Shigatse

We started our day on October 19th walking through the old town of  Gyangze as the town started their day.  Butchers were cutting meat beside the road and farmers were milking their cows in their homes.  Walking this the narrow cobblestone streets we were greeted warmly with smiles and waves.  The people are all so friendly.  Even the simplest of homes are decorated with very ornate paintings on the outside and all the windows are framed in black to keep the bad spirits away as they have been for centuries.  The people here have held on to their superstitions for hundreds of years.  Cows were tethered outside front doors and the women were coming outside to taps to get water yet there were solar powered street lamps in places.  Piles of dung were lined up for winter fuel.  A marvellous array of sights.  We carried on to the Pelion Chode Monastery like so many others had been so horribly damaged during the revolution but luckily it’s center piece the main stupa was spared and it’s round guided roof glistens in the sunlight.  We climbed to the top and even took part in some stamping and dancing with the locals which was part of replacing some of the stone work on the stupa.  This monastery also had one of the oldest collections of old clay Buddha’s in the world. They were absolutely stunning.  Here the monks were enterprising and instead of forbidding photos they charged a fee and were doing very well.

We then travelled through the countryside to Tibet’s second largest city of Shigatse which is at 12,792 feet.  After settling into our hotel and a delicious lunch we visited the Tashilumpo Monastery which is the home of the Panchen Lama. It houses a massisive Buddha which is quite impressive as well as the gold burial stupa of the last Panchen Lama. Here are guide gave us a very interesting lesson on the traditional and still widely used method of sky burial for the Tibetan people.  After 49 days no mention or even picture of that person is ever used again.  At our get together Yam gave us a great talk on the history of Buddhism and how it had come from Hinduism and how the different sects had developed over time.  Confusing but very interesting..

We spent the day of October 20th exploring outside of Shigatse.  We visited a farming village which we walked around where a lot of the locals were out putting a fresh coat of white wash on there homes and repainting the black around the windows as next week is the Buddha festival and they want everything to look good.  Each home has a large courtyard and a pen where they bring their animals in at night.  We then drove up to a monastery at 14,700 feet to enjoy our lunch over looking the farmland below. Hard to imagine the work it took to build this monastery in this location  in 1429.  After lunch we visited a typical farming home.  That was certainly interesting. The typical home is two stories high and the bottom level is used to overnight some of the animals as well as to dry some of the meat and such.  There was some dried yak tongue hanging there which apparently they just slice off pieces like jerky.  Not the least bit appetizing.  Upstairs the big open room we first entered was very basic but beautifully painted. Apparently neighbors and families all get together and do this and they truly are artists.  The kitchen was hugh and was the main gathering room with its central dung stove.  Bedroom was communal and the quote bathroom was open air with four holes in the floor though a commode had been put over one hole for grannie.  In Tibet it is quite common for marriages to be polyandry which is for the woman to marry in the case here all the brothers so that the property stays in the family.  In this home the wife was married to three brothers and at this point they have three young children though it is not uncommon to have large families.  It will be unknown who the actual father is. Was a unique experience to see into this world.

In the late afternoon Eric and I strolled through the market of Shigatse just enjoying the sights and people.  Little children loved to say hello and one little girl insisted on giving us each an apple.  It was so sweet.  Friendliness abounds.  Women tapped me on the shoulder to say hello.  I know it is because I look different than them but certainly nice to witness such warmth in a foreign country from people who want nothing from you other than a smile in return.

Early morning milking as we walked through the village 

Cows tied outside many homes and dung drying on the window for the winter 

Every home was elaborately decorated with beautiful painting even in what appeared to be poor areas

Pelkor Chode Monastery 

The ever present prayer wheels and in this case only one dog. There were dozens of stray dogs in Tibet and they tend to hang around the monastery because they get fed there.

The great halls always have so many things hanging from the ceiling.  They are all permeated with incense and I do wonder if they ever get cleaned 

These beautiful clay Buddha coated with shellac date from the 15th century and I think were the most impressive statues we saw.

The monastery nestled into the hills

This is a barley mill we stopped at along the way. Powered by water still how they are doing their grinding today.

One of the many bathrooms we had the pleasure of using. Never again will I take western washrooms for granted.

Tashilunpo Monastery

This lady asked me to take her picture so how could I not

I do not think he could have fit another thing on this load



Helping the locals stamp rocks at the monastery.  Chanting was involved and it was fun

Dry barren land in places

Large herds in the middle of no where

This gentleman was adjusting his prayer flags as the next week was a special Buddhist celebration and your home had to look good 

The Tibetans put decorations on their animals to keep them happy

Loved this homes yard with the family vehicle cow and childs toy all together 

Some of us carry back packs and others milk

Grandma and little one

Monks just hanging out

Yaks often blocked traffic on the roads

The out buildings of the farm house we visited 

The main room of the home.  The hole in the floor is for ventilation.  All the painting is hand done and quite beautiful 

The kitchen with the dung stove in the middle for heat and cooking.  Seating all round for the extended family. The whole house was very dusty as it would be very hard to keep it any other way

The open air washroom

A travelling meat market

Butter tea anyone?