Cellphone Mint
2009
Kham, East Tibet
The news was shocking!
The ticket agent at the Shangri-la bus terminal in Zhongdian, Yunnan province was happy to tell me over and over, in both Chinese and English, that yes, foreigners can now travel east through the Tibet Autonomous Region to Lhasa … overland and without a permit! I really couldn’t believe what I was hearing, but rather than falling down in rapture, I agonized over taking advantage of this new policy or continuing as planned on my already-paid-for, government-authorized, one-week tour across Kham to Lhasa. Ultimately, it would have been silly for me not to choose the latter.
The decade-old Land Cruiser was in surprisingly Good Condition, having driven through Tibet 99 times. We set out through northern Yunnan to the crags of Feilaisi, finding ourselves at a dizzying 4,000 meters above sea level and nauseously breathless, to stay overnight at a roadside pilgrimage site of sun-bleached chortens, wind-tattered prayer flags and a stunning view of Mingyong Glacier.
Bright (a light so bright it was hard to believe) and early the next morning, we continued into undulating hills. Vistas of incomparable beauty revealed themselves with each bend. The forest was a tapestry of earthy shades, in orange, purple, browns and greens, both light and dark. With the iridescent blue sky and cottony white clouds above us, we traced perilous dirt switchbacks whose collapsing shoulders threatened to toss us hundreds of meters below into the Mekong River; it looked peaceful enough from above, its banks and farmland dotted with eye-catching, whitewashed adobe homes that seemed to beckon us into Tibet.
“Xizang!” our driver called out. In fact we had been in Tibet for half a day, but how could we know without having crossed any sort of border or being stopped by officials asking to see our papers? We had to remind ourselves that entering Eastern Tibet was now a permit-less process and all the checkpoints on our maps and guidebooks were recently abandoned. We celebrated our unbeknownst entry into the TAR (Tibetan Autonomous Region) by spending the day in the small, dusty city of Markham. Winding down from its weekend market, the city was brimming with the splendor of the traditional Khampas population: golden-skinned women with their long striped dresses and colorful plaits, and large-sized men with lengthy braided hair woven with red Chamdo tassels and a solid jade hoop. We were greeted by dozens of red-cheeked, runny-nosed children dancing around us. My European traveling companions were constantly surrounded by a crowd of curious adults, who took turns running their fingers along the thick blonde leg hairs, then letting out a collective fascinated murmur.
Traveling through Eastern Tibet can be compared with experiencing the four seasons in just a matter of days. While we started with clear skies and venerable forests, the next morning took us into icy tundra. Ascending 99 bends into the Hengduan Range, the mountains seemed to freeze over before our eyes. At 5,008 meters we reached the highest altitude of our trip.
At the bleak Dongdola pass we encountered a settlement of nomadic shepherds (drokpas) living in black tents while herds of emaciated yak-cows grazed the surrounding frozen pastures. These gentle people of an inhospitable land were dressed in simple hand-woven attire, but they were extravagantly accessorized in coral, turquoise and silver jewelry. These shepherds had seen few white faces in their lifetime. One drokpa family had yet to see a digital camera and they were mesmerized by the sight of their own images on the Lcd Screen.
At Pomda, a noise-polluted junction of logging trucks and tractors, we met a bunch of international backpackers and hardcore cyclists sitting at the literal crossroads that connects the northern route of the busy Sichuan-Tibet highway with the less-traveled southern roads. From there, our journey took us through and down into verdant terraced hamlets and patchwork plots of land fed by snow springs, over the Salween River to the unbelievably mint-blue twin lakes of Rawoktso. Dodging Kham’s morning traffic of goats, lamb and yak-cows (yes, cross-bred), we pressed on along the boulder-strewn road of the Sundzom Valley, past the Parlung Tsangpo white water rapids and old avalanches of frozen snow to Tongmei, where we encountered our first real obstacle.
Rumors had been circulating amongst the backpackers we’d been meeting on the road about a downed bridge at the Brahmaputra and Parlung Tsangpo convergence, which would prevent anyone from continuing on to Lhasa. It turned out the bridge was fine but a landslide on the other side had literally wiped the road off the sheermountain face. Anyone wanting to continue on had to either nimbly navigate a narrow footpath or wait a week or longer.
So it was here that we said goodbye to our Land Cruiser and crossed the bridge to meet another driver. The organizer of our trip told us via cellphone from his cozy office in Kunming that the new driver would be waiting “just a short walk” from the landslide. It turned out to be an arduous four-hour hike up a treacherous mountain path above the Rongchu gorge, in the dark of night, under the pouring rain of Tibet’s monsoon season. We braved the muddy slopes, deftly crossing washouts and literally dodging falling rocks from above, before finally arriving at a construction workers’ tent made from a giant nylon bag. The Israeli and British backpackers decided to stay while my companions and I trekked onward, in search of our new driver.
