The morning started off with some added interest – no electricity. At some point during the night, all the 5th floor electricity shut down. Had to use the light on my iPad to see well enough to shower. We’re supposed to be picked up around 11:00 am, but we want to walk back to the Jokhang Temple and look around some more. We manage to start that direction around 9:00 am.
The weather has been great during our visit. It’s below freezing at night, and during the day, the sun has been shining and the temps are in the upper 50’s. The effect of the altitude (12,000 ft. in Lhasa) hasn’t been too much trouble. I’ve definitely had fatigue, and felt a mild headache last night, but not nearly the troubles many people have. Disposable oxygen bottles are available for around $3 usd., if it becomes necessary. Steve is feeling much better today and is up to the walk. He had several things he wanted to buy and the shopping around Jokhang Temple is a great place to find it.
The scene at Jokhang Temple is very active. There are many pilgrims walking around the building. We also saw several cases of the “prostration prayers. The most extreme cases were some girls (see video) prostrating themselves during the prayer, then taking 3 steps forward and going through the process again. Their plan is to do this all the way around the Temple. We later saw a guy praying (facing the temple), then moving 3 steps to his left, and going through the prayer process again. This is all done with people walking around them, and in some cases, stepping over them.
3 Jokhang Temple Video Links:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/79i52uf4fjjcmji/15.5.3.Jokhang1.m4v?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zy54rzrw9eyrwdo/15.5.3.Jokhang2.m4v?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wdmiabtehlf1qen/15.5.3Jokhang3.m4v?dl=0
One of the shops around Jokhang Temple.
Pilgrims queuing up to walk through the temple. The thermos bottles contain “yak butter” that would be poured into large containers with burning wicks in many of the rooms in the temple.
Incense burning. Some of the pilgrims carried incense to be burned on all sides of the Temple
A “victory pole”, with prayer flags attached.
We had a fun shopping excursion, and headed back to the hotel, arriving 5 minutes late. We grabbed our stuff, climbed in the van, riding over to our next stop, Norbulinga Palace. It was the summer palace for the 14th Dalai Lama, currently living in India. Since it was built in the last 40 years, some of the interior furnishings were a little more contemporary, especially those rooms where he entertained family and official guests.
Norbulinga, summer palace for the 14th Dalai Lama.
After our summer palace visit, we ate lunch (no yak on this meal). After lunch we began the hour drive back to the airport. At the airport, we checked in without trouble. It’s easier to leave Tibet than it is to enter. The flight departed about and hour and a half late creating an equally late arrival in Beijing. I arrived home around 11:30, worn out, and ready for few days of recovery after my week of travel.
Heading back to the airport.