Photos and videos at the end.
After breakfast, we left Lhasa along a four lane expressway, passing a set of craggy mountains to the north, behind which sky burials are still performed. When you die in Tibet as a devout Buddhist, your body is either wrapped in white cloth and thrown in a river, cremated, or cut up and left for vultures in designated sky burial locations. The ritual and process associated with burial in Tibet are very complex.
We left the Yaye expressway at Qüxü and onto the scenic route, a two lane road ascending 1000m over Gampala pass (4790m) and down to Yamdrok-tso Lake (4400m).
Before the pass, we stopped at a roadside tourist trap where you could pay 10 yuan or so to take a photo with Tibetan mastif dogs or sit on a yak. It felt like a bit of a circus.
Yamdrok lake is revered as a talisman and is said to be part of the life-spirit of Tibet. The lake, its islands, and the surrounding area are closely associated with Padmasambhava, the Second Buddha, who brought Buddhism to Tibet in eighth century AD.
The lake is surrounded by snow-capped mountains. In the distance we could see Nyenchen Khangsar (7191m), the highest mountain in the Lhasa region.
We continued along the lakeside for 35km or so. At the end of the lake, we visited a local family in the village for lunch in their home. It was very cool to have the opportunity to meet some locals at home and see the layout of a typical Tibetan rural home. There happed to be a visiting monk in the living room. Toilet facilities in rural homes are basic, just a hole in the floor. Fire for heating and cooking is provided by burning is dried yak dung. The dung is dried atop walls.
After a lovely lunch, we drove on and up to the Korola Glacier rising magnificently close to the roadside. It is the largest glacier in Tibet. We continued our journey to Gyantse.
On the way, we stopped at Simila Mountain Pass where we got out to stretch our legs. The pass has a curious mixture of old and new. Prayer flags affixed to the superstructure supporting solar panels.
After arriving in Gyantse, we waited a while for more yet permits to be issued. Gyantse was the sight of a major battle during the brutal British invasion of Tibet in 1904. The invasion was intended to counter the Russian Empire’s perceived ambitions in the East. The poorly-trained and equipped Tibetans proved no match for the modern equipment and training of the British Indian forces.
From Gyantse to Shigatse, we passed by green and golden Tibetan barley fields and countless farms. The harvest had started and small family groups were gathering grains and hay, mostly by hand, assisted by week eaters.
Finally, we arrived in Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet. After checking in to the hotel, a few of us went out to find a place for dinner. We found a very large traditional Tibetan restaurant. The whole place was booked out by a family celebrating one of their children going away to university. There must have been over a hundred guests. But they made space for us and insisted on presenting us with traditional white scarves or kataks as we left.
We stayed overnight in Shigatse. Tomorrow we will be travelling to Everest base camp and then west to do the 3 day Mount Kailash kora (circuit of a sacred mountain or building). The highest pass we will trek over is the Dolma La pass at 5,650m (18,540 ft).
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