PETRONAS Trans-Himalayas 2005

The expedition route will begin in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and finish in Shenzhen, China. Find out where else this 15,000km plus route takes the team.

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ARCHIVED JOURNAL - WEEK 6

WONDERS OF NATURE
22nd September | After the grueling journey to the Everest Base Camp, the journey home was not as easy as I thought. I was sure that the hardest part was over. But there were more obstacles that the team members were to encounter. The route from Tibet to the adjacent Qinghai province was not at the descending end. In fact, we went through long drive through the desert, high mountain passes, snow and rain. How worst could it get in a day’s weather?

But it was a blessing to some of us. Shahidan, Tasmani and Bala experienced their first snow at 4800 meters. I enjoyed the endless views through the chilly, barren desert. And there were camels too! Someone else wondered about the nature’s creation of China’s biggest salt lake at above 3500 meters. What other wonders have I missed? I didn’t think anyone forgot the friendly and smiley faces of the people along the way. They kept waving hospitably to the convoy without knowing exactly why we were there.

I was relieved when Dr Zaini informed us that this was our last day of camping during the trip. No one favored to camp in the bone-chilling cold. At an open field campsite near Madau, the frost started to form as soon as I put the flysheet over the tent. True enough it was a freezing night. I was unlucky to have suffered from diarrhea that night after my cans course dinner. It was a painful experience crawling out of the tent having to purge and vomit, and the only thing I wished on that particular moment was the arrival of the day, so I could see the doctor. The next morning and for the rest of the day, my body was weak due to dehydration. Fortunate enough I quickly recovered after intensive medication and good rest.

The journey is getting towards the end. Occasionally I overheard some small groups telling about how much they missed their roti canai and nasi lemak at the hotel breakfast tables serving typical Chinese porridge, boiled eggs, roasted peanuts and vegetables. And we are still counting days before we can enjoy those favourite foods again. Doctors, any medicine for homesickness?

FROM NATURE TO CULTURE
26th September | If anyone ever wonders about the existence of heaven on earth, I think I have found one: Jiuzhaigou Valley. I have never seen such an extraordinary sights more beautiful than this one. The water was crystal clear, the lakes were tranquil and colourful, the hills were seemed alive, the autumn leaves started to reflect the warm golden colours in the forest, and the waterfalls were simply breathtaking. My words may not be enough to describe this marvelous creation of nature. I wish the Sun would have shone during our visit in the valley, but even without, it was enough to make my heart fallen in love with this place. Majority of the tourists that came here were the locals and they came in big numbers. At some spots, it can be overcrowded. My only hope is that the people will protect this place from destruction for the future generations to witness

Unlike other provinces we have driven through before, I found that Sichuan has many things to offer from nature to culture. I only knew Sichuan before from its famous hot and spicy soup served in many Chinese restaurants worldwide. True enough that many of the dishes were spicy and chilies can be a dish of their own. In Chengdu, the team members were treated at dinner with Chengdu’s food specialty: the hot pot. It was similar to the ordinary steamboat, except that the soup was made from some serious mix of chili and other spices, and one sip was enough to make me feel like drinking all the water in Yangtze River.

Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan is among the largest city in China. The atmosphere of the mega city can be felt kilometers away as the convoy was approaching the city. The traffic was chaotic and the moving in a convoy in such situation was not easy. We had to be very careful with the pedestrians as were emerging out of nowhere onto the roads. Nevertheless, the city has a lot to offer, be it shopping or sightseeing. I had the chance to visit the Chengdu Panda Research Center, a park that has been dedicated to save the giant and red panda from extinction. Despite all the effort by the Chinese government in breeding and saving the pandas, not many have survived in our ever-changing environment. And a photo with the giant panda here could cost use a whopping USD100! Say cheese anyone?

Angel, our local handler was kind enough to arrange a cultural performance for all of us during our last evening in Chengdu. The highlight of the evening was the changing face show. I was amazed on how fast the actors can change the expressive masks in split seconds. We were told that this trick was only mastered by a small group of people and has been kept secret for many generations as their showbiz know-how. One famous Hong Kong entertainer had offered a large sum of money to learn the trick, but the master declined his wish. There are many things in this world that money can buy, but changing face secret, priceless!

THE LAST MILES
28th September | Day 40 to 43 Wanzhou – Yichang – Xiangtan - Shenzhen
PETRONAS Trans-Himalayas 2005 is coming to an end. Without no one realizing that our days were passing by so quickly.

It was dragging drive in the last few days. As the convoy was approaching more developed regions in the East, the traffic was getting heavier with busses and trucks transporting industrial and agricultural masses. Some roads were narrow; with construction works worsened the condition, caused us to fight for our rights of way. Anthony Wong and Pipath had to put up with their last minute vehicle mechanical problems. The drivers and the rest of the team members were enduring their driving fatigue and anxiety. But all of these could only make us more determined to reach our final destination. Nothing could be worse than the journey through the Tibetan’s high mountain passes and dusty routes or the Laos’s landslides-prone off-roads.

The final Halim’s convoy radio communication before reaching Shenzhen was rather emotional to most of the team members. Many of us shared our feeling about the whole journey and praised the good deeds that some of us had selflessly offered. I kept looking to the GPS navigation on the remaining distance to our final destination, with the prayer to God to ease our last miles. As the glimpse of Pavilion Hotel came into the sight, I could already heard the cheers of the people and the Chinese percussion filling the atmosphere. We finally made it after more than 15, 000 km of driving! And I have survived my toughest journey ever.

I have indeed received more than what I anticipated for by the entire experience. As a first timer, I have truthfully enjoyed the trip. I have leant that how privileged I am to be a Malaysian and it doesn’t take much to be happy or to make someone happy. I shall treasure the joy, the laughter and smiles of the people whom I have met along the way. Each day was a unique new surprise and one has to be quick adapting to the surroundings. Being in a big team such as this is rather interesting. Each one has been very special with their own characters. We were almost like family. The companionship shared during the expedition was truly remarkable. I will definitely miss the whole team.
This success was the success made possible by the team members and the strong leadership of the expedition leader and his management team, for which I really admire.

The journey may be over but the fascinating sights of Mount Everest, the warmth of the smiles, the experience of the journey and the brotherhood of my fellow team members will live forever.

This is Farid writing his last journal for the expedition and signing off from Shenzhen.

MYSTERIOUS TIBET
3rd September | The journey was getting tougher as we were entering Tibet province! “Alpha Bravo to Stingray....
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ON TOP OF THE WORLD
9th September | It was the proudest moment for everyone when we finally saw the glimpse of Mount Everest, or...
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THE HOLY CITY OF LHASA
14th September | Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, means "God’s Land" in Tibetan language. For Tibetans, it is one of the...
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WONDERS OF NATURE
22nd September | After the grueling journey to the Everest Base Camp, the journey home was not as easy as I thought....
read more

FROM NATURE TO CULTURE
26th September | If anyone ever wonders about the existence of heaven on earth, I think I have found one: Jiuzhaigou...
read more

THE LAST MILES
28th September | Day 40 to 43 Wanzhou – Yichang – Xiangtan - Shenzhen PETRONAS Trans-Himalayas 2005 is coming to an...
read more