Tibet – The Roof of the World, The Land of Snows, Shangri-la, The Forbidden Kingdom.

(Fair warning – way too many visuals for sane people to see them all. We did an amazing amount in the 2+ weeks we were there. So unless you’re Robert Thurman, or Tenzin Gyatso himself, pace yourself, and just click around a little . . .)

Tibet is the stuff of legend; for hundreds of years, no outsider was permitted to enter the Dalai Lama’s realm. The traditional Buddhist society of monks and lamas dreaded foreign influences, and it turns out they had good reason to worry. In the 1950’s China invaded and began whitewashing history, claiming Tibet had “always” been part of China. You know, like France has always been a part of Germany. According to Beijing, they’ve returned “little brother” Tibet to “the embrace of the Motherland.” Ouch. The Chinese and Tibetans make a very uncomfortable alliance, with hundreds of thousands of Tibetans including the Dalai Lama living in exile (Beijing calls him a “splitter”).

However, the Dalai Lama actually encourages Westerners to visit Tibet (despite the tourist revenue for the Chinese), to learn all they can about the land, the people, and the history – and to tell others. I pretty much do whatever the Dalai Lama tells me to, so here goes…

Since China took over they’ve been putting in roads, taking out resources, destroying and looting monasteries (must I be so negative?)… but they got worried about the political fallout, and they realized they definitely were not winning the hearts and minds of the Ira – er, I mean, the Tibetan people. So, many of the very monasteries they destroyed have been rebuilt, and places where thousands of monks once lived, now a few hundred are permitted to practice, under the watchful eyes (and video surveillance cameras) of the PLA (the Chinese military – “People’s Liberation Army”).

Despite all this, the incredibly resilient Tibetan people continue to practice their cultural traditions and their religion. I have never in my life seen a more sincerely spiritual people; every aspect of Tibet is infused with a recognition of, a reverence for, the sacredness of all life. No matter what anyone’s personal take on religion may be, the depth and commitment of Tibet’s faith is both remarkable and humbling.

Allison and I planned to be there for the Shoton (Yogurt) Festival, to trek in the mountains, and see the amazing scenery, Buddhist monasteries and nunneries. The first day in Lhasa we rested, because the altitude made it difficult to even walk up a flight of stairs (we were in the more-than-2-mile-high city!) The next day we woke up at 4:30 AM to go see the Tanka unraveled at the Drepung Monastery as part of the Shoton Festival. Unprepared and literal as we were, we were expecting to see some yogurt, and had no clue what a Tanka was. We saw no yogurt (the festival’s origins were a day where the government gave yogurt to the monks – now it’s just a day where they unroll the huge Tankas). We learned that a Tanka is a representation of Buddha and of Buddhist stories. Drepung’s was an enormous embroidered cloth Tanka. It was a morning of surprises: (1) our guide didn’t show, but our Tibetan-only speaking driver Bimba hooked us up with another guide and couple; and (2) they bribed our way through crowds of police to be driven up a huge hill to the monastery in the pitch black. We trudged further amid prayer wheels, fires, singing and chanting to perch precariously on a hill and await the dawn and the unveiling(video). It was worth it – an amazing effort of the monks and townspeople to carry the gigantic Tanka, and unravel it on a huge frame. We learned the next day there was some intrigue among the monks (always tinged with political overtones), so the traditional horns, etc. were not blown, but upon our visit to the Sera monastery later in the day, we experienced the magic of that.

Next we went to the main Temple of Lhasa, the Jokhang, which encompasses all Buddhist sects and has one of the few remaining original statues. (I’ve told Allison that if we ever have a son I want to name him Jokhang, so people can say to him, ‘you must be Jokhang.’ Um, yeah… she said she’d think about it…) We lucked out and got to see crowds of chanting pilgrims listening to a high Lama. Then we did a Kora (clockwise walk) around the Jokhang through the Bakhor, the Lhasa Tibetan market. We ended up in a little nunnery (Ani Sangkung) drinking yak-butter tea with the abbess. It’s not that bad, but I doubt Starbucks will be run out of business by a new yak-butter tea chain any time soon.

The next day, fanfare over, Tanka safely packed until the following year, we returned to Drepung to visit its many temples without the crowds of pilgrims. Our first visit was with a nun who had lived there many years, and had a hidden picture of the Dalai Lama in her cave on the side of a hill. It’s impossible not to be moved by the beauty of the temples, and the devoutness of the pilgrims. Our next stop was Nechung, home of the Dalai Lama’s oracle and protector spirit, Dorje Drakden – so, there was lots of scary-looking gods and Chinese wine (the Dorje’s favorite, we were told). Then we got to witness the amazing monk debates (monk vs. monk action video) back at Sera and were thrilled to see how much fun the monks had! They’re tough on each other, but playful, too. We ended the day touring the Dalai Lama’s summer palace (amazingly untouched and still in its original state, protected by Zhou Enlai during the Cultural Revolution) and saw the Shoton festivities (video) of Opera and picnicking pilgrims partying in the park (say that ten times fast).


Day 4 (and still acclimating!) we got to see the Potola, the Dalai Lama’s Palace. This place is incredible, even if you’ve seen Versailles and Vegas -- take a look. The Red Palace was spiritual and the White was political – so that means we got to see one white room and the rest red! You get exactly one hour and then you’re done, so we made sure to step quickly. That afternoon we ventured out of Lhasa to Drek Yerpa, an idyllic place where many famous Buddhists have meditated in mountain caves over the centuries.

