A week after our Tibet experience, the people and the culture still fondly in our memory, we have an opportunity to reflect on the country and it's future. Please note, the following observations are based on what we have seen, heard and read during our visit to Tibet and may not provide a fully balanced portrayal, having not had the opportunity to hear accounts from both sides..... Every 100 yards we walked in Lhasa we stumbled upon 6 heavily armed Chinese sold...

The dictionary defines the word 'contrast' as 'to compare in order to show unlikeness or differences'. There is no better word to describe the aftermath of making the 100m walk across no mans land from China into Nepal! Within a few metres Nepal literally punches you in the face and it is evident you are now in a different world- the until now mythical 3rd world! The Tibetan border town of Zhangmu is a hub of activity. With the border only open limited hours a...

It was 5.30am and I was up before my alarm- I didn't sleep that well, not because of the altitude (4200m) or that even fully clothed with 2 duvets and a blanket it was still a bit cold. No, I was wide awake as it was the day we visit mount Everest! Before the trip started there were 2 sights in Asia that we had been dreaming about- the Great Wall of China and Mount Everest Base Camp in Tibet! The first one certainly didn't disappoint and some 2 weeks later we wer...

When you step on to the narrow bustling streets for the first time, struggling for each breath of the thin air, you immediately encounter traditionally dressed folk, white peaked mountains, the smell of burning conifers and yak butter! This is the immediately intoxicating aurora of Lhasa- the holy city of Tibet! The platform the train pulls into at Lhasa station is as big as any I have seen before and not exactly what i would expect from such a poor country- h...

Into Thin Air! The air is noticeably thinner, deep breaths turn shorter and quicker, but as the train runs through the Kunlan Mountain Pass at 4,767m above sea level the scenery immediately provides a distraction from any discomfort. The numerous peaks rise steeply from the desolate barren plateau of the Gobi desert and It feels like you should be able to just reach out and touch the 6860m snow covered mountain peak of Yuzhu Feng. It is truly stunning and if it ...