China, Tibet - The closest place to heaven & closer to God - Page 9

franki · 09-05-2010, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cgwt

So, the Nepal trip did not bear fruit, ......

Btw, your pix are great!!

Seem to a lot of us that you have attitude and principles, that in turn motivates a lot of people to change their view of life

.

It is always uplifting to see someones positive report and 'read it' through their camera lens. It is how I 'read' comic strips, I want to be able to 'read' the drawings also!! One get a double dose of the report, it sticks longer to the old memory!!

Yes, even with my attitude and pronciples, I don't always get what I want but Himalaya will always be there till my return next time

It is people like you that I write my RR for. People who get double dose of road itches

shreddr · 09-05-2010, 07:30 PM

This is one of the best ride reports I have ever read. Thank you!

scootlew · 09-05-2010, 08:54 PM

Thanks for sharing - great photos and a great trip!

lonesoldier84 · 09-05-2010, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shreddr

This is one of the best ride reports I have ever read. Thank you!

+1

These images are truly inspiring. I mean that.

Thank you for sharing brother!

dannythrottle · 09-05-2010, 10:22 PM

Thanks for the awesome RR, it's written just like a book with spectacular pictures.

cgwt · 09-05-2010, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by franki

Yes, even with my attitude and pronciples, I do always get what I want but Himalaya will always be there till my return next time

It is peoplke like you that I write my RR for. People who get double dose of road itches

Thank you for your willingness to do the RR!!

...I should be returning to my bike in New Mexico on Sept. 10th, to complete my current trip from Houston Texas to Angle Fire in New Mexico

. Had to fly down to Houston for the weekend. Friends of mine encouraged me to go on into Colorado (thats why the bike is still there)

, seems I 'll just have to after I read the RR in this link
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=612677
Sir, y'all be safe now!!

Gideon

Blizzard Beast · 09-05-2010, 11:42 PM

Franki,this is an epic.I'll keep turning to this RR for inspiration.

Thanks indeed.

franki · 09-06-2010, 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lonesoldier84

+1

These images are truly inspiring. I mean that.

Thank you for sharing brother!

You are welcomed. I forgot to mention, some of the photos taken with a Canon 5D MK II are from Jonathan who is a true professional photographer. I am just fooling around and trying to copy his skills. We share our photos in all of our RRs in order to make the story complete.

franki · 09-06-2010, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cgwt

Thank you for your willingness to do the RR!!

...I should be returning to my bike in New Mexico on Sept. 10th, to complete my current trip from Houston Texas to Angle Fire in New Mexico

. Had to fly down to Houston for the weekend. Friends of mine encouraged me to go on into Colorado (thats why the bike is still there)

, seems I 'll just have to after I read the RR in this link
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=612677
Sir, y'all be safe now!!

Gideon

Wow, your mode of travel is similar to mine. I always ride a section and leave the bike there and return on some other day to continue. I also encourage you to continue and wish you all the best in your travelling.

I shall be starting my research on ADV Rider soon for my plan to travel through North America in 2011 and then come back in 2012 to continue my journey to Latin America. Any pointers shall be greatly appreciated.

franki · 09-06-2010, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bhasmasur

Franki,this is an epic.I'll keep turning to this RR for inspiration.

Thanks indeed.

Thank you, my Indian friend. Please keep coming back to help keep my RR afloat

franki · 09-06-2010, 02:04 AM

We arrived Bange after 9pm and looked for the best hotel in town. I told the girl that we are worried about the security of our bike and she promptly showed us where to a secure parking space. Right inside the hotel in front of our room. This is a first!

After parking our bikes, we hurried out to grab some dinner.

This is not what you think....we just have to squeeze in the tiny room to have a look at the beautiful photos Jon took the day before.

Bangoin to Shuanghu began the dirt track ride. There is no road but just to follow the tracks made by vehicles previously travelled. There are tracks all over the place, we had to follow the most obvious one and with the help of the guidance of my GPS showing the direction and the way point located from Google Earth. We first headed west most of the day and came to a sign that points north to Shuanghu. Riding on loose gravel and washboard has always been a challenge for me, with the low power output from this 223cc air cool engine made it more difficult to get it up to speed or power out of a slide. The high altitude (average 4,600-5,000m ASL) didn’t help also. But we were determined to make it to Shuanghu where we shall spend the night at 5,000m. The highest place/altitude to sleep on this tour. Moving at 70kmh made it easier on the rider but can’t say the same for the bike. We made it to the one street town before dark and there was a black out. We had to check with the only gas station in town 3 times before they got the power back on to pump fuel. Electricity is only available after dark and lasted just before midnight. If we didn’t get fuel then, we have to stay another night to wait for fuel pump to work.

My first view of the vase northern Tibet plateau

Our first rest top

The first road sign after over 100km

There are plenty of lakes in this area and most of them are salty. That explains why no humans or animals stay around the lakes.

With no roads, we can ride anywhere we like

It is also easy to get lost as there is little reference point

You let the boyz loose in the wildeness....

