Lhasa

20/9/09

The road to Lhasa was super. the scene was the same all the way, brownish mountain with no tree all around the Yaluzangbo river, but surprisingly the effect was pretty as there was the important ingredient...blue sky and cotton cloud. After the Gongga airport some memories came back, the rock craving by the road side, but then approaching Lhasa river, I was lost, the Lhasa now was so big. Wide road, traffic light, department store, big bank...13 years ago there was nothing, only a single street linked the Potala to Bako street, no electricity after 9pm,and then a curfew afterward! Now...commercial!! I was so disappointed about Tibet, excepted the incredible blue sky and mountainous surrounding, but you would got fed up after awhile, what eles they got to offer? Every single township was built like Han area, only covered with tibetan colour, you won't seen much tibetan, only if you travelled up to their villages. A country said to be totally buddhism but you couldn't seen many lamas, most of the places don't even got a temple(I mean most places tourist arrived) unless you got your own car or pocketed with a gold card. You need to paid for every sights... Don't want to complained too much.
Lhasa(@3600m)now became a must destination for Chinese, of course...to alot of foreign tourists too, here I finally seen westerners again. After the riot last year, now there was soldiers posted guarding at many street crossing, every government buildings, and patrolling the street every minutes, looked very serious! A guy told me there was many plain cloth police mixing in every tea house in town, "they might not knew one another as they were come from different department" he said. Bako street was the tourist shopping area, and then the general shopping and commercial street spread out to all direction. In fact, after the Dazhaosi temple had been built, which attracted a lot of pilgrimages came to do the round, and then created the Bako street area with vendors and traders, until today you still could see they they sell thing related to the religion which aiming at tibetan customers. I wouldn't wanted to visited the Potala again, even those other temple sites I would give it a miss, instead I spend the time just explored the small side street around the Bako area, the tibetan houses was mostly built in square block with a patio in the center and life goes around there. I love to walked through the dark doorway into their patio all the time, childern were playing marble, learning skateboard, flying kite, old men gathered and play the local game "balashe". Women caring house work, washing clothes and dishes, all so common but in harmony compared with the busy hassling outside. In Lhasa I was with 1000 of tourist again, in the street, in the hostel, I wanted to get away, but the Nepalese consulate wouldn't open until monday, but then...still need 3 days for the visa. Lhasa need to provide more surprises!! At least I find one, the Tibet Museum! And it was free! A very comprehensive exhibition about the history of Tibet. All the show pieces are priceless, original buddhism scripts, golden seals from different Dhrama King, gifts from the empire...etc.


Note
The Tibet Museum open everyday except Monday

22/9/09

Although getting more modern and commercial, Lhasa still could witness the religious activity. Most people made the round inside the Dazhaosi temple(inner ring), or more around the Bako street(middle ring), but in tradition there was an outer ring walk covered the Dazhaosi and the potala place, surrounded by the Linko Road and bounded by Jiangsu Road on the south. But as would take more than 2 hrs for 1 round, so mostly only old people done this, instead many people made round around the potala in the morning. childern followed their parent making long bowed, although clumsy but still profession! And that was how they learn and carried on the faith and religion. This kind of scene could be seen in any other temples inside Lhasa town. But after that, Lhasa was like any other city in China, and in this size, they got far too many shopping arcades and malls, shopping shopping shopping!!! "welcome to sacred & magical Tibet" I remembered an advertisement when I entered Lhasa.

23/9/09

Spend few relaxing days in Lhasa, hangout in the guesthouse with other travelers, most of them are cyclist as this guesthouse owner is a cyclist themselves. Everyday I strolled around the Bhakor area, into the small side street, hoping to find surprise, not much though. Foods choice was immense but boring if you know what I mean, yes...many restaurant, but mostly selling Sichuan style dishes, and I like street food and snacks more, and Lhasa got not much to offered, you seen mostly dry and tasteless bread from Shaanxi, bbq stuff same like everywhere in Sichuan, sometimes got the moslem grilled lamb meat for a change, the 2 surprises I got was a cold white noodle which they called "niujinmi" very chewy! And a tibetan snack fried beef cake, what else??? I couldn't name any.
Finally got my Nepalese visa done, 90 days.so I will heading to the border tomorrow. 4 days in Lhasa was enough.

note
Nepal visa cost
15 days 180 yuans
30 days 280 yuan
90 days 700 yuans
1 photo and 3 working days

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