| Although I had already visited many Tibetan areas of | | | | 6. Glaciers |
| Qinghai and Sichuan provinces, this trip into Tibet | | | | During our many long drives around Tibet, we were |
| itself had a different feel to it. | | | | able to see some spectacular scenery. Because we |
| First off, foreigners must join a tour group in order | | | | traveled through many mountainous areas, we were |
| to visit Tibet. Second, Tibet itself seemed much | | | | able to see many glaciers. Some even spanned |
| more developed than the places we had just seen in | | | | several mountain tops. |
| Qinghai and Sichuan. | | | | One amazing glacier was at Milha mountain, where |
| For example, the hotels were much better and the | | | | we stopped for a short break during one of our long |
| roads were nicely paved and not pockmarked with | | | | rides. We were able to see the glacier up close. The |
| potholes. Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet, seemed | | | | place also must have been a very spiritual area given |
| clean and orderly and caters to tourists with its many | | | | all the prayer flags. |
| restaurants, sites and souvenir vendors. The scenery | | | | I was surprised that even in a remote location, like |
| also seemed much larger: brighter sun, bigger | | | | near a glacier in a mountain pass, there would be |
| mountains, more snow capped peaks and skies that | | | | beggars asking for money. The area must be well |
| are clear and blue. Temperatures can be warm during | | | | known for tourists stopping to take photos of the |
| the day and then cold at night. The Tibetans that live | | | | glacier. In any case, it helped that I had been carrying |
| here are different from the Kham Tibetans we | | | | a bag of candy. |
| encountered in Qinghai and Sichuan; the attire and | | | | Whenever a child or elderly person approached, I |
| language are very different. | | | | simply handed out a piece of candy to each of them. |
| Here' my rundown of the top ten sites in Tibet. | | | | Usually, they were happy to get something and went |
| 1. Potala Palace | | | | on their way. Always remember to hand out the |
| Located in Lhasa, this was formerly the residence of | | | | pieces yourself. I made the mistake once of opening |
| the Dali Lama. It's the centerpiece of the city and | | | | the bag and letting the kids pick a piece, only to have |
| Tibetans from all over come to do the walk around | | | | one boy nearly grab it all. |
| the outside of the palace in prayer. The tour brought | | | | 7. Gyantse |
| us inside and we learned about its history. We were | | | | When we drove into Gyantse, something looked |
| required to walk up many many flights of stairs along | | | | familiar. Along a mountain range that cuts through the |
| the outside wall to reach the main buildings at the top | | | | city is a wall that slightly resembles the Great Wall. |
| (not an easy task if not yet acclimated to Lhasa's | | | | Then, at the top of the mountain is a palace that |
| elevation). The views from the top of the palace are | | | | seemed like a smaller version of Potala Palace. We |
| also spectacular as you can see all of Lhasa below | | | | didn't get a chance to climb up to the palace, but |
| with the snow capped mountains in the background. | | | | instead visited the Pelkor Chode Monastery. Then we |
| 2. Qomolangma, aka Mount Everest | | | | visited the Gyantse Kumbum Stupa, which is a six |
| Our tour took us to the Qomolangma base camp | | | | level tower with a golden dome on top. |
| where we camped in a tent. The amenities were | | | | The tower contains many rooms with old paintings. |
| basically an outhouse, a stove that burns yak dung, | | | | The name Kumbum means "100,000 images." The |
| beds with wool blankets and boiled water provided | | | | view of the city from the very top floor is very |
| by the hosts. | | | | impressive and above the doorway at the top is a |
| The first day we were there we couldn't even see | | | | painting of Buddha's eyes. These eyes are symbolic |
| the mountain due to cloud cover. | | | | and represent wisdom of Buddha. |
| Miraculously, as we were leaving the next day the | | | | 8. Baji Cypress Reserve |
| clouds cleared just enough to get some great photos | | | | One part of the tour took us to the southeast part |
| of Qomolangma. The visit had its tough moments | | | | of Tibet, known as the Nyingchi area. The landscape |
| however. The base camp sits at 6000m elevation, | | | | is much different from the rest of Tibet. |
| and we hiked two km to the Rongphu Monastery | | | | This area is lower in elevation and therefore is very |
| which resides in a small village. | | | | green and full of trees. The Baji Cypress Reserve is a |
| The monastery is known to be the highest | | | | park that houses many 2000-plus year old trees with |
