The natural scenery of Tibet is truly unparalleled. Like heaven, in 2013, I went to Tibet from Guangxi Province by bicycle. It took 2 months to ride 2000 kilometers. It was a crazy move! I plan to drive to Tibet this year!（西藏的自然景色真的无与伦比，天堂一样，2013年，我骑自行车从广西去西藏，花了2个月时间，骑行2000公里，那真是疯狂的举动！今年打算开车去西藏！）
I had some mild altitude sickness in Tibet. Nothing too bad. The train trip going up to 5,072 metres was memorable. The Chinese are building another railway to Tibet from Sichuan connecting Lhasa and Chengdu which will be finished in about 2030. The first stage from Lhasa to Nyingchi will open next year.
If you have the chance to go to Tibet, I suggest you to Nyingchi, where it is the region with the lowest altitude, best climate and best ecological environment in Tibet.
The train looks fantastic, much better than the older version of the train. China has done really good job to improve transportation system throughout China.
Welcome to China, and I promise you'll have a great journey here.The most important, you'll see a totally different country that is often denigrated by the western media (except sometimes the air pollution issue in some industrial cities.🤣The cost of development,but we're working on it and have tremendous progress)
@@BamesNond4882 Are you telling me that the world's most efficient infrastructure conductor can't build roads in some places? Well then, no one else build that road if you refer to Himalaya
Came here looking for lives on a van, instead got to see the bullet train going from Beijing to Tibet holy cow what an unexpected treat! Keep'em coming :)
Magnificent video Russos......that is probably a trip I will never do so I am very appreciative that you have taken us along and shared your adventure. Simply grand....looking forward to more. Thank you.
I had the wonderful opportunity to take the same Qinghai-Tibetan railway a few years ago as a college student studying abroad in Nanjing. Taking the train is definitely the way to go when getting to Tibet.
I caught the Tibet train 3 years ago but from Lanzhou, not Xinning. Spectacular scenery. There is an extension rail line from Lhasa to Xigatse which I travelled on. From next year the rail line from Nyinchi to Lhasa will open and that section will be part of the Chengdu/Lhasa rail line which will open in about 2030 being a second line into Tibet from China.
BTW - A while back I watched the building of the train to Lhasa, many problems, they had to account for expansion & compression of the rails and the rails are actually heated because of the extreme weather. As you mentioned, the train is pressurized with oxygen.
Everything is perfectly paradise. I'm obsessed by watching this lovely video made by you both. I have a keen interest to travel from Beijing to China.But amount is big to afford. Then I have to reach Nepal and Kathmandu to Lhasa by air and then from Lhasa to Beijing and from Being to Lhasa and again Nepal and then again INDIA. So big amount to afford. Therefor I keeping lagging behind thinking the budget but I have been cherishing a dream to travel through the highest rail line train from Beijing to The capital City Lhasa of Tibet. It is life times wonderfully blessed and marvelously great experience to cross through the Paradise on Earth Tibet which is known to us The Roof of the World. Magically enchanting to look through the window extraordinary beautiful surroungding full of natural beauty from the start Beijing to Lhasa. A wonderfully marvelous train journey which can achieve a lucky few to keep the unforgettable memories forever in their minds to recall during the painful times to get comforts and peace of mind. Thank for uploading such magnificent video.
You people are really living in luxury, Once i had to travel from jammu to tamil nadu (india) for my exam, it was 52 hour journey, and my ticket was not confirmed (although i booked it before 15 days of journey), the train was fully packed with passengers i was forced to do the whole journey by standing and by sitting on the floor. I will never forget that experience.
Remind me when I was in university in 1990 our classmates had to travel that kind of long hours standing in the train. I did that too but only 20 hours.
Wow, oxygen pumped into the trains. Definitely one of the most unique travel experiences I've ever heard of. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
I love train trips. This was very informative. Beautiful scenery going to Tibet. I was in several towns in the Shanxi Province, and as a white woman, I was also stopped and looked at and I ended up on many, many selfies. The people are very friendly.
Thank you for sharing. Very informative. Wow, Train Travel has certainly changed. I took a train In 1990 from Beijing to Harbin on A Dieseled Engine. It took over 18 hours: Now, on a high speed (bullet) train it only takes 8 Hours. It was really comfortable.
When we moved from Florida to Colorado, we left Daytona Beach for Woodland Park, which sits at 8,500-plus feet up in Ute Pass west of Colorado Springs. Unpacking consisted of carrying a box down the truck ramp, then sitting down for five minutes to catch my breath. It took months to adjust to feeling normal again. When the hill climb racing season came around, I was a sports writer chasing hill climbers for the paper. At the top of Battle Mountain, I spent a day at the finish line interviewing drivers at close to 11,500 feet. I was still a smoker and keeping a cigarette lit was tough. But life at nearly two miles high does become normal. One adapts even to that. (I quit smoking soon, however.) I went to the top of Pikes Peak once and felt truly weird. Breathing wasn’t difficult but 10 steps at 14,110 feet tired me enormously. There was lots of air, but little oxygen. If I ever go back, I’ll need to take a tank with me.
