Getting to Tibet has always been a bucket list item. When we lived in China previously, there was no way to get there - it was closed to foreigners for the duration of our contract. When we arrived in China for our second tour of duty, Tibet was again closed, this time due to COVID. However, over time restrictions began to lift. We tried to go in the summer between our first and second year but no permits were issued. Come fall, it did not appear that we would get the chance yet again. However, with persistent pressuring of the travel agents, we found there was a chance a permit would come. So we applied and actually got one of the first for Westerners that had been issued in years. We were off to the roof of the world with about a week's notice!
Our first full day in Lhasa was a busy one, starting off with a trip to Drepung Monastery. This place was once the largest monastery in Tibet, housing more than 10,000 monks (though only about 500 live there now). After hearing about many spiritual figures we cannot remember, we too a trip to Norbulingka Park, which is the home of the summer palace of the Dhali Lama. Also, we visited the zoo, which was a sad experience, typical of any third-world zoo - baron, concrete enclosures with little interaction, people throwing water bottles into the enclosures and pounding on the cages. It was bizarre. We finished up with a trip to the 600 year-old Sera Monastery, which was no different on the inside to Drepung, and we were a bit monasteried out.
Our next morning started with a visit to Jokhang Temple, one of the oldest temples in Buddhism. We saw lots more of the same and then did a lap around the temple on Barkhor Street, which pilgrims circle repeatedly. We took some bicycle rickshaws to Potala Palace, probably the most iconic building in Lhasa, which we could see from our window. The palace was huge, but due to the national holiday, packed. It was very difficult navigating the narrow staircases and crowded chapels with so many people. This was the home of several lamas as the winter palace, though it no longer serves that purpose.
We left Lhasa and headed to nature with several hours driving before reaching Yamdrok Lake at 4,400m. This is one of the three holiest lakes in the world. It was deep blue, beautiful, and long. While there wasn't much to do, we did watch Taelyn almost get run over by a yak, which was entertaining. We pulled off the road a while later to an unnamed glacier. It was a great walk up to a lake where the view was amazing. The only thing that tainted the experience was the many, many oxygen canisters that were left in the trash bin. It was a boardwalk the whole way up there. If you have to suck down a canister of O's just to get there, maybe you should view it from the parking lot.
We drove on to Gyantse to see the Karola Glacier which was very large but the view was not as cool as the previous one. The hawkers were much more aggressive and we were getting pretty tired of it so it was not a long stay. Our final stop was the Gyantse Palcho Monastery where inside was Kumbum Stupa, famous for its 100,000 Buddhist figures. However, much of the rest remained very much the same.
The next day was the longest, a drive to Mount Everest. Many hours took us to an overlook and the clouds were covering the views, which was disappointing. It was more time to get to the park and a long way in but eventually, we approached the base camp and suddenly, there it was! Towering above the valley, the sheer size of it was something to behold. Instantly, all the driving was worth it. We hiked out on the plateau and marveled at its beauty, now completely clear against a blue sky. We mailed some postcards from the world's highest post office and watched the sunset. Back in the tents we enjoyed the pellet stove but in the middle of the night, when that went out, a cold like no other set in. Come morning we were all quite chilly and after walking out to see the sunrise, we decided to call it. The peak was covered in fog and we boarded buses to start the long drive back. Thankfully, the overlook now showed a panorama of some of the world's highest peaks. From our viewpoint we could clearly see Makalu, Everest, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, and Shishapangma.
The rest of the trip was making our way back to Lhasa. We passed on the remaining monasteries and opted for a couple of runs at altitude, which sure was not easy. Overall, Tibet was a lot of driving and a lot of the same from place to place, but when your heart and mind are always on Everest, it is a must-do, if you can just get there. Soon after we returned, it closed again due to the pandemic restrictions. We were glad we got it in, though it was a very expensive endeavor.
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