Yak Hotel Lhasa

This is a posthumous entry but I can still remember this day as clearly as if I was there yesterday. It was probably not a great idea going so high so early but we were told by our guide it was 'only' about 4200m but in fact it was 4850m as displayed on the massive sign as we approached the cliffs. Our permit did not allow us to go to any of what are considered the 3 great monasteries in and around Lhasa, the Ganden, Sera and Drepung Monastery. Wanting to get our buddhist fix and having seen ...

Made it here at last. The Tibetan people are so fantastic. The little kids run around and say hallo and then blush, run off and hide. They are all extremely laid back and very happy folk, smiling all the time. It was a bit of a mission getting here. Mr Chen the only tour operator in Kunming arranging flights and permits into Tibet got us connecting flights through Chongqing so we spent a night there on the way. Went to see the skyline night show from the river at night. This was so spectacula...

"I'm standing at the rooftop, READY TO FALL!" No paastiinhan tanne sittenkin.. Yhteen maailman eristaytyneimpaan kolkkaan. Maakuntaan jota valtion harjoittama kulttuuri-imperialismi on nakertanut jo vuosikymmenia. Kaupunkiin joka sijaitsee lansimaalaisille jo terveyshaittoja aiheuttavassa 3600 metrin korkeudessa merenpinnasta. Dalai Laman kotikunnille.. Lhasaan. Tiibet on mystinen ja arvoituksellinen. Melkein kosketeltavissa olevan hengellinen. Paljon historiansa aikana kokenut ja itsenaisyyt...

Got up this morning at 7am for the flight to Tibet. I've got to say it was pretty cold. How cold was it? Well, a tap in the bathroom that was left dripping overnight had produced a stalactite! We went to the Tibet Cafe where we were to be picked up by the tour agent from Khampa Caravans. Unfortunately he didn't show up and the Khampa office was closed. We tried to call them from the Tibet Cafe but they said they didn't have a phone! As our flight was due to leave in less than an hour we decid...

I've still got dry mouth syndrome here in Lhasa, so keep waking all through the night to gulp down some water. I didn't really feel there was much left in Lhasa, and I hated the fact I'd bought my ticket out of here before I arrived, which was definitely a mistake I won't be making again. Since I was stuck here until tomorrow I needed to find something to do. A look through the Lonely Planet left me uninspired, so I decided to walk around the back of the Potala Palace where there was a park. ...

Cursing the noise makers outside again, I woke earlier than I wanted to. I decided I was going to try my luck at the Yak Hotel today, and I guess luck was on my side because they had a bed for me today. After moving all my stuff I stayed in the dorm room for a while chatting to my new room mates, some of whom were heading out to Everest themselves and I told them of my trip and that it's a bit out of season to be going there. I hadn't eaten yet so went to the restaurant next to the hotel for ...

We got up a bit later than we had on the rest of our trip, and went for our breakfast at the hotel. It turned out to be overpriced and not very nice, and the sun shining inside highlighted all the dust in the air. We hit the road about 10:30 a.m. and started our 4 hour trip back to Lhasa. I was feeling fit and healthy again today, and was able to appreciate the view of the Tibetan landscapes we got whilst driving. It was unfortunate that the car was full of petrol fumes though, which had been...

I had a headache when I awoke this morning, but wasn't too worried since I had paracetamol to combat it. It wasn't a bad headache either, just a small throbbing in my head. We didn't have time for breakfast yet, so left straight for Potala Palace. We made it there 10 minutes before our reservation and they let us in, something I wasn't sure about after the procedure for getting a reservation. The Potala Palace is a nice place to visit. Unfortunately there are lots of closed off areas, and you...

After the troops assembled in the Yak Hotel lobby, Kelseng Dorje, our Tibetan guide, led us down to the market called the Barkhor. We made our way through a congested alley of rickshaws, fruit vendors, and souvenir stands, and found our way into the main market route that encircled the Jokhang monastery. It was truly an amazing experience to see so many unique people, with faces that tell stories of a hard life, yet still able to smile. We were just mesmerized, and often stood for long moment...

Arriving to the Yak Hotel in the rain, I went to room number eight and met Nate, who was already in bed but not yet asleep. He said Kevin was downstairs at the Dunya Bar, which was full of western tourists. It was almost culture shock as I hadn't seen many westerners, and it was good to see Kevin and Nate again and catch up. Kevin and Nate are becoming regulars here as we've shared adventures in Hong Kong, Beijing, the Great Wall, Yungang Caves, and Wutaishan, and Vietnam together. Karen, Ke...