Smells like "Liberation"

Just to make sure everyone knows who's in charge here...
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RYAN...

We landed in what looked like a great sand bank with the tide out at Lhasa airport. The two hour flight was mostly cloud-filled but we did see some amazing mountains on the way over from China.

The first impression that we got of Lhasa was that this was a very, very Chinese place. If the road from the airport doesn't depress you than not much will. We drove by the rugged hills and desert like sands of the Tibetan plateau to Chinese Kareoke on a TV Screen of the bus and a window view of Chinese architecture bearing Chinese flags. It was obvious who was calling the shots as the bus streamed down two lane highway  sponsored by China Mobile and Pepsi that makes up the main drag of Lhasa.  At first Lhasa seems to be just one big Chinese street. I was hoping that this was the worst of it until I saw the Potala palace appear around the corner shining in the sunlight with a big Chinese flag raised in the "Liberation square" across the road. The square has statues dedicated to the heroic liberation of the Tibetan people. It almost made us sick. Lhasa, proudly brought to you by China Mobile.

The Bahkor Pilgrims Circuit
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The Tibetan side of Lhasa is quite nice, but you can really feel the tension between the locals and the chinese. The locals hate the Chinese but can't voice anything. We stayed in the Tibetan area that was made for tourists and run by Chinese people. On the first day we checked out the pilgrimage circuit that runs clockwise around the most important temple in Lhasa, Jokhung. This area is called the Barkhor area and is thronged daily by tourists and pilgrims waving everything from prayer-wheels an incense to tour-flags and stupid hats. The circuit is really nice but again it is all about shopping, and the prices are absolutely insane! Even using our Chinese bargaining skills we could not get the shopkeepers to budge on their prices. Plus the fact that all the shops were run by Chinese was a bit annoying.

Take that! Jah Yo! The Monks of Sera monastry battle it out with words.
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We went into the Jokhung temple in the early morning amid the cries of pilgrims praying and with us having to step around lots of pilgrims doing the praying  thing where they lie on their stomachs and then get up again. The way they do it is amazing. They do it for hours and hours. Inside the temple it was so crowded with people that we could hardly move. We did the prayer wheel circuit but couldn't do much else - there were too many people!

We decided to boycott the expensive Potala palace and not give any more money to the Government than we had to. It was a shame because it was beautiful.

Mmm, Tsampa.
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The first day we ate Tsampa (Barley meal mixed with yax butter tea that tastes like melted butter) which is the staple diet of the Tibetans and we loved it. The second day we didn't love it as much and the third time we were utterly sick of the soggy-wheetbix-like gruel and we never want it again as long as we live.

We went on a trip to see one of the surrounding monasteries called, "Sera." We just walked around and enjoyed the monastery, which was really peaceful but the real reason that we came was for the monk debate. At three, lots and lots of monks drifted into a garden area to debate Buddhism, life and everything else. They form pairs, one sits on the ground and the other stands. The sitting monk asks questions and challenges views and the standing monk argues with him. When a point in the argument is won the standing monk raises on hand and brings it down hard to slap the other hand which translates to "take that! I have beat you." When the sitting monk wins the argument they switch. It was really amazing to watch. We had never seen anything like it. This was the best part about Lhasa for both of us.

We spent a long time working things out, but the short of it is...We hired a 4WD for 3,200 yuan to take us and two Brazilians (Gil and Roberta) that we met up with to Shigatse, Everest and the border in three days and two nights. He says we need no permits so we will see how we go. I am so excited to get out of Lhasa and take this drive to the border.

I can't wait to see Everest!! Its going to be amazing!