By far the most anticipated part of this trip is Lhasa. The longing to see this remote city and the Potala Palace it houses has been even more accentuated after the denial of my visa a few years back in Nepal. After landing in Lhasa we were met by our guide and whisked off to the hotel. At first impression the city was a lot more developed than I'd imagine and resembled a second tiered city in China. The streets were filled with smaller shops and people's attire looked like they were a decade behind. It wasn't until you reached the Bakhor circuit did you get a taste of Tibet. There, circling the most sacred Jokhang temple were locals on a pilgrimage offering their prayers. As they walked clockwise on the trodden path, some had prayer beads, other chanting wheels while a few even dropped and kneeled every few steps. I left myself get swept into the crowd as I made my way around the whole place, feeling it's spirituality. The next day we visited the much anticipated Potala Palace, originally constructed by the 32nd King and later rebuilt and expanded by the 5th Dalai Lama. This fortresses like grande structure stands 13 stories high on the red hill over looking the city. 
Looking up the palace is divided into two colors, the white brick walls at the bottom symbolizes compassion and is the resident for the Dalai Lama while the red on the top stands for wisdom is used for religious functions. The black framed windows all over the building provides for energy and power. Inside the more than 1,000 rooms contained dozens of magnificent chapels, golden stupas and prayer halls. As is the case with many religious landmarks, photos were unfortunately not allowed inside. After ascending and descending a total of 407 steps total we exited from the rear and made our way to Norbulingka Palace, the summer palace of the Dalai Lamas. Within this 89 acres park there are four palace dedicated to the 7th, 8th, 13th and current 14th Lama. The palace for the current Lama is the largest with two stories and fully equipped with a modern bathroom. Constructed in 1956, he resided there for a mere 3 years before fleeing to India. 
Finally we finished the day with a tour of Jokhang Temple, the famous Nepalese Temple constructed by the Nepalese wife of the 32nd King. The story goes that the temple was built on a river bed that had to be filled with sand, carried by goats from Nepal. The pillars are built from sand wood, also native to Nepal. Though it was originally built to house the 8yr Buddha brought from Nepal, currently it is the Tang Dynasty's 12yr Buddha that is worshipped there. We walked around praying to the various Buddhas and pouring oil into oil lamps to provide for light in the after life. 
The next day we took a trip out to Namtso lake, the second largest salt lake in China and the highest in the world. On route we stopped by Laghen La the highest point in the area, measuring 5,190 meters. All around you can see the snowy mountain tops and prayer flags blowing in the wind. Despite being slightly lightheaded from the high altitude this was exactly how I've imagined Tibet. From there we drove down to the lake, whose beauty was beyond words. The clear blue water sparkled under the sun while the snow capped mountains lined the back. On the shore yaks lied peacefully, providing one of the most picturesque scenery I've ever seen and often the default marketing campaign for all of Tibet. 
Next up was the city of Shigatse, the second largest city after Lhasa in Tibet. To get there you needed to drive up the winding road on the Kampa la pass, where once on top you were rewarded with a complete view of the canyon. 
After driving around what seemed like endless bends suddenly the Yamdrok Lake appeared before my eyes. The calm glass like turquoise water reflected back the mountain ranges and clouds above. Unlike Namsto lake which was vast and commanding, this lake is much more delicate and graceful. 
Our next stop, Mt. Nyechen Kangsar Glacier was less impressive than some of the others I've seen around the world and a huge disappointment following the lake. At Shigatse, the most famous sight is Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, a massive complex made up of three building housing the tombs of past seven Panchen Lama. As with all the monetary in Tibet the inside walls were beautifully covered with drawings of Buddha. The land of Tibet is truly spiritual.
Rating:
Atmosphere: The high altitude and dry air took some getting use to as I experienced headaches and nose bleeds. In the end it could have been a lot worse, though by the time it came to leave I was more than ready. Even little things that I did back home that I wouldn't think twice about took a toll on me here.
Beauty: The landscape of the area is beyond words. No matter in the city of Lhasa or around the outskirts everything was breathtaking. The sight of Potala Palace perched on the hill did not disappoint, while the two lakes unique in style were some of the most unforgettable scenery I've yet to witness.
Cleanliness: The bathroom's conditions were atrocious. At one point the area we were in had no water, which you can image what that translated to. Aside for that, the actual streets of the cities were not bad.
Food: Traditional Tibetan food was average at best. A lot of the dishes were similar to Nepal but not as good. Some of the better ones were their spicy yak noodle soup, which had a few piece of minced yak and their yak on a hot plate with spicy sauce. The local yogurt which I was told is a must try is similar in consistency to Greek yogurt, but slightly more coarse and mixed with various fruits, nothing special.
People: I found the local people selling things to be very dishonest, which is surprising for such a religious place. Especially shocking was this asshole of a police officer that blatantly tried to rip us off by yelling at us to pay admission at Mt. Nyechen Kangsar Glacier, a place that is free of charge! 
Perhaps it can't be helped given the near poverty nature of the locals. On the other side, the local kids are really cute and it absolutely melts your heart the way they smile when you give them candy. Such sincerity, something hard to find these days.
Last Comment: When people say Tibet is a magical place, I can see why. Though I have been to Bhutan, this other side of the Himalayan couldn't be any more different. The contrast can be seen in the people and land, and I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience both firsthand. However I'm also confident both are a once in a lifetime trip.
Scale 1-10 = 8.5
0 comments:
Post a Comment