Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
stuffs, making well-balanced, tasty meals possible on the trail. Even in Shigatse and the
smaller cities there are many foods suitable for trekking.
Vacuum-packed red meat and poultry, as well as packaged dried meat, fish and tofu, are
readily found in Lhasa. Varieties of packaged and bulk dried fruits are sold around the city.
You can even find almonds and pistachios imported from the USA.
Dairy- and soybean-milk powders can be used with several kinds of prepackaged cer-
eals. Oatmeal and instant barley porridge are widely available in the supermarkets. Pickled
and dried vegetables are good for dressing up soups and stir-fries. For an added touch, In-
dian pickles and curry powders are available in shops near the Barkhor. Lightweight veget-
ables such as seaweed and dried mushrooms can do wonders for macaroni and instant
noodles. Wholemeal Chinese noodles made of various grains are now on the supermarket
shelves as well.
Cooking mediums include butter, margarine, vegetable oil and sesame oil. Butter can be
preserved for long treks or old butter made more palatable by turning it into ghee (boil for
about 20 minutes and then strain). All kinds of biscuits and sweets are sold in Lhasa and
the larger regional towns, while decent-quality Chinese and Western chocolate is available
in Lhasa.
Drink
As wonderfully cold and clear as much of the water in Tibet is, do not assume that it's safe
to drink. Livestock contaminate many of the water sources and Tibetans do not always live
up to their cultural ideals. Follow Tibetan tradition and eliminate the monotony of drinking
plain water by downing as much tea as you can. You can buy Chinese green tea in all its
varieties in every city and town in Tibet. If you're offered Tibetan yak-butter tea, have it
served in your own cup as per tradition - this eliminates the risk associated with drinking
from used cups. More like a soup than a tea, it helps fortify you against the cold and re-
plenishes the body's salts.
TREKKING ROUTES
Detailed descriptions of several popular treks are given here. They offer fantastic walking,
superb scenery and, with the exception of Lake Manasarovar and Mt Kailash, are close to
Lhasa or the main highways. Walking times given are just that: they don't include breaks,
