Lhasa

Lhasa - Until recently Tibet was the land that time forget, but now they also sell those watches here.

Crazy Yak Overture Audio

I have always wanted to visit the Himalayas and while Lhasa is two days from Everett, it was close enough to feel it. Due to the mountains, Tibet also maintained its isolation longer than most parts of the world, together with its unique specialization in spiritual thought it remains a very special place. However, China brought the world to Tibet in its infamous peaceful liberation.

On the way to Lhasa
Home Visit
Potala
Tibetan Idol Street Music Performances
Crazy Yak
The Market
Sera Monastery

The impact of the still clashing cultures is highlighted in the mystery novels of Eliot Pattison.

The Tibet guide gives an introduction to Buddhism, history, culture, as well Lhasa and Tibet. It has introductions by the Dali Lama and Richard Gere.

On the way to Lhasa

Flying from Xian to Lhasa we passed over an amazing view of mountains.

The news has been about the train to Lhasa that opened this year but the airport is clean and modern. It's a 60km drive to Lhasa along the Lhasa river with villages near the road and mountains in background - a bumpy but beautiful trip.

Roadside cafe

Lhasa River Bend

Mountain Reflection

River view

Small Town Tibet

At 13000 meet Lhasa is a two and a half mile city compared to Denver Mile High status, thus altitude sickness is a concern. The recommendation I read was "When you arrive, take a rest. Don't get carried away with your first trip and do anything too drastic," said the alert, adding that soothing drugs … would help alleviate the symptoms. The consensus was that you must rest when you arrive for a day or more or a week if you are heading to the mountains. Our tour had two people that couldn't function at all with the lowered oxygen during our stay. Others used medication, oxygen bottles, and oxygen pillows (a pillow that when you squeezed it released some extra oxygen your way.)

I was felling light headed and bought a local remedy suggested by a tour guide, it worked for me.

Walking around corner of the hotel I found several women who laid out blankets covered with trinkets, jewelry, and tourist articles. They were persistent but not as physical compared to those in Beijing – perhaps a benefit of the lowered oxygen.

In many ways they reminded me of southwestern native Americans. The houses along the road coming into the city were small courtyard designs looking like the adobe houses in southwestern US. No zoning was in place so houses, trailers, and animals intermingled at will. The people have high cheek bones and darker skin than the Chinese again similar to the Navaho and Hopi. Their jewelry was also similar consisting of silver, beads, and turquoise. Plus they also have a strong spiritual belief system distinct from western religion. Unfortunately, too many also struggle with alcohol and a depressed work ethic.

Windhorse is a film that uncovers Tibetan family life while promoting its message of freedom. Great views of the market, Lhasa, and the villages. It also reveals the secret to making yak butter tea!

Tibetan Dinner Deconstruction - Dinner at Sundowner Inn including barbeque yak meat, spicy chicken, the usual vegetables, soup, and of course watermelon for desert. Somehow I don't think Watermelon is native to Tibet.

In the morning, I walked to river after breakfast. I passed three woman walking together, one walking her dog the other two swinging their prayer wheels. We saw many people practicing there religions devotions in Lhasa on a daily basis.

Changing River View

I also passed an Army station. Lhasa is said to have 200k Tibetans, 200k Chinese immigrants, and an unmentioned 350K Chinese soldiers (just in case). The hotel was in the Han (Chinese) section of town. The highlights are in the older and still mostly Tibetan central part of town.

Walking around the Potala, an act of devotion.

Others have business on their minds.

Home Visit
We stopped to visit a visit a middle class family with 4 generations living in an old courtyard house.

They used this Solar heater for water, and heated 1 room using left over wood pallets and yak dung.

The Grandmother and mother used to make carpets now sew, father teaches history at mid level school. Also living in the house are their twenty five year old daughter and her child.

Middle Class Worries

Smiling Faces of Benevolent Dictators - a required PC balance to the religious paintings.

The home includes a special religious room with small beds set aside for an annual visit by a monk and lama.

The Grandmother walks around Polata each day. They served us the two special Tibetan drinks - Yak butter tea & beer. The Yak butter tea drew at best mixed reviews but I heard no complaints about the beer.

Home Kitchen

Home Toilet

Beer and mountains seemed to go as well in Tibet as Colorado although they favor different brands. Say Yi Ping Pijiu for a bottle of beer, Gan Bei! for Cheers!, and Hen Hau Chi! for Tastes good! No translation for less filling.

Lhasa Market View

The market

Potala
The Polata is 400 ft higher than 13300 of the city requiring extra effort and oxygen to reach the top. It was the world's largest building until we started building skyscrapers.

