Post 3: Lhasa

Thursday 20

On Tuesday we flew to Lhasa, Tibet. We experienced our first taste of Chinese bureaucracy as we were boarding the plane. Suddenly, after Catriona had been seated and I was about to enter the aircraft, the flight crew became animated and began signalling that I mustn't come any further. As it turned out, in the aircraft policy manual, there is a section limiting the number of wheelchair bound passengers to two. I assume this to be an attitude peculiar to the Chinese, given I have flown on a number of different aircraft with sports teams when those of us in chairs numbered ten or more. Anyway, after 45 minutes of debate, the flight crew was finally persuaded by a letter of support for our venture by John key and a waiver, absolving the crew of all and any responsibility pertaining to our third wheelchair passenger.

Tibet is an interesting place. As a general observation, I have identified two main groups around the city: Tibetans, dressed in traditional style clothing and Chinese dressed in fashionable modern attire. The Tibetans, in particular, are fascinated by those of us in chairs. They will stop whatever they are doing and stare wide eyed at us often breaking into laughter. Many appear to be speaking some kind of blessing while others can't resist touching us or trying to push our chairs.

The Chinese government likes to defend its presence in Tibet as that of liberators, freeing the peasants that for many hundreds of years have been bonded to the monasteries and aristocrats that made up the Tibetan ruling classes.. I can't provide an informed comment on the validity of that view but the highly visible military presence and the many Tibetans engaged in the menial work of the city seem to be at odds with the theory of an emancipated people. My impression to date, of the fine new roads, the glittering Gucci and Chanel stores, and the guarded monasteries, is of a Chinese theme park. Nothing feels natural somehow: it's as if you've walked through the gates of Disneyland, your experience within carefully scripted.

Relaxing at camp two

Dr Canon

Today I am again stuck in bed due to sleeping last night on my back on the slabs of concrete that pass for beds in this hotel. My fault of course, but I was so desperate for an uninterrupted nights sleep that I threw caution to the wind. Due to the trouble with my bum that I left home with, I have been keeping on my stomach which I find extremely uncomfortable. I have missed out on excursions to the Dalai Lamas summer residence and a monastery where Buddhist monks will be debating scholarly texts. I'm not too distraught as I'm not a very enthusiastic tourist and I have had a chance to read and relax.

Through my window I can see one of the blind masseurs from the gloomy and fragrant clinic next door making his way to the squat latrines that are located directly adjacent to our room. If we leave our door open the stench of it wafts into our room. When Amy was suffering from her own bout of diarrhea recently, we couldn't decide which was worse, the smell inside the room or the one outside. Our team doctor, Piotr refers to our troubles with diarrhea as having "faulty shit-fart separators', a term apparently familiar in some mountaineering communities. It is quite appropriate.

A faulty separator?

Yesterday we made a visit to the Lightness Blind Massage Center to inquire about my getting a  shoulder rub. The sign outside promised highly skilled blind practitioners conversant in Tibetan, Chinese and English. What we experienced was a confused blind man without a word of English who, obviously thrown by our unexpected arrival, promptly resorted to phoning his employer. On hanging up the receiver, he half turned toward us as if about to speak, then lapsed into a bizarre silence that lasted a good minute. When I tried to initiate conversation he gestured with his hand to stop me and relapsed into his peculiar mute vigil. This was too much for Amy to bear and she began to giggle. Things became clear when the phone suddenly rang and the blind masseuse passed the receiver to me without answering. Unfortunately his employer wasn't much better at communicating in English and I gave up. Still hoping for that shoulder rub.