A Peace of China: Lhasa Buddhist Monasteries

canned oxygen at 11,500' ?

The flight from Chongqing to Lhasa is an easy 2 hours, but with a shocking elevation gain of 10,138 feet. Even though Lhasa’s elevation is 11,450 feet, I didn’t worry much about altitude sickness; I knew my body would adjust quickly if I drank a lot of water. PCVs Steph and Izzy took medicine the PC gave them to help them adjust. For the first few hours after landing, I felt the affects of our sudden altitude change. I took an Advil, drank, drank, drank, and moved slowly. The problem with drinking so much water is peeing. The public squat holes in Tibet are few and disgusting. What’s worse is a lack of bushes and rocks to hide behind after we left Lhasa.

sucking the O2 between complaints

Two Vietnamese women in our tour group had a difficult time with the altitude. Actually, they had a difficult time with everything. I don’t think I’ve heard so much whining and complaining ever before. They slowed the group down and it seemed like we were always waiting for them. I don’t think anyone minded that, but why travel and then complain about it? One guy, an Italian, almost lost it in a temple when one of the women, wrinkling up her nose in judgment, asked, “How often to they clean in here?” …Um, the building is 1300 years old! I looked at him and we just had to turn away laughing.

Those 2 women, and a few other people, separated from our tour after the first few days in Lhasa. Their itineraries took them to other tours and places. That left our group number at 8 for the rest of the trip: 4 Americans, 2 Asians, and 2 Europeans, and everyone had an open, respectful, easy-going attitude. They were perfect travel companions.

During those first few days in Lhasa, we saw Jokhang Temple, Sera Monastery, and Drepung Monastery. I didn’t take any photographs inside because either it wasn’t allowed or it cost money. It sounds like the entrance fees and the photography fees go to the Chinese government for “building improvements.” I’m not sure if the monks can keep the money that worshipers leave at statues and images. There are no images of the current, 14th Dali Lama, His Holiness the Dali Lama. The government works hard to violently suppress any references to him.

Our Buddhist guide gave us simple explanations about what we saw and answered our religion questions, but artfully sidestepped political questions.

Tibet is a spiritual place. It's impossible not to feel it.