07.02.2018
Now the great train adventure starts!
I arrived at the Lhasa train station well ahead of time. Strict security is in place to even enter the station. First ID check, then all the luggage gets x-rayed. Here they took my scissors, my good Swiss Army Knife and my deo spray away! What the heck! I can buy new scissors and deo as well, but I did like my Swiss Army Knife! It was a trusted companion on my travels… well, I hope it gets a good home in Lhasa!
Next another passport and ticket check. Here the computer did not like my passport number and it took some time and trying until finally the officer had enough, checked my ticket anyway and let me through.
Now, the trainstation is not a classical trainstation as we know it with all shops and people and such. Maybe because here only go very few trains or maybe because it is China, only passengers are let in.
Up the escalators into the waiting room I was sent. Me being once more the only foreigner, I went straight into the soft seat waiting room. About half an hour before departure the crowd began to move and there was even an announcement in English to proceed to check in. The train seemed to be fully booked.
The ticket being written all in Chinese, I did, however, figure out my coach was #5 and bunk #2. I had soft sleeper 4-berth-cabin upper bunk.
The people in my cabin found it funny sharing with a foreigner, but were very friendly and helpful. They did not talk much, they only spoke Chinese. Nothing new here.
The train track from Lhasa to Beijing is the highest train track in the world. The highest pass it crosses is 5072 m, the highest train station is at 5068m in Tangula and the New Guanjiao tunnel is with 32.6 km the longest train tunnel in China. The highest train tunnel in the world is at 4905m also on this line. There is one daily train from Lhasa to Beijing (# Z22). The Lhasa-Beijing train takes approx. 40 hrs to cover 3757 km, of which 1110 km are over the Qinghai-Tibet railway. It departs from the Lhasa Railway Station at 16:30 pm and arrives at Beijing West Railway Station at 08:28 am on the 3rd day. Its operational speed is 120 kmh, 100 kmh over sections laid on permafrost. The Lhasa to Beijing railway route was opened in July 2006 and I paid RMB 1390 for soft sleeper via Tibet Vista.
After departure the ticket was changed into a plastic boarding card and everybody had to sign a health declaration form regarding the altitude. They did have one in English!
Over the bunk is also an oxygen outlet. They never gave out masks but the outlet was constantly blowing out something the first like 20 hrs.
There was not much space for luggage, so first I put my suitcase on my bunk, but then the others motioned to put it down under the table. That was better, even though the bunks are quite wide.
I went straight to the restaurant coach which was only 2 coaches over and sat there writing, reading, looking out the window. The menu was only in Chinese without photos and nobody spoke English. So when dinnertime started I went around taking pictures of people’s food – some people noticed that curiously others were rather grim – and then showed the waitress what I wanted. She was very happy, finally we understood each other! Beer they did not have, but another waiter was walking the length of the train with a drinks cart and eventually he returned and he did have beer! The food was reasonably priced with RMB 40 for the dish, rice and soup. The beer RMB 10 was the same as in Lhasa.
The landscape on the Tibetan Plateau was beautiful, some snow capped mountains, Yak herds as far as you could see, small settlements along the way. A very new highway followed the tracks, but there was very little traffic.
While I sat there writing my journal and watching the landscape fly by, a little boy sat next to me and stared fascinated on my – considerably messy – handwriting. Yes, do still hand write my travel journal! He then practiced his very limited English with me. Funny little guy 12 years of age even translated for the people on the next table!
When it got dark I retired to my bunk reading. The altitude was palpable. My head ached more again and my legs were restless. I figured we would pass the highest point sometime before midnight. Therefore I set in the corridor charging my phone on the only outlet and trying to catch a GPS signal. Around 22:30 we probably passed in pitch black dark the highest point. My mobile app stopped at 5026m, but I am pretty sure the highest point was somewhere there.
After that it went downwards again. While we were up there, a guy was sitting on the next chair in the corridor and then there was a huge bang and he jumped. Turned out his lighter had exploded in is jeans pocket! Lucky nothing happened other than broken plastic in his pocket and a probably sore thigh.
I was tired and lay on my bunk not really being able to sleep. Eventually I was tired enough and did anyway.
08.02.2018
By morning the headache was gone, we were already below at altitudes around 3000 m. I had brought fruits for breakfast and then sat in the restaurant coach again, it had the best view. The upper bunk did not have a window and the people on the lower bunks were laying down.
The landscape changed, more trees, more sheap herds, some horses, small villages. The houses have a different style now, no more Tibetan houses obviously. Later we passed big cities with apartment blocks.
Every now and then the train stopped at a bigger station and I went for some fresh air and a leg stretch. I could always tell the next stop is near, because they would come and close all the curtains in the restaurant coach and on the corridors. For what reason I could not find out. Maybe so the train looked nice rolling into a station. Fast we reached altitudes of below 1000m.
For lunch I munched on my provisions, I still had half the breakfast box I had received in Chengdu 2 days before, also fruits and Chinese Jell-O. Yummy!
A Chinese girl from Chengdu shared my table in the restaurant during the afternoon. She was a student and was travelling. Her English was very good. She got off the train in Lanzhou, though.
I was tired after the restless night before and from doing nothing all day other than watching landscaped fly by, so I went early to my bunk and slept all night like a baby.
09.02.2018
At around 07:30 was general wake up and the boarding card were exchanged again for the tickets. Everybody got organized and on the dot on time at 08:28 the train rolled into Beijing West Train Station.
It was cold here! After balmy 15° to 24°C in Lhasa, the -6°C here hit me hard. But I was prepared.
My contact at Monkeyshrine had told me to follow the signs to exit North 2 and my transfer driver would find me there. Sure enough he recognized me immediately, me being the only foreigner and standing out tall in my yellow jacket!
The train station here as well a concrete block with a lot if security fences and no shops or such.
My driver brought me to The Emperor Hotel in the center a drive of approx. 30 min, and I could check in directly. A much needed shower waiting for me!
Beijing – here I am!
