Tibet is a tourist attraction that haunts many people’s minds. Remote frontiers, holy snow-capped mountains and lakes, mysterious religions, pious worshipers, different customs, and of course the highly rebellious and desolate no-man’s land, all of which attract everyone.
Finally, I made up my mind to go for it. After familiarizing with various strategy cheats, I started to prepare, including equipment, vehicles, vehicle condition checks, road books, and even a special physical examination. After everything is ready, considering the hardships and dangers of this trip, the experience value is zero, and the difficulty factor of single-person cycling is too high. After all, I don’t plan to pass away there. There are still n years of mortgages silently motivating me to live well. It is still reliable to form a team, cooperate with each other, and a friend in adversity sees the truth…
After all kinds of beautiful ideas, I couldn’t wait to open the commonly used WeChat applet to play Lubang. Looking for like-minded teammates, and the nightmare begins…
I found a post about a team driving from Beijing to Tibet, and the route was consistent with what I expected. The team leader was actually a car friend with the same car model as me, and my good impression was doubled. It also claimed that the whole process was a non-profit, open and transparent AA system. Only for traveling and meeting friends. Hastily chatted in detail on Weibo, let’s call this person “Achong”. We learned from the chat that Achong is considered an old gun in the off-road self-driving circle. He said that he has entered and exited Tibet seven times and has rich experience. I was secretly glad that I met a reliable team leader, and reminded him to try not to bring the elderly into Tibet for health reasons according to the guides he had read before. He replied affirmatively that there were no elderly people in the group.
Gossip less, on the day of departure, we met at the service area of Doudian. After greeting, the two aunts and uncles got out of his car. At that time, I had a bad feeling. He explained, one is his mother, The other is the old couple. They often come out to play after retirement. I won’t bother you guys. Later facts proved that I was indeed wrong. These old people are the most worry-free among the Cai colleagues.
Before leaving, Achong asked us to transfer the budget to him in one go, and he will arrange the board and lodging in a unified way, and share it after the return trip. Although this is not the same as the AA system I expected, it is reasonable and not No difference. When we arrived in Chengdu, the team was finally assembled. Among the four cars, I was the only one riding alone. In this way, in addition to refueling and self-care, other board and lodging attractions tickets are deducted from the pre-payment. Although we have no say in the time arrangement, scenic spot selection, and even lodging and ordering, we all listen to Ah Chong’s arrangements, but at any rate, we are safe and sound. into Tibet.
Not long after we set off from Qamdo, a Touareg in the same company had an engine failure and it completely collapsed. We had already dragged it on a mountain road with an altitude of more than 4,000 for two days because of the high water temperature. We called a tow truck to tow away the Touareg. The couple (I later found out that they are friends of Ah Chong) are really big-hearted, and they still want to continue walking with the team. The father and daughter of the previous car had already left the team because of a high reaction, and the remaining three cars became two cars. No less, without asking my opinion, Ah Chong, as the organizer, arranged the old couple and their luggage in my car without any explanation. The feeling at that time was: From this moment on, I am no longer a free A traveler in the mood, but a follow-up security car role.
Now that I come out to play, my mood is of course the first priority. All kinds of difficulties and uncertainties are already within my expectations. I think I am still a team player, so I am happy to help. Didn’t get bogged down in details.
The rest of the journey is full of climaxes, dizzying, and can be called an epic textbook-like existence.
After returning to Beijing, I learned that the old man had already paid him various fuel, toll and maintenance fees in the name of AA sharing before departure, and even vehicle wear and tear fees??
Afterwards, the old man sent me the bill that Ah Chong had made for him, and I realized that it was not much different from the cost of my single bicycle. That old couple is still a fucking old school friend! This is for a later story, so I won’t show it for the time being.
From Qamdo to the Aliguge Dynasty, the whole journey is nearly 3000km. During the 10-day journey, we refueled each way. The team leader did not say a word of thanks, let alone compensate for the fuel fee. But his friend was really sorry, and finally helped me add oil a few times. I also accept it. But when I came back to settle the accounts, the team leader actually deducted the gas fee from my advance payment? ! I really have never seen such a brazen person! It’s the same thing if I don’t care about you, but if you want to make a fortune from other people’s gas for me, you’re really a little crazy, right? !
The ridiculous thing is that Ah Chong must worship every temple during the whole process. He is very pious. What he wished is unknown, but we missed many scenic spots in our plan, so we just rushed to accompany him to worship the gods. In the end, even the old people slept in the car and waited for him to have fun.
