Lhasa days
Trip Start
Apr 04, 2004
1
19
34
Trip End
Jun 07, 2004
Lhasa,
China
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Monday 26th May
I get up early to go to see the morning crowds trying to force their way into the sacred Jokhang temple. Which lays behind the Kirey in the tangle of old streets. We fight our way to the Golden rooftop through frenzied pilgrims in what seems to be a state of panic. Panic to dish out a spoonful of white rice to every effigy of every Buddha in the galleried interior. There are alcoves and sub alcoves all stuffed with Buddha's large and small. Silver and Gold. Its dark inside with only candles and tilting shafts of early sunlight. Enough light for all these small beings to see as they run and push their way into the next chamber along, a large dollop of hot rice flying from their spoon. A deep vessel of the stuff clutched against their bodies.
From the rooftop we get the best view of the Potala Palace and I run out of camera film. I've had a bad run of luck with cameras and refuse to spend good money on them anymore. So for the record, I'm using a cheap 35mm jobbie as I travel. It cost about a quid. I'm happy to let others fiddle around with the latest digital technology.
Chris and I decide to rent a couple of mountain bikes and head out of the city for the day. We find a village presented in the rustic farmyard style and eat. The long slog back again is hard only from the perspective that the saddle on my bicycle is narrow and a bastard of an arse-cutter. The frame is too small and it's pink in colour. I'm glad to give it back. Sadly, with a broken gear shifter after I dropped it outside the Potala Palace. I've repaired the cheap plastic lever with superglue. So they won't notice and withhold my deposit, or worse.
There's a bar situated between the bike rentals shop and the Kirey Hotel ( the Folk bar perhaps ) and I relax in there for a while. This evening it's much the same in room 203. Smoking and jamming. Except we learn that Den is not recovering. The poor bloke's got altitude sickness. Among the symptoms are the 'sea legs' effect on his walking. You'd assume he was three sheets to the wind. After a visit to a doctor it's decided he must be evacuated by air back to Chengdu in central China. This the standard practice for all visitors to Tibet whose natural gyroscope cannot adjust to the altitude. He pays.
My only mild complaint, luckily is some sunburn from today's bike ride. Yes, even in the mountains around Lhasa at 3,650 meters it's possible to get sunburn. Somebody jokes that it's because we are closer to the sun.
Next ; Road trip 1 - Nam Tso Lake
