How many years Namtso Lake has been waiting for me, so many years have I been waiting for you.
There are thousands of sunrises in the world, but only here are all kinds of customs
For many travelers, getting up early for sunrise is really a love-hate activity. Even though there are attractive scenery, for modern people, getting up early has become a very strenuous task.
Sunrise, the scenery we experience most frequently, has become a luxury instead.
"Getting up early ruins the day", this saying is still applicable during travel, if there is no special reason, I would rather sleep soundly, eat a warm meal, and then start the day's journey.
I have seen different kinds of sunrises in many places, from mountaintop sunrises to seaside sunrises, from city sunrises to aerial sunrises, the experiences are different, but the impressions are similar.
Wait, in fact, there is a very special sunrise - the Namtso sunrise. Although talking about the scenery, I dare not say that the sunrise here is the most beautiful in the world, but in terms of experience, coming here to watch the sunrise will definitely be a unique experience that will never be forgotten in a lifetime.
Nam Co, located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau on the roof of the world, is one of the three holy lakes in Tibet. Watching the sunrise here, in addition to the stunning beauty, the biggest difference should be the harsh local environment.
Maybe to watch the sunrise in most places, it is very difficult to overcome the sleepiness and get up from the bed, but in Namtso, it is very active to get up early, or because it is difficult to fall asleep, you have to go out to watch the sunrise.
Living in a simple prefabricated house by the lake, at an altitude of nearly 4,800 meters, the cold weather and hypoxic environment on the plateau make it difficult to fall asleep. It's no small challenge.
It's cold on the plateau all night, just to meet you
Of course, the sunrise in Namtso is also shocking enough.
As the second largest lake in Tibet and the third largest saltwater lake in China, this slightly embarrassing ranking has not affected the sacred status of Namtso and its high popularity among tourists.
As a traveler entering Tibet for the first time, if you don’t come to Namtso to have a look, you will inevitably feel that there are some shortcomings.
It was almost midnight when we drove from Lhasa to Namtso. We climbed over mountains and ridges all the way, and finally arrived at the only accommodation by the Namtso Lake. Except for the scattered lights in the accommodation area, the surroundings are completely silent, only the cold wind keeps rustling.
Seeing this shabby living environment made me feel even colder even when I was suffering from hunger and cold. Fortunately, I am also a person who goes with the situation.
After eating, I huddled in a small room with air leakage and fell asleep with difficulty. I was sandwiched between the quilt and the electric blanket, which was still not enough to resist the cold on the plateau.
In the early morning of the next day, before dawn, I packed up my luggage in a daze, and prepared to enjoy the sunrise in the starry sky. Of course, the main reason was to get my body moving as soon as possible. By the Namtso Lake in the early morning, lying on the bed was simply amazing. It's just torture.
Namtso still couldn't see my fingers, and there were a few scattered stars in the sky. At this time, I had no intention of admiring them, but I could only shiver in the cold wind.
After a while, the sky in the distance began to turn pale, and the sky was about to dawn, and the outline of the surroundings began to gradually become clear.
After a closer look, I didn't expect that the lake of Namtso was so close, only about one or two hundred meters away from the place where we slept last night. It can be said that I have been in close contact with Namco for several hours, but I have not seen her true face until now.
In a purgatory-like environment, it seems like heaven in front of you
Namtso means "heavenly lake" in Chinese, which means the lake in the sky. It is rare in the world. After seeing the real face, it is indeed worthy of the name.
The first time I saw Namtso, there was only one thought in my mind. I was tortured by the purgatory environment for so long, and it was finally not in vain!
Until now, I can still clearly remember the scene at that time.
In the purgatory-like environment, it seemed like heaven in front of my eyes, what was riding in the car, what was being frozen, the pain and torture of the previous night disappeared at that moment.
Climb up a nearby hill to enjoy a better bird's-eye view. It may be a little bit reluctant to call him a small dirt bag. At such a high altitude, walking on flat ground will be tiring, not to mention this small dirt bag, which makes people breathless when climbing up.
A few years ago, after seeing the sapphire blue of Yamdrok, I had a prejudice in my mind. Probably there should be no more beautiful lake in the world than Yamdrok, but after seeing Namtso in front of me, I found that wrong.
Please forgive my immature writing, and I cannot accurately describe the Namtso I have seen in words. Perhaps this beauty should not be replaced by words.
At this time, the sun rose slowly from the horizon, and the morning sun evenly sprinkled on the lake of Nam Co, making the world brighten up. The entire lake is like a crystal clear mirror, spotless, embedded in the mountains of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
In the distance is the Nyainqentanglha Mountain, which is covered with snow all the year round. It has been guarding Namtso forever. The continuous snow-capped mountains are the best companion of Namtso. If there is no Nyainqentanglha Mountain, the beauty of Namtso will definitely be inferior.
Time passed quickly, and the sun rose to the sky in a short while. Maybe we were so fascinated by watching the sunrise that we ignored the passage of time.
On the way back to Lhasa after leaving Namtso, I suddenly realized that it was a pity that I forgot to have a close contact with Namtso. I don’t know when we will meet again, that’s all, maybe this is also part of the trip!
Practical information Tips:
Location: Namtso Nature Reserve, Damxung County, Tibet
Mode of transportation: It is recommended to drive by yourself, the road leading to Namco should have been repaired now, or you can charter a car from Lhasa
Ticket cost: 120 yuan/person in peak season, 60 yuan/person in off-season
Suitable season: May to October every year
Matters needing attention: There is only one accommodation on the Namtso Lake. There are about a dozen accommodations with similar conditions. They are all simple prefabricated houses, which will be demolished in winter, so the environment is relatively difficult, so you must be mentally prepared.
In addition, pay attention to prevent altitude sickness and keep warm. If you have physical problems, don't hold on. Although the scenery is beautiful, your body is still important.
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