Transportation: Trains, planes and bicycles, plus a few more...

I will probably add more vehicles while in Thailand, but in Lhasa, these are the main modes of transportation - beside foot traffic. More and more people are learning to drive (scary thought) so more and more cars on the road, on the sidewalks, on the bike lane.

New road from airport into city traffic. The mountains change colour as the sun moves across the sky.

3 lanes of traffic turn left at the same time, into one lane - question: does it make the flow faster or slower???

These fellows work hard! But you have to watch out for them as you cross the road.












3-wheeled motorized carts/wagons carry people, freight, groceries.

There is a 3-wheeled truck under this load of styrofoam, and nothing fell off as we followed him for many blocks.
















"Bed toppers for sale...."

And this half-ton is carrying....
think heat, think cows, think patties (no, not hamburger patties) - dried cow patties (dung) for burning in stoves.

Covered trucks bring frozen yak meat from the countryside.

Another 3-wheeler for delivery.

A huge truck of raw coal which backed into the tiny business across the street.

Now, this is the way suburban bus rides look like, into the countryside.

And this is a not-yet full bus on our way downtown - it's hard to see but there are people waiting in both front and rear doorwells.
Best part - a ride (no transfers) only costs Y1 (20cents).

For this shot I raised the camera above my head and pressed. One day I counted 8 people touching me. Another day I had to move around because a fellow let his bag of yak leg keep swinging against my shin. Some days a polite person will give me their seat when they leave - so nice when you have 2 grocery bags full! Sometimes I get to smile and play with a baby, or talk to someone who wants to practice their English, or hold someone else's parcel on my lap, or just exchange smiles with another. One boy gave me a stick of his gum. His mother encouraged him to say "Hello, glad to meet you."

3-wheelers are used to carry maintenance crews around our campus and to collect the cut grass.

Bicycles - need a lock and chain - but sometimes the lock jams....

Sometimes I have to stop my bicycle so the cows can cross the sidewalk. I think these were the fore-mentioned group that saunter up my side street every day (yes, that is me in the pink.)

 And there are trains! This is the first class compartment that was home for 2 days. Air-conditioned (it was freezing outside), dining car 2 down, washroom at the other end of our car, food cart came by hourly, or you could get off at daily stops to buy hot food from venders. 
More in the next blog.....