Some hill have soft pack dirt and the little engine found it hard to climb

Rain is beautiful in the distance but not when you are in it. It will make this land impassable even with our knobbies

Imagine trying to go through this in the rain

We found some sense of security when we see this road sign in the middle of nowhere. It also gave us something to stare at when we have our picnic

Hey, there is a section of graded road, it must lead to the place we wanted to go,

After 400km of riding, we saw our destination from afar

This is Shuanghu, a one street town

People keeps this very friendly cub as pet

Colour of dusk

Waiting for the gas station to be opened

How can one not feel peaceful inside with a view like that

The sign on the left said "No entry into the core area" what core area? we are in the core area

Anak Melayu · 09-06-2010, 03:52 AM

this is one of the best great photos i have ever seen! truly inspiring me...

thanks a lot 4 sharing mate..

Sandgroper_ · 09-06-2010, 05:57 AM

I dont know what to say but thats some of the most amazing scenery and photography I have seen from one trip. Even better yet are the bikes your doing the trip on. Us westerners (well some of us) tend to get the biggest bike we can find when in actual fact we only need something half the size.

Your has been a pleasure to read and follow.

Congrats on the ride so far
:)

franki · 09-06-2010, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sandgroper_

I dont know what to say but thats some of the most amazing scenery and photography I have seen from one trip. Even better yet are the bikes your doing the trip on. Us westerners (well some of us) tend to get the biggest bike we can find when in actual fact we only need something half the size.

Your has been a pleasure to read and follow.

Congrats on the ride so far
:)

Thanks. I am not there to prove anything, I just want to enjoy and finish my journey safely. So I choose the bike that I can finish the trip with and is available in China.

franki · 09-06-2010, 10:10 PM

From Shuanghu we backtracked 126km to the fork and headed west to Nyima. The track was very bumpy and many loose dirt/fine dust. Capt. Kool dropped his KTM when trying to negotiate out of a pool of loose dirt. The only damage done was his ego. We came by another side of Selinceo to admire the beauty of it. Then we moved on to have lunch in Heping village. After lunch, we ride to Nima and the track turned really nasty, loose dirt about 18-24 inches deep and my little XTR has to use 1^st gear to pull herself out of it. Fish tailing most of the time, the ride was exhausting for all. Daze Lake situated about 30km east of Nima was my reward for such hardship. The sunset played a magnificent light show and we lingered around the lake side until the sun is behind the mountain. A quick dash for the late 30km and we made it to Nima just before dark and the welcoming ceremony was a heavy hale storm followed by a double rainbow across the small town.

You will never know what to expect in such a remote town like Nima. We tried to check ourselves into the best hotel in town and we were rejected as we didn’t ask for permission from the police. Tired and dirty, we dragged ourselves to the police station to report our arrival. The police made a phone call to the hotel and we were told that that is the only hotel we can stay in. Talk about monopoly…..

Though the best hotel in town, there is no hot water supply. Trying to take ice cold shower at 4600m is suicidal as it guaranteed pneumonia. We had to bring our toiletries across the street to a public bathroom for a hot shower. I suspect this facility is owned by the relatives of the hotel manager. We stayed in Nyima for 2 days to give ourselves a break and to do the routine maintenance on our bikes. Jonathan’s bike has 2 broken screws that secured the sub frame. We had to weld another bolt to the broken bolt to get it out. What screw extractor? With the bikes well lubricated and bolts tightened, we were ready to hit the next section, Nyima to Wenbu. Wenbu is the origin of Tibetan Buddhism _ Benjiao (苯教) and has historical importance and there is also the scared lake 当惹雍措 (Dangreyongcuo). This seems more important for Jonathan to get there as he is very interested in Tibetan Buddhism and I am just interested in nature.

Heading back

Traffic? What traffic?

Master: Grasshopper, this is your destiny

Over looking Silinceo Lake

09-05-2010, 08:54 PM	#123
scootlew Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Mar 2004 Location: Bay Area, California Oddometer: 104	Thanks for sharing - great photos and a great trip! __________________ Scoot '05 R1200GS "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" ~Confucius

09-05-2010, 10:22 PM	#125
dannythrottle The One Joined: Apr 2009 Location: Nebraska Oddometer: 33	Thanks for the awesome RR, it's written just like a book with spectacular pictures. __________________ 08 Kawasaki KLR650 05 Yamaha R6 99 Honda CBR600F4

