Day 16 - Tibetan Border 2

After a tricky night we are assembled at about 08:30 to head to the border. Our escort seems pretty efficient and the border itself is pretty quiet so we get through fairly easily and quickly - although it can't be said to live up to its name; the Friendship Bridge. 

Unloading the van

Not happy about something!

Heading up to the border

Heading up to the border

Friendship bridge from the Tibetan side - no photography allowed anywhere near it and we aren't going to risk our cameras with Everest round the corner and no way to replace them!

Loading our trucks on the Tibetan side

Once through we are reunited with our main bags and all the rest of the group gear which is being loaded onto a lorry (photo). We head into the small border town, Zangmu, on the Tibetan side for some tea and an early lunch whilst various bits of paperwork are completed. The infrastructure is so much more advanced than on the Nepalese side - amazing what difference there can be by being born on one side of a valley than the other!

After a rather good lunch (Chinese food!) we set off for a place called Naylam where we will probably stay for the night, buy final things for camp (pillow, local SIM card etc). Then off to Tingri to buy fresh food before the final run in to BC.
 

Supper in a really rather chilly Nylam

Getting a Sim proves a real challenge as the options are rather strange for foreigners and the chap in the China Mobile shop speaks no English. I really have no idea quite what I have got when I leave the shop - nor more worryingly how long it lasts for; expiry seems to be a real but unclear issue! Later on it turns out that he has given me an incorrect SIM card for my iPhone. Luckily the shop is still open so I go to exchange it but apparently it was my fault and I have to use my last remaining yuan to buy a new one.