I went from Guangzhou (Canton) to Lhasa by train and bus over a similar route in 1994. It took 4 days and the trains had triple decker bunk beds in the 1st class. The floors were covered in spit and the bathrooms were unmentionable! The last phase of the trip was from Golmud to Lhasa by bus for 22hrs in a 1950s English built bus. The locals had sheeps stomachs filled with oxygen to puff on during the trip. For 10hrs there was no bus "station" rest stop. So I begged my friend to ask the bus driver to stop after 8hrs for a pee. (Yes I am a wimp) At that altitude there is vegetation and only some rocks. So I just had to pee for all to see or burst. This trip sounds like a dream now. Also we were a bit under the radar as at that time there was a separate currency system FEC vs RMB that cost 10x as much.
You are a brave girl. Most tourists took plane to go to Tibet at that time. 1990's were the worst time to travel in China by train. Railway system couldn't keep up the pase of rapid economic development. China was following USA way to develop automobile industry and to build more highways than railways. The railways were outdated and slow. The changes started in 1997. You should visit again and take the same route from Guangzhou to Lhasa. There is a direct high speed train from Guangzhou to Lanzhou and then overnight train to Lhasa.
Hi - did the trip in the summer of 2009 (after the Total Solar Eclipse of 2009), I had the ‘hard sleeper’ and meet some wonderful Chinese co-travellers on the way.
The squad toilet is actually better to expell your feces, because in the squatting position you open those passages more so to expel more effectively vice sitting on the thrown. Squatting while deficating is healthier because who wants any left over poop in their system.
Thank you for this interesting video. You are right, the best way to get to know a place is on land, be it by train, bus or car. On a train I love looking out of the window.
in Hawaii you can drive in a passenger car to the top of Hailiakala in a passenger car. it is over 10,000 feet. it was harder in the early 200s than in 19080 0n my honeymoon, the stairs seemed much higher 25 years later.
Tibet economy itself couldn't support any construction of the infrastructures. Every year, in order to help Tibet develop economically and financially, the central Chinese goverment took a huge amount of money from other provinces' budget and appropriate for the purpose of Tibet construction. Because of the extremely harsh natural environment, building a railway to Tibet is not only a financial and technological challenge, but also a challenge for the people who worked on site. Most of workers are from other provinces, because the Chinese government fears that western media and governments would smear China by saying they are making slavery of loacl Tibetan had they had employed any Tibetan to do the job. Tibetan people don't need do anything but just pray their gods everyday and enjoy everything other Chinese people created for them.
Check the western media. To know them with the most malice. To be honest, western people know a lot of fake news is there, But about china? the news is all correct.
@@dilkash1831 As if you had been to Tibet many times. Please tell us what kind natural resource you think in Tibet has been exploited? Tibet doesn't have as much as useable resources as you imagined. It literally has no industry and tourism is one of their major sources of income. That's why the Chinese central government has to appropriate funds for Tibet every year to help balance their financial deficit, just like what the US government does to native Indian people today. The only difference is native Indian population has been massacred and dropped from tens of millions down to as low as 5 million, while Tibetan population has been growing all the time.
We did this trip way back in 2013, 7 of us. Took the train from Beijing (not the bullet train). We had a Beijing friend booked and bought the train tickets for us. Its snapped up very fast the moment tickets open for booking. He's right though, if you do not have the foreigner's permit, you cannot alight at Lhasa train station, you have to backtrack out of Tibet. Unless you're Richard Gere (staunch follower of the Dalai Lhama), you can easily book a trip via the many agents on the websites , and the agents will arrange for your permit upon your arrival at Lhasa train station. There's also another permit which the agent will obtain for you, i.e. the travel within Tibet permit. Do not fret my friends, just book this railway trip with the tour agents. They will arrange everything. Do not try to embark on this journey by your own, I.e. backpack on this trip. Its difficult to buy the train tickets let alone you cannot obtain the foreigner's permit without the tour agents help. The real purpose is they want the tour agents to monitor your activities in case there are the ' Free Tibet Movement' in their midst. Our journey from Beijing took us 43 hours to Lhasa train station. Yes, he's right, right after Tanggula pass (elevation 5,200 m) the sleeper berth will bleed oxygen at the corner of your bunk. If you dont want to dine out at the food car, there will be a lady usher with a pushcart selling ready to eat foods, instant noodles, snacks, fruits, drinks, water, beer, ciggies..every hour.you must take this trip once in your lifetime. Security at Lhasa is tight. At every corner of the city, there will be military checkpoints, X ray scanners, body searches. Wonderful part is, Potala Palace is right smack in the middle of the city. Sad though, you can't take pictures within the temple grounds.
I took train from Lhasa to Shanghai 2011 for 48 hours and the mountain landscapes are stunning .Now you can travel to Tibet without with the group tour?
