Day 7: Jokhang Temple & Norbulingka

Tony was very generous today as we didn’t leave the hotel until 9:30am! We decided not to bother with breakfast so got up later than we should have. I forgot to mention the other day that everything seems to explode up here; I mean the roller ball in my deodorant popped out and the sunscreen squirted everywhere when I opened it; we are wondering what is going to happen when we leave Lhasa.

We were 5 minutes early for the group meet so decided to pop into breakfast for a butter tea and what turned out to be a big biscuit. Just what I needed to set me up for the morning. 

As I mentioned yesterday, altitude sickness has been a bit of a nightmare for a few people and in particular an Australian couple who didn’t make it out at all yesterday. We found out today that they had been vomiting and had severe headaches and had to be put on drips the previous evening. Not only that, they had to pay for the treatment up front. There were three options; one for those without any insurance (this was oxygen plus a few tablets), another option in between for those with some insurance (a drip, oxygen, plus a few tablets) and the final option, everything including lots of tablets. They went for the full shebang which set them back 900 Australian dollars (£500ish) but at least it made them feel almost instantly better and they got to go on the tours today!

We got on the bus to drive to the Jokhang Temple; it is considered the sacred centre of Tibetan Buddhism and is located within the Barkhor district, where we had lunch yesterday. We had to get off the bus and walk to the entrance where we had the usual security check before entering the square. There were lots of prostrating pilgrims, many of whom had travelled for months to get to the temple. It was Children’s day so the place was busier than normal but thankfully we were allowed to skip the queue. Many of the pilgrims do not go inside, they only walk around the temple in a clockwise direction with their beads and prayer wheel (beads in left hand, wheel in right!) Of the pilgrims that do go into the temple, it’s crazy! There is quite a lot of barging and we were told to be wary of pickpockets. Unfortunately, no photos are allowed inside the temple, only outside and on the second floor roof area. The main reason pilgrims go to the temple is to see the Buddha statue; it is a statue of Shakyamuni and is considered the holiest object in Tibet. We were told to make a wish as we walked by as our first wish would certainly come true. After a bit of barging, we got to the roof area which was a bit of respite from the chaos downstairs; you could buy an authentic prayer wheel but we didn’t bother as there is no room left in the suitcases! Iain was asked by a Chinese tourist for a photo; this seems to be happening a lot with the group as many people haven’t seen blonde hair or white people before. We were told many TIbetans may come up to us and stroke our arms as they call us “yaks,” because we have hair on our arms. This is actually a compliment as they are considered treasures of Tibet. 

After the roof top visit, we left the temple to wander around the bazaar. This is part of the old town of Lhasa and is very beautiful; its also a great place to barter with the locals for lots of different goods. We bought a couple of souvenirs and headed towards the meeting place. We were a bit early so decided to walk down one of the side streets, what we didn’t realise was that we had left the complex! When we turned around, we had to go through security again but as there was no guide, we needed to show passports; thankfully, we had our passports on us even though we were told to leave them at the hotel (there is no safety deposit box in the room!) We walked back to the meeting spot and joined with the group...phew! Another thing we noticed was the snipers strategically placed on the roofs of the old town; our guide told us this is to crush any signs of a rebellion...eek!

It was time for lunch and we were apparently booked into the number one restaurant in Lhasa on Tripadvisor - I checked, its true, picture for proof! It was called the “Tibetan Family Kitchen” and was fantastic; we had a few different dishes including tomato salad, potato gratin and chicken soup Tibetan style. It was nice to get food other than rice and noodles. There was also an amazing rooftop which gave views of the mountains, Potala Palace and the colourful roofs around the old town.

After lunch, we split into two buses, one to go back to the hotel and the other to go to “new” Norbulingka. We chose to go to Norbulingka which served as the summer residence of the Dalai Lama from 1956 until he had to abandon TIbet in 1959. It is home to several chapels and palaces as well as beautiful flower arrangements. We were guided around the palace where we saw the throne that the current Dalai Lama (Number 14) sat and worshipped, as well as his bedroom and living area. It was very different to the Potala Palace, much less grand but very relaxing and homely.

We headed back to the hotel for a rest before our evening meal and entertainment.

We met the group at 6.20pm to go to the restaurant where we would also see a Tibetan show. The restaurant was the same one we went to yesterday for lunch so at least there was one western toilet! The food was good, especially the chilli yak and potatoes. The beer is also decent, although its only 3.3% and really fizzy. There was also yak yoghurt but it was super sour so one spoonful was enough. 

As we were finishing dinner, the Tibetan dancing show began; it was quite bizarre, we were treated to a yak and llama, but enjoyable. It was then followed by some singing and then our guides daughter got up to dance; this wasn’t planned but as it was children’s day and the kids had been at a dance show, we were in for a treat. 

The above picture shows one of our guides, and her daughter (the boy is the little girls dance partner). I haven’t really mentioned our guides yet (we have two) but both, Yangkey and Lekshey, are crazy. They are like a double-act when they are together and both have infectious laughs. Iain and I wish we could stay in Lhasa longer as they have both been fantastic!

After dinner and the show, the bus then returned us to the hotel, albeit only to the end of the street. We had a huge 6 lane road to cross so as they say in China, we must be like “sticky rice.” We made it safe and sound, but only just! I would like to point out that there are lanes but no-one actually stays in them!

Thankfully it was time for bed, but only after I finish packing.......Chengdu (and the Pandas), here we come!