New country for Lesley we arrived in Tibet around 3pm
after losing a couple of hours from Nepal, receiving white prayer scarves from
our drivers which means good wishes – a great introduction. Initial
impressions on the hour+ long drive from the airport were the very Chinese
iconic symbols and very western infrastructure. The other and best thing
was the super clear air (of course we are at 3600m now) and blue skies with
mountains surrounding us in every direction topped with a thin dusting of snow.
We have arrived in Tibet in their most religious month of the year with today
being the birth date, enlightenment and passing date of Buddha. As we
neared Lhasa people were everywhere - off to worship at a shrine or temple
nearby or making a pilgrimage to one further afield. What a beautiful
time to be here.
Our tour, which is the only way you can travel Tibet,
has officially started so we are meeting our group at 6.30pm
to get a lay of the land. At this altitude day temperatures are currently
around 24/25 degrees and overnight get down to as low as 4.
The following day's activities began at 9.30am
and we walked through the streets with our group and guide (Gyaltsen) until we
reached Jokhang Temple. The day is beautiful but cold as we depart in ~7
degrees (it did get up to 20 during the day though). It's worth pointing out at
this point that photos of much of Tibet's religious sights and treasures is
forbidden.
On the way out the sites were pretty awesome. As
we mentioned this is a very important month and everywhere you look there are
Tibetans walking a pilgrimage, praying, spinning prayer wheels or praying for
the good of all living things. We are very blessed that our timing has
bought us here at this time of the year. The praying outside the temple
was very much all about prostrations - a gesture used in Buddhist practice to
show reverence to the Triple Gem (comprising the Buddha, his teachings, and the
spiritual community) and other objects of veneration. Effectively the
devotees stand in prayer and squat down, then lay out flat with their hands
above their head (sometimes with hand mats to slide on) and then up again -
this movement is super smooth and continuous. Most complete it 108 times
and we also saw prostrations being practised on the way to the temple (i.e.
moving forwards). The number 108 is significant as it represents 108
defilements of the mind - and each bow removes or cleans the mind one part at a
time. For the Buddhist this practice is a way of humbling themselves
before the world and becoming one with everything. For them it is another
path towards the realisation of True Self.
Jokhang temple is in the centre of old Lhasa and
the construction of it began in 647 AD with extensions later on. It and
its contents are specially protected and after our visit inside it is quite
clear why. The prize possession within the temple is the 5th century BC
statue of a 12 year old Buddha, which has been housed in the temple since the
7th century AD. A group of monks were practising and the sights within
the temple of chapels, Buddha, Teacher and Protector statues as well as the
amazing building itself were beautiful. A lot of the colours you see are
white, red and yellow – the meaning behind these being white (peace), red
(power, political and religious) and yellow (protection). We do not claim
to know a lot about Buddhism but some of the teachings like the removal of all
desire, hatred and ignorance to reach nirvana really strike a chord.
The view from atop the building was stunning with the
town laid out in front of us, edged by snow covered mountains (a little more
than yesterday) and of course the Palace in the background. A real treat
to be able to spend time here and share a little of what is a very important
time with Buddhist devotees from Lhasa and afar.
Our next stop was Potala Palace, which takes
pride of place atop the hill overlooking the city of Lhasa. The Palace
was built in the 7th century and then extended by the 5th Dalai Lama in the
17th century to its present size. At that time it became the Dalai Lama's
residing palace managing political and religious affairs. The 5th
Dalai Lama has a very fond place in the hearts of the Tibetan as he bought the
four sects of the Buddhist religion together creating a united Tibet. His
hand prints are in the temple as is his funeral stupa which is covered in
3700kgs of gold plating and 10,000 precious stones. The Palace itself is nothing
short of imposing at 113.7m high with 13 stories and 1000 rooms. The top
story with yellow curtains is where the current 14th Dalai Lama
would reside if he was in Tibet (the Palace is used as the winter residence)
and the entire Palace is made up of living quarters, stupas, funeral stupas and
monk dormitories. Pre the revolution in 1959 the Palace was home to 2500
monks who resided here with the current Dalai Lama. Unfortunately now
only ~33 remain and most rooms are used by Government officials. The trip
inside the palace and the Dalai Lama residence leaves you completely
speechless. It is full of ornate, detailed and colourful works and
tapestries that date back to the 7th century and are in pristine condition.
