Lhasa Favorites

Fondest memory: Trekking in Tibet and staying in a camp. Sometimes you have to go to the toilet and outside it's too cold and windy to do your needs.

In that case these small toilet tents are the solution. Dig a hole in the ground and build the tent, however this is mostly done by sherpa's who accompany the trekkers.

Fondest memory: Crystal clear lakes which reflect dreams in the hearts of the people!

The presence of water was the determining factor in the birth of the Tibetan Civilization. Here in Lhasa, the Brahmaputra (Great River) (Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan) is of utmost importance.

Favorite thing: Make new friends!
Hi, Ryan!
Ryan is from Alabama & now living in Chongqing learning Mandarin! Keep it up, you are doing great!!!

Fondest memory: Ryan is a very cheerful & friendly person. We had some great fun discussing religion while visiting the monasteries.

Michael on the other hand is more quiet & reflective. I thought he looks a little like Matt Damon & Ethan Hawke! He's quite elusive as well; not easy to get a picture of him!

Fondest memory: Yak & the mountains!

For some strange reasons, I once thought of registering yak.com for something online which I had intended to build. It was already taken even back then (many many years ago).
Perhaps I just long for the wilderness, the strength & the nature ...

Favorite thing: Reach out to the locals as the Canadian couples from Waterloo did; although I don't think they are v. successful in getting the message across as many Tibetans don't understand English & little of Mandarin (especially for those who live outside the city).

Favorite thing: One thing I've learned about life is this... we have very different realities; formed from different circumstances, life experiences & expectations. In other words, I can try to understand you, empathise with you & even feel for you, BUT, I can never be you! Still, I find it tremendously difficult to even begin to put into words what I saw in Tibet. For majority of them, life-path means having to travel thousands of miles or kilometres on feet and hands to this city. It means praying days & nights along the path just to reach here, right in front of the Potala Palace. I don't know much about Tibet before I came; I know even less when I left!

Now, I know myself a little more :)

Fondest memory: Tibet! So, what is it that attracts & acts like magnets to people from all walks of life?

The Mountains - 6 peaks at more than 8000 metres above sea level, 50 higher than 7000 metres & Mt. Everest of course (known as Mt. Qomolangma in Tibet; highest at 8848 metres)! The Earth's summit! Regarded by the people as the most sublime & purest of all things on earth.

The People - 2.3 million of them live up in the mountains, on the grasslands & in the river valleys with a unique & harsh lifestyle in one of the most sparsely populated region in China. Compassion, tolerance, love & kindness are some of the qualities fostered & rooted within the hearts of its people.

The Monasteries - Lamaism is the religion follows by the majority of Tibetans & embodies the Tibetans' philosophy of life.

The Unexplained - The mystic, exotic, sacred, faith & peace.

Favorite thing: Lhasa was once a mystical place on the tibetian plateau behind the Himalaya.
Today, there are a lot of tourists stumble across the many historical sights.
But altough it`s still a fascinating place. A building like the Potala palce is probably unique in this world, and in the tibetian part there are many pittoresque views...
A nice place to visit, altough I had there the feeling that there must be many things destroyed when the newly built chinese part of the city was constructed. The city probably has lost its original face.

Fondest memory: The views from the tibetian part of the city to the Potala

Favorite thing: Due to the high altitude, it is highly recommended to get there by train and bus instead of directly arrive at Lhasa Airport by air. Normally, you need to figure out your visiting plan in the first few days very carefully in order that your body has time to adapt to the high altitude. You can visit and explore the great Tibet of wide variety only if you can manage the harsh environment first.