Finally reached the end of this trip, the Aliguge Dynasty. (really “to endure”)
When I came out of the scenic spot and prepared to return, I felt relieved and prepared to escape in victory. The task of being a support vehicle has been completed, and I want to complete this hard-won trip according to my own wishes. I proposed to the team leader that I was going to leave the team on the grounds that I was unwell and worried about dragging everyone down. I was even ready to compensate him for the so-called “irresponsibility” for his extra car rental costs due to my parting ways. But the team leader completely shattered my plan and made me ashamed with the righteous and high-sounding “don’t abandon, don’t give up”, “you are sick, I left you here, what kind of brother?” Then I thought about it, these words are translated and you still have value, so I can’t throw them away.
Soon it was time to test the plastic friendship. On the return journey of more than 100 kilometers that day, due to a sharp bend, the brakes were not enough. My car rushed off the roadbed, and my grandfather in the same car was crushed and injured. Worried, because Ah Chong had been reminded more than once to provide travel accident insurance for the person in charge of him, so I hurriedly asked, but it was not provided, and the reason was that the AA system was not responsible for this.
Fortunately, the uncle is a sensible person with a super sunny attitude. On the contrary, he comforted us not to lose our interest, and the injury will be resolved on our own, and we will not embarrass anyone. It’s just that the old couple needs to end their journey early, return to Lhasa to arrange a flight, and return to Beijing for treatment in advance. With a lot of guilt, we hitch a ride and hurried back to Lhasa day and night.
At this time, the real climax has just begun…
There was a funny episode when I found the ride back to Lhasa in the hotel at the foot of Gang Rinpoche.
There are few cars in the vast land and it is off-season, so there are not many passing cars. Fortunately, there is still the Internet. At that time, Didi’s Shunfeng car business was not offline, so I posted a message asking for a ride. Fortunately, a master quickly took the order. And call to confirm the pick-up location. But Ah Chong asked me to cancel the order on the grounds that it was unreliable, and then gave the hotel proprietress 300 intermediary fees to let the proprietress find a car (of course, this money was finally deducted from our fee). The proprietress took the money, turned around silently and placed an order with Didi, and the master was still the one who took the order (not a coincidence, he was indeed the only one passing by that day).
Soon, the car arrived. After getting into the car, the master complained inexplicably and depressedly. We can only give up with a wry smile.
Three days later, I returned to Lhasa due to exhaustion by boat and car, and went directly to the hotel to rest. I had to wait for a tow truck for a few days before towing the car to Lhasa, and arranged for a 4S shop to fix the damage. Uncle needs to arrange a flight back to Beijing for treatment. The team leader and his friend went home to work on their own, and the team leader could only lead his mother back for a stroll.
In the end, the long-awaited trip to Tibet ended in such a hasty way. Sadly, everyone finally had a meal together, cherished each other, and prepared to part ways after dawn.
The climax always came unexpectedly at the end. Back in the room, just about to take a rest, the team leader and his friends came in one after the other with grim expressions.
The three of them sat in a circle, and Ah Chong finally saved up enough roles after smoking half a cigarette. With a serious expression, he wanted to borrow money, saying that his bank card had been folded and he couldn’t get it out. We must hurry up and book the air tickets for the old couple to return to Beijing for medical treatment in time. It is a blessing that the old man did not blame us. We must take the initiative and make a gesture to make the old man happy, so as not to change our minds in the future.
I heard the words were convincing and impeccable. I opened Alipay and prepared to transfer money to him. I found that the balance was only 2,700 yuan, which was just enough for the old man’s air ticket, and the cash in my pocket was only 200 yuan. Lhasa handles matters such as car repairs, plus daily expenses. Although you can contact family and friends to pay for emergency relief, but such a bad thing can be solved by yourself, and no one wants to alarm relatives and friends.
In addition, there is another reason that makes me uneasy, and it is also a difficult nodule for many travel friends who are in a similar situation.
in helping this matter. Since I don’t want what I want, I also don’t want side effects to irritate my upper body, so when it comes to borrowing money, I clearly express my attitude: It’s okay to borrow money, but the money is for you, Ah Chong, not for me. The so-called responsibility for the accident. If I need to bear it, I will solve it with the old man myself, and I don’t need others to make trouble in the middle. Moreover, if I give it all to you, I really can’t get rid of it.
Ah Chong fully agreed, and promised that I would help him settle the old man’s air ticket tonight, and he would also help me tide over the difficulties by transferring the money from his family the day after tomorrow. Things have come to this, I can only be cautiously optimistic, tossing and turning after the transfer. The next day I found a relatively cheap homestay and moved there.
