Lhartze to Tingri
Lhartze feels like a frontier town. Frantic construction is taking place and only a mud road leads South-West. As we took this road it climbed and deteriorated.
Traffic was forced to follow a river bed when a truck became stuck in the mud. It is hard to believe that this bath is in fact the main road connecting Tibet to the entire Indian sub-continent. Indeed, China has declared it a priority to develop the route.
As the road took us higher, the vista opened onto Chomolongma (Everest) National Park. Through which we wound our way down to Old Tingri, both a traditional settlement and a garrison town. Doorstep songs assured all present that Chomolongma is a great protector.
Spectacular light shows played out on the himalayan screen to the South. Simultaneously, there was sweeping rain and thunder to the West, and bright sunshine in the East.
