TRAVEL FEATURE -
TIBET
STUART MCLEAN
STILL SMILING
It had taken me three years to find a way around the paperwork , vehicle carnets , group visas and find a dependable local contact to have a crack at a real overland adventure . Now finally in October 2007 I was ready to go . Fortunately , I was able to round up a great bunch of blokes to accompany me .
We were heading north out of Kathmandu in Nepal towards the Tibetan border and another six days of riding our 500cc Royal Enfield ’ s all the way to Lhasa the capital of Tibet and the traditional home of the Dalai Lama . But not before we crossed the formidable Himalayas in the shadow of Mt Everest and travelled the high and remote Tibetan plateau .
The group consisted of Australians on six bikes , a Landcruiser to carry our Tibetan guide Tashi and Naresh our Nepali mechanic . When we crossed into Tibet , we also added a small truck with a Chinese driver to carry spares , fuel , and our luggage . How many languages can you have in the one group ? It was a real Chinese whispers game as our road captain spoke English and all communication had to be interpreted down the line .
My position was “ Tail end Charlie ” which entailed following the group of riders and stopping with them if there were any breakdowns or giving them directions if they fell behind . What happens when “ Tail end Charlie ” runs out of fuel ? He pushes that ’ s what ! So , it was , about five kilometres short of our first night ’ s lodgings . Everyone else was on their second beer when I rolled in . Fortunately , some of it was down hill . Just made the first rum taste all the better .
Our accommodation was appropriately named the “ Last Resort ” as it was the last decent spot before the border , run by a Kiwi as it turns out . Also , the location of the second highest Bungy jump in the
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