Drak Yerpa Monastery and travel to Gyantse

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We set off after breakfast to head to the Drak Yerpa Monastery, we drove out of Lhasa city and the somewhat crazy traffic and set off for the mountain road. As we started to get higher the views just got better and better with snow capped mountains in the distance and the city below. We stopped on the mountain pass about 40 minutes in to the drive for a photo opportunity. There is a section of the road just covered in prayer flags and paintings of what look like ladders on the rocks to symbolise the steps to nirvana. Once a prayer flag has been placed somewhere they cannot be removed, they’re just left to nature and over time, the colours fade and the fabric disintegrates.

I got off the mini bus and just looked in complete awe, there was a hill completely covered in prayer flags with strings of them hung over the road. All so brightly coloured against the backdrop of the mountains looked incredible.

Back on the bus we followed the mountain road and through small villages which became more and more remote, we saw plenty of yaks and dogs on the way and after about 90 minutes in total, we arrived at Drak Yerpa Monastery.

This is one of the holiest cave retreats in Tibet. It’s located in the spectacular limestone cliffs of the Yerpa Valley, with views of prayer flag-covered mountains. There are currently 108 monks living at the monastery, monks have begun to return to Yerpa, but numbers are strictly controlled by the government.

We were standing in the car park just looking at the monastery built in to the cliffs and it seemed a very long way away! So slowly and steadily we set off up the 700+ steps to reach the cave temples at the top. For the most part, the steps were relatively well made and flat, there was only one section where the steps gave way to a rocky uneven path. We reached the first temple on the way where we were shown statues of protectors carved into the cliff and painted. The carvings were original, but, had been repainted over the years.
When we exited the temple on the opposite side, I was amused to see there was a washing machine just outside... even monks have to do their washing I suppose!

As we continued to climb, I actually felt pretty good, probably more so than the day before at the palace. I reached the first of the temples at the top of the path and I was really pretty tired, but, soon recovered with a few minutes rest and a few photos. A couple of the girls bought some juniper as an offering and left it in the burners on the way around the site wishing us good fortune for the remainder of our trip.

At the site there are a number of temples and meditation caves, the meditation caves are tiny and it’s hard to understand how an adult could’ve fit in such a small space. As they’re all carved into the cliff, the ceilings are really low and all the temples are decorated with statues - I still don’t know how they got them all the way up there!

Each temple has at least one monk in attendance and they’re responsible for the upkeep of that temple for a period of time - as long as a year. At the end of the year they will be moved to a different temple to maintain. All the monks were very welcoming and a couple of them even posed for a selfie with us as a group. One gave us all monkey nuts - I’m sure this was because I was wearing my monkey base layer! Said base layer currently holds the award for best top of the tour... just wait until the penguin one makes an appearance!!

In one of the caves there is a rock with a hole in the middle and it’s said that if you can get through the hole you have good karma and if you get stuck, you haven’t! Obviously we all had to have a go of this... happy to say even I fit through it with my big backside!!

One of the temples here is said to have had 33 monks tech enlightenment which is why it’s considered so holy.

After visiting all the temples/ caves we set off for the walk back down to the car park and stopped for a picnic lunch part way down. It was lovely to be sitting in the sun with an incredible view having a picnic with my new found friends.

After a walk which took a fraction of the time to complete compared to the ascent we boarded the bus and set off on the mountain road back to Lhasa.

On return to Lhasa, I went to a local tea house used by the locals with my roommate, but it was completely chaotic with no space to get a drink so left and went to the coffee shop across the way instead. Then picked up a few bits from town we’d need for the next few days. Back to the hotel to drop everything off and then out for dinner. We went to a local restaurant where I had tomato egg and boiled rice, this has been my favourite meal so far - it was delicious.

After dinner we took a walk to Potala Palace to see it at night and get a few pictures, it was absolutely beautiful with the water in front of it and all lit up; just completely stunning.

Then it was early to bed ready for a day on the road to head to Gyantse.

After breakfast we set off for a long day in the mini bus going over the mountain passes at varying heights to get to Gyantse which would be our home for the evening and we were due to arrive at 6pm.

We started to climb the mountain road which was all hairpin bends with a drop right down in to the valley. We made a stop at Yalung Tsangpo river to stretch our legs and take some photos, the area offers a fantastic view across the water looking at the mountains on the opposite side and in to the distance.

Back on the bus and our guide started to explain about the sky and water burials mentioned in one of my previous posts and pointed out the place where the water burials actually take place. She also added that when a water burial occurs, it doesn’t require a specific person to chop the corpse prior to putting into the water, but, as women aren’t allowed to touch a corpse or attend the burial and no family can attend either, it is normally a friend who will carry out this process. I’m not sure I’d have the stomach for that!

The remainder of the day continued in a similar vain heading up and over mountain passes with the most incredible views I’ve ever witnessed. Most of them not even feeling like they’re real. We stopped on one of the passes to find locals with Tibetan Mastiffs on platforms (some wearing sunglasses), yaks and small goats - all for a tourist photo opportunity for 10 yuan. Something like this isn’t for me, so I had a potter around and got back on the bus.

The highest point was the Kharola Glacier at 5,560m. We got out for a walk round and to take some photos, it was so cold as you’d imagine. Walking had to be slow and steady so I didn’t get too breathless.

We then continued on to our destination - the Yeti hotel. We pulled up outside and it looked like nothing special and I was a bit dubious but we checked in and went to our room and was pleasantly surprised. The room is much larger than the previous one and actually a lot nicer and it’s toasty warm!

A few of the group went out for dinner to a local restaurant, myself included. Tonight it was egg curry which was amazing!

I have a very busy itinerary for the next few days which I’m really looking forward to, but assume it’ll be a few early nights as well!

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Comments

[Squazle]

So far......
This is my favourite photo, it is exactly what I picture when I think of Tibet. It looks amazing xx