Start point for our cycling trip

We arrived in Golmud after a 11 hour overnite train journey from Xining.  The bunks were comfortable, although because our luggages shared our bed, we had to curl up to sleep. The 830 km journey cost 200 rmb.

The good thing about Golmud is that our hotel room costs only 60 rmb (and this was rack rate), which given that the room had satellite TV and insuite toilet, was a good bargain.

We found a nice internet cafe (new, and giving promotional rates at 1 rmb/hour, high speed ADSL), playing western music, 150 m from our hotel.

Some of us went on a short trip to visit the 10000 Zhang Salt Bridge, which is the largest production base in China for potassium salt.

Weather was excellent, with temperature of 15 degrees Centigrade.

Our bikes have arrived.

We have just been infomed that for the next 11 days we'll have no showers, as water is a premium along the route, even though we are staying at guesthouses when we are not camping.  Also, there will be no internet access.   I was of course disappointed, as during my last year's trip from zhongdian (shangrila) to lhasa, the surprise was nice hotels and internet access along the route.

Check back in 11 days....

All of us arrived in Lhasa on May 30, tired but exhilarated.

5 of us are back in Singapore; 1 remain in Yunnan to lead a 4 SUV group of 14 from Zhongdian (ShangriLa) to Lhasa, other two have decided to visit Everest Base Camp on the Tibet Side.

Am still consolidating pics, and thoughts together before putting it on this blog.

Please be patient.

To us, it was a trip of a lifetime.

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