25/07/2026
When we finally touched down on China soil in Cheng Du after over 10 hours of flight and hours spent waiting at the airports as well as car rides, we checked in at our hotel late in the evening. As I removed my hiking shoes and sat on the bed imagining a good night rest, only to notice that my ankles and calves were swollen and red with rashes, the left side being significantly worse than the other. I could feel the warmth and tenderness on the left leg and suspected it might be deep vein thrombosis. I told Ace we need to pay a visit to the local emergency to seek medical attention immediately and we took off. The local hospital felt like an overwhelming maze, poorly lit, critically understaffed and we had to seek direction and advice on what exactly to do. Apparently we had to join different queues to make payments before we could get a doctor’s consultation or proceed with tests and treatments. So, being accessed at the entrance for the level of urgency, assigned a queue number, make our way to queue for payment then to the other building to make another payment and back at the entrance for ECG, followed by a consultation with a doctor who couldn’t administer the blood thinners injection instantly until the next day, then upstairs for blood test, of course after we figured out how to pay through the QR code machine. After they had skilfully drawn three test tubes of my blood for testing, we had almost spent three hours in the hospital. Though the blood test results will be available within an hour, I felt I needed rest more than anything else and hence we headed back to the hotel. The swellings had subsided on both my legs the following morning and my blood test results looked promising and positive, hence I opted for a refund for my blood thinners injection. Hospital bills were low and affordable even for foreigners like ourselves. At the hospital entrance, we noticed the same medical team still on duty. We thanked them sincerely for their assistance last night and in my heart, I truly appreciate their presence and dedication to helping the others. What an interesting way to gain perspectives and kickstart our remarkable adventure 🙏
Our family doctor expressed her concern and professionally advised against our planned trip to Tibet during our consultation with her pertaining to the types of high altitude sickness medication we should bring during our travel. I recalled her printing pages of medical information about the risks associated with high altitude exposure together with the medications and their long term as well as short term side effects. I remembered the firmness in her voice when she said “this is not a ‘fun’ trip”. I fully understand the depth of her concern because this same person said nothing when she administered a dozen of vaccinations to us, including Yellow Fever and Malaria, before we headed off to Africa two years ago. We are now talking about over 5000 metres above sea level, whereas Bunbury, where we live is merely 5-14 metres above sea level. We took her advice very seriously while understanding the consequences, we chose to go, to ascend to Tibet, the “Top of the World”, to answer our calling with courage, strength and of course, caution. The effects of high altitude sickness set in pretty quickly for me once we touched down in Lhasa. It seemed like I had gained 30 years overnight, my actions were slow, breathing got heavy and I barely had any stamina. I encountered crushing fatigue within an hour, whereby I could barely keep my eyes open and knocked out in bed, shivering under the blanket. It was a very warm and bright Summer day in Lhasa. I woke up to know that we had been dropped off at the wrong hotel and made our way to the right destination. We experienced throbbing headaches the next day, with Ace feeling them more intensely, he felt nausea and vomited. Once again, we visited the local hospital emergency department, only this time, I felt more prepared. The hospital was rather run-down and dim, amidst the usual hospital chaos as well as confusion and helplessness from the other tourists also struggling with high altitude conditions, I quickly figured where to pay, queue and wait. Ace was sent to two hours of oxygen therapy. While I stood waiting at the corridor of the emergency department, I witnessed patients being sent through in wheelchairs with injuries as they fell from vehicles or stairs when they lose consciousness due to the lack of oxygen to their brains. Some vomited in the hallway while waiting in the queue to be seen by the doctor, while the doctor would try to wake those unconscious patients up and asked if they feel any pain or fractures in their bodies. Well, I was reminded of those scenes from the ER medical dramas, only this time in flesh and blood. Hospital emergency rooms serve as a stark reminder of human vulnerability, stripping away daily routines and forcing an immediate confrontation with our fragile nature. Ironically, I stood amidst the chaos in quiet calmness, for what I see in play is human resilience, trust and love. The presence of the loved ones with the patients, either crying with fear of losing them or being heartbroken in silence. Ace was confined to bed for the following 3-4 days, having to rely heavily on the oxygen machine especially during sleeping. I recalled wearing a thick winter coat during warm afternoons while buying us meals as I was freezing and was so glad that the kind lady never failed to offer me a cup of hot water.
Ace arranged for the next available flight out of Lhasa while still recovering in bed, we would have to abort all our plans in Tibet. Despite all, we did not succumb to taking the medications we had with us all the while. For me, there is a deep knowing in my heart that I need no medicine as I fully trust my body is capable to acclimatise to the conditions and my mind is resilient enough to handle the situations. The possibility of drawing closer to the Himalayas for me whereas Mount Everest for him has been tugging on our heartstrings. With magic in our souls, courage in our hearts and caution in our minds, we then finally decided to continue our magical journey, our further ascension from 3650 metres to 5100 metres on this sacred land. Truly believe that some of the greatest rewards in life lie just beyond the moments when we most feel like giving up 🙌🗺️🏔️
