Weather – Beyond our control David and Julian had 3 days delay in their flight to the mountain village of Simikot due to weather. This is near the end of the monsoon season so weather is unpredictable. With no room for error in the small landing strip of the mountain village, caution prevails. They […]
David
In Kathmandu
September 1 I said farewell to David and Julian this morning as they left Kathmandu to begin thier Mt. Kailash adventure. I am very excited for them as they have a wonderful guide and thorough preparations have been made. They both seem well prepared, physically and mentally. Each time I read anything about this pilgrimage […]
On the eve of the Mt Kailash trip
Julian and I are packed up for our trip to Mt Kailash. Cynthia will be staying with the family of Deepak Mohat, owner of Adventure Thirdpole Trekking. His wife, Lalu was a former Peace Corps language instructor before the Peace Corps pulled out of Nepal in 2004. They have two children, a girl 8 and […]
The Feeling of Occupation
Leaving Gyanste a couple mornings ago, a caravan of at least a dozen large military trucks loaded with soldiers passed. Our guide thought they might be headed to the border with India at Darjeeling. About an hour later, our car was stopped by soldiers. Several ran further along the road while one remained beside us […]
Yungdrungling Monastery
When we read the description of Yungdrungling Monastery in our Lonely Planet guidebook, we asked our guide if we could possibly visit there on our way back to Lhasa, even though it was not on our original itinerary. He had never been there but was willing to give it a try. The reason it sounded […]
Travels outside Lhasa
Our Tibetan guide and driver took us on a three day trip to the sacred lake of Yamdrok Tso and the towns of Gyantse and Shigatse outside of Lhasa. Here are some photos: Yamdrok Tso http://www.flickr.com/photos/11790404@N02/sets/72157622033688987/show/ Gyantse http://www.flickr.com/photos/11790404@N02/sets/72157622033565031/show/ Shigatse http://www.flickr.com/photos/11790404@N02/sets/72157622158137512/show/
An operational barley mill
We took a 3-day trip to some towns outside Lhasa and came across this mill used to grind roasted barley into flour. The flour is used to make tsampa, the traditional staple meal of Tibetans. The mill was humming along smoothly, powered by a water wheel. Barley Mill http://www.flickr.com/photos/11790404@N02/sets/72157622033516495/show/
More photos from China
Our hotel here in Lhasa is the first one we have found in which computer access if FREE! Everywhere else in China we have had to may anywhere from $2 – $13 per hour. So on our last day in Lhasa, we’ve had the chance to catch up on e-mail and upload some pictures we […]
The Jokhang
The Jokhang in Lhasa is the most revered religious structure in Tibet. Buddhist pilgrims walk around the structure in a clockwise direction carrying prayer beads and spinning prayer wheels. Inside there are dozens of chapels and hundreds of statues, including the most important shrine in Tibet, the chapel of Jowo Sakyamuni, which houses the image […]
Impressions of Ganden Monastery
Some of the sights and sounds I most enjoyed at Ganden Monastery had little to do with the monastery itself, but with the rituals the locals were using in rebuilding it. At one point we heard call and response chanting between groups of men and women, each call and response accompanied by pounding. Looking up […]