Thursday, June 28, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Tashilunpo hike.looking back down the initial ridge
The first portion of this hike was climbing the ridge in this photo. We started off walking up to the Shigatse Dzong (big fort), which you can see at the bottom of that first ridge. Our hotel was just in front of the Dzong, down-hill to the right.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Tashilunpo hike..wall of prayer flags, from the West side
Several hundred extra large strands of flags were tied off to this pedestal on a peak overlooking the Monastery...
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Tashilunpo hike..Shigatse view
Shigatse is the second largest town in Tibet. Notice Shigatse's version of Lhasa's "Red Square". Every town of any size in Tibet and China had their own version of a "Red Square", with a memorial celebrating Communism and a large, flat, empty square. In Shigatse's Square there was an enormous movie screen.... creepy.
Tashilunpo hike..the Friendship Highway
A view looking down over the West side of Shigatse... the side that has been left to the Tibetans. The long, straight road headed off into the distance is called the Friendship Highway... it goes from Lhasa to the border with Nepal, and is the road that all must take to get from Lhasa to the Everest region.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Tashilunpo hike..flag post at the peak
You need something to tie all the prayer flags to up here! There are no trees whatsoever, as you can see from these photos.
Tashilunpo hike...prayer flag shelter
This peak was completely covered in layer upon layer of prayer flags. This spot had been turned into a shady refuge, with a cushioned floor about 3 feet thick with flags, and a full prayer flag roof as well.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
Tashilunpo hike... self-portrait on a peak
on the ridge overlooking Tashilunpo Monastery and the town of Shigatse...
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Friday, June 15, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Tashilunpo hike...Stop to smell the flowers...
There is very little in the way of plant life in Tibet. Every new plant I saw, I had to pause and celebrate! This little shrub with bright red berries is one of only about two different plants I saw on this hike. The other plant was the lower grey-green shrub you can see covering the ground. It was slightly woody, with soft looking leaves. But it was loaded with the most painful thorns I have ever encountered! They burned intensely and tended to break off in your skin. I had several embedded in the palm of my right hand for about three weeks after this hike. I was slipping on the loose gravel on the way down and reached out to steady myself... by grabbing a handful of pain! One day I will learn my lesson about grabbing random plants while I hike..... maybe.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Tashilunpo hike...Coming down the mountain
We slowly made our way down the side of the mountain, back down to the Monastery. There was no trail, so we had to blaze our own way, which was quite a challenge!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Exploring around the base of the Potala... near the exit gate and ticket booth
A view up the hill to the West side of the Potala from just in front of the main exit gate. The mob of women in this photo is a group of vendors, mostly selling cheap jewelry, and a few prayer wheels. These girls were lots of fun... very persistent yet very fun to joke and talk with. While we enjoyed the playful teasing, most folks were highly annoyed by these ladies, and either tried to ignore them or barked at them sharply..... both tactics seemed to make them even MORE persistent in their vending tactics. I have learned that in any situation, a smile gets you farther then a frown. That said, I didn't escape without eventually buying a few souvenir bracelets.... a small price to pay for quality human interaction!
Monday, June 11, 2007
Exploring around the base of the Potala
A beautiful view. Taken from the West side of "Red Square" across the street from the Potala. The street is Dekyi Shar Lam, and it is one of the main roads through Lhasa.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Getting our tickets for the Potala tour
The official ticket booth area, and exit gate at the bottom of the exit ramp that leads down the back side of Marpo Ri. This is where you wait in line to get your que number. Then, later in the day, where you wait again to recieive your reservation to pick up your tickets for the next day, at your designated time. Gaining entrance to the Potala is a very time consuming project, and takes a whole day to complete.
Friday, June 08, 2007
Exploring around the base of the Potala
The Potala as seen from the East side of Marpo Ri. There is a kora around the base of Marpo Ri which allows you to see the whole Potala fairly close.
Exploring around Tibetan Lhasa...Gyume Tantric College...Main chapel
This courtyard was about 100 feet off of the main road through Lhasa (Dekyi Shar Lam), through a small gate and down a short alley, and behind another wall. The monastery was quite large and impressive considering how hidden it was from the main street.
It was founded in the 1450's, and in it's day was the foremost Tantric College in Tibet. Students underwent what's described as a physically and intellectually greuling course of study. Once home to over 500 monks, Gyume was totally desecrated during the Cultural Revolution. Presently there is a growing number of monks in residence and it is again a fully functioning temple and college. We enjoyed a session of chanting by the monks of this monastery while we were visiting this main chapel. The rooftop views that follow were taken from the roof of this chapel.
Exploring around Tibetan Lhasa...Gyume Tantric College... nice thangkas
These were hanging in the back of the smoky chapel. They looked quite old and were intricate and beautiful.
Exploring around Tibetan Lhasa...Gyume...smoky chapel
You don't realize how thick the smoke from the yak butter lamps are until you see it in sunlight such as this! This was a very small chapel, but it was filled with beautiful thangkas and statues.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Exploring around Tibetan Lhasa... Gyume...in one small chapel, a monk's seat
In the back of this chapel, as in nearly every chapel we entered in Tibet, there was a spot for the gaurdian monk to sit. Usually a comfortably cushioned couch, surrounded by his personal items... a jug of tea, sacred texts, various musical instruments (drums or bells) and other necessary things. This monk had a little friend! Most chapels contained a continually chanting monk, to maintain butter lamps, collect money and, of course to chant.
Exploring around Tibetan Lhasa...Gyume... in one small chapel in a monastic complex
Four photos taken in one small room. One whole wall was lined with texts. Another wall held cabinets displaying several different statues and sacred objects. I was starting to become quite fond of the snow lions I kept seeing in paintings throughout Tibet... this painting portrayed some particularly friendly looking snow lions.
Exploring around Tibetan Lhasa... Gyume Tantric College...wicked good chapel art
Inside another smaller monastery in Tibetan Lhasa.
Exploring around Tibetan Lhasa... he already pimped his ride
Tibet has a certain cowboyesque flavor... this motorcycle is a small example of what I mean. Many of the ballers in the countryside villages had pimped out motorcycles like this one... strictly for ballers though.
Exploring around Tibetan Lhasa... where the pilgrims stay
We happened across this monastery complex, hidden amongst the alleys of the Tibetan Quarter. They were closing up for the evening, but the monks were kind enough to let us in for a quick look around the main chapel. We had been wondering where all the pilgrims from out of town stayed while they were in Lhasa. Turns out, this monastery was one of the main spots. By the looks of the small individual piles of clothing/bedding/food prep items hundreds of pilgrims were using this monastery as a crash pad at night, sleeping communally on the chapel floors. Though there were no pilgrims present at the time, the monks had the kitchen in full swing, probably preparing for the evening return of the many pilgrims who had spent their days walking koras, spinning prayer wheels and chanting incessantly.
Exploring around Tibetan Lhasa...distilled offerings
Small booth in an entrance courtyard selling grain alcohol to leave as offerings at appropriate spots on altars in the several chapels within this complex. The smell of this particular type of alcohol is another unique and unforgettable smell I will forever associate with Tibet.... combined with the pungent odor of yak butter it is THE smell of Tibetan monastaries!
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