These kind of travel videos are great for people who can't afford to travel for real. 20 Years ago, people who couldn't travel could only see other places via photographs and left it to their imagination. Now we can travel virtually, not only the places but also enjoy a train ride! Unlike the last decade's 480p quality documentaries, we can travel with vloggers in 4K.
SPARKLING CLEAN PLATFORMS IN HUMUNGOUS YET EXQUISITELY DESIGNED, AND SUPERBLY ORGANISED RAILWAY STATIONS. ANOTHER HALLMARK OF CHINESE PROPENSITY FOR DETAIL & PERFECTION.
Are you willing to pay the real cost of your Amtrak trip ? The Feds heavily subsidize Amtrak and it still runs deficits. There is very little money left for new cars.
WOW!, 5,068 meters above seal level, that's really has thrill!... My family and I hopefully like to experience this in the future for vacation in China. Thanks for info Joe & Kait, and God Bless....
Great video and what an impressive sights! Amazing to see all the sophisticated trains and railway stations in China; just wondering how this appears to American travellers and viewers as this is so much better than the US infrastructure! Will America ever catch-up again?
They got the money when all the industry left the USA and went to China... Then Americans bought all that stuff from China... Huge Money to rebuild China... Now it is moving back... Thank God...
Kees H , in all these countries , aquiring the land for right of way, is real easy, but in theUSA, there is so much congestion,, that only the original railway lines , is what the only high speed trains on the EAST COAST, CORRIDOR work, the ACELA, THE CARS EVEN LEAN IN CURVES, that’s DC,NJ-NY, BOSTON., But are also expensive.
Love your video. You had mentioned must get special permit to get into Tibet for foreign, where did you apply and how long the is the process and also the cost? Thanks a bunch!
Wow! What a neat trip, and really nice trains there!! Know you posted this quite some time ago, but I just found it! Thanks for sharing ... not likely I'll be making that journey myself! BTW, the guy that winked at you ... that him in the back ground at 4:19?? [Greetings from Tucson]
Love it! I lived in China 10+ years. Used both bullet and older trains. So many great memories. btw,,, the smiles in China in your wink scenario are embarrassment, not fun. The staring becomes really old after about 6 months of constantly being rubbernecked at. Also, the squat for hole in the grounders becomes second nature when it is the only game in town. haha. I'm still always amazed at the shear vastness of train stations in China... and the crowds therein! Agree it is a once in a life opportunity which more westerners need to experience. It makes one realize how fortunate we are in so many ways. Another btw... little packets of tissues are indispensable and cheap, since most public restrooms have no tissue or charge for it; excepting 5 star restaurants where they are handed out. I learned to do as the locals and collect unused packets for later utility to the point I had a collection I'd share to newbies. LOL Scarcity and greedy fingers make it so, along with perhaps a built-in sense of self-sufficiency among Chinese people. Thanks for sharing this! Enjoy you guys tons!
Joe Barron that’squatting position, is actually better than sitting on a ‘toilet‘ most muslem countries are like that, I have a ‘SQUATTY POTTY,’ which raises your feet to emulate squatting’
In fact in almost every country in Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan etc.), we have those squat toilets, a legacy of yesteryears. You will find modern toilets in new buildings or houses.
Thanks for the information, hope to make on of those trip one day, before I left this planet. It’s sure a beautiful world around we use have to keep it together.
Awesome adventure, I would love to do this train ride! And it is not longer than the train trips I did in Russia in summer during the World Cup (took about almost exactly two days to get from Kazan to Sochi, and I think 37-38 hours to get from Sochi to S:t Petersburg), so that should not be any problem, but the altitude might be a bit of a problem to start with at least, especially when you come right into it like that with no gradual acclimatisation beforehand. Not sure how the toilet situation is on all of these trains, though you showed a little, but hopefully they are clean enough- cannot do those hole-in-the-floor toilets, so yeah, glad to hear there are Western style ones as well. But those things are about stepping out of your comfort zone anyway. That food in the dining actually looks good, not sure how the actual taste is though. Though I probably would do as I did in Russia and bring lots of food with me. Overall trains looked comfy and the scenery is amazing, so yeah, hope to do this trip someday.
Wow that is so awesome! Can't wait to see the rest of the journey guys! :) I felt a little funky on when driving trail ridge road in Colorado, wonder if I am some of those same conditions you have Joe. Hope all is well! - Shane
What it does mean above 38 degree Celsius or below 38 degree Celsius of the body temperature. I saw in this video. Please clarify it at your earliest convenience. Thanks.
Only the high speed trains offer western toilets (both squat and western style sitting). The older slow trains only have the squat versions. Bear that in mind when booking. Nice video! Thank you for posting.
No. The economy sections of Z trains have squats but the first class sections of Z trains have western toilets. At least that was the case with the train I took from Lhasa to Xigaze. The soft sleeper car on the Qinghai-Tibet train offered western and squat toilets.
