Tibet Tourism Series 6: A Soul-stirring Journey to Medog

When we were going to Medog, we got a pass through a travel agency in Lhasa. Now we have arrived at 24K and met the first frontier post. Armed police soldiers check vehicle documents with live ammunition, register their identity documents, and finally check the vehicles, requiring four-wheel drive vehicles to pass, and need to apply for speed limit tickets. The most important thing is to go together, and there are necessary trailer tools and so on. At this time, my mother was a little hesitant. Should she move on or come back? My dad is very determined and keeps going.

We have neither companions nor tools. Once we are stuck in the road, it is dangerous to go forward and backward. The inspector gave us time to think about it, so he went to check another car. At this time, my dad stepped on the gas pedal and passed the checkpoint without taking the speed limit.

There is a parking lot in front. We saw several cars camping there, so we stopped with them. The endless Yarlung Zangbo River is hidden among the green trees on our side. On the other side are huge cliffs, cliffs and waterfalls. Timid people are afraid at the sound. The turbulent river takes off like a propeller with a loud sound. At this time, the temperature is still very low and it feels chilly.

Free car wash at the splashing waterfall. Others stood there taking pictures, and accidentally fell down and became a drowned rat. We stood in the open space, enjoying the beautiful scenery and listening to their discussion. They said that a friend told us that the speed limit fine is particularly harsh, so we must be careful and never enter the checkpoint one minute in advance. In order to waste time, we rest and chat in the open space. In fact, this rest is really to save strength, and the next journey is the most difficult. I can't even cry for help. ......

24K is probably the fastest section of the whole Zamo section, and the road conditions are better. Incoming vehicles get on the wrong bus at any time without hindrance. Then we headed for the 52K checkpoint. At 24K, we didn't fill in the speed limit slip. My mother heard from the people at the checkpoint that safety is the first thing to have companions and rescue tools. I thought about it before I went in. At that time, I hesitated and forgot the speed limit. At present, there is no speed limit ticket and it is put on hold at the checkpoint.

If we make up our minds to return to China at this moment, there will be no adventure, no seasons and no beautiful scenery behind us! Fortunately, the police on duty at the checkpoint have a special line. They didn't delay our trip. They quickly checked and communicated with the 24K checkpoint, and reissued the speed limit ticket for us within ten minutes before we could move on.

No matter whether it is mobile or Unicom, there is no signal here. 52K scenery is very beautiful. It is said to be a virgin forest with all kinds of exotic flowers and herbs. This is a vivid natural museum!

Out of the 52K checkpoint, the road was bumpy and muddy, and it didn't feel too difficult to walk. Just as we stayed at the checkpoint to go through the formalities, several SUVs followed us. So my dad took the initiative to say hello to them, and they were very happy. They asked us about the alert at the checkpoint and the road ahead, saying that there were many cars with tools, which would definitely help the rescue.

In this way, we will have company, and it is more practical for us to walk together. Because they are both coming to Medog for the first time, they encourage each other and form a team of sincere cooperation. The first one is a Hummer, and the second one is a Land Rover. We are a domestic car caught in the middle. As long as the car in front passes by, my dad can follow. I wore a five-point seat belt for myself, otherwise I would fly in the air when the car bumped. In fact, this is not such a difficult road.

Because everyone's speed is not fast, they must arrive at the next checkpoint at the specified time and can't arrive ahead of time. If we exceed the speed limit by one minute, we will be fined 100 yuan. We have seen the police being fined on the spot when we arrived in Tibet. So our team found another waterfall, and we looked at the scenery while resting and replenishing.

We didn't see a canteen or a small restaurant on the way. Fortunately, my mother bought chocolates, cakes, sausages, fruits and a box of mineral water in Lhasa. Now the temperature has risen. When they first entered the 24K checkpoint, the police uncles were all wearing military coats. At the 52K checkpoint, the police uncle still wears a coat instead of a military coat. My dad kept the warm air on in the car when it was foggy, but now it's off. We will get hotter and hotter, and the altitude will drop.

We pinched it and entered the 80K checkpoint. The temperature here is very high. It feels like summer. Police uncles wear long-sleeved shirts or short-sleeved T-shirts. This is also the ticket office of the Yarlung Zangbo River Grand Canyon. You need your ID card to register and buy tickets. /kloc-children under 0/4 don't need to buy tickets. I don't need to buy a ticket. My father went to the checkpoint to register, and my mother spent 320 yuan to buy two tickets. The front of the ticket is the fructose scenic spot of Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon.

The Memba girl who listened to the ticket sales said, "Because the Grand Canyon is also called the Big Bend and looks like a lollipop, it is called fructose." She speaks Mandarin very well, at least I can understand it. At that time, we thought it should be close to Medog County, and everyone was very happy. Who would have thought my mother would cry like this next?

We started from Lhasa and walked along the Yarlung Zangbo River. The highway followed the river, turning and going straight. We are used to listening to the roaring river. Now we have entered a strange territory, and the rainforest is in front of us. There are many signs on the roadside telephone poles, and the most shocking one is leeches! My dad quickly closed the window. On both sides of the narrow dirt road, there are big banana trees like Hainan, and the leaves brush the windshield and roof of our car like handfuls of big brushes. Dewdrops on the leaves beat the windshield and roof like raindrops, and my father turned on the wiper and kept scraping.

