And here we are in Tibet! I feel like Richard Gere would be proud. Stopped in the small town of Amdo for a long-awaited night inside, to find that the bridge into town has been washed away. The only options were a series of truck-stop guest houses; Tim and Cheryl took one look and off we went for another bushcamp. Having seen just the outside, I support that decision 100%. Camped in a field off the highway, surrounded by herds of yaks and curious Tibetans who wandered down and closely investigated our tents, truck, bags, etc. The boys dug the toilet tent in about 50 yards from the campsite, which proved daunting to pretty much all of us. Peeing required a 15 minute nap afterward, because of the altitude. Next night at Nam-tso Lake, which I'm sure is lovely but I pretty much slept through it—exhaustion.
All feeling better yesterday, though, and we drove into Lhasa about 3:30pm. The outskirts are disconcertingly modern and very Chinese; somehow I expected a 16th century religious centre. Hotel is good, quite close to the old city, though very modern. Our bathroom comes complete with wads of hair in the drain (see above re: Chinese hygiene issues). Dinner at Dico's, which is fast becoming a theme of China for many of us. Dico's is sort of a KFC, but they have an extremely helpful menu card in English. Now, I loves me some noodles and rice, but when you absolutely cannot speak even the most basic Mandarin, it's a nice break to be able to point once in a while.
The Beijing Five have returned! Really good to have them back with us. (David & Ausma, have conveyed your comments to Emma!)
Jokhang Temple this morning, the 1300 year old spiritual centre of Tibet. Having never been in a Buddhist temple, wasn't sure what to expect. It was like strange mix of nightclub and cathedral—colours and silks and statues and incense, and also sticky floors and lots of red and black. Tibetans come from all over the country on pilgrimage, bearing thermoses of yak butter that they pour into huge metal bowls lit with candles. Alright, not exactly St Pete's, then.
This afternoon, we drove up a bit to Sera Monastery, home to 600+ monks. Similar inside, the highlight was the outdoor courtyard full of red-draped monks slapping their hands and leaping at one another as they debated points of dogma, laughing all the while. I might be a better Catholic if we got to yell at each other more.
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