Days passed like years until the agreed third day, and hurried to the hotel where the team leader stayed, hoping that he would fulfill his promise. Everyone else had gone their separate ways the day before. When I arrived, I was stunned by the scene in front of me. The couple who were the team leader were checking out and hurriedly packed their luggage and moved them to the car. If we were too late, we would be bye!
It was too late to say it, and then he hurriedly took a step forward to hold down the luggage, restraining the inner turmoil and asked calmly: Are you leaving? What about what you promised me?
As expected, Ah Chong has a strong psychological quality, and replied without thinking: “I probably did the math, the fee you paid before has been spent!” It’s all spent! ! It’s over!
At this moment, 10,000 grass and mud horses are galloping past in my heart…
Leaving those words behind, he closed the car door and left…
I was left alone, on the streets of Lhasa, thousands of miles away from home, feeling for the remaining 200 yuan in my pocket, staggering on the unfamiliar streets, my mind was blank, and I didn’t know what to do.
Although I soon received the repayment of the loan I lent to my friends before, it is no longer a financial problem, although the Jokhang Temple and the Potala Palace are nearby, and even though I have a lot of time to spend here, I am just dizzy all day long. Neglected in the hotel, feeling ashamed, listless, everything is dull. I only know that this trip has been GAME OVER.
A few days later, the car was finally towed to Lhasa. 4s told the car that it was located in a remote area and that there were not enough accessories, so it would take a month to repair it. Forget it, now I just want to end this bloody trip as soon as possible, so I booked a ticket to go home without waiting.
The night before the departure, Boss Qiu, the head of the off-road E family’s road shaker Beijing Column (Iron Shake Column), led the crowd to kill him. In a hot pot that seemed to be a farewell party, a reception, or a warmth from the neighborhood committee, it was very kind. I returned to my friends again as if I had been in a lifetime, with mixed feelings, and I returned to the shore.
The next day, I boarded the plane home without any worries…
The car was repaired a month later. Although it can be shipped home. But I decided to reload in the name of picking up the car, make a comeback, and try to make up for the shortcomings of this trip.
This time, although it is single-handedly, the degree of freedom is unprecedented. Throw away the road book and itinerary plan, trust the horse and let it go, and be safe with the situation. Feel the power of faith among the devoutly worshiping believers in Jokhang Temple, comprehend the desire to seek knowledge among the lamas in Sera Monastery, and witness the optimism and open-mindedness in the “77 Days” prototype Blue Sky Inn, on the shore of Yangzong Yongcuo Lake When the car was stuck, he was overwhelmed by the chivalrous Jianghu Ruyi who was rescued by the brothers who met by chance…
Overnight in Hoh Xil no-man’s land, the cuteness of Tibetan antelopes, the harmony of nature, the breathtaking brilliance of the Milky Way, the loyalty of border guards to defend the country, the cyclists seeking a ride in the rain, the Chaka Salt Lake with a false name… this is what it is. I want to travel.
Thanks to the first accident and story, I had a second solo trip and fulfilled my long-cherished wish.
After returning home, I went to visit the injured old man non-stop and shared the experience of this trip with the old man. Only then did I learn that on the last day in Lhasa, before Ah Chong came to me to borrow money, he gave away the injured old man’s money in the same name. More than 30,000 yuan was also cheated. In the end, the old man simply gave him the card and went home. For the sake of knowing his mother, the old man did not hesitate at that time. But when I got home, Achong used the excuse that I was still in Tibet, not to announce the bill to everyone, not to visit the elderly, without saying a word. Not only did he not repay the borrowed money for several months, he even secretly used the old man’s card to withdraw money. When I came to visit, the old man poured out all his grievances, and I realized how bad things were!
Before, I thought that some people were just cold-blooded and selfish to take advantage of it, but I didn’t expect that he would take advantage of the fire to rob people and make trouble!
Let me spread the word to everyone here: if you meet a car when you go out, no matter whether you charge or not, whether you voluntarily or not, once something happens, you are fully responsible! Ah Chong took money from the old man, but based on the current simple, rude and brain-dead legal standards, the old man can’t sue him.
So Ah Chong was sure that he could get away with it, frantically searched and exploited the old man, and had no intention of paying back the money at all. Because he knows. The old man couldn’t help him, and the final result was nothing more than the old man was unwilling to be cheated, so he blamed me, and I could only silently take the blame and bear everything for him.