It's stuffy in the car, the speed is slow and the air conditioner doesn't turn on. My mother saw colorful birds and beautiful big butterflies through the window. First she pressed the window, and then she wanted to get off and take pictures. My dad roared, "Don't die!"

At that time, my mother didn't know where the danger was. She just thinks my father is afraid of some leeches. I can feel my dad's nervousness. After all, we are crossing the rainforest. Suddenly, the car in front stopped and my dad stepped on the brakes. He said, "You can't park in this place. It is too dangerous. " My mother asked, "Is there something wrong with the car in front?" My dad said, "It doesn't look like it. It is estimated that there is something wrong with the road. " At present, driving in the fast-flowing water with no clear road, the slope is steep, but the distance between cars is also kept in a line.

After waiting for about ten minutes and watching the taillights flashing in front of my eyes, I can move on again. It turned out to be a small military iron bridge. Next to the small iron bridge, piles of big stones have collapsed. The big stone knocked down clusters of low palm trees and banana trees. I saw a monkey sitting on the top of a tree peeling bananas. Below the monkey is the swift Yarlung Zangbo River.

My mother is not so excited just now. I'm in a bad mood, too. The danger is just around the corner. I told myself not to think. My dad is a skilled driver. He promised not to slide into the turbulent Yarlung Zangbo River, and we wouldn't be hit by palm trees and banana trees. Our car waddled across the small iron bridge.

I heard my father take another deep breath and my mother stopped taking pictures noisily. She looks back at me from time to time. Her face is pale, and I know it's because of fear. There is only one road ahead, only one road, only one road, which is said to be the only life channel. The hardest road is 80K, and my heart is about to jump out! There are only the last 30 kilometers left from Medog County.

I looked at the scenery along the way through the windows on both sides and didn't think the tropical rain forest was beautiful at all. The car is still stuffy, because the air conditioner doesn't turn on, and the natural wind is not cold, but it can still breathe, so it won't suffocate. Along the way, the off-road vehicle was like an iron beetle struggling desperately. Whenever you encounter a small military iron bridge, the car behind you must step on the brakes and stare at the car in front of you completely before you can start the throttle. The speed is not as fast as expected. The car was driving on the small iron bridge, and its body shook with the iron bridge, trembling with fear. Cross the small iron bridge, continue downhill on the muddy road, and then plunge into the big puddle.

The advantage of four-wheel drive is that no matter what terrain, the car can always be controlled and will not slide to one side. The so-called road is a big pit connected to a big pit, and the exhaust pipe of the front car feels flooded several times. There were crackling raindrops on the roof, and big banana leaves rubbed against the glass on both sides.

The military small iron bridge is almost next to it. Very safe. You can't stay up all night. After crossing this long bridge, the road is still muddy, but it is much wider, and the banana trees and palm trees on both sides of the road are not so dense. The line of sight is very wide, and you can see the buildings with white walls and red tiles. Medog county is located halfway up the mountain, with an altitude of only 100 meters. Look at the road signs. There is still 10 km in Medog County. It feels like we are at the bottom of the valley and need to hover halfway up the mountain.

I finally passed through the dense forest and finally entered an open field, and my vision was broadened. The car stopped again. As you can see from the open boundary, there is a bridge under construction in front of the left. I finally saw many road builders besides tourists. A conductor holding a small red flag signaled us to stop. He is from Barrow with a machete around his waist.

Are we going to cross the bridge under construction, or can we only cross one car? One car must pass before another car can get on. When the little red flag came down, my dad started the car, leaned out of the window and said, "Thank you!" "The tire runs on a narrow sleeper with steel nails on both sides. As long as there is a slight deviation, it will not pass.

The bridge is very long, so it takes several minutes for each car to pass slowly. My dad used to drive on the Rolling Stone Ferry, and he was very accurate. I saw two doors on both sides of the bridge, both of which were written in big red letters: "Open at eight o'clock in the morning and close at eight o'clock in the evening". That is to say, if you want to go out of the city tomorrow, you must go after eight o'clock, otherwise you can't get out. Now we know the function of speed limit sheet, not only not speeding, but more importantly, safety guarantee.

They are simple iron bridges and muddy sections. When a car breaks down, the car behind it can't pass. The road is so narrow, one side of the road is the turbulent Yarlung Zangbo River, and the other side is the cliff. It's like a rugged and winding mountain road artificially dug in a virgin forest. It rains from time to time, and it is hot and unbearable. As the traffic bumps, my stomach is turning down. My dad said that we have to replenish supplies anyway, and fatigue is the most dangerous thing.

The bananas we usually eat are all Hainan bananas except imported bananas. Who knows that bananas are produced in Tibet? This is also the first time I have seen Tibetan bananas with my own eyes. Bananas produced in Tibet are sold at very low prices. Fifty dollars is three or four tons, weighing twenty or thirty kilograms. Bananas are small, soft and sweet. I deeply feel that Tibet is vast in territory and rich in natural resources, and I didn't know until I came. This adventure into Medog is a worthwhile trip.

(To be continued)

Previous article:

Tibet Tourism Series 1: Officially Opening the Snow Plateau Tour

Tibet Tourism Series II: Evening and Early Morning in Lhasa

Tibet Tourism Series III: Brilliant Jokhang Temple in Lhasa

Tibet Tourism Series 4: Self-driving mode has been started.

Tibet Tourism Series: Crossing the Beautiful Lulang Linhai

Tibet Tourism Series 5: Lulang Tongmai Bomi