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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Sep 12, 2024 12:00 AM Sera monastery, but not only...
Imagine that they do not have a city map in the hotel, but also our guide can do nothing! Yesterday on the warm evening I took a long walk - first to Potala Palace, than to Jokhang temple... Memories alived! But on the way back I got lost in this big city and was forcrd to ask local people for help...
Today after breakfast (it is included, but do not expect bread or rolls on tha table) they took us to the old town to Tibet artisanal center. They explained Tibetan alphabet, we were printing popular sentence "om mani padme hum" using carved wooden block. I got my name caligraphed in Tibetan language! Then, in the afternoon we were visiting 15th century's Sera Monastery built at the bottom of the mountains. Nicely restored it has two assembly halls with many Buddhas. But something special here is afternoon dispute of the monks in the garden. I have been in Sera already twice, but is is still great attraction: it is alive - local people are coming here to pray!
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Sep 11, 2024 12:00 AM Lhasa - 3650 m above the sea!
At 6 am I was already in the terminal 3 of Beijing Capital airport. Having my boarding pass ready and cabin luggage only i went directly to security. Aha... They check my boarding and tried to expain something in Chinese. Nobody speaks English) One of them was repeating "for Lhasa, for Lhasa". What I need for Lhasa? I came to the conclusion: Tibet Travel Permit! No permit, no embarcation! Fortunately I received my permit only yesterday on my Beijing hotel. Ufff... They stamped my boarding and I went to screening. Water not allowed! Take of your power bank and your video camera!. I did! The airbus 319 plane was already waiting at the gate ready for 4 hours flight to the capital city of Tibet.
Turbulences from the beginning... Warm ham sandwich for breakfast. Flight attendants are nice but they don't want to be photographed! In Lhasa elegant terminal there is no control. The shuttle bus took me to the city. It is 1 hour drive on the highway. Beautiful mountain landscapes. Bridge on Brahmaputra River. And the long column of military trucks. Finally control gate (they
check permit again) and in the distance I see on the hill the famous Potala Palace. Third time in my life! Welcome to Lhasa! My breath is short, I have a headache. But the sun is shining! I have to adjust to the altitude!!
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Sep 10, 2024 12:00 AM Bejing after 18 years...
We landed in Beijing in the late morning. Capital Airport Terminal 3 is imposing! Shuttle bus took me to the hotel. I left there my backpack and took a subway to the central Beijing from Terminal 2 deep underground. Such a journey requires at least one change. First you pay 25 juans for "airport express" to arrive to the downtown. Then net of ordinary lines will take you for 3-4 juans to the destination of your choice.
For the first time I have been to Beijing in 1987. Last time - 18 years ago. It is different Beijing now!
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Sep 09, 2024 12:00 AM Flying to Germany...
Lufthansa seems to be a solid airline, but they made me nervous. 30 hours before your flight they open on-line check-in. I tried few times receiving always "technical error" response. Today I went to Gdansk airport early (for the first time by comfy regional train!). The line in front was not too long. The lady in charge was not polite - she did not explain why their system generates errors. He just printed for me three boarding passes and said "next please" Their CRJ plane to Munich was small and cramp. We started with 50 minutes delay. On 1.5 h flight they served only small mineral water and little chocolate. In Munich it was cloudy with little spray of warm rain. After checking the weather forecast for Lhasa in the last minute I put to my backpack also little umbrella. Climate changes...
I am waiting in Munich airport for the flight to Beijing. I will spend whole night in the air!
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Sep 08, 2024 12:00 AM 14th Around the Globe!
Another lap around the world awaits me! The previous, 13th journey around the globe was forcibly shortened due to COVID. I hope that the fourteenth lap will be fully completed according to plan! This great journey will be carried out in segments. The first of them - the expedition to Western Tibet will be the biggest challenge for me.
The first time I was in the fascinating and for many years closed Tibet in 1987. There was no railway yet - I traveled by bus on the trans-Tibetan highway from Golmud to Lhasa and onward to Nepal. Then, in 2018, I managed to travel through Eastern Tibet. I had already tried to go to Western Tibet twice without success. Maybe this time I will succeed and reach the ruins of the Guge Kingdom? And then it will be hot Singapore and relaxation on board ships crossing the Pacific and then the Caribbean Sea. I have shown it on the map. As always, you will find "hot" news from the route of this long journey in my travel log.
