Travel-Trails

Wow! So much more to write and say about our journey. But I cannot get myself in the mood to write! Perhaps because there is so much I am not sure where to start. Hopefully some of the photos will speak for themselves. Tibet is one of the few places on the trip where I have been really amazed because it is so unusual and different yet also relaxed in taking it all in! The land is also just breathtaking and really contributes to the experience.

Rolling hills, yaks... tiny rural towns that look like the old West

Potala Palace here in Lhasa (were the Dalai Lama lived before exile) built over hundreds of years each Lama adding on since the 1600s... includes the tombs of all the previous Lamas- intricate gold and inlay... a maze of tiny rooms narrow passages and ladders. Pretty much vacant - has an empty lonely feel since Chinese ransacked and all the monks/Dalai Lama left...but then to have all the Tibetans prostratingm chanting and walking koras so devotely and in crowds around the outside.... yet they can't come in except as tourists to see. A bizarre concept.

Jokhar temple in the center of town - the most sacred site of pilgrimage... Dark ornate rooms...crammed with Tibetans carrying yak butter offerings... smoky from the candles...every inch adorned with gold statuary, fabric or mural/painting. Need more photos to better illutrate... everyone moving in clockwise roation from little chrine to shrine up the levels all the way to the roof... many many monks chanting in low tones... amazing atmosphere- felt really out of this world... Then in front of the temple all the Tibetans lying directly on the ground in worship...up and down chanting...it was hard to tiptoe through them to get back out.

Other notables.... quaint narrow streets to wander (in the old quarter- not the new Chinese neighborhoods- that said- has been nice to go there the modern grocery store and buy snacks and toiletries) Neat Muslim quarter ( talk about confusing...to be be Tibetan, Chinese?, AND muslim!)

YUMMYYUMMY food aplenty...and cheap! Yak dumplings. Fresh steamed buns.Szechuan (sp?) Chinese EVERYTHING. Yak yogurt. Snickers! Euro bakery with cinnamon rolls. Sweet milk tea (NO salty greasy yak butter tea for us)

Lovely just to wander around town. People watch....
Not doing Tibet or Lhasa any justice here in writing , just having writers block. Feeling too relaxed and happy to motivate? More in person as we are nearing the 2 week countdown!!! AAAAEEEEEIII! (Don't know if thats good or bad- I think both!)

Tomorrow we fly to Beijing for a fast 3 days of touristic sights... Forbidden City, Great Wall, Summer Palace, Tianamen (sp?) square...
Then we are on the Transiberian Rail from Beijing to Moscow (via Mongolia for 5 days.) SO may not be blogging for a awhile! Will write more as SOON as I can.