China and Tibet 2006 - Lhasa

The really beautiful thing about Lhasa is the buzz. It was also a relatively comfortable base for us. We had relatively clean places to stay and had decent food most of the time. It was very cool to hang out with Zhao Shuo and Ye Zi. They are basically very kind hearted girls and very fun to hang out with as well. I really wonder how they are doing now.

Lhasa was really awesome. The best that it has to offer is the Potala Palace - the residence of the Dalai Lama. I knew that I had to go there the moment I saw its picture. I have never seen another building that almost moved me to tears. It was an indescribable feeling. I just felt overwhelmed by its majesty. I have seen some of the greatest palaces in this world, including the forbidden city and the Versailles Place but the Potala Palace just have a mysterious attraction to me. At that moment, I really felt that I would die with regrets if I had never seen it in person. It is really a classic "To see before you die" place. The real thing is just like what you see in the picture, and I strongly recommend that everyone should see it.

The magnificent Potala Palace

Brothers living the dream

Bankor Street (Octagon St). Circles around the Jokhang Temple

Playing with Tibetan children on the street. Happily plucking my white hair

Fun time

Jokhang Temple - Tibet's holiest temple. See the monks and pilgrims prostrating before the temple. We were not allowed to take pictures inside the temple. In any case, it was overcrowded with tourist and pilgrims alike. Clifton was absolutely disgusted with the place.

Sera Monestery turned out to be a lot more idyllic. Clifton enjoying a moment of peace

Moving the prayer bells for good luck.

The monk waiting for the last visitors to leave before enjoying his weekend.

2 monks making calls on the mobile phone. Globalisation hits every corner. By the way, the guy in the foreground was wearing a gold watch. Whatever happened to the principles of detachment...

At the rooftop restaurant where we had a one of our best meals in Tibet. The best meal was a hotpot of prawns. 2 of us whacked like 50 over prawns before having the normal steamboat. Heavenly man.. yes seafood even at altitude of 3500m and miles away from the sea.

Sun setting over the Tibetan highlands

Overall, Tibet was a fantastic experience. Although the economic migration of Han Chinese immigrants has affected the traditional Tibetans lifestyle, it also made our trip a lot more comfortable. Trust me, it was already very tough with all these amenities. Although a little disappointed, I still count myself lucky to have come early enough to witness whatever that is left of the Tibetan culture before everything is lost. The completion of the Qing-Tsang Railway has created a even more economical and accessible medium for mainland Chinese to enter the Tibetan plateau. At this rate, it won't be long before the most ingeniously of the Tibetan culture be swept under the rugs of tourism and globalization.