The roof of the world
Lhasa really is at the top of the world. Today we went even higher - up to Ganden Monastery which precariously clutches the top of a 4500m mountain. This is the highest I have ever been (prior to this, it was at 3842m, when I skied down from L'aiguille de midi in Chamonix, France). Ganden was mostly destroyed in the cultural revolution of 1959, and is still undergoing constant restoration. Yet, the setting is unbelievable - we had a perfect vantagepoint with views over snow-capped peaks and a lush green valley.
There were very few tourists at Ganden, which is 40km from Lhasa. The peace and quiet only added to the atmosphere. At 1pm, as we walked into the Great Assembly Hall, a crash of Gongs signaled afternoon prayers. We were almost bowled over by monks running into the hall, scrambling to get to their seats. At 1:10pm, the chanting started.
Tomorrow I start my Great Overland Adventure. Over 5 days, I will travel from Lhasa to Kathmandu, stopping in the holy cities of Gyantse and Shigatse and finally spending the night in Tingri, which is about 35km from Everest Base Camp. This trip, in a Land Cruiser 4x4 with a German couple, will start at 3600m (Lhasa), climb up to 4500m (Gyantse, via the scorpion shaped lake of Yangdrok Tso), and peak at 5200m at one of the passes before Tingri. I don't know what kind of internet access I will have enroute, so tune in on saturday, when I should arrive in Kathmandu.
I have ipod envy. Although it took me a couple of years to finally use one, ZMama was kind enough to lend me hers. And now I'm staring at Shazz's snazzy new ipod Video with its color screen and huge hard drive. I hope Apple comes out with a new bigger, better version in August, when I return.
There were very few tourists at Ganden, which is 40km from Lhasa. The peace and quiet only added to the atmosphere. At 1pm, as we walked into the Great Assembly Hall, a crash of Gongs signaled afternoon prayers. We were almost bowled over by monks running into the hall, scrambling to get to their seats. At 1:10pm, the chanting started.
Tomorrow I start my Great Overland Adventure. Over 5 days, I will travel from Lhasa to Kathmandu, stopping in the holy cities of Gyantse and Shigatse and finally spending the night in Tingri, which is about 35km from Everest Base Camp. This trip, in a Land Cruiser 4x4 with a German couple, will start at 3600m (Lhasa), climb up to 4500m (Gyantse, via the scorpion shaped lake of Yangdrok Tso), and peak at 5200m at one of the passes before Tingri. I don't know what kind of internet access I will have enroute, so tune in on saturday, when I should arrive in Kathmandu.
I have ipod envy. Although it took me a couple of years to finally use one, ZMama was kind enough to lend me hers. And now I'm staring at Shazz's snazzy new ipod Video with its color screen and huge hard drive. I hope Apple comes out with a new bigger, better version in August, when I return.
posted by Ace at 8:05 AM
4 Comments:
Kul met me at the airport, and gave me and two other guys a ride into town. Those guys had taken one of his tours to Lhasa from Kathmandu, and they hated some of the hotels they were booked into. In Lhasa, they cancelled their original reservation which was reportedly terrible, then booked into the Yak. So we did the right thing by going on our own.
KC says "wussup". Everyone here at KGH is asking after you.
- Sunset
PS: Puri and batetas were fantastic.
Very pretty design! Keep up the good work. Thanks.
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