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Tibet Photo Gallery - Kathmandu To Nyalam

I have driven between Kathmandu, Nepal and Nyalam, Tibet via Kodari and Zhangmu in 1998, 2006 and 2010.

01 Bus Leaves Kathmandu In Early Morning, Stops For Gas and Drives Along Arniko Highway Towards Tibet We board our bus and drive out of Kathmandu in the early morning and drive through the verdant countryside before stopping for gas. The foothills along the road had stepped terraces which are used to cultivate crops.

01 Bus Leaves Kathmandu In Early Morning, Stops For Gas and Drives Along Arniko Highway Towards Tibet

02 Arniko Highway Between Kathmandu And Tibet Is Intermittently Good And Washed Out The Arniko Highway between Kathmandu Tibet is paved and is good quality in most places. However, it is prone to washouts in places due to water coming down form the hills or from landslides.

02 Arniko Highway Between Kathmandu And Tibet Is Intermittently Good And Washed Out

03 Landslide On Arniko Highway Just Before Kodari About 8km before the Nepalese border town of Kodari in July 2006, the same landslide that stopped us in July 2005 stopped us again. This time, the local porters were very organized, and after about an hour we were on our way again for the final few kilometres, Me-thinks this landslide is good for the local economy.

03 Landslide On Arniko Highway Just Before Kodari

04 Peter Ryan On Bridge Over Bhote Kosi Just Before Kodari While we waited for the porters to carry our stuff across the landslide, Peter Ryan walked part way across a bridge over the Bhote Kosi river.

04 Peter Ryan On Bridge Over Bhote Kosi Just Before Kodari

05 Kodari Nepal Border Town To Tibet With Zhangmu Beyond Kodari (1665m) is a small Nepalese village perched on the side of a hill, bustling with the border traffic with Tibet.

05 Kodari Nepal Border Town To Tibet With Zhangmu Beyond

06 Friendship Bridge Between Kodari Nepal And Zhangmu Tibet From Kodari The Friendship Bridge is the border between Nepal and Tibet, with Zhangmu (2300m) looming above.

06 Friendship Bridge Between Kodari Nepal And Zhangmu Tibet From Kodari

07 Charlotte Ryan And Peter Ryan On Friendship Bridge Between Kodari Nepal And Zhangmu Tibet After passing through the Nepalese border formalities in July 2006, Charlotte Ryan and Peter Ryan cross the Friendship Bridge between Kodari in Nepal and Zhangmu in Tibet.

07 Charlotte Ryan And Peter Ryan On Friendship Bridge Between Kodari Nepal And Zhangmu Tibet

08 China Customs And Immigration Building After Crossing Friendship Bridge From Kodari Nepal After crossing the Friendship Bridge, we meet our Tibetan guide who leads us through China Customs and Immigration.

08 China Customs And Immigration Building After Crossing Friendship Bridge From Kodari Nepal

09 Friendship Bridge Between Kodari Nepal And Zhangmu Tibet After Crossing The Friendship Bridge From Kodari After passing through China Customs and Immigration, I walk up the road to our awaiting Landcruiser. I look back to see the thundering Bhote Kosi (“River From Tibet”) flowing under the Friendship Bridge.

09 Friendship Bridge Between Kodari Nepal And Zhangmu Tibet After Crossing The Friendship Bridge From Kodari

10 Truck Traffic Jam Between Friendship Bridge And Zhangmu Tibet, Zhangmu, Zhangmu Main Street The steep winding 8km road to Zhangmu is jam packed with trucks waiting to cross the border, slowing down our progress. We then drive through the narrow winding street of Zhangmu and stop to change some money.

10 Truck Traffic Jam Between Friendship Bridge And Zhangmu Tibet, Zhangmu, Zhangmu Main Street

11 Zhangmu Tibet Zhangmu (Tib. Dram, Nep. Khasa, 2300m) is the Tibet border town just across from Kodari and is a major trading post between Tibet and Nepal. Zhangmu is built on a steep uphill street that twists through town in a series of tight switchbacks, lined with private homes, shops, restaurants and government buildings.