Just curious, Joe. Would you have been allowed to bring your own beans or ground coffee and made coffee in a portable French Press or pour over or no outside food stuffs or coffees allowed? Yes, I know it's more weight and stuff, just curious if you'd have been allowed to do so or not.
Greetings to all guys here! My husband and i are also planning a trip to Tibet, although the time of which will depend on our annual leaves. But we are going to take airplane from my hometown Nantong (南通市) instead of train to avoid the possibility of altitude sickness on the way. I am a typical Chinese lowlander, have never climbed any mountains in my whole life (except one small mountain within the Himalaya range in Nepal). So we are also very excited about our forthcoming trip.
You will get much worse altitude sickness if you fly rather than taking your time to arrive by train. You're going from sea level in Nantong to Tibet around 4,000 meters in a matter of hours rather than days.
Info on Tibet Travel: weretherussos.com/everest-base-camp-tibet/
Someone sounds jealous of Chinese success!!
@@Auzzzie82 jàpan
How could I get permit to travel or do business in lasha
howmuch speed nd cost nd where to where teavel
The natural scenery of Tibet is truly unparalleled. Like heaven, in 2013, I went to Tibet from Guangxi Province by bicycle. It took 2 months to ride 2000 kilometers. It was a crazy move! I plan to drive to Tibet this year!（西藏的自然景色真的无与伦比，天堂一样，2013年，我骑自行车从广西去西藏，花了2个月时间，骑行2000公里，那真是疯狂的举动！今年打算开车去西藏！）
太酷啦！勇敢！
Bicycle... OMG..!! Wish you good luck and best fitness...
佩服佩服
2 months 2000kms on bicycle... WOW. great..
Is it true that tourists need to bring their poops back when they leave there?
I went to tibet on 2013. Its really beautiful and exciting. But the thin oxigen made me really sick for the whole 7 days trip. Love from Indonesia.
I had some mild altitude sickness in Tibet. Nothing too bad. The train trip going up to 5,072 metres was memorable. The Chinese are building another railway to Tibet from Sichuan connecting Lhasa and Chengdu which will be finished in about 2030. The first stage from Lhasa to Nyingchi will open next year.
Yeah, it can be rough upon high altitude if you're suddenly just...there. It takes the body time to adjust, just like it does with jet lag.
If you have the chance to go to Tibet, I suggest you to Nyingchi, where it is the region with the lowest altitude, best climate and best ecological environment in Tibet.
@@paldentsering6210 Free California from America
@@paldentsering6210 psytrance lul
The train looks fantastic, much better than the older version of the train. China has done really good job to improve transportation system throughout China.
Welcome to China, and I promise you'll have a great journey here.The most important, you'll see a totally different country that is often denigrated by the western media (except sometimes the air pollution issue in some industrial cities.🤣The cost of development,but we're working on it and have tremendous progress)
you don't say? kinda wrong there, some places have just barely roads that go there.
@@BamesNond4882 Are you telling me that the world's most efficient infrastructure conductor can't build roads in some places? Well then, no one else build that road if you refer to Himalaya
@@hoganhughes3265 Yeah something like that
German technology
Funny right after he said he's the only white person at the station, a white dude walked behind him at 4:18 lol.
Yu G lots of foreigners come to China due to feeling special themselves. In reality, no big difference.
That is what I was trying to say...
Maybe he think he is more whiter. 😂😂😂😂
@@bunnyhill2024 wrong
CHINA IS.N* 1
真正优秀的人，绝不是因为他到处展现自己的优越感，总用挑剔的眼光看待一切。而是因为他懂得尊重，能够欣赏不同的环境和人。
就像我去美国的时候，不会抱怨糟糕的基础设施，满街的大胖子和乞丐一样。
有你这么夸自己的吗？😂😂😂
right after Joe said he was the only white guy for miles, a white guy walks just behind him @4:17
hahah noticed that too, and the old gentlman is more white than him, even hair.
I bet if you was was from Africa as a black man, they will be on you like green on grass.
Hhhhh cute
White dudes especially Americans have this narcissistic trait of being the only..
the inspiring video made me want to go to lasha to feel the sensation of riding the train, greetings from Jakarta Indonesia
Riding the train to Tibet is a bucket list item for me. Thank you for the travel info.
Your wife is so positive!! She seems like a fun person to travel with.
Caleb I thought that's his nanny
Came here looking for lives on a van, instead got to see the bullet train going from Beijing to Tibet holy cow what an unexpected treat! Keep'em coming :)
So cool that Jeff Bezos decided to take this train along with the commoners!
Or as Trump called him "Jeff Bozo."
ha ha ha!!
hahaha XD Good one! I'd to look at him twice to confirm if he was or not Jeff Bezos :P
"local" is more appropriate word than "commoner"
Right! U just made me clear abiut something!!😂😂 thanks bro lol 🤣🤣
Magnificent video Russos......that is probably a trip I will never do so I am very appreciative that you have taken us along and shared your adventure. Simply grand....looking forward to more. Thank you.
