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We left Beijing on 11th October to travel by train into Tibet. The journey was split in two. The first 24 hours we travelled to Xining. Originally we were to have had two nights there but due to government restrictions on foreigners in Tibet arrangements had to be changed and we only stopped in Xining for lunch. Beautiful sunny weather awaited us and what appeared to be a very new modern city.
Not much to report on the first leg of the journey as we went through many industrial and city sights. Some not very pleasant at times. Good times however were had on the train with attempts made to practise Qigong in the very narrow corridor of the carriage. There were many intermittent moments due to guards and other passengers wanting to get passed! After lunch in Xining we headed back to the station to await our next train for the second half and most interesting of journeys.
Our group had to be split into four groups. I was in the first group of 12 which meant not having to wait too long for our train. Mo and I shared with a Chinese couple who the next morning when sitting next to each other on the bottom bunk, showed an amazing resemblance to each other. They were not partners then, so we settled for siblings until Mo decided that they were mother and son. I'm not convinced but she did have the most vigorous of routines when it came to bed time and getting up the next morning. Plenty of lotions and potions.
Six of us from the group were in the same carriage - four bunks per room. The Chinese were in a group heading for a holiday in Tibet for one week. We got chatting to a young girl who could speak enough English for us to get by.
The talking was done while it was dark because during daylight hours it was all but impossible to tear myself away from the window. It was such a privilege to sit and do nothing but admire Gods handy work. The mountains were beyond spectacular. Many different terrains and there were plenty of animals to see too. Yaks (first time seeing them), sheep, cattle and I'm sure I saw a rabbit at one point. There were the birds too but not having my binoculars it made it impossible to even try any sort of identification.
The photos in the album show the landscape from the train window. None of the photos do justice to the real thing but hopefully it gives some idea of the vastness.
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