Shang Bala Lhasa

... While people are doing<br>their circles around the square they are with their friends and<br>family. While some are praying others are talking and laughing &#8211;<br>perhaps getting caught up on the local gossip &#8211; others are eying<br>all the trinkets that are being sold in carts that line the streets. <br>It's a mixture of capitalism, social gathering, and spiritual<br>devotion all in one. It's just fun standing to the side and watching<br>all of it mix.<br><br><br><br>

... to be the pillar that holds up the sky. I took so many photos of it. It could be seen from almost everywhere we went. I don't think I'd like to attempt climbing it, but I really did enjoy looking at it. <br><br><br>I think my favorite part about visiting Tibet, was the evening we spent with a local family. Ours was a small group, so it was a really nice intimate visit. The family we visited lived in a traditional ...

... a matter of time and patience. Perhaps not this Dalai Lama, but one will return. The Tibetans are relying on it and I think they are right. I was reminded of the struggle Nelson Mandela had and how he never gave up. This feels like a similar problem to solve. <br><br>We left the private quarters and descended to the Red Palace, through four levels. Interspersed through the many prayer rooms are the Stupas containing the salt dried bodies of previous Dalai Lamas. <br><br>These stupas ...

... jetzt gehts schon etwas besser. Keine Übelkeit ( ok, wenn ich den Yakbuttertee zum Frühstück jezt ausdrink kommt sie vielleicht wieder ;-) ) mehr und nur noch leichtes Hohlraumsausen.<br><br>Und jetzt gehts ab zum Jogkangtempel. Bin schon sehr gespannt . <br><br>Bis heut´ abend ( ich werd´schaun das ichs noch solang da´blos.... ;-) )<br><br>Zi Schi

... schon 1500 Jahre alt ist und der wichtigste in Tibet (aber auch hier durften drinnen wieder keine Bilder gemacht werden.) Es war ein bisschen schade, dass wir nicht mehr Zeit hatten uns auch die Stadt alleine anzusehen, aber dass ist wohl auch nicht gerade gewuenscht. Wir hatten zwar ein bisschen Zeit auch alleine durch die Gassen zu laufen und die Leute dort sind so extrem freundlich, auch wenn sie nicht ein einziges Wort Englisch verstehen, laechleln einen alle an und versuchen ...

... contains two marvels, a now deserted hill fort (Dzong) and the Palkor Monastery with it's greatest treasure being the 9 level Kumbum Stupa (Stupa of 100.000 images). With the help of our flashlight we were able to walk around all levels of the stupa, marvelling at the reconstructions of statues largely destroyed during the cultural revolution and mostly intact 15th century wall murals. A clear favourite was a statue of a God that held out a grinning mouth at arm's ...

... ride tomorrow. It was a very modern store and no problem finding what we wanted. The department store beside it was high end. I went looking for a lip stick and all it has was L'oreal, Olay and other names I did not know, fancy make-up counters like they have at the Bay. We strolled back to the hotel, pooped from all the 7 hours walking today. There doesn't seem to be a connection for Len to do pictures, so you will have to wait until our next opportunity. Xian here we come.

... of miles now, we could almost smell the ancient and alien journey laid out by Rinpungpa and others: 'To get to Shambhala you still have a long road ahead.' Ed Bernbaum argued that the Kunlun Shan could be the 'outer ring' of snow mountains that conceal Shambhala, the last barrier to the great desert mentioned in texts. Round like Shambhala, this desert contained scores of Silk Road principalities, some clearly identified in the ancient guides. We followed switchbacks up through valleys ...