Category: Travel

Nepal, Tibet & Kerala Day Twelve: Cochin, 18 April 2002

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Sleep brilliantly – lovely breakfast of toast, home made jam and muffins, eggs for Daisy, fresh fruit and squeezed orange juice.

Tour in the morning – first stop St Francis Church…

…then on to Chinese fishing nets…

…then Jew Town (antiques and spices) including the synagogue…

Then the Mattancherry Palace (known as the Dutch Palace despite being Portugese), one or two emporia/shops for bearings and then home.

Light lunch – prawns on sticks and mini dosas on hotel terrace.

Delightful Sheila provides us with ideas for shopping and agrees to come in early to advise Sharji.

We rest by pool, swim a little and enjoy late today sun on our terrace.

Then I spot cricketers on the parade ground and watch for a while. Get dressed to go out and play with “the other children”, by which time they were gone.

Consolation dinner – tangy grilled prawns – Daisy – and mixed seafood platter – me. Chocolate roulade – all delightful.

We were serenaded by Antony and Benny while we ate that evening. We still sometimes listen to the CD of their gentle, simple flute and strings music and strangely, at the time of writing, in February 2020, are there to be seen as one of the three images up front on the Malabar House website.

Nepal, Tibet & Kerala Day Eleven: Kathmandu To Cochin Via Bangalore, Trivandrum & Mr Sharma, 17 April 2002

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Rose 4 o’clock-ish because flight has been brought forward 1 1/2 hours. I get irritated when we see the old flight time still on the board but Mangal gets the obsequious and ubiquitous Mr Sharma to explain that we really do have to leave at 7:15, not 8:45.

Mr Sharma pops up everywhere to make sure we are happy – including, hilariously, even on the plane.

That really is not an exaggeration. Mr Sharma came over to ask if we were OK and if we wanted anything so many times. When he disappeared from the boarding lounge, I said to Daisy, as a joke, “I bet he even pops onto the plane to make sure we are OK”…which he did! We had trouble containing our laughter, while telling him that we were still OK and didn’t need anything else.

We arrived at Bangalore and I sniff a chance of accelerating at arrival in Cochin by switching to the Cochin flight, but I’m 10 minutes too late. Dejected, will retire to the dreariest to business class lounge for Pepsis and waiting.

Arrived [Trivandrum] early (20 minutes) and even set off 10 minutes before we were due to land.

Sharji our driver is a pleasure, but the route seems so hazardous we cannot rest. I invent mosques and cricket matches game. From 3- 3 to 8-3 [in favour of] mosques, to 21-11 [in favour of] cricket matches, when we declared the winner.

Arrive [at Malabar House] late and knackered but switch rooms to a better suite and have dinner in room. I had seerfish in a delightful sauce, Daisy had a chicken dish.

Nepal, Tibet & Kerala Day Ten: Lhasa To Kathmandu, 15 April 2002

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Rose early – breakfasted in Hard Yak style, then driven to airport. Met Tse-Ten’s bosses coincidentally during 2 1/2 hour delay our flight.

Also met unfortunate Matt who was sent home home from Everest trek on account of a dog bite!

Got to Yak And Yeti around lunchtime – we have been upgraded to club which is nice. Yak And Yeti all we had hoped for – sunny and hot but not too sunny and not too hot.

Both had a club sandwich and a beer for lunch around the pool.

Enjoyed the afternoon. Briefly saw Sarah and her kids [friend from home, ex wife of Alan Cohen], then had a hard game of tennis.

Enjoyed the cocktail hour in club while observing Danish embassy party.

Excellent product placement on my part in that picture…
Janie also does some product placement – nice toes

Got ready to go out and went to Thamel House restaurant (once taxi driver could find it!) – Amazing mutton, chicken and wild boar – staff very friendly and even more so when we gave them the piece from Traveller through which we had found them.

Back to Yak And Yeti for an earlyish night.

Nepal, Tibet & Kerala Day Nine: Shigatse To Lhasa, 15 April 2002

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Breakfast still a bit weird despite a specific requests. I got pork and Daisy got egg but we got weird breads and biscuits.

Long drive from Shigatse to Lhasa along the Kyi Chu River Road as other roads, good in parts – rally driving in other [parts].

Booked dinner at Yeti. Took a quick late lunch at Hard Yak [cafe] of yak burger and fries.

Then went off to Barcor – went widdershins on main circuit at first to find monkeys.

This refers to the monkey that got broken in our pillow fight before we left Lhasa the last time; we were determined to find a like-for-like replacement, which we did. We also had realised that we needed a “speak no evil” monkey to complete a threesome.

First found “speak no evil” (starting price 145 down to market price of 26!). Then found the previous merchant who had sold us “bottoms up” but was out of the naughty broken one. However we were only five minutes down the road when she ran up to us with a fist full of monkeys including naughty.

