Blog: Could This Be Shangri-La?

The ancient city of Lhasa lies in mountain valley at an elevation of almost 11,500 feet above sea level, yet it has surprisingly moderate weather throughout the year. 

It is also one possible candidate for the origin of the idea of Shangri-la, a mystical and peaceful valley paradise first described in a 1933 novel, Lost Horizon.

I usually sleep through the night, but the combination of jetlag and side effects of Diamox (primarily tingling feet and increased need to urinate) wouldn't let me sleep through the night. By 5 a.m., I was wide awake and enjoyed a long hot shower, my first in almost a week. It's amazing how modern plumbing can improve one's morale. After reading a bit, I met the others for breakfast and then Thring picked us up for the day.

Our first stop was the Potala Palace. It is a place that, from the first time that I saw a picture of it, I knew that I would someday visit it. The former palace of the Dalai Lama and center of Tibetan government until the Chinese occupation in 1959, the structure is built on a hill and overlooks the city. It takes 300 steps to walk up and into the Potala, and believe me that I felt the altitude - I stopped several times to take pictures and catch my breath.

Photography isn't permitted inside the Potola, and it's difficult to describe the incredible amount of history and detail that I saw - religious statues, large Buddhas, ornate carvings, stupas (a Buddhist structure, often containing religious relics), mandalas (artwork often used as in meditation) and many other items.  There were yak butter lamps in every room - pilgrims left butter for the lamps and small amounts of currency as offerings.  There was a one-hour time limit inside the palace, but we could have spent several days there.

Once outside the Potala, we walked down the trail on the north side and ended up in a market area. Many pilgrims were circumambulating (walking around clockwise) the Potala and spinning numerous prayer wheels. Each prayer wheel contains prayers printed on paper - the act of spinning the wheel releases the prayers to the heavens and builds good karma.

Lunch consisted of yak sizzler (tasty yak steak with noodles), cheese momo's (dumplings) and cake (not Betty Crocker, but good, especially given the challenges with baking at high altitude). We then walked a short way over to the Barkhor Square, the historic center of Lhasa where the Jokhang Temple is located. The square has been the center of protests in the past, so it is heavily patrolled by Chinese military and police armed with weapons and riot gear, along with lookout posts and security cameras on top of the buildings around the square.

There were many pilgrims circumambulating the Jokhang Temple, and many others praying in front of the building. First constructed in 647 A.D. by King Songtsen Gampo, it is the most holy site in Tibet and contains a famous statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha. Entering the Jokhang, the sense of history was physical as we smelled the incense and quietly walked through the rooms dimly lit with yak butter lamps. Narrow steps led to the roof and gave us a beautiful view of the square with the Potala in the distance to the west.

The formal tour was done for the day, so Thring departed and the four of us relaxed and drank some sweet milk tea at small restaurant patio overlooking the square. After that, we broke up until dinner. There are many stalls of merchants in and around the square, so I did some shopping (bargaining is a must) and spent time simply walking around, including a circumambulation of the Jokhang Temple. While Tibet gets many Chinese tourists, I didn't see any other Westerners over the next several hours.

It was getting late, so successfully navigated my way back to the hotel and sent an email to check in and let my family know that I was okay. I met the others for dinner and even tried the local Lhasa Beer (not bad, but not good either). I then got to bed early.

Next up: additional sights in Lhasa include the Norbulingka (summer palaces of the Dalai Lama) and the debating monks of Sera Monastery.  

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