With our new vehicle and driver, we headed onwards toward Lhasa. Passing vivid fields of yellow youcai flowers, we arrived at the famous Draksumtso, an azure lake and lush Alpine forest which would have been breathtaking had it not been for the sea of baseball cap-wearing tour groups – the isolated beauty of Eastern Tibet was behind us.
###
About the Author
TOM CARTER is the author of 'CHINA: Portrait of a People,' a definitive 600-page book of photography due out winter 2007 from Hong Kong publisher Blacksmith Books.
Mint Tingle
 |
 MINT IN BOX Verizon Htc TROPHY WINDOWS CELL PHONE MWP6985 $179.99 Time Remaining: 27d 3h Buy It Now for only: $179.99 Buy It Now |
 Samsung Galaxy Nexus SCH I515 32GB Black Verizon Smartphone Mint Conditio $340.00 (16 Bids) Time Remaining: 37m |
 HTC Radar 4G T Mobile Mint Condition $102.50 (12 Bids) Time Remaining: 6h 1m |
 Mint Verizon ZTE ADAMANT F450 2MP Qwerty Smartphone Free Shipping $69.00 Time Remaining: 7d 8h 16m Buy It Now for only: $69.00 Buy It Now |
 HTC Radar 4G T Mobile Mint Condition $112.50 (9 Bids) Time Remaining: 6h 50m |
 HTC EVO 4G 1GB Black Sprint Smartphone MINT Condition GOOD ESN $119.99 Time Remaining: 29d 9h 8m Buy It Now for only: $119.99 Buy It Now |
 Samsung Captivate Glide Black ATT Mint $225.00 Time Remaining: 11h 35m Buy It Now for only: $275.00 Buy It Now |
 Apple Iphone 4 32GB Verzion Smartphone Mint Quality $325.00 Time Remaining: 3h 30m Buy It Now for only: $455.00 Buy It Now |
 Mint Nokia 6350 Graphite ATT Cellular Phone $49.95 Time Remaining: 20d 11h 15m Buy It Now for only: $49.95 Buy It Now |
 BARELY Used Blackberry Torch 9810 Unlocked ATT T Mobile 2GB MINT 9 10 $147.50 (7 Bids) Time Remaining: 17h 18m |
 Mint Nokia 6350 Red Att Cellular Phone $49.95 Time Remaining: 20d 10h 55m Buy It Now for only: $49.95 Buy It Now |
 Samsung Focus Flash 8GB ATT Smartphone Mint in Box + Free Shipping $75.00 (13 Bids) Time Remaining: 16h 14m |
 Barely Used BlackBerry Torch 9800 Unlocked ATT T Mobile 4GB MINT 9 10 $73.00 (24 Bids) Time Remaining: 17h 3m Buy It Now for only: $234.99 Buy It Now |
 VGC Samsung Sch U640 Convoy Verizon Rugged Bluetooth 2MP Cell Phone Near Mint $36.99 Time Remaining: 28d 3h 44m Buy It Now for only: $36.99 Buy It Now |
 Pantech Burst 16GB Black ATT Smartphone MINT CONDITIONLOADED $128.49 (8 Bids) Time Remaining: 13h 11m |
 Mint Verizon CASIO c741 Brigade Black Bluetooth Camera Cell phone $129.99 Time Remaining: 27d 13h 3m Buy It Now for only: $129.99 Buy It Now |
 HTC Dash 3G Windows Phone T Mobile Smartphone MINT $1.04 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 15h 12m |
 MINT ATT Samsung Rugby II SGH A847 FLIP 3G Camera Phone + OUR ADDED EXTRAS $79.99 Time Remaining: 4d 6h 6m Buy It Now for only: $79.99 Buy It Now |
 ATT Pantech Crossover P8000 MINT Updated To Android 23 QWERTY Keypad NR $28.00 (6 Bids) Time Remaining: 15h 10m Buy It Now for only: $79.95 Buy It Now |
 MINT LG MARQUEE LS855 4GB Black Sprint Smart Cell Phone Clean Esn $71.00 (18 Bids) Time Remaining: 13h 57m |
 MINT HTC DROID ERIS Verizon Wireless CAMERA CELL PHONE $52.95 Time Remaining: 14d 5h 52m Buy It Now for only: $52.95 Buy It Now |
 Mint Motorola XPRT 2GB Black Sprint Cell Smart Phone $81.00 (9 Bids) Time Remaining: 14h 6m |
 PANTECH P2030 BREEZE 3 III ATT MINT CONDITION GPS Camera Bluetooth CELL PHONE $53.95 Time Remaining: 1d 14h 7m Buy It Now for only: $53.95 Buy It Now |
 Samsung i997 4G Infuse Caviar Black ATT Mint Cond + EXTRAs $250.00 (7 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 7h 4m |
 Apple iPhone 4 32GB Black Apple Factory Unlocked Mint NO need for Gevey $330.00 (18 Bids) Time Remaining: 7h 35m |
 Nokia 6350 ATT 3G GPS PTT Camera Flip Phone Gray MINT $59.95 Time Remaining: 22d 19h 34m Buy It Now for only: $59.95 Buy It Now |
 Apple iPhone 4 16GB Black ATT Smartphone MC318LL A Mint Unlocked $495.00 (38 Bids) Time Remaining: 6h 37m |