The two tones of the building have significance. The Dali Lama and the Tibetan government traditionally use the palace. The Red is for the religious portion while White indicates the parts used for government offices. All but two of the Dali Lama's are buried in casket hidden in elaborate golden statues.

Kundrun is a film by Martin Scorsese about the life of the current Dali Lama.

Little Buddha is a fantasical story of an American child being evaluated at the reincarnation of a lama, it includes flashback to the life of Siddharta played by Keanu Reeves.

Looking up the Potala

Mountain View seen from the base of the Polata

Mountain View across from the Polata

Up the Potala - a long walk

Mountain View from the top of the Potala. Sorry no pictures allowed inside the Polata

When you go up, you must go down the Potala

This woman saw me taking pictures and stepped away from her husband and child to pose for me.

Mountain View

Potala Toilet, I thought the zero star rating was a little harsh compared to others I had seen. At least it had a great view.

Mountain View

New apartments built between the Polata and the mountains

Prayer Flags

Prayer Flags on the Potala

Mountain View

Two Icons of Lhasa. Walking back to the hotel I passed through the center of town with Tibet’s icon - a Wild Yak. And then there is the commercial icon on the billboard behind it.

Yak Statue

Tibetan Idol - Music performances
These young musical prodigies stopped me while I was walking back and played for their supper. A lock for when they start up Tibetan Idol, send in your votes now.

Contestant Number 1

Contestant Number 2

Crazy Yak
Dinner was at the Crazy Yak followed by a set of folk dances and music. Yak Yak Yak.

Crazy Yak Cafe

The house band similar to American Mountain music included Hammer dulcimer, ehru (fiddle), hand drum, cymbals, sanxian (banjo), and singer.

Crazy Yak Cafe House Band

Tibetan Dancer

Tibetan Dancers

Crazy Yak Cafe

We arrived with the 1st snow of year on the local mountains

Every Tibetan tries to make the pilgrimage to the Jokhang temple at least once in their life. It's the most holy temple in Tibet. We visited on a Wednesday when the lines were extra long because the current Dali Lama was born on a Wednesday. The locals often walk around the temple, there are three concentric circles with separate walkways. The largest circles the entire old city.

Pilgrims will walk or if lucky hitch part of the way to make it to the temple. The most dedicated will prostrate themselves as they travel. Essentially lying facing down getting up and repeating the motion for each body length. Outside the temple, you can see many people and families spending the morning prostrating themselves. Their prayers are for everyone, prayers for individual benefit are not kosher.

The Tibetans wait on long lines and are pushed and prodded by guards to keep moving once inside the temple. Westerns have a separate line and can breeze through but are not allowed in the small chapels that the Tibetans go through - a trade off for the believers. Chanting ommanipadmehum they move through the chapels stopping to lay their heads against the stone or glass, sometimes leaving money.

This family brought their young monk from Northern Tibet. It took them three months to make the trip. They will then stock up at the market and share a truck ride home with others.

Jokhang Pilgrims

Jokhang Pilgrim

Mother and Child

Tibetan Family

Prayers Wheels

Jokhang Pilgrims

The Market
The Barkhor is a market that surrounds the temple. It is visited by Tibetans from around the country and tourists from around the world. The market had the best behaved vendors we encountered I didn't have to say Ming du (no) very much - maybe a benefit of the religion or the low oxygen levels?

Barkhor

Ancient Thing Store

Buddha Calling?

We discovered a supermarket I dubbed the "Harris Tibet" after the US brand “Harris Teeter.” I blame the low the level of oxygen.

Meat Market

DIY clothing, home spun wool and thread.

Snacks

Tibet Supermarket

Shopping

Roof top view from a restaurant in Lhasa aka a view from the rooftop of the rooftop of the world.

Barkhor Market in downtown Lhasa

Barkhor Shoppers

A group of monks visiting Lhasa from the countryside to beg for money to rebuild their monastery. Most monasteries were heavily damaged or destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.

Jokhang

Sera Monastery
The Sera monastery is a teaching center for monks where debates are held in old Sanskrit. Even local Tibetans can't understand the repartee but the monks are enthusiastic and obviously enjoying themselves. A slap with the palm down indicates a correct response, if it is palm side up one should study harder. Not the stereotype of the monk contemplating his navel. It can make you wonder, are they questioning each other on the finer points of scripture, or if the westerner in the blue jacket is funnier looking then the one in the beige coat.

A Sera Debate

Monks

Monk making his Point

Sera Monastery

Mandela

Sera Monastery

On the reluctant ride back to the airport we passed a Roadside Buddha

and several wandering Yaks.

Links

tibet news feed
Tibetan Village Project
Radio Fee Asia Tibet
There are also several videos on youtube that cover the takeover, demonstrations, and scenery.

Next stop Chengdu

Or return to China