Tibet > Nobody knows our hotel

I slept well in the room in my sleeping bag, though I still can’t get used to the extremely hard beds. This one was as hard as a plank. I washed at the basin, and breakfast is downstairs in the hostel. Last night, I had already indicated what I wanted to eat and was curious whether the order would be ready on time. Just to be safe, I didn’t take any eggs and had yogurt with muesli instead.

Tibet - The prayers on the Tibetan flags are spread by the wind across the peak

Everything goes perfectly, and especially quickly. Today we drive on to Shegar. The mountain landscape becomes increasingly rugged and higher. This is noticeable at the Gyatso-la Pass, which is 5,248 meters—the highest point we will reach by bus during this trip. The bus winds upward along sharp switchbacks. At the top, we can already see the Tibetan prayer flags. We take a photo by the sign indicating 5,248 meters. I realize I have never been this high before. This will probably be the highest point of the trip, since the base camp is slightly lower. We walk at a leisurely pace a short distance up the hill to cover the two meters to 5,250 meters. That sounds better as a height record. On the other side, we descend the mountain again.

Tibet - The road is temporarily closed for resurfacing

The weather is perfect, with not a cloud in the sky. From the next pass, we should be able to see Mount Everest for the first time. The Lonely Planet indicates the exact kilometer marker, and we count them down. Exactly at the right spot, we see the giant mountain in the distance. Completely cloud-free, the nearly nine-kilometer-high peak towers before us. Hopefully, the weather stays this clear, though the mountain is usually shrouded in clouds. We continue the route and around lunchtime enter Shegar. It turns out the guesthouse reservation did not go through. Shegar consists of two parts: one along the main road and the center six kilometers further. It quickly becomes clear why the reservation failed—neither the guide nor the drivers know the guesthouse or where it is located. The hostel does not exist, and the guesthouse with the closest name is currently under reconstruction. We search for alternative accommodations. We also drive to Shegar center, a village of mainly mud houses and dirt roads, with transport by horse and cart. Tamdul checks a guesthouse, but it’s too dirty to stay. Unfortunately, I had been looking forward to staying in this charming village.

Tibet - First glimpse of Mount Everest

Our only option is to return to the other part along the main road. At a hotel, apartments are available. The rooms are somewhat cold, both because of the concrete walls and their shady location. We have lunch at a restaurant near the crossroads. It takes a while for the food to arrive, and we are especially curious about the dish called “Fried frice.” It turns out to be fried potato slices (though it could just as easily have been rice). At four o’clock, we drive back to Shegar center to walk the kora around the monastery. The driver drops us off in the village, and we walk uphill between the houses. The path is eroded by water from the mountain during the rainy season and is littered with trash, which is a shame. Eventually, we reach the path to the monastery, which slowly ascends to the entrance. Looking back, I have a beautiful view of the village. It’s amusing to watch the grain being threshed—some with horses, some with small tractors, and in the back, someone drives over the grain with a police car. Quite a sight! At the monastery entrance, a monk rushes to welcome us and shows the way to the main temple. Further along, another monk leans out of a window to point the way. We, however, are here for the kora walk and don’t need to visit the temple. From the monks’ gestures, we understand the kora ascends. We climb small stairs and a steep path toward the upper fort, which was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and, unlike the Shegar monastery, has not yet been rebuilt. The ruin stands on the sharp tip of the mountain. We climb along the defensive wall. At a break in the wall, we continue along the ridge.

Tibet - The monastery of Shegar

After a few meters, the slope becomes too steep to proceed, so we carefully descend using hands and feet. There are many loose stones, so slipping would be dangerous. Fortunately, everyone reaches the mountain path safely. Along the path, we circle the mountain to a viewpoint on the opposite slope, with Tibetan prayer flags and prayer wheels. To return to the bus on time, we head back, descending via the monastery. At the bus, I realize I still have a large balloon I brought from the Netherlands. While waiting for the others, I inflate it and toss it into the air for the local children. A big group runs after the balloon to keep it aloft—a fun game. In the evening, we eat at the hotel and have a beer afterward in the bar. Strangely, a beer costs the same as a cup of tea here.