| monastery in terms of elevation. The hike was a little | | | | the oldest one about 2600 years old. |
| difficult for some of us due to the altitude. The night | | | | The trees are enormous, with trunks that are the |
| in the tent was also challenging because the strong | | | | size of houses. It reminded me of the giant sequoias |
| gusts of wind and the cold temperatures. Our hosts | | | | in Yosemite except the trees here in Baji are cypress |
| had been diligently filling the stove with yak dung to | | | | trees. Tibetans come to worship the trees, and there |
| keep the fire burning while we were awake. | | | | are many "hadas" (white silk sashes) that were hung |
| Unfortunately, nobody instructed us on how to keep | | | | in the tree branches. Apparently, the way to get |
| the fire burning throughout the night, and it didn't | | | | them up there is to tie a rock to the hada and then |
| take long for the stove to burn out, the temperature | | | | toss it up into the branches. |
| going way down. | | | | 9. Lakes and Rivers |
| 3. Jokhang Temple | | | | Throughout the tour of Tibet, we've been amazed |
| Built in the fifth century AD, this temple in Lhasa | | | | by the beauty and pureness of the lakes and rivers. |
| houses Buddhist statues that were part of the | | | | We visited Basomtso Lake in the Nyingchi area which |
| dowries brought by the wives of Tibetan king | | | | had a beautiful blue-green hue. The lake has an island |
| Songsten Gampo. | | | | that has a temple built on it. Two bridges connect |
| Although many artifacts were damaged or destroyed | | | | the banks of the lake to the island. |
| during the Cultural Revolution, some of the oldest | | | | Another lake we visited was Yamdroktso Lake, |
| statues were hidden and therefore preserved. | | | | which we passed after visiting Gyantse. The lake |
| Many Tibetans come to this temple to pray. People | | | | was equally beautiful, and some of the views of the |
| on the outside pray on the sidewalk. On the inside, | | | | lake from the hills made for great photos. The rivers |
| Tibetans carry flasks of oil to help refill the burning oil | | | | of Tibet were also beautiful and many were rapidly |
| candles. This temple is special to Tibetans and many | | | | flowing white water rivers such as Liyang river which |
| come from very far to worship. | | | | we drove alongside on our way to the Nyingchi area. |
| 4. Barkhor Square | | | | 10. People |
| This is the centerpiece of the old city, and is | | | | One of the amazing things about the Tibetan people |
| adjacent to Jokham Temple. The square is full of | | | | is how spiritual they are. |
| vendors and shops selling traditional Tibetan clothes, | | | | Every morning, hundreds of people will rise early to |
| jewelry and other goods. | | | | do the walk around Potala palace. |
| We found it to be a good place to walk around and | | | | On the seven-hour drive back to Lhasa from the |
| browse the many different things for sale. If you | | | | Nyingchi area we passed a family on a pilgrimage to |
| want to buy anything you must negotiate hard | | | | Lhasa. It was a family of three, with one male pulling |
| however. | | | | a cart with the family's camping supplies. |
| The merchants can be aggressive and know how to | | | | The other two were performing the six-point |
| get their price. | | | | prayer,where you start with hands together at your |
| We also ate at a Nepalese restaurant here and found | | | | chest then move the hands to your head, back to |
| the food to be tasty and similar to Indian food. | | | | the chest, kneel down, place hands on ground, |
| 5. Shigatse | | | | extend body flat while lying face down, back to |
| Shigatse is Tibet's second largest city. Tashilhunpo | | | | kneeling position and then stand up. One step is then |
| Monastery is in Shigatse and houses many statues of | | | | taken and then prayer is repeated. Imagine how long |
| Buddhas and spirit towers. Spirit towers act as | | | | it would take to reach Lhasa at that rate! |
| shrines and tombs for past lamas. | | | | We had a great time in Tibet and saw so many |
| The monastery is traditionally the seat of the | | | | beautiful and interesting things. The trip, however, |
| Panchen Lama who would rule over "back Tibet" or | | | | was not without hardship. Luckily we were prepared |
| the western part of Tibet. | | | | for the altitude sickness, the cold evenings and minor |
| While at the monastery, we were lucky to get a rare | | | | inconveniences in this wild frontier. Although we had |
| glimpse of monks practicing a traditional spiritual | | | | experienced Tibetan culture from our travels through |
| dance. The dance is done to music from several long | | | | Qinhai and western Sichuan, I definitely believe that |
| bugle-like horns. | | | | visiting Tibet was well worth it. |