There are countless cultural relics in the Palace made up of images, murals,
statues and scriptures - all of which have an incredible (in fact priceless)
value. They are rightly classified as natural treasures and thankfully
are protected (as is the Palace).
We also learnt a little about the revolution in 1959
when China decided it wanted control of Tibet. It is very sad as prior to
this time the relationship had been relatively close however the gold, silver
and water resources in Tibet proved too much to disregard. Apparently
they were also fond of Tibet’s position which is a natural and very high
barrier between China and India. At the time of the revolution Tibet lost
3000 monasteries and an uncountable number of treasures with them. Things
are very different for the Tibetan now - for example, you have to apply to the
Government if you want to become a monk, and they have the power to say no.
When monks were at their height in Lhasa in the 17th century they
were a controlling power so it would appear that the drastic reduction and
control of numbers is to remove any potential threat.
On this day we have had a day on our travels that it's
hard to believe we'll have again - the value in what we've seen, the age, level
of preservation and being able to share in such special moments and experiences
is priceless. Although who knows what tomorrow
will bring - Tibet is already going to hold a lot of special memories for us
both.
Day three we headed out in the morning to Drepung
Monastery which is 10km out of Lhasa. It was built in 1416 and before the
revolution housed 10,000 monks making it the largest Monastery in Tibet – this
is now reduced to ~300. On arrival you see the painted pictures of Buddha
on the rocks surrounded the Monastery (we’re at 3800m here) along with a mantra
repeated over and over, which means the Jewel (the compassion) in the Lotus (of
enlightenment). Up a number of stairs was an extremely large painting, on
a specially built wall, of the conch shell (a call to prayer).
There are original silk scrolls here written in gold and silver which are
extremely rare. The monastery is absolutely huge covering an area of
200,000 square metres and as we are learning houses thousands of precious
relics. We spent a number of hours here before moving on to our next site
– the Sera Monastery.
The Sera Monastery was founded in 1419 and again is
another site that covers a huge area (114,964 square metres). At its
height it housed 5,500 monks which is now reduced to ~230. We visited was
the “library” which houses 14th and 15th century scripts
and reprints these in modern format (still in Tibetan and on paper but able to
be purchased by the devotees). The ancient scripts were printed on paper
laced with poison to ensure that insects etc didn’t destroy them. Then
onto a chapel with 1000 Buddha statues inside (this is the second of this
nature we have seen so far in Tibet) which is one of many chapels that make up
the monastery (as well as the Assembly hall, colleges and housing).
We left Lhasa at 8.30am to head to our next
destination the city of Shigatse (3,900m), some 350kms away. Once we hit
the rural areas the drive through was very barren - huge rocky hills and little
vegetation except for patches of agriculture where rural people are either
being self-sufficient or making a living.
We passed through a number of
mountain passes, the first being Kampa-la Pass (4,794m). We nick-named
this "dog hill" as there were numerous Tibetan Mastives all waiting
for their tourist photos (5 Yuan for a dog photo, 10 Yuan for a yak photo).
It was impossible not too though so we obliged (so cute), as well as taking
photos of the thousands of prayer flags and amazing views of the valley.
The next place of note was Yamdrok Lake - driving in
and around this area was so like Central Otago (except 3 or 4,000 metres
higher). The lake was very blue, backed by the hills all reddish brown, and the
mountains now starting to come into view. The amazing thing here is that
you can be this high and there is no snow, although the wind chill is certainly
up there (or down as the case may be!). Long patches of driving
through the beautiful valleys and quaint Tibetan villages on route to our next
scenic stop - Karo la Pass (5,039m) where we got fantastic views of the holy
(and pristine) Mount Nyenchen Kangsar glacier. As with most glaciers
worldwide this one is also retreating.
We arrived at Gyantse and our last stop where we visited
the largest stupa in Tibet (Kumbum stupa) and the Palkhor Choede monastery. An
occurrence here (mainly for the tourists benefit) was watching the Monks
debate, which is all part of their learning. They use a lot of hand
signals and clapping which is quite amusing to watch. Philosophy is the
main area of discussion and their topics are picked randomly by their teachers.
