Half-empty train, about 13 cars total. I had the fortune (?) of sharing a car with a tour group from Guangdong. Their group gasps every time something new rolled into view had me wondering why they didn’t asphyxiate. (Not that I wanted them to)

Example:

(mountain passes by)

First Guandong tourist: oooooo! a mountain

30 Guangdong tourists (in unison): ooooooooooooooooOOOOOOO!

Anyway, the peculiar mass-psychology of certain tourist types aside, the train is an excellent introduction to Tibetan geography. Highly recommended if you have the time, and haven’t visited the area before. 26 hours from Xining, and at least double that from any other city. I’m in Lhasa now finishing some work and arranging a trip to Mt. Kailash. More pictures, all taken from the train can be seen here.