Fragile Light wrote:
> I have always wanted to see Tibet, and figure I should do it now while
> we're young and in shape and without children. Several factors are
> intimidating me, though, and I was wondering if anyone had some wisdom
> to share.
>
> #1. Cost. The airfare isn't a problem, as we will be using frequent
> flier miles. I am more concerned about guides, transportation,
> etc...my ability to speak Mandarin is very, very limited, and I hear
> Mandarin doesn't take one far in Western China anyway...and I know no
> Tibetan at all. Hence the need for reliable guides. While I don't
> mind roughing it, I really would prefer a place to stay that has heat
> and hot water and no bugs (not a requisite, but a preference). But
> most of the "tour packages" I see (I'm looking at studenty-teachery
> ones) are quite expensive, in the $1500-$2500 per person range, which
> is well beyond our financial means. Any advice or here for keeping it
> at or below $1000? Or is such a thing just not possible?
Fly to Chengdu and pick up a local tour from there. So many tourists
now it's impossible not to find something to fit your budget.
>
> #2. Altitude. I've been on the Tren a Las Nubes (the Train to the
> Clouds) in the Andes in Argentina, which takes you up to a town called
> San Antonio de Los Cobres, which is at 12,000 feet, and I had a rough
> time even putting one foot in front of the other. Lhasa is slightly
> higher, and some of the other places in Tibet I'd like to visit are
> higher still. I have also gathered, from reading up on the sights to
> see, that many of them require treks of a few miles under these
> conditions...anyone been out there? About how many days should one
> budget to get used to the altitude? Do you know about medical
> resources like in the region in case we need them?
>
There are medicine you can take for altitude sickness. Check with your
doctor.
> #3. Bird flu. I hate to be alarmist, but the news keeps talking about
> it. Any sense of how much of a danger this is right now?
>
No one can say. Don't eat raw chicken.
> Despite this worry-wartism, I am still very enthusiastic about going.
> Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated.
>
> - Skiold
> ______________________________________________________________________________________________
> Author, THE FRAGILE LIGHT
>
> Visit www.fragilelight.com to purchase the disturbing new novel about
> superheroes in an
> Orwellian World!
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