Walked back to Snowlands, bought cake, then decided to seek some turquoise – got lost around Barkhor, got bearings, went back via Tremsikhang Market. Found jewellers, no real joy, finished circuit and found turquoise pillbox but nothing for Daisy.

Took cyclo home – great fun – though junctions felt chancy.

Dinner at Yeti – “char shu, sweet chicken, veg, chicken noodles and rice.

It’s hard to explain how much fun we had that day and how unexpected the fun part was. We had been somewhat dreading our return to Lhasa and looking forward to leaving Tibet, having completed our touring in Shigatse.

But we were better acclimatised now and the weather was much better by the time we returned to Lhasa, so our half day of free time in Lhasa felt liberating – we had no guide with us at last and (as far as we know) were exploring the place unsupervised. The Barkhor was great fun for just walking around, browsing and chatting with the locals. And we found the silly little bits and pieces we wanted, not least the monkeys, which still (February 2020) adorn a shelf in the Clanricarde flat.

Nepal, Tibet & Kerala Day Eight: Gyantse To Shigatse, 14 April 2002

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Nepal, Tibet & Kerala, Placeholder & Links, 7 to 27 April 2002

Breakfast in refectory more laughable than dinner – course upon course of things we didn’t want – I make do with a little bread and cake.

Set off – photographed Drongotse Monastery [I cannot find a reference for this place, nor a photograph, but that is what I wrote down].

There was a problem re-visit to Shalu Monastery as it had been omitted from our permit.

We assumed and were told that the omission was an accident and that the worst that might happen if we were caught entering without a permit would be a $100 fine, which I agreed to underwrite, figuring (correctly) that the Chinese authorities were unlikely to be policing that remote spot on a Sunday in April.

Risking life and limb (well…a fine) we went anyway and were not disappointed nor were we fined – amazing murals and very friendly monks and terrific atmosphere.

On to Shigatse. Check into hotel light Chinese lunch at a local restaurant (vegetables chicken noodle soup and pork and peas).

Short rest before touring amazing Tashilimpu Monastery – amazing sites and interesting encounters – e.g. stunning Yunnanese Tibetan lady and some contact with a monks.

Got to witness butter milk tea and bread chanting session in main assembly hall. I got to try bread. Went on to Shigatse market which did little for us.

Return for our supper with some hope as we have specifically ordered our food to the surprise of chef who normally does eight dishes!.

Yes, we really were the only guests at this hotel, which was pretty much the only proper hotel in Shigatse. Tourism to Tibet, which hadn’t much taken off by then anyway, had taken a sizeable knock at that time – probably due to 9/11. It wasn’t likely to recover for a few years either, as the SARS scare came less than a year after our visit.

Nepal, Tibet & Kerala Day Seven: The Road To Gyantse & Gyantse Itself, 13 April 2002

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Another beautiful day and breakfast takes final leap forward with bacon as well as yoghurt and cheese.

Set off in direction of Gyantse – stunning drive through high passes. Kamba-La (4794 m) with amazing views of Yamdrok-Tso Lake.

Then on for a light lunch in Nangartse – I had thugpa with vegetables, Daisy had stir fry vegetables with rice.

Then on through Karo-La pass (5045 m – new record for us) with a view of Mount Nojin Kangstan and it’s glazier.

Final pass, Simi-La 4330 m with views of Nyerulung Valley (artificial hydroelectric lake at Snow Mountain).

Arrive Gyantse Hotel – so much better – short rest then off to see Pelkor Chode Monastery and Gyantse Kumbum with stunning murals and amazing views of Gyantse town and Dzong.

Tibetan butter tea – adjudged slightly less disgusting than Butanese butter tea

Dinner at hotel was hilarious. We had to push to eat in bar rather than in freezing refectory – then on came dish after dish – five starters and six mains – only “highlights” were spicy chicken wings, double cooked pork and thipdu[sic – surely thukpa] (noodle soup).

Nepal, Tibet & Kerala Day Six: Norbulingka Palace, Barkhor & A Couple Of Dudes With Altitude In Lhasa, 12 April 2002

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Breakfast improved by some yoghurt and cheese.

Visited Norbulingka Palace in morning – both Palace and gardens more interesting and charming than advertised in the guidebook.

Went to Barkhor as the weather is so much better today – firstly to the Tibetan traditional medicinal centre…

…then 2/3 of way round circuit at Makye Amye are stunning views of Barkhor circuit.

Weird Chinese tea with spices floating in it and very tasty some duck (flat noodles in soup) with chewy yak.

Finished Barkhor circuit buying bone shoes and bone monkey.