09-06-2010, 02:04 AM	#131
franki ^OP NB Rider Joined: Mar 2007 Location: Hong Kong Oddometer: 1,958	We arrived Bange after 9pm and looked for the best hotel in town. I told the girl that we are worried about the security of our bike and she promptly showed us where to a secure parking space. Right inside the hotel in front of our room. This is a first! After parking our bikes, we hurried out to grab some dinner. This is not what you think....we just have to squeeze in the tiny room to have a look at the beautiful photos Jon took the day before. Bangoin to Shuanghu began the dirt track ride. There is no road but just to follow the tracks made by vehicles previously travelled. There are tracks all over the place, we had to follow the most obvious one and with the help of the guidance of my GPS showing the direction and the way point located from Google Earth. We first headed west most of the day and came to a sign that points north to Shuanghu. Riding on loose gravel and washboard has always been a challenge for me, with the low power output from this 223cc air cool engine made it more difficult to get it up to speed or power out of a slide. The high altitude (average 4,600-5,000m ASL) didn’t help also. But we were determined to make it to Shuanghu where we shall spend the night at 5,000m. The highest place/altitude to sleep on this tour. Moving at 70kmh made it easier on the rider but can’t say the same for the bike. We made it to the one street town before dark and there was a black out. We had to check with the only gas station in town 3 times before they got the power back on to pump fuel. Electricity is only available after dark and lasted just before midnight. If we didn’t get fuel then, we have to stay another night to wait for fuel pump to work. My first view of the vase northern Tibet plateau Our first rest top The first road sign after over 100km There are plenty of lakes in this area and most of them are salty. That explains why no humans or animals stay around the lakes. With no roads, we can ride anywhere we like It is also easy to get lost as there is little reference point You let the boyz loose in the wildeness.... Some hill have soft pack dirt and the little engine found it hard to climb Rain is beautiful in the distance but not when you are in it. It will make this land impassable even with our knobbies Imagine trying to go through this in the rain We found some sense of security when we see this road sign in the middle of nowhere. It also gave us something to stare at when we have our picnic Hey, there is a section of graded road, it must lead to the place we wanted to go, After 400km of riding, we saw our destination from afar This is Shuanghu, a one street town People keeps this very friendly cub as pet Colour of dusk Waiting for the gas station to be opened How can one not feel peaceful inside with a view like that The sign on the left said "No entry into the core area" what core area? we are in the core area franki screwed with this post 09-06-2010 at 03:46 AM

09-06-2010, 05:57 AM	#133
Sandgroper_ LIVE TO RIDE Joined: Jan 2010 Location: Moto Heaven :) Oddometer: 32	I dont know what to say but thats some of the most amazing scenery and photography I have seen from one trip. Even better yet are the bikes your doing the trip on. Us westerners (well some of us) tend to get the biggest bike we can find when in actual fact we only need something half the size. Your has been a pleasure to read and follow. Congrats on the ride so far :) __________________ LIVE TO RIDE - Dont sit and think about it just do IT

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09-05-2010, 07:30 PM	#122
shreddr Adventurer Joined: May 2009 Location: Exit 19, NJ :) Oddometer: 84	This is one of the best ride reports I have ever read. Thank you!

09-05-2010, 11:42 PM	#127
Blizzard Beast Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jun 2010 Location: Shimla,India Oddometer: 488	Franki,this is an epic.I'll keep turning to this RR for inspiration. Thanks indeed.

09-06-2010, 03:52 AM	#132
Anak Melayu n00b Joined: Aug 2010 Oddometer: 2	this is one of the best great photos i have ever seen! truly inspiring me... thanks a lot 4 sharing mate..

09-06-2010, 10:10 PM	#135
franki ^OP NB Rider Joined: Mar 2007 Location: Hong Kong Oddometer: 1,958	From Shuanghu we backtracked 126km to the fork and headed west to Nyima. The track was very bumpy and many loose dirt/fine dust. Capt. Kool dropped his KTM when trying to negotiate out of a pool of loose dirt. The only damage done was his ego. We came by another side of Selinceo to admire the beauty of it. Then we moved on to have lunch in Heping village. After lunch, we ride to Nima and the track turned really nasty, loose dirt about 18-24 inches deep and my little XTR has to use 1^st gear to pull herself out of it. Fish tailing most of the time, the ride was exhausting for all. Daze Lake situated about 30km east of Nima was my reward for such hardship. The sunset played a magnificent light show and we lingered around the lake side until the sun is behind the mountain. A quick dash for the late 30km and we made it to Nima just before dark and the welcoming ceremony was a heavy hale storm followed by a double rainbow across the small town. You will never know what to expect in such a remote town like Nima. We tried to check ourselves into the best hotel in town and we were rejected as we didn’t ask for permission from the police. Tired and dirty, we dragged ourselves to the police station to report our arrival. The police made a phone call to the hotel and we were told that that is the only hotel we can stay in. Talk about monopoly….. Though the best hotel in town, there is no hot water supply. Trying to take ice cold shower at 4600m is suicidal as it guaranteed pneumonia. We had to bring our toiletries across the street to a public bathroom for a hot shower. I suspect this facility is owned by the relatives of the hotel manager. We stayed in Nyima for 2 days to give ourselves a break and to do the routine maintenance on our bikes. Jonathan’s bike has 2 broken screws that secured the sub frame. We had to weld another bolt to the broken bolt to get it out. What screw extractor? With the bikes well lubricated and bolts tightened, we were ready to hit the next section, Nyima to Wenbu. Wenbu is the origin of Tibetan Buddhism _ Benjiao (苯教) and has historical importance and there is also the scared lake 当惹雍措 (Dangreyongcuo). This seems more important for Jonathan to get there as he is very interested in Tibetan Buddhism and I am just interested in nature. Heading back Traffic? What traffic? Master: Grasshopper, this is your destiny Over looking Silinceo Lake