Last Day in Chengdu/Tibet Day One
Trip Start
Jan 05, 2009
1
8
12
Trip End
Jan 26, 2009
Tibet,
China
Thursday, January 15, 2009
My last day in Chengdu was incredible. We went to visit the
Giant Buddha in Leshan. On the way to the giant Buddha we stopped at a place
that sold tea, tea cakes, all kind of things related to tea. It was located in
the middle of a huge area of tea farms. It was about a 2 hour drive from our
hotel to Leshan, but it was an interesting trip. The tea farms were beautiful,
and the countryside was so different from America. Once we arrived at the Giant
Buddha we took a river cruise to see the whole thing from the water. We all put
on these BEAUTIFUL orange life preservers and pulled away from the dock. The
Giant Buddha was so big. I think I was about the size of the toenail. It was
carved out of the side of a cliff during the Tang Dynasty. It was built to
protect the fishermen in the river below.
While we were on our cruise we saw fishermen with birds that they
trained to go under the water and catch fish. After we got off the boat we
walked up the giant Buddha. It was about a 30 minute hike, and 333 steps. The
top of the Buddha was so impressive, the facial features were so detailed and
exact. It is hard to believe this was constructed so long ago. After the climb
up we visited a monastery near the giant Buddha. Then we left the Giant Buddha
to go eat in a local restaurant in Leshan. The food in the Sichuan is very
spicyy and I put a bite of this chicken in my mouth, and my mouth was sore for
the rest of the day. They have really really really spicy food. Our tour guide
said it was because Chengdu is so humid. After lunch we went back to the hotel
and had the night to ourselves. My roommate was sick so we stayed in and Dr.
Crowe delivered pizza hut for us. It was a relaxing last night in Chengdu, but
all of us were anxious for Tibet in the morning. The flight to Lhasa was
incredible, we crossed over the Himalayas and even saw Everest (It stood out a
lot). After we touched down we met our tour guide and got on the bus to check
in at the hotel. In Tibet, they welcome you with a white silk scarf, kind of
like in Hawaii, you get flowers, well in Tibet you get silk. The bus ride was
about an hour to the Sheraton in Lhasa. Our room is so cute, its very modern
but at the same time has a rustic feel. Our view of the mountains is so
beautiful, and the altitude really didn't bother me like I thought it was going
to. We ate lighter meals (which were DELICIOUS) and walked slowly. We ate at a
restaurant in the center of Lhasa, where the main temple is. We spent about 30
minutes walking around the market, and I got some beautiful scarves and
jewelry. We saw many nomadic people from Northern Tibet, on a pilgrimage to the
temple. They had never seen westerners before, so we were very popular. It was
amazing to see the differences in culture here. I love Tibet, it has to be one
of my favorite places in the world. I am so blessed to have been able to visit
here and experience the culture. I am excited for more adventures over the next
two days. My camera battery was not living during my arrival in Tibet, but I'll
post pictures from Tibet tomorrow, along with the Giant Buddha. Love you all
Anna