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Sep 04, 2024 12:00 AM Guest from Buenos Aires...
Back in my Wojtkówka I was hosting the traveller from far away. Mauro lives in Argentina and he is traveling now around Europe on a budget. He found me on internet and wanted to meet Polish top traveller. We spent a long evening talking about distant countries and the different modes of traveling... He was excited examining my book with pictures from all over the world. Next morning after organic breakfast we took the bus and I was guiding him to the most interesting monuments of Gdansk's old town... Thanks for your visit, Mauro!
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Aug 31, 2024 12:00 AM Long walk to the airport..
In the Sport Hostel I stay I met Italian couple travelling by car. Are they friendly? I mentioned that I am an old traveller and ot is 3,5 kms walk to the airport. But for them trvellers solidarity is an abstraction. It takes only 5 minutes by car to give me a lift threre! They said no! Those Italians! Do not worry! It tookr 50 min walk in the temperature pf 32 deg Celsius to reach a new terminal. Only the shirt was wet under the backpack! The Cluj tetrminal is new and bright, but do not expect here any money exchange point! Security do not care any more about the water in your cabin baggage. The flight to Warsaw should be on time. I hope that the next one - Warsaw Gdansk will be on time too. This is the happy end of one more interesting journey!
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Aug 30, 2024 12:00 AM Cluj Napoca - the capital of Transilvania
I an still in Romania. It is sunny and the day temperature dropped down to 28 deg Celsius... Cluj is a lovely university city with more than 300 thousands inhabitants. In the restored old part of the city you can find a lot of churches of different religions. Also imposing statues and green parks. A lot of young people around! I was disappointed pnly by the remains of yhe citadel on the hill on the other side of the river: only two small bhistoric buildings remained and the panoramic view from the hill is not imposing... But there are different activities: wine festival in the central park and jazz festival in the ethno skansen. Imagine that in the supermarkets they offer 2 l of Romanian wine for 10 lei - 2 euro! Your health!
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Aug 29, 2024 12:00 AM To the top of Transalpina!
We expected that it will be a long day so already at 8.30 am we were on the road... First stage took us to the village of Novaci, where we found ourselves on the road 67C - the famous mountain road crossing the Carpathian Mountains. Them theroad is climbing up in many switchbacks to the level of 2145 m above the sea, passing tourist village Ranca with many small pensions and great views of the range. We were lucky regarding the weather: blue sky with only few clouds. But up there the temperature was only 15 deg with cold wind so it was necessary to wear the jacket. Few travellers know that there are two terrain culminations on Transalpina one by one
First one has altitude 2145 m bit no parking space here. Thend the road goes down and climbs again to the level 2112. Here is a space to park the car near the ugly tourist bazaar. After few pictures ee escaped down... On the upper border of the forest we met donkeys on the road and big herd of sheep. Then driving long time down the valley we reached the nice artificial lake and the dam. There were two smaller dams on our eay further down. Finally, saying goodbye to Transalpina we used for yhe girst time on this trip the new highway to reach big city Cluj Napoca at 4.30 pm. One more fantastic day!
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Aug 28, 2024 12:00 AM Craiova in Romania
Craiova - the capital of Pltenia province where I spent the day is nowadays an elegant city with nice parks and monuments to see. The day was sunny and hot with some 34 deg Celsius in the shade, so we started from the visit in th the big Romanescu Park with shady aleys, fountain in the lake and suspended bridge. Botanical garden on the other end of downtown is also worth a visit to see colorful flower beds and small turtles pn the Japanese island. But the most beautiful building in Craiova is the former palace housing now art museum (free entry!) Ot looks like French palaca from 18th century,.. Rich Ethnography Museum near the dark cathedral is also worth a visit, if you are ready yo pay few lei for entry. Tourist info office is closed for restoration but I got a city map for free in the reception of the first elegant hotel on my city trail. Nice and hot day!
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