The monastery was built in 1418 and is one of the
Buddhist centres where multiple sects co-exist in harmony and peace. We
were lucky enough this time (although not the best monastery out of all that
we’ve seen) to be able to pay to take photos on the inside which is pretty
lucky. The stupa is 34.2m high and was built in 1427 and includes 108
alters and also houses 100,000 Buddhist images enshrined as murals and statues.
Another key site under protection in Tibet.
A unique thing this monastery is that it is surrounded
by large walls and there is a fort up on a nearby hill - this was used by the
British in their 1904 occupation. Seems everyone wants a piece of this
beautiful and peaceful country. We arrived at our destination 11 hours
after we departed.
The following day is very exciting and another big
drive day (360kms and 8.5 hrs) as we head to Everest Base Camp (EBC, 5,200m). Again
we crossed several passes - a couple of note Gyatso la Pass (5,248m the
highest point we have ever been) where we should have been able to see Everest
if it weren't for the cloud cover and Gawu la Pass (5,198m) where we got our
first view of the Himalaya (although somewhat covered in cloud). The
roads through these valleys are something else - they are the most extensive
and "out there" switchback and hairpin roads we've ever seen and they
feel like they go on forever. It would have been no mean feat to build!
We went through numerous checkpoints (Government) that
seem completely overkill - checkpoints for us (passports and visas), for the
car and driver (it is a Government car and is he registered to drive it) and
speedo checks (the driver gets given a slip at one, and a time he should reach
the next one - if he's early he's obviously speeding). Couldn't quite
believe the over the top control as we got closer to EBC. It didn't
distract us from our journey though as we headed down the Friendship Highway
and finally arrived in the Rongbuk Valley and the tent village (5,100m) where
we will be staying tonight.
A quick change (warmer clothes) and we headed off on
our ~3.5km walk to EBC. The Valley is something else - it's stunning
(still no snow though) and the rock formations are absolutely beautiful and
immense. We visited Rongbuk Monastery which is the highest monastery in
the world and consists of both a monk and a couple of visiting nuns. The
monk that lives there has done so for 22 years on his own and doesn't speak.
It's a beautiful small monastery that is made up of an underground cave where
prayers and devotion occur. Because it was so very different to what
we've seen it was also very very special.
We carried on up the gravel road to EBC; it was
beautiful (and freezing). It was slightly cloudy but we got glimpses of
the top and the mountain that is edged by the closer surrounding hills. We
stayed there for some time just taking in the moment, hanging our own prayer
flags (purchased earlier) and being thankful for every moment that has got us
here.
After walking back to the tent village we headed into
our tent for a nice warm drink and some dinner before wrapping up like a cocoon
in our sleeping bags with large blankets and settling in for a night that would
easily be below zero. It was surprisingly warm, although the altitude
headaches didn't really help the sleep consistency.
Up at 7am
to a treat. The view of Everest was absolutely stunning, in fact words
don't really do it justice. The sun was coming up on the eastern side and
it was almost completely clear of cloud. The sky was blue, there was a
small breeze and everything in the world seemed perfect. Wow, what a way
to start the day.
Not really wanting to take our eyes off the most
amazing sight we did head back in for breakfast and alas had to say goodbye to
our very special experience as we packed the car ready to depart. We did
manage to take one group shot first though with the fabulous Everest in the
background (Riccardo & Anna from Portugal, Sue & Imogen from US, Paul
& Sandra from US, Sheryl from Singapore, Gyaltsen (our Guide) and Tenzin
(our Driver).
The drive back was pretty uneventful as the main
scheme of today was simply to get back to Shigatse. A few loo stops and
lunch and that was about it as we made it back in a short 7.5 hours. The
agricultural area was again a key viewing point on the way back and the houses
definitely are different to anything we have seen. They are rectangular
and all have prayer flags flying from them. The unique thing about them
is the yak paddies that they make into a conformed shape and then stick to
their fences or along the top of them to dry. These, along with sheep
pallets, act as the fuel for their fires in the winter (there are very few if
any trees). They are remarkably efficient and slow burning too, and we
guess due to the cold and/or drying process doesn’t have any odour. It
never ceases to surprise you how resourceful people can be utilising what they
have available to make their lives comfortable.
Our last full day in Tibet :o(
All packed into the “van” again we headed to Tashi
Lhumpo Monastery, only about 10 -15 minutes from our Hotel. Upon arriving
we discovered that the current Panchen Lama was there, which unfortunately for
us meant we were unable to enter and it was photos from the outside only.