I had the wonderful opportunity to take the same Qinghai-Tibetan railway a few years ago as a college student studying abroad in Nanjing. Taking the train is definitely the way to go when getting to Tibet.
QINGHAI, SICHUAN, GANZU, YUNNAN IS ALSO TIBET
I caught the Tibet train 3 years ago but from Lanzhou, not Xinning. Spectacular scenery. There is an extension rail line from Lhasa to Xigatse which I travelled on. From next year the rail line from Nyinchi to Lhasa will open and that section will be part of the Chengdu/Lhasa rail line which will open in about 2030 being a second line into Tibet from China.
BTW - A while back I watched the building of the train to Lhasa, many problems, they had to account for expansion & compression of the rails and the rails are actually heated because of the extreme weather. As you mentioned, the train is pressurized with oxygen.
Everything is perfectly paradise. I'm obsessed by watching this lovely video made by you both. I have a keen interest to travel from Beijing to China.But amount is big to afford. Then I have to reach Nepal and Kathmandu to Lhasa by air and then from Lhasa to Beijing and from Being to Lhasa and again Nepal and then again INDIA. So big amount to afford. Therefor I keeping lagging behind thinking the budget but I have been cherishing a dream to travel through the highest rail line train from Beijing to The capital City Lhasa of Tibet. It is life times wonderfully blessed and marvelously great experience to cross through the Paradise on Earth Tibet which is known to us The Roof of the World. Magically enchanting to look through the window extraordinary beautiful surroungding full of natural beauty from the start Beijing to Lhasa. A wonderfully marvelous train journey which can achieve a lucky few to keep the unforgettable memories forever in their minds to recall during the painful times to get comforts and peace of mind. Thank for uploading such magnificent video.
You people are really living in luxury, Once i had to travel from jammu to tamil nadu (india) for my exam, it was 52 hour journey, and my ticket was not confirmed (although i booked it before 15 days of journey), the train was fully packed with passengers i was forced to do the whole journey by standing and by sitting on the floor. I will never forget that experience.
Remind me when I was in university in 1990 our classmates had to travel that kind of long hours standing in the train. I did that too but only 20 hours.
Wow, oxygen pumped into the trains. Definitely one of the most unique travel experiences I've ever heard of. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
I love train trips. This was very informative. Beautiful scenery going to Tibet. I was in several towns in the Shanxi Province, and as a white woman, I was also stopped and looked at and I ended up on many, many selfies. The people are very friendly.
I took this train, one of the first trains from Beijing to Lhasa October 2006, no permit required, beautiful blue sky and crystal clear water.
Thank you for sharing. Very informative. Wow, Train Travel has certainly changed. I took a train In 1990 from Beijing to Harbin on A Dieseled Engine. It took over 18 hours: Now, on a high speed (bullet) train it only takes 8 Hours. It was really comfortable.
When we moved from Florida to Colorado, we left Daytona Beach for Woodland Park, which sits at 8,500-plus feet up in Ute Pass west of Colorado Springs. Unpacking consisted of carrying a box down the truck ramp, then sitting down for five minutes to catch my breath. It took months to adjust to feeling normal again. When the hill climb racing season came around, I was a sports writer chasing hill climbers for the paper. At the top of Battle Mountain, I spent a day at the finish line interviewing drivers at close to 11,500 feet. I was still a smoker and keeping a cigarette lit was tough. But life at nearly two miles high does become normal. One adapts even to that. (I quit smoking soon, however.) I went to the top of Pikes Peak once and felt truly weird. Breathing wasn’t difficult but 10 steps at 14,110 feet tired me enormously. There was lots of air, but little oxygen. If I ever go back, I’ll need to take a tank with me.
This is a really huge upgrade from my train rides on hard sleeper back in 1997
I used to take the train from Beijing to Lahsa in about 42 hours, amazing view all along the trip.
Great video. Always wanted to do this trip.
You and me both man.
@@VicariousVoyager damn, double down
Damn! The bond is strong.
Waiting......
I went from Guangzhou (Canton) to Lhasa by train and bus over a similar route in 1994. It took 4 days and the trains had triple decker bunk beds in the 1st class. The floors were covered in spit and the bathrooms were unmentionable! The last phase of the trip was from Golmud to Lhasa by bus for 22hrs in a 1950s English built bus. The locals had sheeps stomachs filled with oxygen to puff on during the trip. For 10hrs there was no bus "station" rest stop. So I begged my friend to ask the bus driver to stop after 8hrs for a pee. (Yes I am a wimp) At that altitude there is vegetation and only some rocks. So I just had to pee for all to see or burst. This trip sounds like a dream now. Also we were a bit under the radar as at that time there was a separate currency system FEC vs RMB that cost 10x as much.
Comparing 1994 and now, China has developed much.
