Ganden Monastry

Today October 17th we took a wonderful drive outside of Lhasa to visit the Ganden Monastery.  Driving through the countryside we spotted some traditional old homes, met with yak walking slowly across the highway and then started up a switchback that rivalled most we have ever seen. This monastery that was built in 1409 sits high on a mountaintop at 14,107 feet,a new record high for us and thankfully we felt no ill effects.  The monastery was severely damaged in 1966 by the Red guards but has under gone extensive rebuilding.  It was at this monastery that the current Dalai Lama took his final degree examinations in 1958.  Though at one time there were as many as 5000 monks here it is now home to 400.  We took a walk through the grounds and were warmly greeted by some of the locals.  Though there was a total language barrier their warm smiles and sparkling eyes said it all when they warmly grabbbed hold of your hand.  What a special moment.  We arrived at the assembly hall as the monks were gathered to do their chanting and were welcomed in to witness this.  Dozens of monks were seated in various ranks with the higher ones denoted with headgear while the head monk lead the chants from an elevated chair.  Meanwhile the younger monks ran around filling all their tea bowls.  The asssemby hall is very ornate and with all the burning insence and low lighting it was a wonderful experience.  We toured through the chapel where we received a blessing from a monk where we bent over and he tapped us three times with some small pillow like objects.  One women in our group is a black American and after he blessed her he pulled out his cell phone and asked if he could have his picture taken with her.  One of those amusing moments.  After our visit at the monastery we drove down the switchback to the riverside where an advance crew had set up a wonderful hot lunch with mess tent and all.

After dinner there wer plans to go visit the outside of the Potala Palace for pictures of it lit at night but as our bus approached the area it was totally blocked off.  No explanation was given but we wondered if it could have something to do with the face that it was the cure Dalai Lamas Birthday and they wanted to avoid a gathering.

Our trip to the Ganden Monastery took us up our first of many switchbacks that we would encounter on this trip

The monastery sits at above 14;000 feet which was a new high for us

The buildings spill down the mountain side.

Have to have the odd tourist picture to prove we were actually there

Many of the buildings were badly damaged during the cultural revolution 

The monks are chanting in the Great Hall. This is really relaxing to listen to even though you have no idea what they are saying.

Locals go through the hall giving money to each monk

Different headgear denotes rank amongst the monks.  These would be the senior monks.

During the chanting time the younger monks circulate through pouring yak butter tea for all of the other monks

All over Tibet you see prayer flags strewn on the mountains.  The smoke will be pilgrims burning incense though it could possibly be a sky burial 

Children seemed to be tied to their parents back until the age of at least three

With no trees to be had one gathers what ever you can to burn

Bundles of prayer flags for sale everywhere 

Beautiful landscape. Totally above the tree line

Yaks were grazing all over the place

Our lunch crew would go ahead of us and set up and cook a delicious hot meal. The tent kept us out of the sun and wind.

Line up and enjoy the scenery while you eat in the great outdoors 

Potala Palace and the Jokhang

Today, October 16th we visited a definite highlight, the Potala Palace.  I myself was very nervous initially due to the fact that there are over 700 stairs to reach the destination and we are at altitude and stair climbing is not my best at sea level but off we went and I have to say I was proud of myself but glad I had my personal Sherpa. We arrived an hour before our appointed visit time and did the traditional clockwise walk around the base of the palace which is surrounded by prayer wheels where the locals go some of them several times a day.  The construction of the palace started in 1645 initiatived by the 5th Dalai Lama and the Palace served as the home of all future Dalai Lamas right up to the present one when he was forced to seek excise in India in 1959 after the Chinese occupation.  The Palace sits high on a hill and overlooks the city of Lhasa.  It’s whitewashed Wall Ella and red accents have earned it the name of the Red Palace.  It contains 1000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and over 200,000 statues.  All the rooms are ornately decorated.  It was probably just as well that no pictures were allowed as it was totally overwhelming to the senses.  The stupa that the 5th Dalia Lama is buried in contains so much gold it is said it could build a whole new city.  When the Chinese took over Tibet in the 1950’s it is said over 95% of religious buildings were destroyed.  It is certainly a Tibetan treasure that the palace was spared.

After lunch we visited Jokhang which is Tibet ‘s holiest temple and contains the statue Jo Rinpoche which means Precious Lord and is believed to be the oldest and original statue of Buddha in the world dating to 563 BC.  Quite something to behold.  Devout Buddhists believe that coming before this statue once in their lives will bring them a good life and they will travel thousands of miles to do so some on foot.

We then spent some time in the bustling market of the Barkhor.  Most of the stalls were small with everything from brightly coloured souvenirs,clothing carpets and food stalls. The meat stalls displayed all types of large slabs of meat with whole yak heads resting on the ground for sale as well.  A different world.

At our briefing this evening Peter talked about some of his personal experiences including his five attempts at Everest with two assents to the peak being successful.  He told us of his one attempt on K2 where he was with 7 others and as they were nearing the peak the weather turned and he made the solo decision to descend.  He was the sole survivor. In 2008 he climbed Mt Dinali to complete the Seven Peaks in honour of his father who passed away earlier that year.  He is an amazing man to be around.  He is so down to earth and yet so inspiring.  He is not full of himself and turns his accomplishments into making you think about what you want to do.  He is excited to show us the highlights on this trip and to view Everest with him will make it all that more special.