Back to base for free afternoon which we started at the Internet café. Perhaps it was the chewy yak or maybe the depressing hotel room but we were both in a foul mood – monkey got broken in ensuing pillow fight.

Actually I attribute the dual foul mood primarily to the altitude. I subsequently learnt that tetchiness is a well-known side effect of flying into such high altitude and doing stuff without thoroughly acclimatising first.

Made up in traditional fashion and rested.

Supper at Snowland again, with fried momos, yak burger and fries, yakitori with rice. Chocolate cake takeaway was a real treat with which to celebrate our impending escape from the Lhasa Hotel.

Nepal, Tibet & Kerala Day Five: Mostly Sera & Drepung Monasteries Near Lhasa, 11 April 2002

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Another mind bogglingly awful breakfast followed by another snow flurry-ridden outing, this time to Drepung Monastery – amazing murals on the walls and surprisingly little cultural revolution damage. Large complex with many chapels and halls. Saw few monks however.

Light lunch at yeti café – yak noodle soup superb, chicken noodle soup good but fried pork in batter was a poor choice. Resolve to return tonight nonetheless.

Siesta followed by outing to Sera Monastery – we time exit perfectly with the next snow storm.

Sera is smaller but lovely – we meet more monks and almost here outdoor debate – cricket match like, everyone turns up to agree that it snowed off! Witness amazing transient art work of mandala in sand.

Second siesta followed by excellent dinner at Yeti – double cooked pork, chicken in sweet garlic sauce, excellent wok fried fresh vegetables and egg fried rice. Daisy is still suffering altitude.

For some reason I didn’t even mention our visit to the Muslim Market when I wrote up the day, but it is clear from the photo sequencing and photo journal that we made that visit that afternoon. Perhaps the altitude was getting to me when I wrote up.

Yup, the altitude got to both of us, as the next day’s log will confirm. Daisy was suffering more, with breathlessness and extreme fatigue. But both of us for sure got the tetchiness which goes along side the more physical symptoms. Goes with the turf in Tibet, that altitude problem.

Nepal, Tibet & Kerala Day Four: Potala Palace, The Jokhang & Other Touring In Lhasa, 10 April 2002

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After piss poor breakfast I cash in my dinner vouchers through Wang (George).

Ever since a particularly helpful hotel receptionist in Lebanon, named George, whenever Janie latches onto a receptionist we now privately call him, or her, George.

Set off sightseeing to Potala Palace – stunning site but mighty crowded with Tibetan and Chinese tourists. Statues of various incarnations of Buddha and various Dalai Lamas is starting to lose its appeal at a frighteningly early stage, but some rooms are stunning.

Check out food scene – decide on Snowland’s for dinner and take quick lunch at Tashi I – bobis and cheesecake.

After siesta, sleet is turning to snow but we go undaunted to The Jokhang – strangely charming in the snow but again Buddha after Buddha, lama after lama.

Snow torrential by the time we leave so we defer Barkhor Square for a better day (we hope).

More rest (and this write-up) before dinner.

Enjoyed yak momos, sha phalay (deep fried meat pie), yak and potato stew, lamb stew and tsampa. Took home a delightful butter cake and early night.

Nepal, Tibet & Kerala Day Three: Getting To Lhasa, 9 April 2002

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Rise uncomfortably early (God alone knows why) and dumped at airport circa 6:50, more than an hour before check-in for our flight even opens – Mangal has a bit to answer for here!

Fly to Lhasa…

Mount Everest seen from that flight
Tibetean Plateau as seen from above

Searched on arrival and have my copy of Seven Years In Tibet confiscated by an utterly charming but firm official.

Have no fear, I read the book anyway!

Guide Tse-Ten and driver Chum-day rescue us and take us to the so-called four star Lhasa Hotel.

We enjoyed a snack of yak burger and chips in the Hard Yak Café (very good actually) only to find that the Hard Yak is the only one of the hotel’s five restaurants that is open at present.

This, together with no central heating (broke down 2 1/2 years ago) and no hot water (breaks down at regular hours as an economy measure each day) hacks us off.

We get a new room and eventually hot water and tolerate some nasi goreng in the Hard Yak determined to change our dining arrangements for subsequent meals.

We had expected a relatively low quality of hotel, but we had not expected basic ultilities such as heating and hot water to be inadequate. We were especially frustrated by the hot watre issue, as it became very obvious very quickly that thehotel was deliberately shutting down the hot water for several hours a day to save money, but the staff consistently denied this, claiming that there were daily unfortunate breakdowns.

I even offered them money to keep the hot water service going for us, but to no avail because the staff were insistent that the problem was mechanical not economic!

Altitude makes people tetchy when they are unused to it; his additional and seemingly unfair privation certainly added to our tetchiness; especially as Janie and I are both people who also get tetchy when we are cold!