On July 3, Shanghai sent its first group of 22 tourists to Tibet
on the world's highest railway. They came back on July 13 after
what they described as 10 unforgettable days.
Jenny Shao's sun-burned cheeks and ethnic fashion accessories
made her stand out among the crowds at the Shanghai Railway Station
yesterday.
"The train ride was around 60 hours in total, but really it was
worth it," Shao, a businesswoman in her early 30s, said. She was
still buoyant after the long journey back home.
On the way to Lhasa, Shao said the train stopped at major
stations, and let passengers off for photos in Tuotuo River, Golmud
and Damxung.
"The train interior is clean, and the sleeping compartments are
cozy, not crowded," she said. The group took hard-sleepers both
ways.
Getting food was no problem, she said. The dining car has 44
seats, but food carts pass through the carriages every few hours.
Meals are pre-cooked, and reheated based on passenger orders.
"We also brought many snacks of our own," said tour guide Liu
Zhipeng.
Some in the group showed symptoms of altitude sickness during
train climbs of more than 4,800 meters through the Tanggula
Mountain Pass.
The train offers oxygen once over 3,000 meters. Passengers can
breathe enriched oxygen through plastic tubes linked to outlets in
each carriage.
"We had oxygen outlets above each bed, it was quite convenient,"
said Shao. "I didn't plug the tubes in though. I only felt a bit
dizzy but it was during the next morning."
Zhong Taifeng, 68, the oldest traveler in the group, said that
senior tourists were better off using the oxygen to combat mountain
sickness.
"My wife and I couldn't just collapse on the train, we still had
a long way to go," he said.
Zhong and his wife, Wang Jinmei, also 68, took the Tibet railway
back to Xining and continued their rail journey across the
country.
Just five members returned to Shanghai yesterday, according to
the guide Liu.
"The others either went with the Zhongs, or traveled to Chengdu
(Sichuan Province)," said Liu. "Their spirits were so high, and
they weren't willing to come home yet."
The tour also included Xigaze, the Nam Co Lake and
Yangbajing.
The tour package cost 3,980 yuan (US$498) per person.
A train ticket between Lanzhou and Lhasa costs 522 yuan each
way.
Experts estimate the number of tourists to Tibet will grow by 15
to 20 percent year on year now that the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is
open. A total of 2.5 million tourists will come to Tibet in 2010
and 6 million in 2020, Xinhua news agency reported this month.
(Shanghai Daily July 17, 2006)