 Mint Verizon LG Cosmos VN250 PagePlus QWERTY Slider Camera No Contract CellPhone $49.99 Time Remaining: 29d 12h 58m Buy It Now for only: $49.99 Buy It Now |
 HTC Droid Incredible Black Smartphone MINT Condition Used $16.50 (7 Bids) Time Remaining: 8h 10m |
 Apple iPhone 4 16GB MINT condition ATT box with ALL brand new accessories $205.00 (40 Bids) Time Remaining: 14h 7m |
 SAMSUNG TRANSFORM M920 Sprint Black Cdma Smartphone MINT $64.99 Time Remaining: 17d 13h 25m Buy It Now for only: $64.99 Buy It Now |
 BlackBerry Bold 9930 MINT HUGE BUNDLE $250.00 Time Remaining: 15h 29m Buy It Now for only: $350.00 Buy It Now |
 Mint Alltel MOTOROLA W845 QUANTICO HEAVY DUTY RUGGED CELLPHONE + EXTRA $39.99 Time Remaining: 4d 5h 12m Buy It Now for only: $39.99 Buy It Now |
 MINT Condition Blackberry Bold 9780 T Mobile 3G WiFi 5MP Camera Smartphone $76.00 (18 Bids) Time Remaining: 13h 42m |
 Nokia 6350 ATT 3G GPS PTT Camera Flip Phone Red MINT $59.95 Time Remaining: 22d 20h 2m Buy It Now for only: $59.95 Buy It Now |
 Mint Apple iPhone 3GS 8GB Black ATT Smartphone MC640LL Otter box case $86.00 (11 Bids) Time Remaining: 9h 41m |
 HTC Inspire 4G 4GB Black ATT Smartphone No contract near mint $102.50 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 12h 36m |
 Mint Cellular South Grey HTC Wildfire pd06100 C Spire Smart Cell Phone $87.99 Time Remaining: 15d 12h 53m Buy It Now for only: $87.99 Buy It Now |
 HTC Aria Black ATT MINT CONDITION look brand new $240.00 Time Remaining: 56m |
 Samsung A777 ATT Mint Condition GPS MP3 Slider Cell Phone Blue $28.99 Time Remaining: 1d 10h 52m Buy It Now for only: $28.99 Buy It Now |
 BlackBerry Storm2 9550 MINT Black Verizon Smartphone in Box w Lots of EXTRAS $99.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 10h 13m |
 LK Apple iPhone 4 16GB Black ATT Gently Used in Mint Conditon $202.50 (11 Bids) Time Remaining: 5h 55m |
 Mint Blackberry Curve 8530 Sprint 3g Wifi Smartphone White $59.99 Time Remaining: 1d 13m Buy It Now for only: $59.99 Buy It Now |
 LN Mint Samsung Intensity U460 II Deep Gray Orange Accent Verizon Smartphone $39.99 Time Remaining: 18h |
 Motorola Defy MB525 Black White Android T Mobile Smartphone Mint Condition $140.00 Time Remaining: 29d 12h 57m Buy It Now for only: $140.00 Buy It Now |
 Mint Condition Black Verizon IPhone 4 Smartphone Clean ESN Trusted Seller $207.50 (32 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 5h 47m |
 Verizon Apple iPhone 4S 16 GB White Mint Condition+Warranty Clean ESN $265.00 (22 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 3h Buy It Now for only: $500.00 Buy It Now |
 Mint Motorola Adventure V750 Verizon Vcast Cell Phone $39.99 Time Remaining: 20d 10h 9m Buy It Now for only: $39.99 Buy It Now |
 HTC EVO 4G 1GB Black Sprint Smartphone Super Mint CONDITION W extras $145.50 (16 Bids) Time Remaining: 3h 28m |
 MINT Samsung Rogue U960 QWERTY Touchscreen GPS No Contract Cell Phone VERIZON $49.95 Time Remaining: 24d 9h 24m Buy It Now for only: $49.95 Buy It Now |
 Apple iPhone 4 32GB Black ATT Smartphone No Contract Mint Condition $192.50 (18 Bids) Time Remaining: 7h 51m |
 Verizon Blackberry Curve 8330 Cell Phone Pink , in Mint Condition Refurbished in Brand New Housing and 30 Day Seller's Warranty (Refurbished) List Price: Sale Price: $86.95 You save: $163.04 (65%)  Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product DescriptionThe BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone delivers on the BlackBerry promise with no compromises. BlackBerry push technology is designed to deliver emails to your smartphone as they arrive so you read and respond to them...  |
 Leather Cellphone /PDA Desk Holder/recharger Stand By Mint Leather Sale Price: $39.95 See Reviews For This Product DescriptionCellphone desk holders are great when phones or PDA's need to be recharged and still be within reach. |