11 Zhangmu Tibet

12 Winding Road Up The Gorge Between Zhangmu And Nyalam From Zhangmu (2300m) the Friendship Highway climbs into a mossy gorge of waterfalls, cascades and landslides during the treacherous 30km road to Nyalam (3750m).

12 Winding Road Up The Gorge Between Zhangmu And Nyalam

13 Road Between Zhangmu And Nyalam The Friendship Highway zigs and zags and eventually reaches the Tibetan Plateau just before Nyalam.

13 Road Between Zhangmu And Nyalam

14 Nyalam Tibet Nyalam (3750m) is a small Tibetan town near the Nepal border, and the normal first night’s stay in Tibet.

14 Nyalam Tibet

15 Outside Snowlands Hotel In Nyalam The Snow Land Hotel is a fairly comfortable but simple hotel in Nyalam.

15 Outside Snowlands Hotel In Nyalam

16 Our Room At Nyalam Snowlands Hotel Here is our comfortable room at the Snow Land Hotel in Nyalam.

16 Our Room At Nyalam Snowlands Hotel

17 Outside Of Shisha Bangma Hotel In Nyalam In 2010 I stayed at the Shisha Bangma Hotel at the beginning of the winding main street that goes through Nyalam.

17 Outside Of Shisha Bangma Hotel In Nyalam

18 Nyalam Main Street Nyalam is built around one long winding street.

18 Nyalam Main Street

19 After Unloading The Landcruiser I Walked Down The Nyalam Main Street And Up To The School After unloading the Landcruiser at the Shisha Bangma Hotel, I walked down the main street of Nyalam, and walked up the steps to see the school.

19 After Unloading The Landcruiser I Walked Down The Nyalam Main Street And Up To The School

20 Outside Nyalam Gompa The Nyalam Gompa is certainly worth a visit. The main hall was locked when I was there.

20 Outside Nyalam Gompa

21 A Pilgrim Carries Her Baby Past The Prayer Wheels Of Nyalam Gompa A devout Buddhist women carrying her baby on her back as she circumambulates the Nyalam gompa, spinning the prayer wheels and saying mantras.

21 A Pilgrim Carries Her Baby Past The Prayer Wheels Of Nyalam Gompa

22 Nyalam Gompa With Mani Stones and Painted Stones of Vairocana, Padmasambhava as Loden Chogse, Vajrapani I passing painted mani stones as I start my circumambulation of Nyalam Gompa. In between the prayer wheels, I notice some painted stones. The first is the white Dhyani Buddha Vairocana (Tib. Namnang) with his hands in the teaching mudra. The second is Loden Chogse, one of the eight Padmasambhava manifestations, in the appearance of a prince, richly attired, holding aloft in the right hand a damaru drum and a skullcup in his left hand. The third is the blue Vajrapani (Tib. Chana Dorje) surrounded by wisdom fire, wearing a tiger skin, and holding a vajra (Tib dorje) in his right hand.

22 Nyalam Gompa With Mani Stones and Painted Stones of Vairocana, Padmasambhava as Loden Chogse, Vajrapani

23 Soldiers Tilling Fields Above Nyalam I walked up the fields a few minutes above Nyalam and observed soldiers holding shovels and hoes, instead of guns, as they tend their vegetable plots.

23 Soldiers Tilling Fields Above Nyalam

24 Cows Run Past A Large Rock Painted With A Mantra Above Nyalam Above Nyalam, some young children herded their cows to pasture, past a large rock with Om Mani Padme Hum painted on it.

24 Cows Run Past A Large Rock Painted With A Mantra Above Nyalam

25 Nyanang Ri, Pungpa Ri and Shishapangma At Sunrise From Nyalam Nyanang Ri (7071m), Pungpa Ri (7445m) and Shishapangma (8012m) shine at sunrise from the Shisha Bangma Hotel in Nyalam.

25 Nyanang Ri, Pungpa Ri and Shishapangma At Sunrise From Nyalam

26 Leaving Nyalam In The Early Morning After A Light Overnight Snowfall We left Nyalam in the early morning for the drive to Tingri.

26 Leaving Nyalam In The Early Morning After A Light Overnight Snowfall


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