Tibet.. Tibet.. China

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Tibet-- the roof of the world. For centuries this mysterious Buddhist kingdom, locked away in its mountain fastness of the Himalaya. This is a saying in China, most of people go to Tibet when they lost their job, finish school or broken out,most people go their with story, or feel lost, it’s the place most close to heaven to figure life out.



We went there; just it close to where we were.



D1: Way to Lhasa

Many check points on the way ; we have to stop every hour for security check. Driver told us, it’s less check point now, the government is sensitive after 2 lama burned themselves front of Jokhang Temple, please be attention of u talking, do not mentioned Lama, or any saying about bad side of Gov.. other you can be in jail. Now most of the people in Lassa are Hans, so if u come during CNY holiday, only a few people, most of shops closed. The Zang have our own new year to cerebrate.

I tried to take some pic of checkpoint, but failed. Photos in camera need to be checked.

The landscape on they way is very nice..





Winter time, no green, all mountains are naked with their gold color. We left 7 am at Zhanmu, arrived to Lhasa 8 pm something, 1 hours stop for lunch, and many times for security check. 300 RMB/person for 6 sites vehicle. We asked our guess house owner help for that. There are some cars to airport to pick up their clients every day.

Photo of the vehicle



Our lunch, restaurant does not have name, just follow the driver, 20RMB/each. Delicious！！







Special View on the road...



We arrived too late to see around yesterday, Here is the hotel we stay : Dongcuo International Youth Hostel, 100rmb per night for 1 simple standard room (2 beds) + 100 rmb guarantee deposit (refundable).

It's really cold on the morning , I see my fogging when breathing， thin ice on the grass, road, and leafs.

It's off season for tourist, Lhasa is not so busy. Many soldiers all around, i feel very convenience when i need help for direction of road, sometime ,some soldiers are helping huskers to reopen their booths.



.Security checked before entry Barkhor Square,Jokhang temple inside . All people walk with same direction at Barkhor,you will be hitted if u walk in a different way.,very funny, most of people are holding a running wheel with whisper。







Most of the restaurants in Lhasa from Chengdu, Sichuan, more than Tibet food restaurants, we chose 1 Tibet teahouse.

Butter tea, 1rmb/cup, and Tibet noodle 10 rmb/blow.

I do not like both taste, change to mike tea, 1rmb/cup, and hang carry bread.

The teahouse, Tibetan like to stay here to meet friends and chats.



15 min. walk, we front of Potala palace already..



We try to have all tickers in 1 package for saving money.

Leisure walks, sightseeing and check some local travel agent for our package today. And back to Barkhar Square in the afternoon for enjoying the sunshine and seeing Tibetan pray front of Jokhang temple.

　Jokhang Temple is the spiritual center of Tibet. pilgrims from every corner of Tibet trek a long distance to the temple. Most of them even progress prostrate by body length to the threshold of the temple.







The temple is free for Tibetan, 80RMB/person for us. Ticket officer told us, Lama will read through the Bhuddist commandments around 4.30-5.00 pm on some special day, and it's open for visiting, The most closed day for this activity is the day after tomorrow, but no photo insides.

Ok, we will visit that day.. 😊





After checked both local agencies and Internet, we chose the package call “Peakedness Tibet”, 7 days 6 nights tour included all tickets of sites we want visited , car, and hotels (3 Star.), But excluding all meals. 2800rmb/person for 6 person ，small tour group.

We moved to the hotel of package inclued ： Pandatsand ancient hotel. It’s a traditional Tibetan style hotel, build on 1873, this ancient building still looks as it did originally after repair, re-opening on Apr. 2012. I said to my friends, I need to stay here when we back. It’s in Barkhar Street.



Morning call on 7.00 am, driving to Namsto on 7.30 am. The morning is very cold, I fell sleep in the car after guide told it would be 4 hours’ driving. Until my friend screamed to wake me up.

