Shanghai'd

The entire saga of our first 48 hours in Shanghai/Chengdu/Lhasa/Kathmandu/Lhasa will take much more time to tell than I have at the moment, but for now here is the summary. I promise the rest will follow later, maybe over a beer. Trust me, it's worth the wait.

So, for the summary version ...

How NOT To Enter Tibet From China:

Step 1 - trust your local tour agency in Nepal to understand Chinese immigration policy.

Step 2 - try to enter Lhasa from Kathmandu with a Chinese work permit in the first place.

Step 3 - go to Chinese embassy in Kathmandu and consider cancelling your work permit in exchange for a temporary 30 day China tourist visa (this would be a really bad idea).

Step 4 - choose the week that the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu is shutting for 5 days for the National Holiday.

Step 5 - trust your local agent when he says it will be no problem boarding the Kathmandu to Lhasa flight with the rest of the group, despite the fact you have a Chinese work permit.

Step 6 - don't buy the transit flight through Lhasa to Chengdu from where you could legally enter Tibet.

Step 7 - realize at the Kathmandu airport that you are totally screwed and not getting on any flight at all.

Step 8 - panic, freak out, beg, plead with Kathmandu airport officials to let you on the plane.

Step 9 - learn that there are exactly 2 flights per week out of Kathmandu and they are booked solid.

Step 10 - get amazingly lucky and get on Chengdu flight (which stops over in Lhasa) via standby miracle.

Step 11 - have to rummage up $740 in 5 minutes to buy said standby flight.

Step 12 - freak out again and sprint out of airport to ATM machine, passing security guards packing intimidating heat.

Step 13 - board flight with rest of group bound for Lhasa (and then carrying on to Chengdu).

Step 14 - arrive at Lhasa airport and consider talking your way in then instead of having to do completely ridiculous, wasteful Lhasa-Chengdu-Lhasa round trip just to satisfy immigration policy.

Step 15 - play confused, pitiful, Tibet travel permit-less Americans with Chinese customs/immigration officers in Lhasa airport.

Step 16 - when all reasoning and logic fails, beg, plead, ass-kick your way into having them consider your case.

Step 17 - go in secret elevator up to second floor of airport to talk to "the boss man"

Step 18 - get the ok from "boss man" to enter Lhasa with rest of group.

Step 19 - wait for the most nerve-racking 30 minutes of your life while the rest of the group collects luggage to actually walk out the door.

Step 20 - take 2 steps outside the airport into Tibet.

Step 21 - be called back inside when Air China officials try to track down 2 Americans that are supposed to be on continuation flight to Chengdu.

Step 22 - stand back while Air China, Chinese immigration, Chinese customs and "boss man" argue your fate.

Step 23 - suffer minor heart attack (not really)

Step 24 - watch as Air China flight leaves without us. Feel pretty confident at this point.

Step 25 - rest of group finally arrives.

Step 26 - witness moment of truth ... "boss man" with passports and Tibet travel permits in hand ... gives the final ok.

Step 27 - grab closest luggage cart and sprint through doors (again) into Tibet (again).

Step 28 - breathe HUGE sigh of relief and swear never to try this again.