To Juka Truckstop: Chinese tourist dog left on the pass

April 10, 2007

We hear the dogs barking most of the night. The alarm is set for 3:30am, but we are awake already and start packing. It's cold!! (-4C) and our water bottles are frozen solid except the one we had under the rainfly near the tent...it also has ice crystals.

With headlamps lit, we set off...this morning is easier than the previous night run by checkpoints, the road surface is better. We are quickly to the town and continue on through the long streets and reach a brightly lit gas station. Patrick checks the direction to Lhasa and we need to back track to an intersection and this time go left. About 50 meters there is a raised "trunckea" and we slip past. Then further on less that a kilometer, there is an official looking building lit up and looks more like a checkpoint,

It's about 4:30am we slip through.... we did it, we got past the checkpoint without incident.

Then joyride turns to nightmare.

Rachel's fingers are frozen and numb. As we start to climb, either the altitude or the cold or combination, keeps her from being able to hold onto her handlebars and cycle. About 6km, Patrick finds a field and behind the wall we pitch the tent, we need to get warm! We sleep until 7am, then break camp and continue the 15km climb to the summit at 4338 meters.

Once at the top, there are prayer flags and a monument indicating the altitude. There is a group of Chinese tourists in a jeep going to Lhasa taking pictures of us. After they left, Patrick says "they left their dog". Here comes their little dog over the hill from behind the prayer flags. We use a yellow strip of cloth as a leash to keep the dog from running off. Soon the driver returns and retrieves the dog.

Now we begin the descent, 35km of long winding roads down the tundra-like slopes. The road construction and Chinese are gone. It's slow going for a downhill, Rachel says because of her. The steep sections she goes even slower than when cycling uphill, for fear of not being able to control her bike or stop before trouble, like going over an edge.

Along the way we see many Tibetan houses, colorful woodwork on the eaves, windows and doors as well as the little room tacked on the back on stilts that is the toilet--a hole in the floor. The people are friendly, carrying baskets filled with straw; we see yaks, sheep with long curly horns, pigs that look like wild boars, and donkeys. As we descend the landscape changes from barren hills to shrubs and pines to blooming cherry trees and green fields. The green is a brilliant emerald color that almost looks photoshop fake.

We see one house being built with the decorated windows already in place. Patrick stops and looks at the lumber, big beams being used...Rachel could see Patrick drooling with envy.

Then we see the Mekong River again. The road follows it to Juka. We check into a truck stop just as it starts to lightly rain. It's 3pm and we are hungry, so we move our bikes into the room then go to the restaurant. In the kitchen, Rachel picks out a dish made with tomato and egg and cabbage, onion and zucchini. We clean the plates!! After camping and eating noodles it's nice to have rice and vegetables again.

Washing up is done in the room with a basin of cold water and a thermos of hot water to blend to bathing temperature. Rachel did the laundry behind the kitchen in a big metal basin--time will tell if it dries!! Patrick is able to recharge batteries and burn pictures to DVD's while we were eating. Only down side, the toilets are out back and are disgusting.

As the evening progressed, the rain keeps coming down. It's nice to be inside!