Tibet: Arrival (First of Some Parts)
The day finally came. I've been looking forward to this trip for twenty years!!!
WARNING: LOTS OF PICTURES, ABSOLUTELY NOT KIDDING.
For just pictures and no narrative (which can be boring, because I can be quite funny), click here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/eliza.santiago/Tibet
My first view of the Himalayas from the air was amazing.
I even saw a glacier and a lake from the air.
We met Ken at the Xian airport and we all took the same flight to Lhasa. We were met by a lovely Tibetan girl named Tse Pel, our guide for the 9-day journey.
Our first stop was a little area where travelers offer prayers for their journey. I loved the little girl who sold incense there.
We arrived at the Kailash Hotel an hour later. Accommodations were better than I had imagined. The street outside our hotel was modern but charming, something I can say about Lhasa in general.
We set off on Barkhor Street to have lunch at the Lhasa Kitchen.
Food at Lhasa is a mix of Tibetan, Nepali, Indian and Chinese. There's plenty of yak to go around and I had my more than fair share of yak meat, yak yoghurt (mostly in the form of lassi), yak butter and yak cheese during my trip.
After a meal of chicken tandoori and cheese nan with a banana lassi, we walked around Jokhang Monastery and Barkhor. Since we were still acclimatizing, we had to take it easy for the rest of the day.
There are lots of fake monks walking around asking for money. If a monk asks you for money, then they are fake. Real monks wouldn't.
I watched devotees praying for a while. Lots of photographers with nifty cameras and lenses around.
Butter offering room:
Later that night, the first signs of adjusting to the altitude started to appear. I was already light-headed when I walked off the plane, and that turned into a huge migraine by the time I had to go to bed at 10pm (gasp!). I kept a large bottle of water beside my bed, closed the curtains (screwed up timezone meant sunset at 10pm, so there was still light outside) and went to sleep.
The next day, we visited two monasteries: Drepung and Sera. We set off after breakfast for Drepung. It was established in 1416 and I just couldn't help but be amazed by it.
Everytime I see a prayer wheel I break out into "Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-I-want-the-kniiiiiife". It can't be helped.
Up and down the walks of Drepung.
Taking in some views.
Now that's what I call a prayer wheel.
These children were singing Tibetan songs for a few cents.
This ram nudged my butt.
A nun graciously allowed us to take pictures with her.
Once in a while I do pose for turista shots.
We had to pay 20 yuan to get shots inside the chapel.
Tibetans offer butter at the monasteries so everywhere you go there would be this sweet, pungent, burning-butter smell. The floors were also greasy with butter.
Taking a breather with Tse Pel.
After Drepung, we dropped by Sera Monastery just in time to view the debate of the monks.
Even though I couldn't understand them, it was easy to read their body language. It's quite a spectacle.
I slept better that night. Dominique though, was getting just a bit worse by the day.....
WARNING: LOTS OF PICTURES, ABSOLUTELY NOT KIDDING.
For just pictures and no narrative (which can be boring, because I can be quite funny), click here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/eliza.santiago/Tibet
My first view of the Himalayas from the air was amazing.
I even saw a glacier and a lake from the air.
We met Ken at the Xian airport and we all took the same flight to Lhasa. We were met by a lovely Tibetan girl named Tse Pel, our guide for the 9-day journey.
Our first stop was a little area where travelers offer prayers for their journey. I loved the little girl who sold incense there.
We arrived at the Kailash Hotel an hour later. Accommodations were better than I had imagined. The street outside our hotel was modern but charming, something I can say about Lhasa in general.
We set off on Barkhor Street to have lunch at the Lhasa Kitchen.
Food at Lhasa is a mix of Tibetan, Nepali, Indian and Chinese. There's plenty of yak to go around and I had my more than fair share of yak meat, yak yoghurt (mostly in the form of lassi), yak butter and yak cheese during my trip.
After a meal of chicken tandoori and cheese nan with a banana lassi, we walked around Jokhang Monastery and Barkhor. Since we were still acclimatizing, we had to take it easy for the rest of the day.
There are lots of fake monks walking around asking for money. If a monk asks you for money, then they are fake. Real monks wouldn't.
I watched devotees praying for a while. Lots of photographers with nifty cameras and lenses around.
Butter offering room:
Later that night, the first signs of adjusting to the altitude started to appear. I was already light-headed when I walked off the plane, and that turned into a huge migraine by the time I had to go to bed at 10pm (gasp!). I kept a large bottle of water beside my bed, closed the curtains (screwed up timezone meant sunset at 10pm, so there was still light outside) and went to sleep.
The next day, we visited two monasteries: Drepung and Sera. We set off after breakfast for Drepung. It was established in 1416 and I just couldn't help but be amazed by it.
Everytime I see a prayer wheel I break out into "Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-I-want-the-kniiiiiife". It can't be helped.
Up and down the walks of Drepung.
Taking in some views.
Now that's what I call a prayer wheel.
These children were singing Tibetan songs for a few cents.
This ram nudged my butt.
A nun graciously allowed us to take pictures with her.
Once in a while I do pose for turista shots.
We had to pay 20 yuan to get shots inside the chapel.
Tibetans offer butter at the monasteries so everywhere you go there would be this sweet, pungent, burning-butter smell. The floors were also greasy with butter.
Taking a breather with Tse Pel.
After Drepung, we dropped by Sera Monastery just in time to view the debate of the monks.
Even though I couldn't understand them, it was easy to read their body language. It's quite a spectacle.
I slept better that night. Dominique though, was getting just a bit worse by the day.....