Day 5 we headed off to Lake Namtsto, the highest saltwater lake on Earth, 4700 meters high, crossing a pass at 5200 meters to get there. On the way we saw pilgrims prostrating themselves slowly toward Lhasa – it’ll take them weeks or months to get there. We also got to hang out with some nomads in their tent (very goofy video, at least the first part). Lake Namtsto was breathtaking (in both beauty and altitude), and we lit butter candles in Tashi Dor and did the Kora (video). We camped and had visits from local nomad boys (video of them laughing at my Tibetan) and reveled in Dawa’s (the cook) cooking -- no less than an 8-course dinner! Embarrassingly it took four grown men to care for us while camping, a cook and truck driver to set up all the equipment (dining tent, bathroom tent, sleeping tent and cooking tent) and our own driver (Bimba) and guide (Pudun, pronounced pooh-DUNE). On the way back we were slowed down by a landslide, and realized that nature doesn’t really want to be developed...

After a night and hot shower in Lhasa we headed off to Gyantse, bumping along on a beautiful desert road, and saw incense being made in a river along the way. Given the lack of hot water, Allison decided to get her hair washed in the hotel beauty salon and came out looking like Benji. Meanwhile, I was next door, getting very frankly propositioned by my masseuse (I took a pass, obviously – um, no thanks, no rain check necessary…). The monastery at Gyantse, Palkhor Chiode, was a walled complex of major schools (Gelug, Nyingma, Sakya, Kaygu). We got to see monks chanting (it’s eerie, lovely, and largely indescribable) and we explored all the nooks and crannies of the Kum Bum, an enormous chorten (shrine) with all its mini-temples and statues of different gods. We then headed to the dzong, or fort, overlooking the city, where monks reportedly jumped off the ramparts when the British invaded back in 1904 (no, the Chinese weren’t the first).

In the afternoon we headed to Shigaste and the Tashilumpo Monastery, home of Panchen Lama. For those unfamiliar with Tibetan history, the Chinese have been trying to assert the Panchen Lama’s superior claim to political power over the Dalai Lama, and they have the 11th Panchen Lama essentially in custody and are raising him. So, the Panchen Lama is basically their competing candidate, an alternative to the Dalai Lama. The 10th Panchen Lama organized the building of tomb chortens for 5th-9th Panchen Lamas, to house the remnants of their tombs destroyed by the Cultural Revolution. The tomb chorten for the 10th Panchen Lama was funded by the Chinese government, and it’s impressive. We also went to the Panchen Lama’s carpet factory (video).

We returned to Lhasa in the rain and experienced “Tibetan Dancing” at the Crazy Yak (scary video), a cultural travesty put on for Chinese tourists, which was nonetheless very entertaining, in roughly the same way that Robby Benson movies are entertaining – i.e., not as intended. The next day we saw some grocery store clerks doing their morning exercises -- I thought they were at least as good as the dancing yak.

The next day we zigzagged up the mountain to Ganden Monastery (geluk or “yellow hat” sect), which is perched high on a cliff (those monks really like to get away from it all). We did the Kora, drank in the amazing scenery, and heard the monks chanting (video). Then we headed out further to camp below Drigung Monastery (one of the eight schools of the Kagyu sect). Early in the morning we hiked up to the monastery and were treated to monks chanting and playing music. We snacked with a friendly and inviting pilgrim family, and then headed to Tidrom Nunnery where the nuns were also chanting. After a short hike we dipped into the very hot (and after a night of camping, very refreshing) natural hot springs.

The next day’s journey to Samye essentially took all day, but we stopped to see Drolma Lakhang Monastery (dedicated to Tara by Atisha, the Bengali sage). This place had a Buddha statute stolen and sold in the US for 8 million, before it was returned and now is under heavy lock and key. We also saw peasants harvesting barley (short video) and building a house (even shorter) and the ferry to Samye. We had quite a search for a campsite, but it was beautiful once we got, there amidst donkeys, sheep, cows, and yaks, alongside a rushing river.

The next morning we hiked through the mist and trees, past birds and flowers, up to Chimphu, a series of small nunneries and hermit’s caves set in a beautiful valley. It was an auspicious day on the Tibetan calendar, so again we were treated to chanting at each temple. We came down the sun-scorched valley to Samye’s main temple, dedicated to Trisong Detsen, Tibet’s second great Religious King. This is actually the first Tibetan Buddhist temple. The layout of the temple complex is a 3-D replica of Tibetan Universe, a giant, walk-in Mandala. We watched monks making a sand Mandala in Utse (the main chapel, which represents the great palace on Mt. Maru that is supposedly at the center of the universe). We headed on to Tsedang (described by the tour book as an armpit) with low expectations, but we did truly enjoy the hot shower after four nights of camping! We also liked Trandruk, a small monastery (Falcon-Dragon temple) built by Songtsen Gompo, the first great Buddhist King, and the Yumbulagang Fortress (Palace).

We hope you can take a few minutes to click around and see some of the photos and/or the videos; we only wish we could show you the spirit of the Tibetan people, which is even more remarkable than the incredible scenery. If you’re interested, there are some wonderful books on Tibet (In Exile from the Land of Snows, The Snow Lion and the Dragon, and the classic Seven Years in Tibet, to name just a few), and many about the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dalai Lama as well. He’s also written several books himself, such as An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life. The commitment to peace, the compassion for all life, and the sincere faith of the Tibetan people are a great gift to all human beings, and the more we can learn from them, the better off we will be.

Tashi Dalek,

David and Allison