08.-09.07.09 In the train and arriving to Lhasa, Tibet

First full day in the train went pretty fast with reading, having lunch in the train's food car, looking at the scenery and sleeping. We also got a show in the morning when the train stopped in Xi'an and two Western women came in with their two sons. The cabin they got had been used the night before and the previous passengers just got out in Xi'an. The cabin, of course, hadn't been cleaned and the women weren't happy. It ended up being an hour or so long show with them wanting the cabin to be cleaned and trying to stuff their huge suitcases into the small cabin, and complaining how they pay for first class and this is what they get.

Scenery from the train

The second day seemed for one reason or another never ending. The scenery started to change into mountains and grassland and there were yaks, dear, sheep and horses around. In the evening, we finally arrived to Lhasa and got picked up from the train station and got white scarfs for protection and welcome (a Tibetan tradition). After putting our bags into the hotel room it was time for dinner with the group that we would be spending the next week or so. The group seemed nice and I had a yak meat soup, so now I've tasted yak meat.

Scenery from the train

After the dinner we went to get some drinks and snacks with dad and saw a lot of army on the streets just standing and watching at their stations, and also some times walking around. We also saw an old woman dressed in traditional Tibetan dress walking on the street with her goat.

Scenery from the train