You are a brave girl. Most tourists took plane to go to Tibet at that time. 1990's were the worst time to travel in China by train. Railway system couldn't keep up the pase of rapid economic development. China was following USA way to develop automobile industry and to build more highways than railways. The railways were outdated and slow. The changes started in 1997. You should visit again and take the same route from Guangzhou to Lhasa. There is a direct high speed train from Guangzhou to Lanzhou and then overnight train to Lhasa.
A rare Railway of world who need Oxygn.
Hi - did the trip in the summer of 2009 (after the Total Solar Eclipse of 2009), I had the ‘hard sleeper’ and meet some wonderful Chinese co-travellers on the way.
The squad toilet is actually better to expell your feces, because in the squatting position you open those passages more so to expel more effectively vice sitting on the thrown. Squatting while deficating is healthier because who wants any left over poop in their system.
Thank you for this interesting video. You are right, the best way to get to know a place is on land, be it by train, bus or car. On a train I love looking out of the window.
What a grand adventure, and you two look none the worse for the wear. Loved Kait’s enthusiasm.
Awe. But Kait. I do miss your longer hair. 😕 😢 😟
Nancy Ludden I wonder what her family in China thought about her very short cut ?
in Hawaii you can drive in a passenger car to the top of Hailiakala in a passenger car. it is over 10,000 feet. it was harder in the early 200s than in 19080 0n my honeymoon, the stairs seemed much higher 25 years later.
Tibet economy itself couldn't support any construction of the infrastructures. Every year, in order to help Tibet develop economically and financially, the central Chinese goverment took a huge amount of money from other provinces' budget and appropriate for the purpose of Tibet construction. Because of the extremely harsh natural environment, building a railway to Tibet is not only a financial and technological challenge, but also a challenge for the people who worked on site. Most of workers are from other provinces, because the Chinese government fears that western media and governments would smear China by saying they are making slavery of loacl Tibetan had they had employed any Tibetan to do the job.
Tibetan people don't need do anything but just pray their gods everyday and enjoy everything other Chinese people created for them.
Check the western media. To know them with the most malice.
To be honest, western people know a lot of fake news is there, But about china? the news is all correct.
IN RETURNS EXPOLITING NATURAL RESOURCES.
@@dilkash1831 As if you had been to Tibet many times. Please tell us what kind natural resource you think in Tibet has been exploited? Tibet doesn't have as much as useable resources as you imagined. It literally has no industry and tourism is one of their major sources of income. That's why the Chinese central government has to appropriate funds for Tibet every year to help balance their financial deficit, just like what the US government does to native Indian people today. The only difference is native Indian population has been massacred and dropped from tens of millions down to as low as 5 million, while Tibetan population has been growing all the time.
We did this trip way back in 2013, 7 of us. Took the train from Beijing (not the bullet train). We had a Beijing friend booked and bought the train tickets for us. Its snapped up very fast the moment tickets open for booking. He's right though, if you do not have the foreigner's permit, you cannot alight at Lhasa train station, you have to backtrack out of Tibet. Unless you're Richard Gere (staunch follower of the Dalai Lhama), you can easily book a trip via the many agents on the websites , and the agents will arrange for your permit upon your arrival at Lhasa train station. There's also another permit which the agent will obtain for you, i.e. the travel within Tibet permit. Do not fret my friends, just book this railway trip with the tour agents. They will arrange everything. Do not try to embark on this journey by your own, I.e. backpack on this trip. Its difficult to buy the train tickets let alone you cannot obtain the foreigner's permit without the tour agents help. The real purpose is they want the tour agents to monitor your activities in case there are the ' Free Tibet Movement' in their midst. Our journey from Beijing took us 43 hours to Lhasa train station. Yes, he's right, right after Tanggula pass (elevation 5,200 m) the sleeper berth will bleed oxygen at the corner of your bunk. If you dont want to dine out at the food car, there will be a lady usher with a pushcart selling ready to eat foods, instant noodles, snacks, fruits, drinks, water, beer, ciggies..every hour.you must take this trip once in your lifetime.
Security at Lhasa is tight. At every corner of the city, there will be military checkpoints, X ray scanners, body searches.
Wonderful part is, Potala Palace is right smack in the middle of the city. Sad though, you can't take pictures within the temple grounds.
I'm the only white guy here
Random white guy walks past at 4:19
Kuro But, he’s not looking white.
😂😂😁😁😅
I took train from Lhasa to Shanghai 2011 for 48 hours and the mountain landscapes are stunning .Now you can travel to Tibet without with the group tour?
Wow! What a beautiful railway and railway journey it was. I loved it. Hope one day, I may be able to go and see firsthand.
Tibet is very nice and peaceful country.
Outstanding videos, that motivate to go to Tibet. Great trip in a train. Thanks
Hoho, it's really a long trip, thanks for your video. If there is a chance, we should go to Tibet, it's one of the beautiful places on the planet.
These kind of travel videos are great for people who can't afford to travel for real.
20 Years ago, people who couldn't travel could only see other places via photographs and left it to their imagination.
Now we can travel virtually, not only the places but also enjoy a train ride!
