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| Image by David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net |
As the title hints at, I'm currently being swamped with so many options in trying to plan that I almost feel like I'm losing my mind! In addition, I am going into Tech Week for the high school musical so much of my time has gone towards prepping the show. [Plus there's work, sleep (hah!), eating, etc] Thankfully, the show will be done and wrapped up in a little over a week and I can focus solely between work and preparing/planning for my trip. Unfortunately, D-Day (aka Departure date) is quickly approaching so many things need to be resolved quickly.
For example, I will need a visa for both Russia and China. (Both will require a mid-week trip down to D.C., which I hope to arrange over 2-3 days.) But in order to apply for the Russian visa, I need to know at least the exact days I arrive and leave the country, in addition to a rough list of the cities I plan to visit - I'm still trying to sort that out, in addition to figuring how long I'd like to stay in each city to explore without feeling rushed through. I will have to exit the country on or before July 5, so timeline feels snug. In addition, tickets become available for sale 60 days before departure - which means in the next few weeks I need to know what days I plan to pre-book travel, if I want to make any legs "on-the-fly," and whether or not I want to gamble trying to purchase the tickets myself or through a known company who can also help arrange other relevant details. And that's only for Russia! This is on the top of the planning list - because not only does my Visa application need some of the information, but because it's my first stop.
Thankfully, my timeline in Mongolia is NOT at all limited - I can stay up to 90 days without a visa. What IS limiting is the wide, and often empty, expanses between locations. More distance to travel means either needing more time to go slowly (think bus or even personal driver), or more cost in order to travel faster (i.e. flying). I have looked at a couple tour packages for Mongolia but they all tend to be on the pricier side, between $2-3k! My timing is also a bit wonky - most of the longer tours start a couple days before I would arrive in country (thus eliminated because I don't want to cut my time in Russia any shorter), and a few start when I'm potentially eyeing on continuing into China which prolongs my entire trip. I will also be arriving about a week before the country's Naadam Festival which looks to be quite an experience!
I finally stumbled upon an actual backpacker's guide to Mongolia and a trove of options, including significantly cheaper ones - but it also appears that I can make a lot of plans once I'm there. One example I found is a site that lets you join other small groups trying to fill out a tour or advertise for one you'd like to start. I also don't know much about Mongolia other than it's home to the Gobi Desert and two-humped camels, they live mainly in yurts, and Mongolians are quite nomadic still. I could list many things I'd like to see as I learn about the country but I also needed to realize that I probably won't be able to see all, or possibly even half of that. I actually want to experience their culture more than just travel around sight-seeing.
And if Mongolia seems very loosely planned, China is an even larger hurdler (quite literally too!). Imagine you were a foreigner trying to visit the US but only had 60 days to do so - that's what I'm trying to plan. I know that I will be arriving in Beijing via the Trans-Mongolian Railroad, but after that it's entirely unplanned. I'm trying to make a list and determine what areas or experiences I'd like to pursue, but frankly there are so many. Beijing itself has a lot to explore, but the list is growing to include eating food in the Sichuan province, seeing (or possibly volunteering!) with the Giant Pandas around Chengdu, Mount Huashan and the rumored "dangerous hike in the world", the Terra Cotta army in Xi'an, and more. Again, I've looked into some extended country tours but the price is a tad on the higher side. Other places don't quite appeal to me, or at least not yet, such as Shanghai or Hong Kong. Much more rough planning needed for China, that's for sure!
I have made at least one decision that was bothering me, thankfully, after sitting down and examining my overall plans for the rest of the year. The dilemma was regarding visiting Tibet, part of China AND whether or not I need to include Nepal on the expedition. I've had a fascination with Tibet that stems back to Brad Pitt, paired with an equal fascination with Mt. Everest and the Himalayas. Mt. Everest is on the border between Tibet and Nepal, with each side having its own Everest Base Camp. I will wholeheartedly admit that actually climbing Everest is not only out of my price range but leagues from realistic physical activity - but getting to the base camp IS on my lifelong bucket list. As I will already be in China, it is not that difficult to get into Tibet (although some large caveats) and the northern base camp, as there is a road built right to it! In contrast, getting to the south base camp in Nepal is a 10-14 day trek with the actual peak not visible from the southern base camp (it is fully visible from the north.) There are also other places in Nepal I would want to visit so I honestly would need almost a month in Nepal alone, which does not work well with the overall plans.
As I mentioned above, getting into Tibet or rather the central Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) of China which includes Lhasa, is not difficult - but has other hurdles. I can take a 2-day train ride up along the Tibetan Plateau to Lhasa from Beijing for decent price. Or, as I think I will end up doing, I can also grab the Tibetan train from Xining after making a detour in Xi'an to see the Terra Cotta warriors. This route is definitely the safer and slower route due to the significant altitude difference alone, plus it allows views of the Tibetan Plateau along the way. Once in Lhasa, I will still need to slow down to mitigate the altitude sickness which has the unfortunate aspect of extending any trip into the TAR.
The major hurdle for Tibet is that all foreigners are required to have permits - which are only available through organized tour agencies. There is absolutely no way to visit Tibet via any other fashion. Also included is the requirement to have a local guide with you during your stay. By factoring these into the larger picture, the organized tour groups are really the best way to go if I'm trying to save money as well. I could arrange something individually, but the cost would skyrocket what will already be an expensive leg of my travels (but ENTIRELY worth it!). I also want to ensure that my visit into Tibet will leave me with no regrets in case I don't have the chance to return. Most of what I wish to see are around Lhasa itself, such as the Potala Palace, but also on my list is the already noted Everest base camp and a trek around Mount Kailash, which is not only holy to Tibetans but one of the major holiest sites in the world. All in all, a trek through Nepal might take me 20 days and I'm currently looking into the options, specifically with Tibetan tour companies to be ethical.
As writing this was a lot to think and process, perhaps it helps explain where my mind is going in the quite periods between posts. Also, in putting my thoughts and rough plans into words here, I think I have answered a few of my dilemmas!
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