Potala Palace sits high on the hill in Lhasa with hundreds of steps to reach the top

Eric ready for the step challenge 

Peter Hilary and myself.  So grateful that the altitude adjustment went so well

The prayer wheels went all around the base of the palace and for many locals it is a daily ritual to walk the circumference, always in a clockwise manner.

This pilgrim is going to the temple in a very traditional way. He will only take three steps before lying like a burpee. Apparently they will repeat this for hundreds of kilometres.

A local with a personal prayer shell

Looking up at the palace. Quite an impressive sight.

View of the city of Lhasa once one has survived the trip up the steps

The steps are not exactly built to code.  They are of different heights and widths which means one must watch where they are going.

One of the very ornate stupas in which one of the Dalai Lamas is entombed 

The rooms inside the Palace are quite beautiful 

The colours and painted decorations are vibrant

The palace at night

Last look at the palace

The Jokhang courtyard 

The ever present vat of burning yak butter

Inlike in Cambodia the gold on the roof of the Jokhang is paint not leaf but glistens just the same

The statue Jo Rinpoche known as the Precious Lord from 563 BC

Lhasa, Experience in Alltitude

On Saturday the 13th we started our preparation for our assen to Lhasa at 11,972 feet by taking our drugs which for Eric meant Diomox and me Dexametasone.  We met briefly with our guides for the trip Peter Hilary and Yam Gurung and our fellow travelling companions before settling in for a short sleep in Beijing.  Leaving at 0545 we headed fro the airport and boarded Air China for our flight to Lhasa via Chengdu.  Security was tight at the airport and something else that was certainly new to us was the very definite security announcement on the plane by the security officer to inform passengers that they were being videotaped and listened to at all times.  Definitely not Air Canada.  Approaching Lhasa we got our first views of the Himalayas.Astounding and exciting.  We were greet at the airport by the traditional Tibetan welcome of a white silk scarf knotted around our neck.  Nice touch.  After checking in and a short rest we had a nightly briefing by Peter and Yam where tonight Peter shared the story of his Fathers and Norgays historic climb of Everest in 1953.  Eric and I are feeling good, just a little shor of breath on exertion so hopefully the drugs are doing the trick. Unfortunately for some they are having quite a rough time.

Monday morning we started our exploring of Tibet with a visit to the largest monastery in the country the Drepung Monastery.  Once home to up to 10,000 monks it now homes around 700 as the draw to the monk hood in Tibet has gone down greatly as the Tibetans do not trust the close scrutiny of the Chinese security forces imposed sixes the 1950s.  Founded in 1416 it was the home of the Dalai Lama until the 5th Dalai Lama constructed the Potala Palace.  It was known for its high standards of academic study.  We visited the great hall where the monks gather daily, the chapel which contains all the relic and where there were many locals paying there respects with scarves, yak butter and money.  We also visited the rather primitive kitchen where all the meals are made.  It was a different feeling to walk through the living quarters of the first of the Dalai Lamas.

After lunch at a typical Tibetan restaurant we stopped at the Chupzang Nunnery which was mostly destroyed during the cultural revolution.  Established in 1665 it used to house 100’s of nuns but is now home to only a few dozen young nuns who study under the monks from the nearby Séra Monastery.  They were all smiling and welcoming.

We next visited the Séra Monastery to view a theatrical debate amongst the monks where they are questioning each other in preparation for exams.  This Monastery was founded in 1419 but suffered great damage in 1959 during the revolt when hundreds of monks were killed and hundreds of others fled to India with the Dalai Lama and set up a Séra Monastery there.  There were some exquisite sand mandalas on display that had been made by the monks.

A walk back through the narrow alleys of the old town with its colourful shops and bustling locals was a great way to end a busy day.

That evening at briefing everyone did a short introduction of themselves.  Interesting well traveled group of people.  Hope those not doing well with altitude improve.

Our first glimpse of the Himalayas as we flew into Lhasa.

Eric getting a white scarf on arrival to Tibet.  It is knotted three times in a traditional welcome 

The great group of fellow travelers 

The Drepung Monastery 

A local turning the prayer wheels. These wheels are everywhere throughout Tibet and many carry small ones in their hands as they walk along constantly turning them.

Monks on the colourful hallway of the monastery 

Like children everywhere these two looked a little bored with the day.

Monks chanting within the Great Hall

The monastery always sit high on the hill looking down over the city.  It certainly must have been quite the task to build them in that position so long ago.

This lady was hoping for a handout from those visiting the monastery 

Buddhists put yak butter into this tin to keep the flames burning.  Distinctive but not unpleasant aroma.

Love the faces and dress of the locals.  Probably not as old as one thinks.

This is a Tibetan washing machine at the nunnery

These Mandela’s are made from coloured sand.  Four monks work on them at a time and generally they are left to wash away but at Sera Monastery they have saved a couple for people to see  The intricacy in the them is amazing.

How four individuals can produce this symmetry is quite mind boggling 

French fries anyone?

Sera Monastery 

Beautiful painting on the rocks

Even the young wanted their pictures taken with us.

Here the monks are doing practice debates to prepare for their exams as the monastery is a type of school and university as well.

Colourful shops line the narrow streets.

The meat market is not quite what we are used to at home.  I shutter to think what they do with the yak head but it certainly was not uncommon to see these for sale.