Relaxing in Lhasa
Trip Start
Aug 21, 2006
1
29
70
Trip End
Dec 18, 2006
Lhasa,
China
Monday, October 9, 2006
Slept in this morning (thanks to my trusty earplugs!) and had a 'western' style breakfast at the local cafe near my hotel. Trying to be very cautious about what I eat here. Had such a bad time in Peru a number of years ago from bottled tap water, don't want that repeated this early in my trip.
Don't really have any desire to see any more monasteries or to travel outside of the city so probably won't have much to report until I return from my jungle trip in Chitwan in Nepal. I know that there are more things I could see and places I could go but the higher elevations are getting snow now and some of the passes that we just crossed are closed. We had good timing apparently. The weather in the city is cooling down now too. Usually wear both of my pashmina shawls and my rain jacket (Thanks Dad!) Happy to have the warmer clothes I have been lugging around in my bag for the last month, thinking, 'Do I really need this?' Answer: YES!
I may go into Northern India where some of the Tibetan refugees are living now and to maybe see the Dalai Lama...that would be exciting.
Reading more Thomas Friedman, Longitudes and Attitudes, a collection of his columns before 9-11 and after 9-11 and then excerpts from his diary. If you have any interest in learning more about the middle east issues as well as Israel, Palestine, Beruit, Lebanon and other bordering countries I recommend, From Beruit to Jerusalum by the same author. He has also written The Lexus and the Olive Tree about globalization prior to writing The World is Flat. I recommend you all take out your passports and start seeing the world...even in short trips. This trip has made me appreciate America for all of its wonderful positive qualities but it has also allowed me to gain a broader understanding of how the world views us. Unfortunately, this is often not in a positive light. The reaction usually is: 'Oh, you are one of those rare sightings: an American with a passport!' With globalization and with the internet, the world really is at our doorsteps. Before we were isolated and didn't have to worry about the rest of the world unless we chose to. Now, we have a choice, either we can open the door and see who is there and get acquainted or the world will just break our door down and demand that we pay attention. I think the former is the better choice.
The previous book I was reading, Queen of the Desert also gives a detailed account of the creation of the modern Iraqi state and its history of various tribal groups in the desert. Important reading now especially to gain a greater understanding of the current challenges that are faced in Iraq.
Ok, I think I'll have a tea now and listen to my newly functioning IPOD! Oh, I didn't mention before, at high altitudes all electronic equipment with hard drives are often in trouble. I got a sad Ipod face on my Ipod as well as a strange loud clicking noise at around 5000M. For about three days, my Ipod would not work...only sad ipod face. Last night, I tried again and IT WORKED! Yeah!
It's evening now in Lhasa and had to add a bit to my entry. Spent the bulk of the day in the western type cafe near my hotel. Think Starbucks and take away the signage and you have pretty much got it covered. I can't explain to you what a nice little relief it was to sit in a comfy chair sipping tea and hot chocolate reading my book. I had to stop for a moment and reflect on the place. Here I was listening to American R&B, Eryka Badu on my Ipod, sharing the cafe with Chinese, Dutch, English, American, and many Germans. People were accessing the internet and I was reading my Thomas Friedman book: Longitudes and Attitudes, (an american born jewish man helping me to understand both america and the arab world better). I could have been in NY or California doing exactly the same thing. but instead I was in Lhasa Tibet on the other side of the world.