Unlike the last decade's 480p quality documentaries, we can travel with vloggers in 4K.
wow !! Tibet!! always wanted to go!! cant wait to go soon ! x thanks for sharing!
6:00 is like landing on another planet.
So awesome they built this!
SPARKLING CLEAN PLATFORMS IN HUMUNGOUS YET EXQUISITELY DESIGNED, AND SUPERBLY ORGANISED RAILWAY STATIONS. ANOTHER HALLMARK OF CHINESE PROPENSITY FOR DETAIL & PERFECTION.
I wish Amtrak trains looked this nice on the inside! Thanks for sharing!
Are you willing to pay the real cost of your Amtrak trip ? The Feds heavily subsidize Amtrak and it still runs deficits. There is very little money left for new cars.
@@louissimons7787 i mean if they improve the service poeple will love to use train
WOW!, 5,068 meters above seal level, that's really has thrill!... My family and I hopefully like to experience this in the future for vacation in China. Thanks for info Joe & Kait, and God Bless....
Great video! Thanks for sharing your experience. Really good info.
It is so sweet and heart touching visiting Tibet by train
An FYI to the western friends here. Most people do NOT take the train from Beijing but rather from Chengdu/Lanzhou which is much closer.
Beautiful !!! The landscape is crazyyy
What a lovely train journey on the world's highest railway!
I fancy taking this train too. Thanks a lot.
Each of those foreigners shows great interest in toilets.
Great video, and thanks for being so natural and spontaneous!
You’re very welcome
It's a good reason to visit Lhasa ,Thanks for recording this.
Always welcome
Awesome video! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you very much! Your filming of this trip is fantastic!
It looks awesome!!! What a ride!
An absolutely wonderful adventure👏❤️. So envious but happy to see this video.
WOW!!! SO COOL! Thank you for this video. I didn't know this journey existed! It's on my list now. 👍🤝
Great video and what an impressive sights!
Amazing to see all the sophisticated trains and railway stations in China; just wondering how this appears to American travellers and viewers as this is so much better than the US infrastructure! Will America ever catch-up again?
They got the money when all the industry left the USA and went to China... Then Americans bought all that stuff from China... Huge Money to rebuild China...
Now it is moving back... Thank God...
Kees H , in all these countries , aquiring the land for right of way, is real easy, but in theUSA, there is so much congestion,, that only the original railway lines , is what the only high speed trains on the EAST COAST, CORRIDOR work, the ACELA, THE CARS EVEN LEAN IN CURVES, that’s DC,NJ-NY, BOSTON., But are also expensive.
Kees H, very easy, stop wars and save money for building, right?
No. Next question, please...
we are building a wall (possible be finished in 5 years if not more), not a good sign for catching up.
Ok this definitely goes into my bucket list
Have you ever been to Tibet?
I went to Llhasa but by road from Kathmandu. Next time around i will rake this train route. Tks for the travel tips with emphasis on documentation.
I think I just have to climb Mt Everest and look other side till Chinese train reaches Nepal border.
Wonderful video, love it.
那是一条神奇的天路，带我们走进人间天堂。
That's a fantastic railway of sky, leading us into a heaven on earth...
兰州 is my home town! Thanks for sharing the video.
My hometown too!
兰州拉面 is my home
we only call it 牛肉面@@Haleluo
@@Bhumoyakpo Why？
very good vpn!!
Good insight into what the actual travel was like. How was the food on Trains? Looking forward to next part.
Hello from Kolkata, India. Thoroughly enjoyed.
From russian.rt.com with love a perfect splendid trip really appreciate it love You all
Thank you! First time seeing you both! I’ll be watching more!
Waw, Nice trip. Greetingfrom Indonesia.
Watching the sceneries is worth the trip.
9:31 green mountains! Amazing video, one of the best so well done by the Russos!
This is a good way of travelling to Tibet, helps you to climatize, rather than sudden altitude change from plane rides
so cool! thanks for taking us along!
Lol, I think I got altitude sickness just watching this video! You guys filmed such beautiful scenery though, one day I may brave that trip.
The landscape looked surreal. Great trip and video
我没去过西藏，感谢老外的视频带我去了一次。
Rongxiang Liu 我去过一周，难忘的体验，海拔太高，刚去的一段时间因为缺氧脑瓜一直疼，还好没高反，风景不错，找机会去玩
Love your video. You had mentioned must get special permit to get into Tibet for foreign, where did you apply and how long the is the process and also the cost? Thanks a bunch!
You have to go with a tour and they get the visas for you. You can’t go into the country if you’re not with a tour.
Wow! What a neat trip, and really nice trains there!! Know you posted this quite some time ago, but I just found it! Thanks for sharing ... not likely I'll be making that journey myself! BTW, the guy that winked at you ... that him in the back ground at 4:19?? [Greetings from Tucson]
Amazing video gained another follower
it's really really cool trip. I do love this route so much... Thanks for your Vlog
Glad you enjoyed it!
