Holy Swan Hotel Lhasa

... contestants. On weekdays between<br>3- 5 pm the monks gather in a courtyard and have philosophical<br>Buddhism debates. We had no idea what they were saying but it was<br>fascinating just watching them &#8211; like the commentators on CNN's<br>Cross Fire. One monk stands and asks questions to the other monks<br>who are sitting &#8211; during the debates there is a lot of slapping of<br>hands for emphasis or perhaps to say &#8211; &#8220;nope you're wrong!&#8221; <br>Who knows ...

... It's also Yom Kapur on Monday, and the first time that that has ever meant so much to me.<br><br>Missing you all, missing internet even more, and wondering... where's the air? My brain is dead half the time. <br><br>Twitpic is the only way I can show you pictures, so keep your eyes there. Check back a few entries for a link. This connection is too slow and unreliable for me to be doing all the work for you. And I'm knackered, as I may have mentioned.<br><br>:)

This will be more of a picture post. I spent the last eight days in Tibet with a group of 19 other travelers. Right now China only allows "tours" to enter Tibet overland from Kathmandu. This really was a great trip with a very diverse group from all over the world. <br><br>We spent the first five days driving from town to town through some really ...

... der Stadt ) und dann die letzten Souvenirs erhandelt ( Gerald, die Gebetsfahnen sind schon im Rucksack ;-) ). Mit typischen Kleinigkeiten aus den jeweiligen bereisten Ländern hab ich eigentlich immer die größte Freude - sie rufen immer wieder schöne Erinnerungen wach - und helfen so mit das Fernweh ein bisschen zu stillen, wenn´s mich wiedermal heftig erwischt... Also lassts euch ...

... and murals on 3/4 walls on the inside. On the left is a small chapel with the past and present Buddha. <br><br>We entered a narrow chapel that was crowded with many people. There was just a small path along the outside of the room and we stood with everyone to make our way around. There was a lot of incense burning in here. When we made our way around we caught a glimpse of Hayagriva, the red faced child protector. The monks were putting black ashes or paint on the ...

... blowing on me. We switched beds and I was finally able to sleep around 4:30 until 7:00. We walked back to the tourist area and I looked at a nice pashmina that was 185 yuan and a gray scarf for 35 yuan. I think the prices are higher here than in Lijiang. There is a lot of jewellery with turquoise and cow/yak skulls (like Arizona, interesting). There are incense burners, prayer beads, prayer wheels, clothes, and many more good things to buy. We went to Anglamedo ...

... like protectors. The walls are decorated with strictly reglemented paintings of holy scenes called Mandalas or Thankas (They're often blackened by the smoke and you often need a flashlight to see them). Tibetan Buddhism appears to the layman to be a much more complicated affair than the Hinayana Buddhism of Southeast Asia. There is not just one Buddha, but a Buddha of the past, the present and the future. Also Buddha is split into several sub-deities, such as ...

... to us in Chinese, but we did take the hint and packed up and went back to #1 where we went to bed. The beds are hard like a floor, they do have a carpet on them covered with a white sheet, (carpets on sofas, seats, beds are normal for this area) there is a pillow and a duvet cover to put over you. Lucky Len got to sleep up top away from the Mom and son. He did go off to sleep quite well, but she kept on getting up and checking on him and talking to him each time she got ...

... world of illusion.' That's about how it went. We had a Land Cruiser and driver, and Tibet swallowed us, day after day spent pounding west towards Mount Kailas, over steep ridges or icy plains. It was August, and the nomads, with their black tents and colourful costumes, had vanished to the highest pastures. I counted fewer than 10 horses in 10 days. Finally we entered a wider, higher plain, a naked landscape of parched beauty, the dry, crystalline grandeur of the west. Everywhere were ...

... across the board," he said. Foreigners need a separate permit from an official travel agency to enter Tibet and are required to hire a guide for travel outside Lhasa. "If they don't have an agenda, like separating the country or trying to cause damage, then the foreign tourists can have an entry permit," said Liao, the tourism bureau spokesman. Last week's Olympic torch run through Lhasa was carefully orchestrated after it was cut to one day from the original three. Crowds ...