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Text and photographs: Nilesh Korgaonkar

It is a six hour drive from Kathmandu to Zhangmu, China on the Kathmandu-Lhasa Friendship Highway. To motor across the Tibet Plateau on your way to Lhasa is one of the most spectacular journeys in the world.

The highway is a real experience. And for those used to the freeways and expressways of the civilised world it is better to be forewarned. This Chinese built highway is approximately 950 km long, crosses the Tibet plateau and traverses a height of over 4000 m.

Whilst in Nepal, the road is narrow and bumpy and traverses mountainous terrain and crosses numerous rivers. And five hours later we are at the rather grimy border crossing. A quick completion of formalities and you are loaded into the back of a small truck along with your baggage. A bone rattling 45 minute drive up the steep road and Zhangmu arrives. Time to be greeted by the Chinese customs.

The drive from Zhangmu to Niyalam, the second major town en route, passes through virgin forests and some strikingly beautiful waterfalls. The real change in scenery is after Niyalam when you arrive at the top of the Tibet plateau. As your minibus climbs higher and crosses the tree line, the forests gradually give way to barren, cold desert landscape.

The rarefied atmosphere, the lack of pollution and the high altitude produce some brilliant clouds against a deep blue sky, the likes of which are rarely seen over our cities. The road crosses some high passes at about 5200 m from where you get breathtaking panoramas of the Everest region on a clear day. Quaint Tibetan villages dot both sides of the road all along the way.

Yes, Tibet, the land of snows, Shangri La, roof of the world had arrived. Mythical Tibet has always attracted intrepid travellers from far and near. Adventurers have spent almost entire lives journeying into and across the barren, yet beautiful plateau. Some to conquer. Some in search of riches. Yet others to explore and simply to see for themselves what lies behind the aura and fables that seem to forever surrounded this land of monks.

That us lesser mortals can also now follow in the footsteps of these high achievers is a fact that is little known except to daring backpackers. Automobile and aviation technology and the road building capability of the Chinese now makes the journey into Tibet possible for even the less adventurous.

In May this year I decided to take a journey off the beaten track to Tibet and try to emulate the deeds of the explorers of yore. I had already journeyed to the wilds of Western Tibet and the Kailas Mansarovar region and I thought it would be a nice change to go East this time.

And hence here I was on this minibus bound for Lhasa with an odd band of travellers for company.

Three days of gruelling, yet fascinating travel got me to Shigatse, the capital of the Tsang region and seat of the Panchen Lama. It also has the largest functioning monastic institution in contemporary Tibet -- the fascinating Tashilhunpo Monastery.

The Chinese occupation of Tibet is very apparent in these bigger cities though it does manifest itself even in the smaller towns that your cross.

Shigatse is overtly divided into the more modern Chinese half and the definitely more ethnic Tibetan half. The Tashilhunpo Monastery is an impressive place and I could have spent days simply exploring the various temples with their intriguing golden roofs and imposing chortens that are really tombstones of yesteryear high lamas. The kora around the 26 m high statue of the Maitreya or the future Buddha is a soul stirring experience. Unfortunately it is housed inside a very sacred temple and no photography is permitted.

The Shigatse Dzong or fort is located at the other end of the Tibetan quarter and is now in ruins having been one of the victims of the Cultural Revolution. At one time it must have an imposing sight. At the base of this ruined fort is the Free Market -- yes, the Free Market -- where you can pick up curios and trinkets that have probably arrived there all the way from Kathmandu.

A relatively sedate 90 km drive from Shigatse brings you to the smaller town of Gyantse. In the early part of this century Gyantse was laid siege to by a British expeditionary force. The centre of all the excitement of that time, the Gyantse fort, is what catches the eye as you enter the town from the Chinese quarter. It soars into the azure skies from a craggy hill top and if time had permitted I would have definitely liked to climb up there and explored its precincts.

I found the Tibetan part, that nestles between the fort and the Pelkor Chode monastery, very interesting with a lot of ethnic character. Cobbled roads runs between a row of old style Tibetan houses with their fluttering prayer flags for a distance before it comes to an end at the entrance to the monastery. The Gyantse Kumbum, a magnificent tiered and very colourful stupa with the ever watchful eyes of the Buddha at the top is a definite attraction inside the monastery compound. The stupa has a staircase inside which allows you to climb to the top and get a good view of the town and the fertile Tsang valley beyond.

The drive on the fifth day to Lhasa takes you past the Yamdrak Tso, a turquoise lake, as its name indicates, of incredible resplendence. I don’t think I will ever forget the stretch of road as it winds past the serene waters of the lake. The sky was overcast with dark clouds, it was late afternoon and the rays of the setting sun pierced through onto freshly fallen snow on the slopes of a hill on the opposite shores.

You take a last yearning look at the lake before the road climbs steeply to Khamba La and then descends down to the Yarlung Valley. Once you enter the valley floor all vestiges of backwardness disappear in a trice. The broad bridge spanning the Tsang Po, as the Brahmaputra River is known in Tibet, heralds the start of a new expressway for the remaining 90 km to Lhasa.

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