7 Days in Tibet: Lhasa

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Day 1

Starting elevation: 1317m (Kathmandu)

Ending elevation: 3680m (Lhasa)

Flying into Lhasa, Tibet from Kathmandu, Nepal was perhaps the most beautiful 1 hour flight I have ever been on. 15 minutes into the flight, Mt. Everest was visible in all its glory from a bird's eye view. It looked more amazing from above as we flew past it. Wow, still can't get over it. Soon after seeing Mt. Everest on the left, Kanchenjunga (8586m), the third largest mountain in the world, appeared through the clouds on the right hand side of the plane. It lays on the border between Nepal and Sikkim, India.

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As we crossed over into Tibet, leaving behind the terraced hills of Kathmandu, I could see the vast mountainous plains, glacial lakes, and meandering rivers of Tibet below. Snow peaked mountains and mountain ranges covered parts of the Tibetan earth, while dusty roads and barren rocky mountains occupied the remainder.

Entering China was an interesting experience as the government is extremely bureaucratic. Strict laws require you to have a special permit for Tibet that is both expensive and limited in that your arrival and departures dates are fixed. Chinese law also states that tourists should have a Chinese guide to accompany them in the region. Thus, I have Nima, my wonderful Tibetan guide.

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The drive from the Gongkar airport to the city of Lhasa took just under 2 hours. It used to be longer years ago, before they blew a tunnel directly through a mountain making the journey half as long. Looking out the window of our Land Cruiser, I was astonished at how blue the sky was. The higher elevation and clearer atmosphere made for cobalt-blue skies and crisp white clouds.

For my first evening in Lhasa, Subash, my Nepali guide and I walked to Barkhor past the massive Potala Palace for dinner. Our rooftop restaurant offered amazing views of the surrounding mountains and bustling crowds below roaming through the Tibetan market. Lhasa is an exceptionally clean city that is pleasant to explore. However, the influence of the Chinese, in some peoples eyes, has impeded on the Tibetan culture. Many high fashion and electronic stores line the main roads inviting foreign and Chinese tourists to buy, buy, buy. This sense of materialism doesn't quite fit in an otherwise Buddhist culture.

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Day 2

In the morning, Nima and I walked to Norbuling Ka, or Jewel Park. This is where the Summer Palace sits which was used by the Dalai Lamas. The amazing palace was built in the 7^th century and rebuilt in the 1950’s by the present Dalai Lama. It was from the Summer Palace that His Holiness escaped to India in 1959.

Inside, were beautifully painted walls of the life of Buddha and the history of the Tibetan people. There were many rooms that could be visited such as the Dalai Lama's bedroom, study area, and visiting area. Each room was decorated with paintings and colorful furniture. Hard to imagine living here as a child.

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Also, within Jewel Park was a small, somewhat rundown zoo. The only interesting thing inside were the 2 unhappy lions and black bears that came from China. Inside the park, we also visited several monasteries and temples that date back to the 7^th century. One of them contained various modes of transportation used by the present Dalai Lama such as pull carts and even a small tricycle.

Next, we visited the Jokhang which is the geographical and religious center of Lhasa because it is the most important temple in the world for all sects of Tibetan Buddhism. Pilgrims come from all over Tibet to see it at least once in their lifetime to circle around the temple while prostrating themselves before the many shrines. Moving through the dim passage ways, lit only by yak butter lamps, chanting could be heard from the various chapels throughout the temple.

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The Jokhang Temple was built by the Chinese wife of King Songstan Gampo in the 7^th century to commemorate the 33^rd Tibetan King after his death. Surrounding the Jokhang is the Barkhor, an 800m flagstone pathway that completely encircles the temple. The Barkhor serves both as a sacred circular walk and the biggest bazaar in Tibet. This is where Tibetan culture is truly felt in an otherwise Chinese-influenced Lhasa.

Smiling Tibetans beckoning you to come look at their stands covered in handicrafts such as yak bone bracelets, necklaces, prayer wheels, prayer flag and Buddhist statues. The Barkhor is a lively place filled with wandering backpackers, Tibetan monks and pilgrims. It is the ‘Thamel’ of Tibet, full of interesting shops and restaurants.

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After lunch, Nima took me to the Tsamkhung Nunnery which is located within the Jokhang Temple. It is the only nunnery established in Lhasa. During the 7^th century, the Tibetan King Songstan Gampo had been meditating in a small cave at this site. The nunnery was build on top of this cave which can be visited in a small shrine beside the building.

Inside the chapel, there were a few nuns praying dressed in the similar attire as the Tibetan monks. One of the nuns took us to her room so that I could see how the nuns lived. Two hard beds lay in a small room decorated with pictures of the Dalai Lama and statues of various Buddha figures. A small gas stove and a few shelves with some rice and other foods was all that was in a room shared by 2 nuns.

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We sat and had tea while Nima translated the conversation. Gyantsen Chosang has been a nun for 13 years and lives a different life than the Tibetan nuns in Nepal. Nima explained that the nuns in Nepal receive more financial support from the government and community and tend to be more materialistic. Therefore, it is not rare to see monks and nuns walking around with cell phones in Kathmandu, while here in Tibet, it is.

Day 3

Due to strict laws by the Chinese government, visiting the Potala Palace requires a reservation time slot at least a day in advance. Our visiting time was 11am and we only had 1 hour to visit the palace. The top red portion of the Potala Palace was built by King Songstan Gampo in the 7^th century. Whereas the bottom white half was completed in the the 17^th century by the 5^th Dalai Lama as an extension of the palace. It was during this time that the palace became the Dalai Lama’s residing place. It is 115m high with 13 stories and includes everything from living quarters to temples to funeral stupas to monk dormitories.

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Not all the rooms of the palace are open to the public, but from the few we were able to enter, I was struck by the setting and details of each room and shrine. Rooms were filled with handcrafed furniture and shrines were bursting in gold painted statues and precious stones.

Over the last couple of days, Nima has been quizzing me on all the information she has given me about Buddhism. She would point at a statue and I have to identify which particular Buddha, Lama, or King it is. It can be difficult considering they look almost identical with only a few minor details to distinguish them by such as hand position or whether they are holding a sword or scripture.

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After lunch, we visited the Sera Monastery built by one of the disciples of the Tsonkapa who was the founder of the Yellow-Hat Sect in 1419. It is one of the 3 major monasteries of the Yellow-Hat Sect in Central Tibet.

The major highlight of the Sera Monastery was the daily 2 hour “Monk’s Debate” where monks from the monastery quiz each other on the life of Buddha in the main courtyard. Their shouts got louder and louder as we approached the courtyard filled with hundreds of monks. As one sat on the ground receiving the questions, the other would slap his hands together delivering a question with a violent stomp. It was quite amusing sitting around the perimeter of the courtyard watching these monks testing their knowledge. Nima, Subash and I have adopted this new approach of Q&A with each other.