Lhasa to Tsetang

Driving out of Lhasa for Tsetang, 183 km southeast of the city	Vehicle substitution required when the tour operator provided a vehicle with no seat belts	The guide said "we don't use seatbelts" - I said "I just have one life"	Caohejing Road - the Beijing Olympics had ended just prior to my 2008 visit
Rugged rocky pinnacles rising over Lhasa	Impressive new building on the west side of Lhasa	Leaving Lhasa to the west on Caohejing Road	Impressive new building on the west side of Lhasa
We turn left here towards Lhasa's Gongkar Airport, 94 km from the city	The road along the west bank of the Lhasa River showing autumn colors	Prayer flags spread across the road	Brief stop at a roadside shrine
Large rock-cut painted Great Buddha at km 11	TibetOct08 1051.jpg	Rock carving of White Tara, km 11 on Lhasa Airport road	New official looking building around km 12 of highway between Lhasa and the Airport
No seatbelt? Yeah, right!	Road south from Lhasa along the Lhasa River	Road south from Lhasa along the Lhasa River	Slow moving vehicle
Road south from Lhasa along the Lhasa River	Leaves starting to change color, early October	Turnoff for the new bridge-tunnel-bridge for Lhasa Airport - Rikaze straight on	There is a new bridge across the Lhasa River opened in 2005
The new bridges and tunnels reduced the distance from Lhasa to the airport from 95 to 55 km	Crossing the Lhasa River	The entrance to the new tunnel between Lhasa and the airport at Gonkar	The tunnel is 2.5 km long
Emerging on the south side of the tunnel	The airport shortcut is completed by the new bridge over the Yaluzangbu River	Yarlung Tsangpo River (Yaluzangbu) the highest major river in the world	In India, the Yarlung Tsangpo River becomes the Brahmaputra
Main channel of the Yarlung Tsangpo River	Forest chowing autumn colors on the south bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo River	Gongkar, the small town where Lhasa's airport is located	Lhasa Gonggar Airport (LXA) elevation 11,811 ft
China Petroleum, Gongkar	Tibetan woman collecting firewood along the road, Gangshung	Gangshung School - the Chinese consider bringing schools to Tibet to be one of their achievements	Rugged stone house common in the small villages outside Lhasa
Heading east for Tsetang along the south bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo River just past Drashung	Sturdy stone out along the Yarlung Tsangpo River	Building in Chedzhol Dzong flying the Chinese flag over a fancy gate (N28.2814/E91.1136)	Tibetans waiting for the bus perhaps
Heading east for Tsetang along the south bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo River	Tibetan home with a large haystack	Passing through the driver's village (Drachi?) we stopped for a short visit	Kids in the driver's village
The driver's house	The driver's house	The driver's house	The driver and his son with yak butter tea
The colorfully decorated living room of the driver's house	The driver's kitchen, complete with Mao and Hu Jintao photos	Professional painters come and decorate the house interiors	The driver's daughter taking me on a walk through the village
The driver's village, about halfway between Gonggar and Tsetang	Ornate gateway to a Tibetan home	The driver's village	The driver's village
The driver's village	The driver's village	The driver's village	The main road along the south bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo River
Back on the road headed for Tsetang	The road rejoins the south bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo River	I was surprised to find sand dunes along the road	Sand dunes on the south bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo River just west of Tsetang
Sand dunes on the south bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo River just west of Tsetang	Sand dunes on the south bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo River just west of Tsetang	The road to Tsetang