 Two's Company Rhinestone Diamonte Purse & Phone Initial Charm, R Sale Price: $6.49 Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product DescriptionGlam up your life with these fun Rhinestone Initial Charms from Two's Company, that are great to personalize impersonal things like cell phones, purses and laptop cases. Each charm is of a different intial, made with an italicized font and may have rhinestones in varying sizes to add glamour... |
 Lg Vx8300 Bluetooth Vcast Cell Phone in Mint Condition for Verizon Wireless with No Contract - Refurbished in Brand New Housing and 30 Day Seller's Warranty (Refurbished) List Price: Sale Price: $39.99 You save: $110.01 (73%) Eligible for free shipping!See Reviews For This Product DescriptionThis is a refurbished LG VX-8300 phone ready for activation on the Verizon Wireless network contract free - ESN is clear. The VX-8300 is in mint condition, it comes refurbished in brand new housing, and includes a battery and wall charger... |
 LG VX8500 CHOCOLATE VERIZON MP3 PINK MUSIC Cell Phone in Mint Condition for Verizon Wireless with No Contract - Refurbished in Brand New Housing and 30 Day Seller's Warranty (Refurbished) List Price: Sale Price: $49.99 You save: $120.01 (71%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product DescriptionThis Phone Has a silky-smooth slider design, glowing touch-sensitive navigation keys, a powerful integrated music/video player, a 1.3 megapixel camera/camcorder, stereo Bluetooth capabilities, and a microSD memory slot for extra storage... |
 Lg Vx8350 Camera Music GRAY Cell Phone in Mint Condition for Verizon Wireless with No Contract - Refurbished in Brand New Housing and 30 Day Seller's Warranty (Refurbished) List Price: See Reviews For This Product DescriptionEnjoy the best of both worlds with the VX8350. Both functional and fun, its user-friendly features easy to use. Snap pix and take flix of life's greatest moments. Rock out to your favorite songs for a powerful entertainment punch. |
 Verizon Lg Vx10000 Black Voyager Mp3 Camera Cell phone in Mint Condition for Verizon Wireless with No Contract - Refurbished in Brand New Housing and 30 Day Seller's Warranty (Refurbished List Price: Sale Price: $80.00 You save: $220.00 (73%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product DescriptionDiscover profound performance in sublime style with the VOYAGER. The first handset that incorporates both a touch screen and a QWERTY, also combines features of the web, TV & music. Wrapped in a refined design, it goes beyond expectations. |
 CHARGING USB 2.0 SYNC DATA CABLE FOR LG PHONE + FREE BONUS CD! For Models : VX8550 VX-8550 (The New Slim Chocolate) Maroon Black VX8500 VX-8500 Cherry Mint Strawberry Red Black Green Ch List Price: Sale Price: $6.01 You save: $13.98 (70%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product DescriptionLG USB DATA CABLE KIT / SUITE WITH FREE BONUS SOFTWARE AND FEATURES! Item is for a cable only with free bonus CD. Please be aware that the free software is not guaranteed or supported by us other than the included help files... |
 Lg Vx8350 Camera Music Red Cell Phone in Mint Condition for Verizon Wireless with No Contract - Refurbished in Brand New Housing and 30 Day Seller's Warranty (Refurbished) List Price: See Reviews For This Product DescriptionEnjoy the best of both worlds with the VX8350. Both functional and fun, its user-friendly features easy to use. Snap pix and take flix of life's greatest moments. Rock out to your favorite songs for a powerful entertainment punch. |
 Verizon Lg Vx9900 Silver Env Camera Cell Phone in Mint Condition for Verizon Wireless with No Contract - Refurbished in Brand New Housing and 30 Day Seller's Warranty (Refurbished) List Price: Sale Price: $69.99 You save: $150.01 (68%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product DescriptionThe ultimate in mobile entertainment just got better! The new enV from LG has everything you love about The V: EvDO high-speed technology, a QWERTY keyboard, a large internal screen, dual stereo speakers, and an external memory port... |
Books News
Comment