Overland to China and Tibet.

Post by **Mudlark** » 22 Sep 2006, 07:57

Some stunning photos and travelogue about one Stephen Stewarts travels by Mercedes Unimog to China, Tibet; Siberia, Iceland and Northern Europe.

http://www.xor.org.uk/silkroute/china2002/index.html

Just makes me want to get up and go ~!

(Sorry if you have seen this before)

Post by **jed the spread** » 22 Sep 2006, 09:25

i once drove from kenya to cape town on a bedford m type truck.that was interesting also

jed

Post by **HarryMann** » 22 Sep 2006, 09:42

Photographic quality abs stunning eh, just like the landscape and sky... this puts all three together.

There's a 'take a quick trip' shortcut link at the top of the webpage, well worth using to get a feel for things.. remember, some of these 'plains' are circa 15,000 ft and go UP all around from that height

I seem to remember the Buddha in the Jokhang temple was stolen by Chinese back in 1959 after the second invasion, and turned up on a junk heap back in China... but memory is dodgy on that one.

Glad this is referred to as Tibet throughout, I do hate people calling it China, or Chinese Tibet after so many hundreds of thousands of monks were tortured and killed since 1950.

Colour quality cannot be faulted.. do they say anywhere what this camera was? Surely a wicked UV filter was needed to get this sort detail into horizon. My dad was in India and Burma fighting the Japanese '42~'45. He often said 50 miles visibility was no problem when up in the Eastern Himalayas... this seems more in the thin dry air.

Post by **amulet** » 22 Sep 2006, 10:55

I hadn't, so thanks for posting. It certainly gets the juices flowing doesn't it.

We should start a lottery syndicate to finance a trip like this...

Post by **HarryMann** » 22 Sep 2006, 11:45

I think Mark would be keen on your idea too... and so would we!

The Potala palace in Lhasa is reputed to have 1,500 rooms, quite a bit of dusting as many didn't/don't have glass windows. Allegedly, there are underground vaults and caves below it, blocked off during the second Chinese invasion of 1959, that contain the death masks or skulls of countless Dalai Lamas - another factlet to ignore! Earliest and most revered buildings within the palace complex are two 7th century chapels.

Lhasa sits at an altitude of 12,000'

http://www.sacredsites.com/asia/tibet/p ... alace.html

Post by **toomanytoys** » 22 Sep 2006, 11:50

Mmmm....
Wouldnt you just love to.....

I'd be in too...

Post by **HarryMann** » 22 Sep 2006, 14:36

Drive up those steps you mean... Oooh! Sacreligious

Post by **Mudlark** » 22 Sep 2006, 15:46

Has anyone spotted the French Syncro they met coming back in the other direction - alone !

When you get roads like this :

Id not want to be alone!

And as for doing them in a coachbuilt 2wd motorhome

Post by **KarlT** » 27 Sep 2006, 19:19

Aye up!

What happened to my post?

It was there the other day!

Post by **Mudlark** » 27 Sep 2006, 20:36

We lost some posts at the weekend due to a server change; a few people have lost some but it was a unexpected conspiracy of moving and isp hiccup caused it.

Post by **KarlT** » 04 Oct 2006, 19:15

I'll re-post it then.....................waiting, baited, breath.

amulet wrote:
We should start a lottery syndicate to finance a trip like this...

Don't wait around for a 14,000,000 to 1 chance....................remortgage!

Its still a big world out there.