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2 Nov 2017
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We hit the first check point of the day and this took about an hour. A lot of checking of paper work and searching the gear. Trevor had his Jetboil fuel canister confiscated. While we were checking Trevor noted his Nescafe jar had opened in the top box and he cleaned it out and took it off to get the worst out. About 10 km later he was just in front of us and the top box came crashing off…he did not notice. Dan picked it up and waited for the van. Top box that was born in China died in China!
 FILE2194 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE2202 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
We did stop at the highest pass today at 5234 m, but did not stay long.
 Road to Lhasa-38 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Road to Lhasa-39 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Road to Lhasa-40 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Road to Lhasa-44 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Road to Lhasa-45 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_0092 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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6 Nov 2017
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HUBB regular
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Join Date: Aug 2014
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your trip
I have followed your travels from day one. I am totally blown away from your adventures. Not sure where your final destinations will take you but will be following your progress and hoping for the best. Take care and safe journey.
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19 Nov 2017
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Contributing Member
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Location: RTW, From Vancouver BC 2012
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lectron
I have followed your travels from day one. I am totally blown away from your adventures. Not sure where your final destinations will take you but will be following your progress and hoping for the best. Take care and safe journey.
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Thanks so much! We are in Cambodia right now and plan to ship to Oz in early December!!! Cheers. S&D!
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19 Nov 2017
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It was then down from there to Amdo after 276 km. We had crossed into Tibet, but there is no marker at least in English. The last 20 km it was raining and at times almost snowing. It was pouring when we got to the town, but by the time we made it to the far side it was sunny. The gas stations here you must show your ID card even to get into the station. There is a gate and a policeman checks ID. They saw us and let us in first and then asked for our DL and gladly sold us fuel…from a can. We had to wait a while for the guides as we knew there was a police check point at the end of town and so we heated up some noodle soups.
 Road to Lhasa-47 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Road to Lhasa-48 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Road to Lhasa-46 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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19 Nov 2017
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The sky is again looking black in our direction. While we were waiting at the police check there was huge dust storm and the fierce winds blew the black clouds away. We had some wet road, but no rain.
You descend from 4600 m at Ando, but rise again to 4863 over another pass. The descent continues to 4500 m at Nagqu. The number of truck in lines in both direction is mad. About 15 km from the town the road is totally destroyed and the trucks are jostling for position to avoid the deepest holes. We weaved in and out to keep us some speed to get over the biggest dips, which are death defying at a snail crawl.
 FILE2263 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE2288 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE2305 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE2312 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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19 Nov 2017
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Contributing Member
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There is another police check 8 km from town and our guides were 45 min behind us because of the insane traffic. The police were very nice to us, asked us out of the line to park ahead, and invited us into the office with the coal burning stove to warm up and get out of the now brief rain shower. So happy we have the 20$ SIM cars as it has come in so handy to text the team as they are usually far behind us and for the police to call them. They made 3 call while we waited here as they to talk to Toni and Pam, which meant that once they showed up all they did was photocopy our Tibet permits and we were done in 5 min.
 FILE2354 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
The ride to the city was uneventful and we were into the hotel by 6. Orvar is again not well but it seems he has what I had in Mongolia more of a low salt issue than altitude. Trevor was initially ok and came down for dinner and then was sick again. He has his O2 bag and we refilled it. Neither has now eaten all day. The plan is to get an early start as we are down hill all the way to Lhasa at 3500 m. The hotel was again ok and pricey. We had just an ok dinner in the hotel “dining room”.
We were again asleep before 10 and had a restful night (no calls or knocking). The hotel include breakfast was also ugh, but there was steamed buns and boiled eggs and we had our own Nescafe so we survived. Both the other 2 did not eat this morning. It is sunny, but 2.5 degrees. We geared up and were about to set out when Orvar was again very dizzy. He recovered and insisted on riding. We had only gone about 6 blocks when he pulled beside be to saw he was unwell and we pulled over. He was sweaty and ill looking and likely hypoglycaemic. We pulled out the glucose ampules we had and he felt better in a few minutes, but we convinced him to ride in the truck.
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19 Nov 2017
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Mr Tang rode the first 160 km to the first check point. We had to stop a few times so he could get the helmet off and warm up. We also stopped a lot today unlike the last few for pictures. The altitude rises to 4700 m and does not drop until about 80 km from Lhasa, which is at 3656 m. It is cold and windy for sure this morning, but better than yesterday. We sure saw a lot of Yaks today. We passed thru a number of small villages, which are much tidier and nicer than most of the Chinese ones we have seen.
 FILE2550 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
The road surface as well today is very good. There is much less truck traffic as they stop in Nagqu in the day and then drive at night because they are not allowed to enter Lhasa after 730 am until late in the evening. There was however almost constant construction as they are reinforcing the road on both side with a concrete pad. There is nowhere for construction vehicles to be off the road so they are parked there and traffic fights to get around them.
 FILE2579 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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19 Nov 2017
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Leaving the city we actually first went up in altitude and over a high plateau with panoramic mountain views.
