"The second half of the journey on to Gyantse took us over more passes, though not as high as the one in the morning. Once again I would have welcomed the opportunity to make a few short stops to record some of the attractive landscapes and villages, many of which seemed to cling to the hillsides.
 
As I got off the bus in Gyantse who should be waiting to board but the Israeli girl I had met in Golmud. I would like to have heard the story of how she had got through, but the bus was soon on its way again and there was only time for her to recommend a nearby hotel. The hotel, that stood in its own grounds enclosed on 3 sides by tall trees, was modern and looked like a transplant from Costa Brava! Nevertheless I was pleased to find it, especially when I was told I could have a comfortable room with private bath for £5 a night.
 
Gyantse, Tibet’s fourth largest town, had a population of about 10,000. Built on the edge of a flat fertile plain with mountains behind, it was like Lhasa, dominated by a large rock in the centre. On top of this stood the remains of the 14th century fort that had once made it a strategic point on the main Lhasa road.
 
It’s interesting to note, that when the British expeditionary force arrived from India in 1904 they found this fort a formidable obstacle, and were forced to lay siege for several weeks before storming it." - MH