on the pavements. It has been many years since I last saw snow. To combat the cold I had bundled up in five layers of clothing. It was about five degrees Celsius in the bright November sunshine. The first thing that struck me was that the town consisted of fairly wide streets with small but brightly painted shops. There was quite a Tibetan feel to the place.

Zhongdian is the last large town in China before the Tibet border. It lies 198km north of Lijiang and marks the start of the Tibetan world. It is a boomtown, the rise in Shangri La driven tourism has caused the construction of a bland Han Chinese town. Our hotel, the Holy Palace was in the new part of town.

On our first afternoon, we drove out to see the sights. First we went to the Napa Lake, about seven km northwest of the town. I was surprised to arrive and see no water, but then found out this is actually a seasonal lake, and at the time of our visit, was dry. It is part of a nature reserve and is surrounded by a large grass meadow, and is an important area for bird watching. One of the more common of the avian visitors is the black-necked crane.

The easiest way to see this large meadow is by horseback. A large group of locals dressed in their traditional Tibetan costumes were waiting with their horses and ponies. It was a photogenic sight, but the locals were more interested in getting our custom than having their photos taken. I paid my 30 Yuan ($6) for the half hour ride, and followed the herd of ponies trekking across the plateau.

We didn't go far, but it was a pleasant way to view the scenery of small hills, blue sky and snow-capped mountains in the distance. West of Zhongdian the mountain range includes 13 mountains all peaking over 6000m. The main peak, Kagebo, towering at 6,740 metres above sea level, is the highest mountain in Yunnan province, and one of the eight sacred mountains worshipped by the Tibetans. Legend has it that the peak is the incarnation of a Tibetan deity who helped local people drive away evil spirits.

For those who didn't want to ride, there was the chance for them to try their hand at archery.

And of course there were the inevitable souvenir shops. Since modern technology has arrived in this part of the world, stalls were offering the possibility to have your photo taken and then digitally printed. It seems that no place has escaped from computers nowadays.

The Ganden Sumtseling Gompa was my undoing. It is a 300-year-old Tibetan monastery on the edge of town, and is the most important monastery in southwest China. Some 600 monks stay here.

As I began to climb the long flight of stairs up to the monastery, the altitude got to me. I have had altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness, three times previously and I had vowed to myself never to go to altitude again by choice. As I climbed the steps a thumping headache began pounding in my skull and I was getting short of breath. A colleague tried to help me up the steps, but it wasn't much help as I had to frequently stop and rest. I felt like an old grandmother creeping up the stairs. An elderly lama overtook me, but even he was puffing and panting.

The monastery is of typical Tibetan design. Dark interiors, with lots of colourful thankas or religious paintings adorn the walls and the air is thick with the smell of rancid butter and oil from the lamps. I shuffled around very slowly, I just couldn't go at normal speed as there wasn't enough oxygen getting to my lungs.

In mid June the town plays host to a horse racing festival which lasts several days, and comprises of singing and dancing, eating, and of course horse racing. In September there is a festival featuring minority artistes from southwest China. On our first evening we were invited to a cultural show, but several of our group had to give it a miss as we were suffering from the altitude. As we had driven directly up to Shangri La we had had no chance to acclimatise, Zhongdian lies at 3200m. But as many tourists fly in, they would also suffer from the same problem. There isn't a great deal to do in the town other than wander around and absorb the atmosphere. But it is a good place to get a feel of the Tibetan way of life.

The Brunei Times

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Source URL:
http://www.bt.com.bn/en/en/travel/2008/01/13/shangri_la_the_tibetan_way_of_life

Fun and strange food in SE Asia

Some of the food I've come across during my travels in SE Asia. They may seem fun, strange, exotic.... take your pick. See also the albums on LAOS markets  and Laos bush meat for photos of Laos "bush meat".

This is a bamboo rat in the market, and then on our dinner plate -

 These were the remains after we had eaten it -

Bamboo shoots, food for the bamboo rat

Bears for food and bile in Mongla on the Myanmar/China border, you can just see the paw here -

Bird nest product in China

skinned buffalo head in Laos

old lady putting an axe to a buffalo head

 skinned buffalo head, Laos 2008

buffalo feet and horns

 Buffalo blood

chicken

skinned frog - it is still alive (Laos)

fried frogs legs, Phnom Penh

 grocery shop, Vieng Xai, Laos

Insects -
bamboo worms were my favourite -

Jeff choosing insects in Pattaya 

Phnom Penh

Deep fried spiders - I have written an article on these spiders.

 Picnic in Laos

Palm sugar

 pig dish in China

prawns in Seram, Maluku

 and dried prawns in Siem Reap

rattan shoots in Laos

sardine cans recycled  in Luang Prabang

In Siem Reap, sausages

 snakehead & sausages

snakehead

 terrapins

Vulture food

 what you need after all that food

Phuket menu

Cambodian MdD's!

Laos village breakfast

 Thailand

Love the name, restaurant in Kuching

Siem Reap sign

 saw this in Carrefour in Mid Valley, KL, but didn't see any camels walking around the supermarket.

© Liz Price
No reproduction without permission