Tibet
Seeing the "Rooftop of the World" has been a personal goal for a long time, and it did not disappoint. Venturing to Tibet is truly a journey into the unfamiliar, as it is one of the only places left on earth where Western franchise companies seem to be completely absent (No McDonald's! No Starbucks!). Everything has a local look & feel, an authenticity that is getting harder to find as tourists penetrate every nook & cranny in the globe. The thin air at this altitude has only 68% of the oxygen level that we're used to at sea level, so we had to take care and walk slowly in order to avoid tiring ourselves out too quickly. Pilgrims from all over Tibet descend on Lhasa, spinning their prayer wheels clockwise while walking clockwise themselves around the city circuit. Indeed, with so many souls performing essentially the same sort of ritualistic movements, the city of Lhasa itself seems to be slowly rotating clockwise. It truly has to be seen to be believed.
---------------------------------------
Travel to Tibet requires some bureaucratic hoop jumping. In addition to a regular China visa, an additional permit to visit the province must be obtained ahead of time. Below, a shot of our permit. The names of everyone it covers are stapled to the back.
---------------------------------------
Breathtaking Potala Palace, seat of the revered Dalai Lama. The palace is maintained by the locals in the hope that the current Dalai Lama (now living in exile in India) will be allowed to return home one day. In the meantime, it functions more as a museum and mausoleum with several impressive tombs of previous Dalai Lamas encrusted with precious metals & gems.
---------------------------------------
A pair of locals methodically spins each prayer wheel in sequence at the base of Potala Palace.
---------------------------------------
Directly across the street in front of Potala Palace is the Chinese government's monument to the 50th Anniversary of the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet. Despite its size, our Tibetan guide ignored it until asked what it was. No doubt one's concept of "liberation" varies depending on the ethnicity of the observer, but even the most naive of Sinophiles must admit that the sculpture showing locals cheering and playing music as their province is absorbed into China is a little bit over the top. To the eyes of an outsider like me, the contrast on opposite sides of the street was palpable. Crowds trying to get into Potala Palace to pay their respects on one side, a virtually empty "people's square" on the other.
---------------------------------------
Temples in Tibet are awash in garish bright color, as these shots of the temple at Jokhang (House of the Buddha) help illustrate. This temple was built during the reign of king Songsten Gampo nearly 1,400 years ago.
---------------------------------------
Jokhang Temple is surrounded by a dizzying array of vendors in the open-air Barkhor Market. Below, a few shots of some of the wares one can buy.
---------------------------------------
The Dharma Wheel, a constantly-seen symbol of Buddhism in general and Tibet in particular. This one adorned the ceiling of a restaurant. I took this shot by placing the camera in my lap and blindly clicking the shutter as the lens faced upward.
---------------------------------------
And speaking of restaurants, in Tibet nearly every restaurant serves yak meat in various forms (pictured below is the yak tenderloin that I found surprisingly tasty!).
---------------------------------------
Founded in 1416, Drepung Monastery is the largest monastery in Tibet; in its heyday it was the largest monastery of any religion in the world. Called the "Rice Heap" monastery as a nickname for all the white buildings nearby. From the countless tiny golden Buddha images in one room to the gigantic full-size Buddha figures towering over you in another, it's a feast for the photographer's eyes (though having to pay several dollars in each room for the privilege of taking pictures inside starts to burn a hole in your wallet pretty quickly).
---------------------------------------
We were cautioned in advance that Drepung is a focal point of many pilgrims from all over Tibet and beyond, many of whom have never been to a big city -- much less seen a Westerner before. True to those words, this man ran ahead of our group and found an elevated vantage point to look back and take pictures of us and our strange, exotic Western attire!
---------------------------------------
Sera Monastery.
---------------------------------------
These two girls had just emerged from a blessing ceremony (marked by the black smudge on their noses) and practically insisted that everyone within 50 feet take their pictures. The dress suggests they are probably from Mongolia.
---------------------------------------
The Debating Courtyard at Sera Monastery. Here, monks go through quizzes and questions on the finer points of Buddhist philosophy, captivating locals and tourists alike.
---------------------------------------
Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. With buildings over a thousand years old next door, I thought this shot inside a modern-day gift shop evoked just as much spirituality. Enchanted by the colors inside, I just placed the camera on the glass counter and clicked the shutter release.
---------------------------------------
We were treated to a traditional dance performance at the Mad Yak Restaurant.
(More yak meat! Yay!!)
---------------------------------------
Lhasa Airport and one of the highest runways in the world.
---------------------------------------
The mountains are so high in this part of the world that they still seem dangerously close even after our aircraft has reached cruising altitude...
