Blogs from Gyantse, Tibet, China, Asia - page 2

After a post-trek evening of rest in Shigatse we opted for one more day-trip in the area, before returning to Lhasa. The small town of Gyantse had come highly recommended by fellow travellers, so we were keen to explore. After some breaky we wandered down to the Shigatse bus depot to locate some transport. A taxi offered to take us for around 50 quai, this seemed like as good an option as any. We were sharing the cab with two elderly local women, who spent most of the journey offering us food, including 'yak jerkie'. About an hour down the road (roughly half way there), our cabby stopped the taxi to speak to a mate who'd been driving in the opposite direction; he then proceeded to move Fred to the back of the taxi and place ... read more

The second half of our journey through Tibet was as amazing as the first. We drove to Shigatse, Tibet's second largest city. A new highway had recently been completed linking the two cities. Though deemed modern by Tibetan standards it reminded me of a seldom used county road in Central Oregon, winding and twisting through canyons along the river, large cracks and potholes gouged into its surface from falling rocks. The scenery was absolutely beautiful. We first stopped along the Lhasa River to see where the water burials took place. Water burials are generally reserved for the children and the very poor. As opposed to a sky burial, where the dried-out body of the deceased is cut up and fed to the vultures, the water burial is relatively simple. The body is simply thrown (whole or ... read more