 Road to Lhasa-51 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Road to Lhasa-52 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Road to Lhasa-53 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Road to Lhasa-54 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Road to Lhasa-55 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Road to Lhasa-56 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Road to Lhasa-57 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Road to Lhasa-58 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Road to Lhasa-62 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Road to Lhasa-63 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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19 Nov 2017
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Contributing Member
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There was a checkpoint 160 km from Naqgu. We stopped just before it so Orvar could ride the bike thru the Police check. It was fairly quick to get thru. Then we rode the 6 km to Danxung where we got lunch and gas. It was mayhem at the gas station with all the local with small bikes and only 3 cans to fill with. There was some pushing and shoving inside as the locals prepaid for their gas and then running to get a can from a guy filling his bike. For us we could pay after, but you always have an extra liter or 2 and you can not just put it in the jerry can. Dan bought 2 litres from the guys beside us who had too much and so we got a can!!! Orvar gave us his 2 litres he had and then Dan gave a local guy the 1.5 we had left….pay it forward.
 Road to Lhasa-66 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Road to Lhasa-67 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Road to Lhasa-65 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
Lunch was noodle soup cooked in a pressure cooker as we are still above 4600 m. We also ran into a Chinese rider here on his way to Lhasa.
 Road to Lhasa-68 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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20 Nov 2017
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For the last three days we have been along or near the new rail line and for all this way there is a security guy is a yellow jacket at every bridge, pillar, overpass, or spot you could plant a bomb. This means every 500 m to 2 km!
 FILE2592 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
We have seen a few crazy bicyclists an a few walkers in the last 2 days, but today we saw many more pilgrims along the roadside. Some were walking 3 steps then throwing themselves to the ground in prostration. They wear special paddles on their hands that slide out along the ground as they slide out flat on their belly. That makes for a very long 300 km. 35 km fro the city we saw masses of pilgrims and in fact they had the oncoming traffic blocked for a km.
 FILE2637 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE2638 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE2644 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Road to Lhasa-73 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
Yet another amusing bathroom sign in China
 Road to Lhasa by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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20 Nov 2017
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Contributing Member
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Once we dropped in altitude it suddenly became green everywhere. 63 km from Lhasa there is a checkpoint and we pulled up and were asked to park to the side. We did not have to wait for the guides long and were only there 5 min after they arrived. There is another checkpoint 43 km from the city and it was the same story. We hardly had time to get off the bikes. The road now is thru a deep valley and is more winding.
About 25 km from the city it is suddenly a 8 lane divided road. We waited for the guides 15 km from the center and then followed them to the hotel. This was a bit of a stressful drive, not that there was that much traffic, but the number of times we were almost taken out by people pulling into our lane from right beside us or merging at high speed was crazy. I think Dan beat his personal record of number of car doors and hoods slammed in payback for nearly hitting one of the 4 of us. It was a long 15 km. About 2 km from the hotel we actually rode right by the Potala palace! We can see it from the street in front of the hotel.
 FILE2654 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE2662 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE2685 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE2695 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 FILE2713 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_0097 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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20 Nov 2017
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In our hotel lobby-an altitude sickness treatment center.
 IMG_0104 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_0156 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
THE most important issue now it to get the suits to the laundry as they have never been so disgusting. Luckily there is a laundry across the road and 200 m right from the hotel. The guy there said he could not guarantee how they would look as they were so bad. He has huge industrial machines and so we are sure it will be ok and it is what it is. We are all bagged and made a minor effort to see the streets near the hotel.
 Lhasa-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Lhasa-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
There is a pedestrian overpass 200 m left from the hotel and a great spot for photos and then dinner at steam bun only place. Time laps of Lhasa.
https://youtu.be/d-EvzySU9cE
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Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...
2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.
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Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!
What others say about HU...
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Lots more comments here!
Diaries of a compulsive traveller
by Graham Field
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Back Road Map Books and Backroad GPS Maps for all of Canada - a must have!
New to Horizons Unlimited?
New to motorcycle travelling? New to the HU site? Confused? Too many options? It's really very simple - just 4 easy steps!
Horizons Unlimited was founded in 1997 by Grant and Susan Johnson following their journey around the world on a BMW R80G/S.
Read more about Grant & Susan's story
Membership - help keep us going!
Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.
You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.
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helps answer the question - Why Go? Inspirational stories by veteran travellers Greg Frazier (5 times RTW), Peter and Kay Forwood (193 countries), Tiffany Coates (Mongolia Mayhem) and Rene Cormier (University of Gravel Roads).
Get Ready! covers planning, paperwork, medical and many other topics! "Inspirational and Awesome!" See the trailer here!
What stuff do I need - riding gear, clothing, camping gear, first aid kit, tires, maps and GPS? What don't I need? How do I pack it all in? Lots of opinions from over 150 travellers!
break down language barriers, overcome culture shock, ship the bike and deal with breakdowns and emergencies."Just makes me want to pack up and go!" See the trailer here!
Grant demystifies the black art of Tire Changing and Repair to help you STAY on the road! "Very informative and practical." See the trailer here!
Ladies on the Loose! For the first time ever, a motorcycle travel DVD made for women, by women! These intrepid women share their tips to help you plan your own motorcycle adventure. They also answer the women-only questions, and entertain you with amazing tales from the road! Presented by Lois Pryce, veteran solo traveller through South America and Africa and author of 'Lois on the Loose', and 'Red Tape and White Knuckles.'
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Motorcycle and travel books to inspire and inform you!
The definitive guide to planning your motorcycle adventure! This insanely ambitious 2-year project has produced an informative and entertaining 5-part, 18 hour video series. "The ultimate round the world rider's how-to!" MCN UK.
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