Tibet Hotel - Lhasa

... This is a source of much debate internationally, but I am forced to simply bow to the inevitable. Time spent in old Tibetan towns is not good. Chinese towns are sterile, but then again, if we look around at our own modern cities, there really is not much difference. We keep special areas like the Rocks in Sydney, or Parnell or Ponsonby in Auckland and then replace the rest. Is the western version any different. (Ok we don't have army guards marching around in groups of six with ...

... When I asked him what he thought about the worldwide condemnation of China's occupation and the support for an autonomous Tibet, he looked perplexed and refused to accept that such a movement existed. Clearly China's restrictions on free press and independent thought were tighter than I had realised, though how he had managed to miss the abundance of 'Free Tibet' merchandise on offer throughout Nepal was puzzling.

So I realised pretty early on that there was every ...

... sights too see within the city. On the sunday I got ill and spent the whole day in bed. On the monday we managed to get our visa application accepted but would have to wait until wednesday until we could put our passports up (thus delaying booking a flight until wednesday). We went back to the hotel and said to each other 'the streets seem really quiet'. This was the theme off the day, and it turned out that the Maoists had ordered everybody to go on strike ...

... teenage girls who wanted to practice their english so we had a conversation while waiting for Tracia and Chris. I had originally planned to go visit workshops where people made handicrafts but cancelled and Tracia, Chris and I decided to go have diner and see a cultural show instead. Diner and show was at Shangri-La restaurant. Food was decent but expensive (we chose a la carte but there was also a buffet available for 60 yuan. I ended up paying 110 yuan but ...

... the peoples and their unique culture, and to the peace and livelihoods of the region is unprecedented. Millions of people depend directly or indirectly on these natural water storage facilities for drinking water, agriculture, industry and power generation during key parts of the year. There is a need for governments to agree on a decisive new emissions-reduction and adaptation-focused regime. Otherwise, and like the glaciers, our room for manoeuvre and the ...

... powerful countries tend to have regions that were not always part of the country. In America, we proudly call it Manifest Destiny and never trouble ourselves with how we got much of California and Texas from Mexico, never mind the rest of the country and our sordid history with Native Americans. On the Chinese flag there are five stars commonly interpreted as representing the five major ethnic groups in China. One of those stars represents ...

... photographed almost every aspect of life humanity across the PRC." CHINA: Portrait of a People includes a forward by celebrated Chinese authoress Anchee Min (Red Azalea, Empress Orchid) who says "Tom Carter is an extraordinary photographer whose powerful work captures the heart and soul of the Chinese people." Shanghai rebel writer Mian Mian (Candy, La la la) writes the epilogue: "Tom ...

... over the counter here in Lhasa and assuming you can communicate to the pharmacist what you want then you'll get it for a fraction of what it would cost back home, no questions asked. Dr. Pat prescribed himself a few sleeping pills (ones he gets on prescription back home) to help with, emm, sleeping (I did mention we were sleeping erratically in the last entry) and as I type he's flicking through our India guidebook noting what ...

... can print and send the pictures if he gives me his address. That's not going to work, he says. He is a nomad from the area of mount Kailash - one of the holiest mountains in Western Tibet - and he doesn't have a permanent address. He herds yaks and sheep during the summer, but now he is on pilgrimage to Lhasa . I offer to take a picture of him on the tourist yak and then bring the printed photos to the front of the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa at 5 pm. He agrees ...