Last Day in Lhasa - Reflections of a Traveler

      I need to correct a mistake from yesterday. Today, we visited the Potala Palace, which is a palace, not a monastery. I had thought it would resemble the monastery experience, but it was truly special. There are 375 steps to reach the top. One advantage of being on a tour is that they grant access to more areas than solo travelers, allowing us a more extensive tour. This is where the Dalai Lama would reside if he were in Tibet. In pictures, his quarters are located on the top floor, distinguished by yellow curtains. The climb provided a sense of how well I have acclimated. We took breaks at each switchback turn of the stairs to rest and regain our breath. I felt fine overall, but the pauses were appreciated. One member of our group joined us today after previously not participating due to altitude sickness. He managed only the first set of stairs before returning down. I doubt he'll accompany us as we head to higher altitudes tomorrow. There are many Buddha statues similar to those in the monasteries, but the palace itself is remarkably impressive. Its walls are made of whitewashed stone, and the red trim at the top is composed of woody, plant material resembling stiff straw. This material is placed and painted with a dark red stain and serves as insulation and wind protection. Our guide explained how the Tibetan people handle their deceased. The bodies remain at home with family for a few days for prayers and visitation. Then, an undertaker wraps the body and prepares it for transport. It is taken to a platform high in the Himalayas, where it is cut into five pieces and left for vultures to consume. This completes a natural cycle, where life is consumed from the earth and then returns to nourish it in death. We enjoyed a pleasant lunch before heading to a temple, which was characteristic of the monasteries. Photography is not permitted inside the palace or the temple. After visiting the temple, we went to a traditional tea house filled with locals, giving a genuine taste of local life. We sat at the end of a long table and were served the only item available: butter tea. The atmosphere was lively with conversation, truly reflecting their way of life. After tea, the bus returned to the hotel, but I chose to stay behind. It was still early (around 5 PM), and we were near a well-known shopping area, so I wanted to walk and explore. I visited numerous shops, made a purchase at one, and then ventured further from the center. While there were fewer shops, local vendors displayed their items on blankets and sold their wares on the street. I spotted some Tibetan bells and asked for the price. The seller used a calculator and typed 500 Yuan. I shook my head in disagreement, and she cleared the screen, indicating for me to make a counteroffer. I declined, even though I really wanted the bells, and continued on. I found what I had been looking for on another vendor's blanket. I won't reveal what it was since it's a gift, but the price was a bit high. He, too, tried to negotiate using the calculator as our only means of communication. I felt we were close, but I needed to get cash before continuing, so I walked away. With cash in hand, I returned and had him show me his items again. I opted to buy multiple things, piling them on the corner of his blanket, and asked for a price for the entire collection. He entered a price on the calculator, but I shook my head again. He cleared the screen and invited me to counter. I made a significantly lower offer, and when I handed it back, his expression seemed a bit disheartened. He exchanged words with a nearby man and adjusted the price. A small crowd had gathered to watch us. I accepted his counteroffer, knowing I could have haggled further, but I sensed that he wasn't doing well financially, so I didn't want to push too hard. The crowd observed closely as I reached into my pocket and counted out 2000 Yuan in hundreds. I handed the cash to him, which made him smile widely as he reached out to shake my hand, then immediately started counting the money himself. I placed my new treasures in my bag, and as I stood up, a man from the crowd with a gold front tooth smiled broadly and also shook my hand. He attempted to communicate, but our exchange was limited to smiles and gestures. I then walked back to the lady with the bells. My cash was running low, but her smile indicated she was happy to see me return. This time, she used her fingers to communicate the price. I made a low offer, and she showed me a smaller set of bells. When I shook my head, she responded with more finger signals, and eventually, we reached an agreement with smiles. I cherish my new treasures and even more so the experience of bargaining with local folks in a back street.

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Wanderer's Reflections - A Desire for Travel

