Day 6 - Lhasa "Journey To The West"

Sept 28 2008
Lhasa - Elevation 3700m

On Monday morning we met our guide down in the lobby at 8 at the lobby , our first stop for in Lhasa – the heart and soul of Tibet - is the famous Polata palace –the winter palace of the Dalai Lama a vast white and ochre fortress soaring over one of the world’s highest cities-. We walked from our hotel to Potala Palace. It little bit col and rainy this morning but the atmosphere around Potala Palace is indescribable.

Potala Palace , It’s the centerpiece of Lhasa and also all over Tibet, Tibetans –tibet people- come inside the Potala for prayer or round the pilgrims every day.
Having been here less than 24 hours and now we must climbed all of the steps to the top , Its kill us !!!!.

I Saw so many many many many stairs along the wall to reach the mail building at the top. Its so tired , but slowly finally we reached the top
The views from the top of the palace are also spectacular as you can see all of Lhasa below with the snow capped mountains in the background.
The view from midway up the steps

Our last picture , before line up to enter the Potala Palace
After seeing many , many , many , many and many rooms to the palace and Photography is not allowed inside the chapels , we walked down from the back of the Palace.

All of the doors in the palaces have this kind of braided handle. The five colors are to represent the five elements.
Its 11 am when we finished our Potala tour , I didn’t expected my stomach began to hurt and I know I cant enjoy the journey anymore because its getting worse and worse. Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Go down from Potala , we met again our guide.

We promptly stopped for lunch around Barkhor area called MAKYEAME – means beautifull woman in Tibetan language- the foods not really good , but from upstairs we can saw area around Barkhor . We ordered soups , momo (dumplings filled with vegetables or yak met) , thukpa – noodles with meat –, cha ngamo -sweet milky tea- and some India food. We there until 2 pm and thanks to God my stomach not really hurt anymore and the mlky tea was so GOOD.

Views from second floor Makyeame
Our stop is the Barkhor , is essentially a kora –pilgrim circuit- that proceeds clock wise around the periphery of the Jokhang Temple.


All along the the pilgrim circuit are shops, stalls , tea houses and hawkes. They selling so many variety , prayer flags , tibet singing bowls, Tibetan boots , nepales biscuit , yak butter , juniper incense, turquoise jewelry and prayer wheels.
There were monks , women , children sitting in the streets with beats in their hand and start to praying , and many people give them money too. It’s a very common way of praying.
The golden – roofed Jokhang Temple is 1300 years old and is TIBET’S HOLIEST SHRINE. I saw in front of the temple there were dozens of Tibetans prostrating. They had pads underneath them and they would bend to their knees, stretch out on their stomach, come back to knees, stand up with their hands together, reach their hands to the sky, and then repeat it over and over again.
Like inside the potala place no photography allowed ,Inside the temple was lit by candles, was very cozy and warm.


I feel power and spirituality from the prayes surrounding the temple. we are lines to enter each room , They praying with many ways , some of them were holding prayer wheels chanting and repeat om mani padme hum, the other people they carried yak butter to pour into the candle holders or just bring small money 1 mao to put in in the stupa. So I can saw so many money from other country , I saw money from Indonesia too.

We returned to the Hotel around 3 pm , and the rest of the day was spent in bed with watching Korean love movie as ussual a love triangle hahahaha and I trying to find way to make my stomach feel better. After slept for 2 hours, 6.30 pm we go out in the street and take some photos in front of Potala Palace AGAIN until 8 pm.

Second day in Lhasa so impressing , It’s even more impressive than it looks in pictures.