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from one forbidden city to another
Oct. 17th, 2006 07:33 amIn a last-ditch attempt to inject a note of adventure into this journey1, and because the circa 120 hours I've spent aboard trains during the last month clearly hasn't been enough, in about six hours I'll be embarking on the 47-hour train journey from Beijing to Lhasa, Tibet. See you in a few days, if I live to tell the tale2.
1Mostly kidding.
2This railway, the world's highest, which climbs into the Himalaya, traverses glaciers, and reaches an apex of some 4700 metres above sea level before descending into the Tibetan Plateau3, has only been in operation since July and there have already been altitude-related fatalities4.
3Lhasa iself at the relatively low elevation of 3650, slightly higher than La Paz. Which means I'll spend the the first day there grabbing walls and desperately trying not to faint after performing strenuous exertions such as climbing a flight of stairs.
4OK, fine, only among the very old. Leave my delusions of intrepidness alone, dammit.
1Mostly kidding.
2This railway, the world's highest, which climbs into the Himalaya, traverses glaciers, and reaches an apex of some 4700 metres above sea level before descending into the Tibetan Plateau3, has only been in operation since July and there have already been altitude-related fatalities4.
3Lhasa iself at the relatively low elevation of 3650, slightly higher than La Paz. Which means I'll spend the the first day there grabbing walls and desperately trying not to faint after performing strenuous exertions such as climbing a flight of stairs.
4OK, fine, only among the very old. Leave my delusions of intrepidness alone, dammit.