Love the videos keep them coming 👍🤙
Love it! I lived in China 10+ years. Used both bullet and older trains. So many great memories. btw,,, the smiles in China in your wink scenario are embarrassment, not fun. The staring becomes really old after about 6 months of constantly being rubbernecked at. Also, the squat for hole in the grounders becomes second nature when it is the only game in town. haha. I'm still always amazed at the shear vastness of train stations in China... and the crowds therein! Agree it is a once in a life opportunity which more westerners need to experience. It makes one realize how fortunate we are in so many ways. Another btw... little packets of tissues are indispensable and cheap, since most public restrooms have no tissue or charge for it; excepting 5 star restaurants where they are handed out. I learned to do as the locals and collect unused packets for later utility to the point I had a collection I'd share to newbies. LOL Scarcity and greedy fingers make it so, along with perhaps a built-in sense of self-sufficiency among Chinese people. Thanks for sharing this! Enjoy you guys tons!
Joe Barron that’squatting position, is actually better than sitting on a ‘toilet‘ most muslem countries are like that, I have a ‘SQUATTY POTTY,’ which raises your feet to emulate squatting’
@@flybyairplane3528 Yup! Muscles align better for the job. lol
@@rider2731 answer.. the butts staring down the hole..
In fact in almost every country in Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan etc.), we have those squat toilets, a legacy of yesteryears. You will find modern toilets in new buildings or houses.
Wow, really enjoyed your video, best wishes !!!
Thanks for the information, hope to make on of those trip one day, before I left this planet. It’s sure a beautiful world around we use have to keep it together.
Awesome adventure, I would love to do this train ride! And it is not longer than the train trips I did in Russia in summer during the World Cup (took about almost exactly two days to get from Kazan to Sochi, and I think 37-38 hours to get from Sochi to S:t Petersburg), so that should not be any problem, but the altitude might be a bit of a problem to start with at least, especially when you come right into it like that with no gradual acclimatisation beforehand. Not sure how the toilet situation is on all of these trains, though you showed a little, but hopefully they are clean enough- cannot do those hole-in-the-floor toilets, so yeah, glad to hear there are Western style ones as well. But those things are about stepping out of your comfort zone anyway.
That food in the dining actually looks good, not sure how the actual taste is though. Though I probably would do as I did in Russia and bring lots of food with me.
Overall trains looked comfy and the scenery is amazing, so yeah, hope to do this trip someday.
What a fun travel experience. Have a blast.
Wow that is so awesome! Can't wait to see the rest of the journey guys! :) I felt a little funky on when driving trail ridge road in Colorado, wonder if I am some of those same conditions you have Joe. Hope all is well! - Shane
DnSAdventures you need to go on some SOUTH AMERICAN RAILWAYS, switchbacks to go up, and they give you some oxygen, by large bags, .
Hi guys!!!!!! I love visiting China it’s been an awesome experience !! Glad you guys are having fun.
Kalsang Choedon Because Tibet is a province of China ，the high ways was built by Chinese government
Kalsang Choedon 傻缺能死远一点吗？
Awesome trip! Amazing views!
Thanks for sharing the long but comfortable getting there.
It would be nice if you would have told how much tickets cast from First train to the last train. Thanks.
You can search china train to find the fares.
What it does mean above 38 degree Celsius or below 38 degree Celsius of the body temperature. I saw in this video. Please clarify it at your earliest convenience. Thanks.
Absolutely amazing railroad journey.
Only the high speed trains offer western toilets (both squat and western style sitting). The older slow trains only have the squat versions. Bear that in mind when booking. Nice video! Thank you for posting.
No. The economy sections of Z trains have squats but the first class sections of Z trains have western toilets. At least that was the case with the train I took from Lhasa to Xigaze. The soft sleeper car on the Qinghai-Tibet train offered western and squat toilets.
Excellent video man!
This remind me of college days.. i travelled 8 days across Beijing to Nepal
Just curious, Joe. Would you have been allowed to bring your own beans or ground coffee and made coffee in a portable French Press or pour over or no outside food stuffs or coffees allowed? Yes, I know it's more weight and stuff, just curious if you'd have been allowed to do so or not.
Yep I would have and was actually considering it. I did bring a bag of my favorite coffee, Demitasse, to share with Kait’s family in China.
Greetings to all guys here! My husband and i are also planning a trip to Tibet, although the time of which will depend on our annual leaves. But we are going to take airplane from my hometown Nantong (南通市) instead of train to avoid the possibility of altitude sickness on the way. I am a typical Chinese lowlander, have never climbed any mountains in my whole life (except one small mountain within the Himalaya range in Nepal). So we are also very excited about our forthcoming trip.
You will get much worse altitude sickness if you fly rather than taking your time to arrive by train. You're going from sea level in Nantong to Tibet around 4,000 meters in a matter of hours rather than days.
What an honor to receive reply from you, thank you very much for your suggestions, we will re-plan our trip. Regards!