Few 1.1. foreigners (FOREIGN) have been lucky enough to set foot on Tibetan soil – Alec Le Sueur spent five extraordinary years there, working for an international hotel chain. Against the breathtaking beauty of the Himalayas he unfolds a 1.2. highly (HIGH) amusing and politically enlightening account of his experiences. Fly infestations at state banquets, hopeful groups of mountaineers preparing for their Everest adventure, the unbelievable Miss Tibet 1.3. competition (COMPETE), an unexpected delivery of live snakes, insurmountable communication problems and a dead guest are just some of the entertainments to be found at the ‘Fawlty Towers’ of Lhasa. Daily challenges are increased by the fragile political situation. Le Sueur examines the 1.4. intriguing (INTRIGUE) cultural background of Tibet, thus providing a fascinating insight into a country which still remains hardly 1.5. penetrable (PENETRATE) to today’s traveller.
adapted from The Hotel on the Roof of the World by Alec Le Sueur