I guess I'm pretty unlucky. The first time I try to go to Tibet, from Nepal, they close it due to SARS. This time I planned to do it by the book, so bought a ticket to Chengdu, China, where I can get all the proper permits and "tours," and arrange onward travel to Tibet. Immediatly after buying my ticket, I find out about the 40th anniversary of the TAR.

Finding information about what's going on in China is sketchy, especially Tibet. But the latest news is that they're not going to let anyone in until the 5th of September, and they may extend that.

I'm not too worried. I'll just start my tour of China first, then hit Tibet on the way back. Third time's a charm, right? Of course that means starting in Chengdu, which is sort of like starting a tour of the USA in Denver. If I would have known about this, I would have bought a ticket to Beijing instead.