Blogs from Lhasa, Tibet, China, Asia - page 9

Saying Goodbye to Tibet After a late night filled with fiery political discussions and warm beer, our week of exploring Lhasa and Mt. Everest was technically coming to a close. All but three of us are leaving in the morning so the evening was filled with hearing what others enjoyed or hated about our adventure, swapping emails, passionate ideas on why the European Union will never work, all while enjoying some of the best late-night views of Barkhor Square on the rooftop bar at Mak Ye Ame. Along with Jenny and I, the wildly successful travel writer from India whose name escapes me although her constant complaining will be ringing in my ears for months, is also staying in Lhasa a few more days. We all end up laughing about our first night at the Music ... read more

haben es am ende doch nach lhasa geschafft. bonzig in der first class geflogen, da economy ja ausgebucht war, obwohl genau hinter uns 3 plaetze frei waren - scheisse. wirklich first class wars allerdings auch nicht, die lounge bietet gratistee, so wie in jedem noch so billigen restaurant, das essen kann auch nicht unbedingt ueberzeugen. am flughafen, praktischerweise 70km von lhasa entfernt, werden wir von unserem guide und unserem fahrer bereits erwartet, auf dem weg in die stadt, der ueber strassen fuehrt, die 3 chinesischen panzern nebeneinander platz bieten koennten, listet er fakten wie "tibet have 50% mountain". der erste eindruck von lhasa ist, wie lei shi, unser wanderkumpane aus dem tiger leaping gorge, schon gesagt hat: "just like any other chinese city", und auf den ersten blick stimmt das auch, bei genauerem hinsehen sieht man ... read more

We decided to ride our bikes west to Ganden monastery for a day trip today. The total round trip distance i think was around 120 kilometers...with one very difficult climb up to the monastery. Ganden Monastery is the central monastery of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It was built in 1409 under the supervision of Zongkapa. A large number of pilgrims are attracted by many naturally formed manifestations of the buddha, the lush shrubbery and the beautiful sceneries surrounding Ganden Monastery. By law, we were required to have a guide come with us to the monastery. The agency we were signed up with hired a guide who said he would ride with us... the guide showed up four hours after we arrived (his services weren't needed to enter the monastery or to really do anything...huge ... read more

Got up and out at 8:30am to have a light Chinese breakfast with some western flair such as pancakes, pan-grilled spam, and strong, black coffee. For our first day we skip over just a block to one of Tibet’s most memorable experiences, the Jokhang Temple. Founded in 639AD, it was built to protect an image of the Buddha brought as dowry by the Nepali Princess Bhrikuti on her marriage to King Songsten Gampo. Check out all the pics from today's adventure at my new account on Flickr, just click here. Jokhang Temple We can feel the importance of the Jokhang Temple as we walk through the heart of Barkhor Square, it’s front entrance being eclipsed by two 50ft. high prayer poles representing battle flags that have become now signs of peace. This temple is the structure ... read more

Hello from the rooftop of the world! We landed here in Lhasa about 4:35pm, taking pictures of the changing landscape the whole way in, flying over brown tundra, snow-capped mountains, green hills with green and yellow-colored waters running through them. The lakes and rivers are lime green and yellow here...beautifully surreal. The weather is warm, low 70's right now, and the first thing you notice is how clean the air is and how crisp are the views. The sky is literally resting on your head we are so close to the heavens. The airport is surrounded by mountains and at first glance reminds me of living in Colorado. Check out all the pics on my new account on Flickr, just click here. Our host, Mr. Chompa, is waiting for us and is quite ebullient at our ... read more