Lost in China Day 1

This is the dream trip. Something we had planned for 5 years (At least the first idea happened since then, and a few emails had been exchanged with the tour guide). Just like typical graduates, I worked hard, but seldom play hard, especially the last 3 years, it was the most tiring period of my life. So, right after delivered the letter, we resumed the emails, fixed the date, and get the flight.

Tibet, is the destination. one of the most isolated place on earth.

Tibet has one of the most kaopekaobu policy for foreign tourist. Technically governed by China, Tibet requires special permissions and VISA to enter, and with compulsory tour guide service. Because there can be 'sometimes' politically unstable, and the Chinese (From now on, Chinese means China resident) would not want foreigners to see it. (Dumb, we have Internet). The funniest thing is when you apply for China VISA, we can't tell the officer that we are going to Tibet, because they will ask for Tibet VISA; but you need China VISA first, before you apply Tibet VISA. Inception.

So, this is not the place you can just pick up the backpack and go. I wasn't thinking much when I bought the ticket, I just want to escape, I don't care. And lucky to have few companions who are crazy enough to join me.

Located at average 4000m above sea level, Tibet is a plateau that only accessible by train, some domestic flights, and a few brave souls who love driving thousands of kilometers for days from nearby cities. So we just booked AirAsia from KL to Chengdu, and back from Xi'an to KL. Why? Because that is the cheapest combination at that time.

After exchanged more than 140 emails with Dhondup, our tour agency person, everything seems fully prepared. The plan is, we are flying to Chengdu on 15th July, and take the world highest Qinghai Railway to Tibet on 16th July, 40 hours later, we will reach Lhasa, largest city in Tibet. On 26th July, we take flight from Lhasa to Xi'an, and back to Malaysia on 28th July, macam yes.

So, 15th July is the day. Get to airport, to the gate, shown some fuck face by the rude AirAsia lady for being the last one to board, and took off. We didn't even late, just last.

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Everyone knows how often Chinese notoriously get on news, especially on flight. It is true. I had never sit in a plane that noisy and always full of requests "I want beer", "I want this", "I want that". No one gives a shit to safety signal, and people DO SMOKE IN TOILET.

This is little gross, and that might not be from Chinese, but since 90% of the flight are them, so I would be racist for this. Out of sudden, Air Stewardess job don't seems that glamorous at all. Now every time I see Air Asia advertisement, I can image a gross face air stewardess picking up a lady napkin from toilet, because it is not flush-able (I tried).


Now I know why that AirAsia lady at the airport gate show us fuck face, because we look like them.


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Arriving at Chengdu Shuangliu airport at 11pm, deal with hogging taxi driver who willing to fetch us all in one shot, and 5 of us decided to take 2 metered taxis to our guest house, still 2 times cheaper with night rate.

We overnight at an apartment using prebooked Airbnb service, and first thing in the house surprised me --

莎莎！

View and layout of the guest house living hall during day time. Night time will be turned into projector room, everyone watching 《中国好声音》

It was pass twelve when we reached there, dinner was limited. Followed a map drawn by the owner, we had 串烧for dinner. Got to specially ordered 微辣, because the spiciness is just unbearable.

 

王老吉is in fact very popular drink in China, people drink it in any occasion.

So this is day 1. Next day: Shit does happens.

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