Kunming - Lijiang
December 2013
"Nobody attempts Tibet in Winter"
Tibet in Winter is suicide. There is not a single doubt about this. In winter months, the temperature plummets. Even the
bigger towns in Tibet lose their electrical power and water supply as the generators froze. Major highways all around China close but
not in Tibet - simple because nobody can care. The terrain is simply overwhelming.
No one risks his life traveling along endless highways next to steep suicidal permafrost slopes. The roads
are all frozen. Trucks and other vehicles that have to travel would clip metal chains around the wheels - to
provide additional grip on the icy roads. The air is thin. Our journey in Chamdo starts at 3500m above sea level and ends at 5100metres.
There are multiple ways into Tibet. You can choose the comfortable path. Just pay an excessive amount to a legit travel agent
and they will arrange the multiple visas that you will require. You arrive at a big Chinese city - say
Guangzhou, Beijing or maybe Chengdu. Then you take a domestic flight into Lhasa. Or you can choose the more boring but still legal route, just
hop on the Tibetan railway from Qinghai into Lhasa.
OR, you can be a complete idiot and attempt an illegal border crossing. Before 2009, this was still viable. Back then, the Police weren't
too constipated about aliens crossing the town and would abandon their outposts at night. You can literally walk over the gates after evening time.
If you do a google search, multiple travel journals would document this. But after 2010-2011, things changed. The number of Police officers watching
the borders rose, and they man their outposts 24/7 now. Border crossing is no longer a viable option.
In all honesty, I knew I would never be able to make the crossing. I emailed numerous travel agents and even a popular tibet
blogger before I went. All told me that it is NOT possible for any foreigner to cross the borders. The chances of successfully doing it
was close to impossible and consequences are dire. I harbored a fantasy for Tibet, but then, I was realistic. I would attempt it, and I would fail.
But then I would be satisfied at my attempt and pat myself on the back, grab a burger in Kunming, and fly back to Singapore.
But all these craziness have to start somewhere. I started with Kunming.
We were rather unfortunate. The first day we arrived in Kunming, it started snowing. It has not snowed in this
rather tropical city for 7 years.
Kunming has always been proclaimed as one of the cleanest cities in China. I would say that only as a relative gauge
to the smoggy skylines of Beijing. Even then, it is an overstatement. The creature comforts of any major Chinese cities
remains - a convenient fast food restaurant next door and many vehicles plying the roads to mega malls and shopping complexes.
The malls are a great way to start your journey into remote Tibet. We bought our winter boots at S$10 a pair at 双龙广场.
Bargaining is a daily affair in China
When we went around town shopping, we would ask for the thickest winter clothing they have. They told us the snow in Kunming
would recede soon and there is little need to get any thermal clothing at all. No, we told them, we are heading to Tibet. Most of the Chinese
we met have never been there, or know anything about it. But they would give us a curious gaze as if we were nuts and remark, "Nobody
travels to Tibet in Winter".
We initially booked a coach from Kunming to Dali, planning to spend a night there but a heavy snowfall shut down all regional
highways. We refunded our tickets and eventually decided to take a long train ride to Lijiang, bypassing Dali.
As the highways were closed, everyone heading into Lijiang had to board the train. The ride took almost 9 hours and was packed and
uncomfortable. Extremely salty preserved and packed snacks were all we ate. When we reached Lijiang, it was late night.
editor's note:
the photographs in this series are either digital (pentax k30, sigma 35/1.4, DFA 50/2.8, Tamron 10-24)
or analogue (Pentax ME Super, K50/1.4, assorted films including portras, provia, profotoxl)
home | travelogue | guestbook