Day 5: Shigatse-Everest Base Camp. I got up early as usual this day and went to apply for a border defense permit before going out.
The day before, a group member asked if I needed to apply for a border permit in person and if I could sleep in a hotel. The driver was unclear. The driver actually went to collect the ID card and went to apply for it, while the others were waiting in the parking lot. I took a look at the cars of other groups coming along. They were empty and there were no passengers. I think they were all still in the hotel. +1 for driver dissatisfaction.
The border defense certificate looks like this.
There were long queues at several border checkpoints on the way to Mount Everest. Dog at the checkpoint.
There are a bunch of words on the mountains in Tibet, usually about patriotism and love for the party. Recently, they seem to be promoting balanced education.
I spotted a Tibetan house at a rest stop on the road. From a distance, I thought it was solar energy, but it was actually a skylight.
There were many people selling jewelry at the rest stop. The eldest sister from the group took one look at her and was chased by Tibetans for three streets. A boy from the same group bought one, and other Tibetans gathered around him. When they were about to leave, the car door could hardly be closed.
When entering the scenic spot, you have to have your temperature taken and register. A group of aunts occupied the notebooks and almost got into a quarrel. It seems that queuing is not a problem for Tibetans or Han people. It is possible to avoid queuing if possible.
There are basically no scenic spots before Mount Everest. There is a very high mountain before Mount Everest with two observation decks on it. Getting very close, one can see the road up, and the other can see the so-called 108 bends and Mount Everest. Since we were walking this way back, we only stopped at one of the observation decks that day.
Facing the way up.
Facing the road going down and Mount Everest, it was cloudy and I couldn't see Mount Everest.
The mountain platform of this viewing platform is quite high, and there are motorcycle taxis soliciting customers, thirty at a time. I'm too lazy to climb so I fly down there.
There are many round white stones. I remember hearing from my friends that these stones are quite sacred to Tibetans.
After going down one hundred and eight bends until I felt dizzy, I arrived at a small village. There is also a border inspection station at the end of the village. After passing the border inspection station, there is the scenic bus to the Everest Base Camp. Tourists transfer to the scenic bus here and take about half an hour to reach the Everest Base Camp.
Before arriving at the base camp, we passed by Rongbuk Temple. The bus tour guide asked if anyone stayed at Rongbuk Temple and got off the bus here. We all looked at each other and realized that we were not staying at Rongbuk Monastery. The scenic bus leaves at ten o'clock at the latest.
When we arrived at the Everest base camp, it was a canyon terrain with the road up on one side and Mount Everest on the other. But it was a cloudy day on Mount Everest, and Mount Everest could not come out. Then something strange happened. A bunch of people lined up to take a photo with a measuring monument.
The dog walks along the queue begging for food.
I have tried lining up to go to the best photo spot to take pictures of Neuschwanstein Castle before. After all, it is the most beautiful scenery to go up to take pictures of. I would never accept taking a photo with a monument, and the young friends traveling with me also thought it was funny. So I walked a little further and took a photo in the direction of Mount Everest. Only when I was about to shoot did I regret that I didn’t practice jojo standing properly.
The temperature at Everest Base Camp was not very low, around ten degrees, but the wind was so strong that it made me dizzy. It is said that the setting sun illuminates Mount Everest at 8:30, but in fact it gets darker and darker after 8:00. The length of sunshine is shrinking day by day, so the so-called 8:30 is definitely not correct. When I was about to get on the bus, Mount Everest finally revealed its small tip.
After getting off Mount Everest, my group stayed in a village next to the bus at the Mount Everest Scenic Area. The altitude was not very high. There was no mobile signal at all, and the driver was on standby at the accommodation. It was very difficult for us to find us in the dark. That day I stayed at the home of a villager named Wang Baoqiang, and a group of people crowded into a bunch of rooms.
The room was already filled with oxygen bottles reserved by the group members, and the group members looked at each other and smiled bitterly. There is no oxygen on the summit of Mount Everest. I don’t know what the use of an oxygen bottle will be when I get back down. After that day, the driver never raised his voice again. He was probably afraid that if he contacted the oxygen bottle, he would be collectively dissed by the group members.
There was a canteen and a barbecue stall in the village, and the wealthy brothers and sisters in the group immediately rushed out to eat meat. I ate instant noodles and waited for the girls to come back and take photos of the Milky Way together. After waiting for a long time, I felt that I would fall asleep if I waited any longer, so I picked up the machine and left. The remaining two boys also followed up.
When I got to a small hillside, I took a picture with one of the guys’ P30, and found that it was completely useless. I also taught another little brother how to adjust the parameters of a6300. Finally I picked up my own R6 and piled rocks on the ground. I didn’t originally plan to take photos of the Milky Way, so I didn’t bring a tripod. I only had a 24-105 lens and the aperture was tight. The effect is barely okay.
Meet the ladies later.
After adjusting the position, each member of the group took a few photos individually. I felt that I had a super service spirit. In addition, the flashlight given by the elder sister in the same group is super powerful and the photo effect is excellent.
After taking the photo, take a photo of your silly goose.
(To be continued...)