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The flight from Chengdu to Lhasa was perfect. It lasted 2.5 hours and featured one of the best airline meals I've ever had, including yogurt, a crumbly cake, and rice with a chicken mixture. For some reason, I ended up with a priority seat that offered plenty of legroom and no one next to me, which I didn't pay extra for, so I'm just counting my lucky stars. I really wanted to sleep, but about 45 minutes into the flight, I caught a glimpse of a completely snow-covered peak rising above the clouds. The thrill and my desire to keep looking out the window kept me awake. About an hour before we landed, the clouds became thinner, revealing clear mountain peaks below, and a vast expanse of them stretched out. In the valleys, I noticed small clusters of houses, likely very remote from any significant towns. The mountain ridges had pathways that I eventually concluded were for small water tanks set high up to provide pressure for the villages below. At times, flying above the mountains felt strange, as the plane seemed to gently sway from side to side, likely due to the mild challenges posed by the air currents over the mountains. As we approached Lhasa, it seemed we were following a valley, with ridges visible on either side. Then, over a ridge, I spotted a landing strip. We continued along the valley, moving north from the runway as the ridges began to recede. The plane gradually turned about 80 degrees to align with the runway, making for an interesting airport approach. The landing and baggage claim went smoothly, and as I stepped outside, I was greeted by a smiling face, Jamie, who held a sign for Tibet Vista. He was there to welcome arrivals, so we hung out while waiting for others. In the lobby, there was a stand selling canisters of O2 and other altitude sickness supplies. Within 30 minutes of landing, I started to feel lightheaded and began some breathing exercises. Fortunately, this feeling subsided in about 10 minutes, but we were being advised on how to prevent altitude problems. Lhasa turned out to be a much busier and chaotic city than I had anticipated. The airport resembled a regional airport in the U.S. and the ride to the hotel took about 30 minutes. Upon arrival, I handed over my Tibet Permit and passport, which were returned later that evening. According to the advice and research I gathered regarding altitude sickness, although the O2 concentration here is the same as anywhere at 21%, if our bodies haven't adjusted to the altitude, they can't utilize the O2 effectively. This is why the breathing exercises help to encourage deeper breaths than I'm used to. I have a prescription for a pill to assist with acclimatization that I started taking two days before my arrival. Our first two days are scheduled in Lhasa primarily for acclimatization. We're advised to drink plenty of water, avoid exertion, not shower on the first day, and sleep with our heads elevated. On my first morning, I noticed a tingling sensation in both arms and resumed my breathing exercises. Everyone is experiencing some symptoms, but we're managing, and I feel I'm adjusting well. The tour company has O2 supplies available in case we need them once we leave Lhasa. The air here is also extremely dry. The rooms are equipped with humidifiers, which are essential because the air can dry out your head quickly. After arriving at the hotel, I did some laundry in the sink and relaxed. The hotel offered a nice buffet breakfast, and we met our guide in the lobby at the specified time of 09:37. I don't know why it was so specific. He was a local who spoke excellent English. I hadn't met any of the 11 members of my group yet, so we became acquainted as we boarded the bus for our first site. The first monastery, which served as the residence for the Dalai Lama, was about a 20-minute ride away. It featured many Buddha statues, carvings, and meeting spaces for monks. Photography was prohibited inside the buildings, so I'll need to rely on my memory. After that, we visited an area near our next tour, which was an assembly monastery. There was a small collection of coffee shops and cafes where we grabbed a quick bite since we were supposed to observe a monk debating session as part of their training. However, upon arrival, we found out that it was a holiday for them, so we ended up just walking around the monastery. These monastery complexes are massive; they once housed 10,000 monks. The kitchen had large cauldrons for food preparation, but no photographs were allowed there either. The monks had universities for their education, and the ancient buildings had steep stairs with no handrails and open troughs for water runoff, which seemed like a recipe for accidents. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed exploring them. We concluded the day with a buffet dinner

Today, we will explore the largest and most famous monastery in Lhasa. I can see it from my hotel room window, and I am quite excited about it. If you've ever come across a postcard of Tibet, it probably features this monastery. That being said, I can express similar sentiments about monasteries as I do about ancient cathedrals; I appreciate the art, the distinctive architecture, and witnessing the local devotion, but after visiting a few in a short span, you often crave something different. This afternoon will also include some time at the local market street, which could be the perfect opportunity to find my trip souvenir.

Arrival in Lhasa - Reflections of a Traveler

The flight from Chengdu to Lhasa was just right. It lasted 2.5 hours and included one of the best airline meals I've ever had—yogurt, crumbly cake, and rice with a chicken mixture. For some reason, I found myself in a priority seat with plenty of legroom and no one next to me. I didn’t pay extra for this, so I'm feeling lucky. I really wanted to sleep, but about 45 minutes into the flight, I spotted a completely snow-covered peak rising above the clouds. This sight sparked excitement and kept me wanting to gaze out the window. Roughly an hour before we landed, the clouds began to clear, revealing numerous mountain peaks below me, and I could see a sea of them. In the valleys, I noticed small clusters of houses that were likely quite remote from any major towns. The mountain ridges had paths that seemed to connect circular structures, which I finally concluded were small water tanks positioned high to supply pressure to the villages below. Flying over the mountains occasionally felt strange, as the plane seemed to gently rock side to side, likely due to the air currents above them being somewhat turbulent. As we approached Lhasa, it appeared we were following a valley with ridges on either side. Eventually, I spotted a landing strip over a ridge. We continued to follow the valley, moving north from the landing strip as the ridges began to fade away. The plane then turned gradually about 80 degrees to align with the runway, making for an interesting approach to the airport.