recovery
I wrote a post earlier but was logged off before I could save. Hm.
I left off on my first day in lhasa -- after lunch, we walked to Jokhang Temple and circumambulated along with monks and other pilgrims while perusing the stalls that line the the square. To circumambulate the temple or any other edifice here is to perform the Kora -- its done upon arrival, prior to entering any temple. Really one of the most moving sights .. men and women with pocket-deep wrinkles, prayer wheel in one hand and a small sack in the other .. circling over and over before dropping to their knees and and prostrating for hours on end.
One of the people in our group, a german guy that has seen more in his 21 years than most people 3x his age, began negotiating at a pharmacy for medicines -- we were all feeling week, slightly dizzy, stomachs uneasy. The first day in Lhasa was difficult, breathing heavily and contemplating every step I took. We were able to pick up a few medicines before walking over to the Potala Palace for some picture taking. Dinner was at a homey Tibetan-French fusion restaurant, Naga. Nothing extraordinary .. a lot of Yak meat ..
Yesterday, was spent acclimatising .. slow, contemplative steps .. frequent stops .. and more sightseeing. We were much more energized than the day prior and were able to take a minibus to the Sera Monastery where we did the Kora and took pictures of the monastery and the views of the Plateau. We also overheard monks Debating, part of their education. It sounded like a soundclip off the NYSE floor, and I could picture robes spinning in flurries, hands flying left and right, monks encircling others engaged in heated debate.
Afterward, I bought my air ticket :\\\ to Kathmandu. SO expensive. I wish I could have taken the overland route to Kathmandu but my extended stay in Beijing really cramped the rest of my travel schedule. Dinner was at a tibetan/nepal restaurant near our hostel .. I've been having difficulty sleeping for the past few days so I decided to have some alcohol to calm my nerves and help me sleep. Didn't work and I was up all night
Today ----------aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!! Woke up early to secure a place in line @ the ticket area for Potala Palace. I'll add a picture later on to give you an idea of just how immense the palace is. 13 stories high, the former residence of past Dalai Lamas. After 2 hours of waiting, we gave up and went in search of food and a new place to stay. More food and walking later.. I realize I'm not going into much detail on the minutiae of my day but here's the best part of all:
I'm going WHITEWATER RAFTING, HORSEBACK RIDING ANNNNND TREKKING starting on Monday! I booked it with one of the guys so we'll be heading out early on the day after tomorrow to go rafting somewhere out there .. tent out in the wilderness of the tibetan plateau, go horseback riding to another location, then begin our trek on the final day. Its short and just enough adventure before i make my way into Kathmandu. I bought hiking shoes today and will buy maybe .. hopefully nothing tomorrow. This is SO exciting!
Time for postcards. Hope everyone is well. :)
I left off on my first day in lhasa -- after lunch, we walked to Jokhang Temple and circumambulated along with monks and other pilgrims while perusing the stalls that line the the square. To circumambulate the temple or any other edifice here is to perform the Kora -- its done upon arrival, prior to entering any temple. Really one of the most moving sights .. men and women with pocket-deep wrinkles, prayer wheel in one hand and a small sack in the other .. circling over and over before dropping to their knees and and prostrating for hours on end.
One of the people in our group, a german guy that has seen more in his 21 years than most people 3x his age, began negotiating at a pharmacy for medicines -- we were all feeling week, slightly dizzy, stomachs uneasy. The first day in Lhasa was difficult, breathing heavily and contemplating every step I took. We were able to pick up a few medicines before walking over to the Potala Palace for some picture taking. Dinner was at a homey Tibetan-French fusion restaurant, Naga. Nothing extraordinary .. a lot of Yak meat ..
Yesterday, was spent acclimatising .. slow, contemplative steps .. frequent stops .. and more sightseeing. We were much more energized than the day prior and were able to take a minibus to the Sera Monastery where we did the Kora and took pictures of the monastery and the views of the Plateau. We also overheard monks Debating, part of their education. It sounded like a soundclip off the NYSE floor, and I could picture robes spinning in flurries, hands flying left and right, monks encircling others engaged in heated debate.
Afterward, I bought my air ticket :\\\ to Kathmandu. SO expensive. I wish I could have taken the overland route to Kathmandu but my extended stay in Beijing really cramped the rest of my travel schedule. Dinner was at a tibetan/nepal restaurant near our hostel .. I've been having difficulty sleeping for the past few days so I decided to have some alcohol to calm my nerves and help me sleep. Didn't work and I was up all night
Today ----------aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!! Woke up early to secure a place in line @ the ticket area for Potala Palace. I'll add a picture later on to give you an idea of just how immense the palace is. 13 stories high, the former residence of past Dalai Lamas. After 2 hours of waiting, we gave up and went in search of food and a new place to stay. More food and walking later.. I realize I'm not going into much detail on the minutiae of my day but here's the best part of all:
I'm going WHITEWATER RAFTING, HORSEBACK RIDING ANNNNND TREKKING starting on Monday! I booked it with one of the guys so we'll be heading out early on the day after tomorrow to go rafting somewhere out there .. tent out in the wilderness of the tibetan plateau, go horseback riding to another location, then begin our trek on the final day. Its short and just enough adventure before i make my way into Kathmandu. I bought hiking shoes today and will buy maybe .. hopefully nothing tomorrow. This is SO exciting!
Time for postcards. Hope everyone is well. :)
posted by charm at 6:01 AM
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