Outsides, cold and extreme beautiful



We get off. And I found I cannot live without heater.

Guide said that we would arrive the famous lake soon, very closed now. Now winter, all white, the lake is icing, nice view, best view is around mid of Sep. lower part of mountain is cover by kinds of flowers and grasses, white ice and snow on top, like the fairly paradise.

now , all white snow mountains, it make me feel that we are in North Pole, freezing …



A few min. driving. arrived:



Namsto lake means “ heavenly lake” in Tibetan language. Guide introduce the lake, and lead us to our “3 star” hotel, the environment is not like 3 star. Guide said it’s the only hotel in Namsto.

Thanks god they have heater insides.

Leisure walking around the lake, they are many little beggars ask u for money or food. My friend gives 1 rmb to 1 kid; all other kids come to him. It make him can’t move and ask for help.Guide saves him. And told us, if u gives one, better to give everyone. Otherwise, will be beset, And those child are not live here, some of them may need take a few hours walking to here, begging make more money than farming,Some Childs, living on begging, you have to pay them if u take photo of them, they will stick on you when they found u camera towards to them.

Temple in Namsto:



Eating in Namsto:

There have around 6-7 restaurants , we choose 1 Sichuan food. (The small house is our 3 star hotel)





it' s super cold in the morning, colder than Lhsara, stronger wing; it’s very famous view of sun rising, too cold to go outside for me, we drive back to Lhasa at 8:30 am. Transit to Jokhang temple.

"Jakhang" means the temple of Jowo Sakyamuni". which have around 1300 years' history, the Jakhang temple has been a holy place for Buddhists. there are 2 separate entrance for Tibetan and visitor, many Tibetan pray outside of the temple everyday in the evening. Guide said, it’s free ticket for Tibetan, most of Tibetan need to pray every day in this temple. no photos insides. People all walk in 1 direction, today is one of their festival, people everywhere. They are many original wall printing. Some of them is getting to brown for poor protection.



Most of the Lamas are using IPone 4. And they collect those money that offered to god when pray via big bamboo container.

It take 2 hours to visit the whole tample, ticket is 1 entry only, we waiting on baconi of 2^nd floor.



Guide call us down around half pass 4pm, lead us to the hall, more than 50 Lamas site on mat, 1 hand counting their bead, reading the book front of them very fast with the trandition Zang language.





The Potala palace is Lhasa's most imposing architectural landmark and it just local inside of the city, in the northwestern corner of the city. also no photo insides.

Security check before entrance, no liquid or food can be brought insides. Very interesting that ticket office is on top of Mountain. tickets need to buy 1 day before.





On top of Potala palace, the full view of Lhasa city here.. very nice..



Norbulingka is on the same way as the Potala palace, and very close.



The formar summer residence of the DAILAI Lama.



Norbulingka is not as busy as Jakhang temple or Potala, only a few visitors, very quite place, garden style. I like it very much, it close very early in the summer time (around 4pm).

The Lama there just use normal cellphone, i can not see iPhone.. Haha..





Tibet, i spent half month there, missing the blue sky , fresh air, leisure lifestyle... when came back. and It's the most beautiful landscade that i even seen, the buddhist and ethnic culture are more heart-shocking.

I don't believer my eyes When i saw some believers spent serval months to do pray on road from their living village to Jokhang temple for their next better life, their cloth is very dirty, very simple food and bad living conditions.



I also went many interested places that have not mentioned here, like Yamdrok-tso lake, Yumbulagang, Shigatse......





Tibetan are not only keep their culture and religion alive, but retained an inspiritingly joyful outlook on life...





To be honesty,i do not know if it good to keep those things that i like or not, as i really see the children or people live a hard life.. like those kids that i met on the road. some of them only asking for a few of food and stop from of our running car.

And the kids get hurt for the traditional Tibetan pray.

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Photos

Airport
Lhasa Airport.

WATCH
Watch rock..??

Cranes..
The First-Grade State Protection animal of China..

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