China, Tibet (Lhasa, first impressions)

Checked in at my assigned hotel right in the middle of Lhasa, I started by sizing up my new digs.

For someone traveling alone like me, the hotel room was really big and, above all, clean.

Just to be on the safe side, I studied the police notices posted here and there around the hotel. No prostitution - OK, no drugs - OK, no gambling - well, if that’s all, I shouldn’t run into any problems in Tibet.

While back home and in many other countries most people were getting ready for Halloween parties (31.10.) or were already twitching ecstatically on the dance floor, I went for a stroll through Tibet’s capital, Lhasa. I did see some fireworks in the distance - probably a wedding - but otherwise it seemed like an ordinary evening on the streets. People looked at me with friendly curiosity, waved, said hello and were extremely well-disposed toward me. For reasons you can probably guess, taking photos was sometimes a bit tricky. Even so, the atmosphere didn’t feel oppressive or negative - just normal, so to speak…
After a few minutes of exploring the area, I decided pretty quickly to try a vegetarian diet in Tibet - or at least to steer clear of street food with meat in it.

The hygiene standards for storing and preparing meat definitely took some getting used to…

November 1, 2010

I had an extremely restless night. Every 1-2 hours I woke from a fairly light sleep to quench a raging thirst. Really unusual for me and surely down to the change in altitude. Hopefully it’ll get better over the next few days.

Still used to living conditions in China’s big cities, we marveled at the hotel’s own „laundromat“ that morning while waiting for our jeep.

Then we finally drove over breathtaking mountain passes festooned with countless prayer flags…

…to the mountain monastery of Drag Yerpa, which sits at an altitude of 4,885 m. Seeing it meant climbing stairs, of course. What an experience - for everyone involved! There weren’t all that many steps, but it was inhumanly exhausting. After three steps at most, I had to stop for a breather. My pulse felt like it was way over 180, and physically I felt unbelievably old. Step, break, step, break, look at the remaining steps, step, longer break, catch my breath, look at the scenery, set my sights on the next step etc. …

I’d never had any trouble climbing stairs or doing normal sports. But this massive change in altitude of several thousand meters in two days was a real struggle for my body. I still had too few red blood cells to ensure optimal gas exchange for my working muscles at this altitude. The magic word is acclimatization - the body simply needs time to adjust. Until then, the motto is to take everything a bit easier. Anyway, now I really know how old people feel. The spirit may be willing, but the flesh is weak. Not exactly pleasant, but a truly valuable experience for me.

Step by step we crept up to the monastery buildings. Taking photos inside was strictly off-limits. What we saw were rather dark rooms with countless Buddha statues - free-standing, behind glass, on pedestals etc. - plus candles and, everywhere, small banknotes left by the pilgrims. The air was thick with the scent of incense, and with a few monks praying, the atmosphere was mystical.

A few more steps later, we enjoyed the view down into the valley before slowly making our way back to the jeep and driving back to Lhasa.

In Lhasa we strolled along the ancient Barkhor Street, past lots of little stalls. Tibet, Lhasa, Buddhism at its most profound, holy city, deep faith - these are just a few of the keywords that are closely intertwined. Still, even in the holy city nobody is too fussy about copyright. The picture above shows one of the many stalls selling bootleg movies, music etc.…

Finally we made our way to the Jokhang Temple…

…and marveled at the architecture.

The faithful prayed outside…

…and inside the temple too, following a special prayer sequence (see picture) to the same unchanging rhythm. It was fascinating to watch the total devotion with which the pilgrims gave themselves over to hours of prayer.

View of the square in front of the Jokhang.

View from the Jokhang of the Potala Palace.

Tibetans singing as they work in the Jokhang.

Monks‘ quarters in the Jokhang.

Back at my hotel, more or less worn out from the morning’s exertions and all the impressions, I had a little snack before turning in for the night, nicely relaxed.