RadioRoryI had to do a lot of Googling when I saw that our tour was going to Tibet.
I was aware of the current political situation, but I was a little fuzzy on the details that led to the ongoing dispute with China.
We flew out of Chengdu to get to Lhasa, but the plane didn’t have much of a descent. Lhasa is 12,000 feet up and oxygen apparently has a fear of heights.
I wouldn’t say I got “altitude sickness” per se, but I suffered many of the symptoms that are associated with the condition, namely headaches, fatigue, and shortness of breath. This oxygen machine was in my hotel room.
I would have used it if I could figure out how.
Then there was climbing more than 400 steps to reach the top of this:
Potala Palace was the home of the Dalai Lama until he fled in the 1959 uprising. Built in the 17th Century, it’s got more than a thousand rooms, but photos aren’t allowed inside. There are spectacular pictures of the palace and when you stand before it, you can’t help but marvel at the engineering.
Then you are reminded that this is a place of great spiritual significance.
Families help the elderly and infirmed make the daunting climb, stopping at shrines to leave coins and toss scarves on various Buddha statues located throughout the complex.
Tibet is changing as China’s government spends more on infrastructure, adding superhighways and tunnels. It’s an attempt by China to exert more of its influence, usually over the objections of many locals.
This was once a popular gathering spot in the shadow of Potala Palace, but China’s government turned it into a cold concrete expanse to honor Beijing. China’s flag even flies at the top of what is probably Tibet’s most important building.
Not far away is Jokhang Temple.
Much flashier on the outside, the 1,300-year-old temple is surrounded by a bustling marketplace that seems to cater to both tourists and locals (though mostly tourists). There were a few dozen monks praying in an open-air courtyard when we arrived. It was raining a bit and plastic sheets only provided partial coverage and the monks dispersed after a few minutes.
It’s incredible to think they are praying in the same spot where monks have been praying for more than a millennium.
Our tour group also included a visit with a local woman to talk about politics, China, and modern life in Tibet. She even let us visit the shrine that she keeps in her home, something that is not unusual.
She was also kind enough to offer us Yak Butter Tea. That would be tea that is mixed with butter made from yak’s milk. Apparently, they drink it like a New Englander slugs down Dunkin’ iced coffee. Super salty. There was yak cheese too.
Salty, dry, and chewy. I’m glad I tasted it. Don’t need to try it again.
I got my revenge later.
A yak burger. Just seeing a burger and fries was welcome relief after two-weeks of Chinese food.