The Panchen Lama is a different lineage to the Dalai Lama and effectively is 2nd
behind him. The interesting story that goes with the Panchen Lama is that
the real one (and his family) disappeared when he was 8 years old and another,
selected by the Chinese Government was put in his place. The
disappearance is apparently a Government secret and it is believed he is still
alive, locked up somewhere (had he been killed he would have been reincarnated
again). Many Tibetans do not respect the current Panchen Lama so upon the
death of the current Dalai Lama (who is 81 years old & in exile in India)
there may be some very unsettled times for the land of Tibet. The Dalai
Lama has also stated that he will not be reincarnated again in a land that is
not pure (i.e. meaning a Tibet ruled by China or anyone else). It’s
likely that the next Dalai Lama will come to light elsewhere in the world.
Back in the van and on route to Lhasa we asked for an
unscheduled stop by a small group of local rural Tibetan houses – really to get
some “real” photos of the traditional homes and the yak paddies stacked up all
over drying ready for the winter. We wandered around the houses and first
met a lovely lady with her 1 year old who was very gracious and allowed us to
take their photo, then a little further along as we were taking photos of
someone’s backyard the owner came out, quietened his very good guard dog and
invited us into his yard, not quite believing our luck and just when we thought
we had outstayed our welcome he invited us inside his home. What an
unbelievable and special moment.
The Tibetan people are so peaceful, friendly and
respectful that it is an absolute pleasure to be around them. We checked
out downstairs and then he led us upstairs to look at their lounge, bedroom and
central living area. It was the grandparents that were home, looking
after their granddaughter (who was absolutely beautiful) while their daughter
was away working elsewhere. They let us take as many photos as we liked
and were genuinely pleased that we were so interested in them and their very
beautiful home.
We stopped at Nyimo (a local home based incense
factory), which was really interesting as we watched the owner actually making
incense sticks in front of us and putting them out to dry. Most of the
group bought something and it took Lesley everything she had not too, but not
going directly home and with no room in the bags to put it we had to refrain.
Our last unscheduled stop on the side of the road was
to lose 15 minutes (we were too early to hit the checkpoint) as we followed the
Northern part of the Friendship Highway alongside the Yarlung Tsangpo River (one of the longest in Tibet) back to
Lhasa. The group decided to have our final dinner together at the Tibetan
Family Kitchen restaurant which was really lovely (great food) and we had a
great evening before saying a sad goodbye to everyone as the official ‘tour’
came to an end. The rest of our Tibetan stay was overnight and getting
ready for our early trip to the Airport the next day.
It feels as if we are leaving Tibet way too soon and
are extremely grateful to have had the experiences we have had. The
company we used "Explore Tibet" comes highly recommended. Gyaltsen
(our guide) was extremely honest in his explanations of what is really going on
in Tibet (no thanks to our groups numerous questions) and it fills us with
great sadness that China is slowly but surely chipping away at and suffocating
their culture, which well and truly deserves to be preserved. We were
surprised to learn that even the tour vans have cameras and audio recorders in
them that the Chinese Government can cease at any time to review.
Tibet is without a doubt worth saving and our
compassion towards them will remain. We wouldn’t be surprises if at some
point we find ourselves back here, but the future currently remains a little
uncertain. “Free Tibet” now has a whole new meaning.
Best moment – Everest at sunrise
Worst moment – multiple (and way too many) Government
checkpoints/control
Most special – visiting the elderly couples home on
our last day travelling back to Lhasa
Most surprising – the toilets (we thought we’d seen
the world’s worst) and nature stops outnumbering “real” toilet stops
Things we will remember:
Altitude
Yaks
Monks
Prayer flags
Prayer beads
Incense
Butter lamps
Buddha and the Monasteries
Mt Everest and the Himalaya
The faces and the beautiful people
Starting blocks and natures toilets
Traditional mud brick housing
Goat herding
Clean Mountain Rivers
Open fires for cooking and heating
Dried yak paddies, peat bricks and sheep pallets for
burning
Snow-capped mountains and glaciers
Green pastoral valleys and flood plains
Manual labour
Hand cultivation and ploughing with yaks
Nomadic farming
Rice paddies
Chinese roads
Tibetan Mastives
Police checkpoints
Incredible diverse and colourful rock scapes
