Amnye Machen

Finally set off for the trek part way round Amnye Machen - one of the Buddhist Great Protectors. I have been looking forward to this as one of the highlights of my entire trip, though I realised as some point that there is only one thing that can make this a highlight, or a disaster for that matter, and that is me. I finally got to meet the people I will be trekking with at the offices of the travel agency on Saturday, together with the guide for the trip. We sorted out the itinerary; some of the equipment being supplied by the travel agency, including measuring me in one of the sleeping bags to ensure that it was long enough. We then chatted and agreed to meet on Sunday in order to purchase the food for the trip. (This is one thing that I have found odd, compared to other things I have done - the trip (and ones like it here) all expect the food to be purchased by the participants, with aid from the guide.

On Sunday, four of us were traipsing round a Chinese "Life Style Market". In essence this is a supermarket, but a big one and one that is well up market for the Chinese market. We bought fruit, both fresh and dried; an absolutely huge loaf (that was to survive all six days of the trek, and there was still about 45% of it left); various sausages; noodles; rice; biscuits; custard buns, chinese style; and a whole range of vegatables - spring onions, chinese green leaf, cucumbers; and a large variety of sauces - soy, spicy, and so on.

On Monday it all kicked off. Though the organisation was well up to what I have come to expect from Tibetan organisations - everything gets done, but it's never clear by whom, or how. The driver (of a Toyota Land Cruiser, what else) picked me up, but managed to leave at my hostel, the representative of the travel agency. She then had to take a taxi to her offices, but had no money, so had to borrow off the driver of our vehicle. We then took all the equipment from the office - cooking equipment, tents, gas cylinders, insulating mattresses, sleeping bags, blankets, all the food we had bought - plus the equipment of the couple I was going to be trekking with from their room in the hotel. We also left in the offices the surplus equipment of the couple (a German couple Lena and Sheng (he being German-Chinese)).

Then everything loaded into the 4x4 which with five of us, plus all the equipment we had, completely filled the vehicle.

Truck stop - Tibetan style

Then we set off on a typical journey in this part of the world to get to Amnye Machen. First of all a drive of about 600Km on fairly decent roads, though most of them were single lane. Then a drive of about 50Km on what might be considered a reasonable rural farm road - it was not essential to have a 4x4, but without one, drivers would have to be very cautious. Then into a small Tibetan town to meet our horseman, who was supplying the horses and the yaks for the trek. The last 15Km to where the horseman's family were camped did need a 4x4 - and even a land cruiser was taking it very gingerly. The family is a nomadic one, with a large number of yak, a motor cycle, and a large number of dogs.

We had a meal, socialized with the family, and then erected the tents and went to bed.