It’s 1130pm, all the lights are off on the Qinghai Train from Lhasa to Lanzhou. This is one of the Top 5 trains of the world, according to Discovery Channel.
This is somewhat unexpected, as our initial plan was to travel along the southern Silk Road. Yesterday, we were supposed to stop at Lhatse from Tingri, and catch the buses towards Ngari. But as we were about to get off at Lhatse, the bus driver told us there is no bus westward from this middle of nowhere. It was safer heading to Shigatse and see what we can do. Turns out there is a direct non sleeper bus from Shigatse to Ngari, which takes 24 hrs. There is nothing in between, no small town, or any buses along that route. We really weren’t looking forward to just sitting on a bus for 24 hours, with nothing decent to eat, no sleep, and no shower.
So we left Shigatse this morning for a 5 hours bus ride to Lhasa, to catch the train this late afternoon for Xining. We enjoyed cup noodles and local variation of curry rice while heading to back.
The train ride will be another 24 hrs, so we won’t be arriving Xining until next day at 5 pm, making this a 33 hrs trip. Although this is a longer journey, the Qinghai train ride is a MUST for the scenic view, and a much more comfortable commute than a bus over rough roads.
Once we arrived Xining, we will be traveling along the northern silk road via train instead. Will go as far as Kashgar, before I head into Kazakhstan. The only thing left out is Ngari and 2 24+ hrs bus ride to and from Ngari.
All the good parts are here! Enjoy
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