After our train journey the day before, our group of four decided we would spend our morning strolling around the back alleys of the Barkhor area of Old Lhasa. The streets smelled of yak butter and incense while hordes of pilgrims shuffled along the main Kora around Jokhang Temple known as the spiritual heart of Lhasa.
Alleyways are shared with an endless number of vendors selling everything from relgious artifacts to tacky english t-shirts shouting whatever English they may know as we walked by.
After we snaked our way through the maze, we ended up at Jokhang Temple where piglrims prostrate themselves infront of, from sunset to sundown, sometimes doing this for over a year traveling from Eastern Tibet. Continuing along a more modern street, we catch of first view of the Portala Palace towering over the citizens of Lhasa below. After a few snaps shots it was time to tuck into a manic little restaurant selling tea and noodles with yak meat. We each ate for 35 cents a piece.
Our afternoon was spent touring Sera Monastery where in the afternoon the monks gather to debate the philosophy of Buddhism. One monk will argue his point and then drive his point home with slap of his fist into an open palm, while the others, seated on the ground try to rebuttal.
Our next morning began early again for me, when the alarm went off at 630am. Martin, a member of our group and I had planned to photograph the Portala Palace, previously home to the Dalai Lama, at first light. A few hours later and it was time to head back to the hostel for breakfast and meet our guide for our day tour.
Unfortunalty our original guide, Lobsang had to deliver the disappointing news that he was unable to continue with us as his permit had expired and the government was delaying his renewal. So we met our new guide, Namgaye and we were off for our first stop, inside of the Portala Palace.
After some initial confusion and almost missing our appointment we made it just in time and payed the steep 100 yuan entrance fee. Everything in China has an entrance fee and its often hard to gauge whether or not it is worth it, some with a low fee are amazing others with high fees are disappointing. Portala did not disappoint. The next hour was spent wondering around the inside of this magnificent building exploring the rooms previously used by the Dalai Lama and the many Buddhist icons within.
After a quick lunch our second stop was to the Jokhang Temple which is known as the most important Buddhist temple in all of Tibet. The interior was unbelievably decorated with the star attraction of the most important image of Buddha in Tibet. Legend has it that a Stupa rose up in the center of a lake and it was this even that to the monastery being built on top of it. The tour was enjoyble due to the importance of Jokhang Monastery and it was quite different from the monasteries we had previously visited.
About Nick
So again, taking back by the amazing view. PLUS you ate for 35 cents!! I don’t even want to share how much lunch just costed me in the cafe lol. Its nice that you guys have got a travel group going. I look forward to your next entry, I wish I had something equally as interested to tell you guys from home, but nope. xo
In my wildest dreams I never thought I would be experiencing a trip to Asia through your eyes. Checking your blog every night for the next exciting adventure. We were wondering how many noodle meals you can eat? Love, xoxoxoxoxox N & N
Hi Nick & Lianna. I’ve read all your posting so far. What an adventure! I think you need to be your age to hack the travel and the food issues and the toilets. Please keep the postings and pictures coming as they are very good. I’ve shared your site with Barbara and a friend of mine. Your dad and I went to an Argo game friday– it was so bad. The Argos stunk and the Tiger-cat not much better and $20.00 for 2 beers.Ugh! The best part seeing your dad. Thank for sharing you trip. Be safe. Roman
Ya right Christina! I think it’s interesting that you are getting married! Congrats on the engagement, I hear the ring is beautiful.
Hey guys,
Im currently in Yunnan province and have been browsing your blogs on Tibet. It looks like you had an incredible time! I have a few questions though… Firstly, did you pay for just one tour which took you to all these places or did you get a ticket to Lhasa and then book other tours from there? Secondly how much did these tours cost and is Tibet generally quite expensive?
I am trying my best to find a way into Tibet for a reasonable price, perhaps just by heading to Lhasa from Yunnan Province and then making my own way to Nepal. Any advice from you guys would be great as I havent found anyone who has been to Tibet so far… Please drop me an email if you can help : smorthwaite252@hotmail.com
Thanks a lot!
James
xxx
Hey James,
Tibet is a little different than traveling other places and at the moment you cannot travel independently unless you are chinese. You have to organize a “tour” before you even enter Tibet from either Xining or Chengdu. It may seem a little expensive but you can cut costs by joining up with other travelers in Xining or Chengdu who want to do something similar. Going to the Nepalese border is VERY popular so I have no doubt that you could find people to go with. Try http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree and browse around the Tibet forum for people looking to join up.
There are a few options for which company to take but I took Tibetan Connections which is out of Xining and they were great. They let us choose our own budget guesthouses and budgets places to eat although we still had to have a guide and driver like everyone else.
If the cost still seem too high keep in mind that areas of Gansu Province and Sichuan Province are actually more Tibetan than most of the TAR. They used to be Amdo and Kham provinces when Tibet was a separate country and are still where most Tibetans live and the culture is very much alive. They also have a fraction of the tourists and dont require the permits and fees like the TAR ( Tibet Autonomous Region). Let me know if you have more questions..I hope that helped.