The Psychology of Travel

The travellers’ co-op in Lhasa

This is Chapter 23 from my Tibet memoir which describes the most unusual Tourist Information Centre I’d ever come across… Before the end of my first week Lhasa had me hooked and I knew I should stay, settle down for …

The casual exuberance that is Lhasa

The new place we went to was a grimy truck stop with Tibetan pilgrims from all over the country, people who looked weather-beaten and dangerous in their long woollen coats. Some of them had swords. The manager was a barrel-chested …

A critical look at backpackers

As I looked out of the window of my dormitory I thought this must be the smallest capital city in the world. The only traffic was an occasional tractor, or a truck, moving at walking pace, and lots of …

The trucker’s mate had a sword

The next morning I set off early and within an hour reached the massive turquoise lake I had seen from the hilltop the previous day. Some time later an old truck rattled past and ground to a halt ahead. It …

The turquoise lake

The next day I walked out of Gyantse in the direction of Lhasa. After a few hours I came across a scruffy old bus that was full of Tibetans and parked by the roadside. I stuck my head in the …