Potala Palace and Serra Monastery - Lhasa Day 2

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So there was no hot water in my room this morning, making showering especially delightful! At least it woke me up, and hopefully I don't get sick...

Anyways, met my guide a little late (quarter past 9am) and we grabbed a taxi to Potala Palace. It's only 10-25 kuai to get anywhere around here, so we've been going that route in Lhasa since a private car is 300 kuai/day. I was really nervous about the Palace, as it's only my second full day here, and I still get winded walking fast. Potala has quite a few steps and steep ramps to get to the top, which would be no problem at sea level, but here, it is quite a workout! I don't know how many 60+ year old Tibetans passed me going up the stairs, every one stopping to smile their personal victory at me... It was well worth the climb and a small rest at the top quickly got my heart rate (and air sucking) back to normal.




It's most unfortunate that after paying 100 kuai to get in, you can't take any pictures of the Palace. There are also military guards in every so-many rooms, and camera's and other recording equipment in the rest of them. Even when you are doing nothing wrong, it is easy to feel ill-at-ease in such conditions. There were so many beautiful rooms we could tour, and even more rooms that were closed to us. Some of the mandalas (?) cast in gold and some in other metals were amazingly intricate. I could have just looked at them for hours... but apparently you only have one hour to finish your tour once you get to the top to prevent charlie-foxtrots. Anyways, it was a beautiful place that was a poignant reminder of the way China handles Tibet.



After that we took a rickshaw to Barkhor Street to have lunch at the Mandala Restaurant or Cafe. It has seating on it's second (indoor) and third (outdoor) floor, with views overlooking the square where you can view Jokhang Temple. Great menu selection and very reasonable prices (tomato soup, buttered naan, and a Sprite rang me 25 kuai)- highly recommend.

From there we hung out for a bit. I felt a little light headed for some reason, so I just wanted to sit. Then we headed to Serra Monastery, where every weekday from 3-5pm there is some sort of monk training session open to the public. It was quite interesting to witness, and I was quite glad to have a guide to explain it, as it seemed (to me) very different than what it was. Sat around there for a while watching the young monks quiz each other on philosophy and whatnot after a tour of the monastery. There's another monastery we were supposed to go to, but my guide said it was a little far away, and since I was paying for taxis and tickets as I went, and already quite tired, we agreed to skip it.

He then took me to a restaurant to try Tibetan sweet tea, which he had been talking about since day one. I had no idea what to expect, and when he said he was taking me to his friend's place, I was immediately skeptical, as guides get kickbacks taking their groups to certain places. Most of them are very overpriced (as the kickbacks are included and you have little choice in most situations to go anywhere else). Anyways, knowing I'm on a budget, he assured me it was very reasonable. He took me somewhere very far off the beaten track, where all the locals smiled at me quizzically. Sometimes they seemed curious, other times just shocked by presence in a local neighborhood... but they all smiled, and I always returned one.
The "tea house" was a little hole in the wall where a girl he knew from his hometown worked. There was seating for about 20, 25 if they squeezed into the long chairs lining two 3.5' long tables. We were the only guests. My guide said many people from the neighborhood fill the place in the mornings to drink sweet tea (served hot, and tasting a little like milk tea served in the rest of China) and eat Tibetan sweet noodles; and again in the evening to drink beers and share news and stories of their days. I, of course, decided to try these noodles. Quite tasty, with bits of yak meat on top. My guide did not lead me astray... it was only 8 kuai (1.50 USD) for everything.



We then walked a block or two to a bus stop. He was weary to make the suggestion, but I was eager to try it out. It took a good 25 minutes waiting for the bus. I was told their are no real schedules for the buses, and when we got on, I realized the bus seemed to zigzag across all of Lhasa. It was very much a reminder of where I was, as were the manners people displayed. When someone even close to elderly got on the bus, anyone younger in any of the few seats immediately jumped to offer it up. When a granny took a long time trying to get off the bus, people helped her and the driver waited patiently. In Shanghai, I have seen men push pregnant women out of the way to grab a seat on the metro and bus doors slammed in the face of passengers who could not get there quickly enough. This bus was a friendly reminder that chivalry is not dead. It's just hard to find.

It was a long ride home, maybe half an hour. Lengthened by the engine stalling every time we even came close to stopping. Another 15 minutes walking, and here I am, back at Mr. Yak.

I must be the only guest here... or at least the only one traveling alone. The owner offered me to eat with the staff again (for free) and of course I obliged. Guess that's the day... tomorrow morning we head to Shigatse... it's a 7 hour drive to a much higher elevation :P can't wait to see it though...

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