Lhasa Hotels
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Magical, Mystical Tibet
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I am currently in Lhasa, Tibet - today we visited the amazing Potala Palace, former home to Dalai Lhamas and the administrative home to the former government of Tibet. Built in the 7th century and updated in the 18th by successive leaders, many feelings went along with today's visit which I will write about when I get to Nepal. So I will instead write about the wonderful warmth of the Tibetan people. We are here for 5 days, and I've been able to see many amazing sights such as Barkhor Square, the fantastic mountains surrounding Lhasa, and the Sera Monastery with the monks reciting their scriptures in the golden afternoon light. Today is our last day here in Lhasa, a gorgeous postcard perfect blue sky with soft white clouds floating over the mountain tops. We hiked the high kora - a clockwise circular ambulation around the monastery that pilgrims practice - at Ganden Monastery, 40km outside of town. This kora was across the ridge of an amazing mountain range here in Tibet, overlooking a valley that I can't now remember its Tibetan name. However, we were fortunate to make this hike as the only Westerners, with hundreds of monks and Tibetan pilgrims, who upon reaching the summit, toss their wind horses (small square colored papers with prayers on them) high into the air and out over the mountain peaks. They roared with joy as they tossed their prayers, and some monks chanted mantras while juniper burned in the incense towers. Thousands of colorful prayer flags adorned the mountain top, and we hiked around the summit with joy in our hearts as we gazed at the spectacular river strewn valley below. It was truly breathtaking, in more than one sense as we were still acclimatizing to being about 4500m above sea level. What a tremendous, incredible feeling to hike with monks and pilgrims in their holy land. Amazing pictures were taken, but the memory of this day will be the best token I have of this amazing experience.
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Latest Comments (1)
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Blessings (reply)
Nov 14, 2006 18:05 EST by rdegennaro
May your high kora walk at Ganden Monastery bring you good health and safe travel over the big mountains into Nepal.
In Katmandu, try the Katmandu Guest House on north side of Thamel.
raf
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| 13. | Magical, Mystical Tibet - Lhasa, China Nov 07, 2006 (  20 ) (  1 ) |
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