Day 1
We've landed in Lhasa, and the first thing we've been taught is how to say "Hello" in Tibetan. The phrase is "Tashi de lay!" and we've been practicing it from the moment we learned it! This morning we headed for Barkhor Market, Lhasa's medieval bazaar, just outside Jokhang Temple where Tibetans walk around the holy place in a clockwise direction to pay their respects and perhaps ask for prayers to be answered. The Tibetan pilgrims were out in full force, dressed warmly and turning their heavy brass prayer wheels with precision from decades of practice. There were a few incense burners in which juniper branches smoked, giving an etheral mood to the place.
Yak butter tea vendors sell their wares to pilgrims lined up to enter Jokhang, one of the holiest temples in Tibetan Buddhism. The tea, known as "Po Cha" in Tibetan, is made from churning tea, salt and yak butter. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I quite liked it and was able to have it on a few occasions!
Pilgrims line up outside Jokhang temple, waiting to enter. Jokhang temple (the oldest part having been built in 652 CE) is situated in the centre of old Lhasa city, in Barkhor Square. It is considered by Tibetans to be the most sacred and important temple in Tibet. It was founded during the reign of King Songtsen Gampo, and built for his two brides: Princess Wencheng of Chinese Tang dynasty, and Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal. Both are said to have brought important Buddhist statues and images from China and Nepal, which are housed here as part of their dowries.
Four men stand in line below traditional Tibetan windows, waiting to get into the Jokhang temple for morning prayers. The face mask is worn by many Tibetans due to the dryness of their environment - the altitude of Lhasa is 3656 meters - 11,990 feet above sea level. Ottawa is 70 meters or 230 feet above sea level!
This male Tibetan wears a "chuba", a long sheepskin coat made of thick Tibetan wool. It is a warm, mostly ankle-length robe that is bound around the waist by a long sash. Its upper portion becomes a large pocket for everything from money to bowls. It has wide, elongated sleeves which hang almost to the ground. Tibetans hardly ever do their "chubas" up over their chests. The right shoulder and arm are almost always left free.
They spin their prayer wheels as they chant and walk. This is not a stroll - they walk with purpose!
This wonderful woman and I made eye contact as we walked down the street. "Tashi de lay!" She reached out and took hold of my freezing cold hands (the camera being metal!). We smiled and chatted (in our own languages) and she warmed my frozen fingers in her toasty warm hands. When we came to the end of the street, I asked our tour guide to please tell her (in Tibetan) that I was very grateful. It turns out that she was very happy that I was in Tibet, because she knew that it cost a lot of money to come here...that she was lucky because she lived here... and she was going to pray for me to have a safe journey. And I thought she was just warming my hands! What an incredibly awesome first day experience!
Nuns quarters at Chupzang Monastery. The interesting thing about this photograph are the thin bits of curved metal, looking slightly like satellite dishes, or possibly even those round aluminum "flying saucer" -like sleds we had as kids. In fact, if you look very carefully, you'll notice that metal rods are attached in the centre areas of the metal, and if you look in particular at the "saucer" on the left, you'll see a kettle sitting atop those rods. The sun basically blasts down onto the metal rims, reflecting heat back to the kettle, creating whistling, steaming, boiling hot water! A super ingenious method to use passive solar power!
An old monk (or "lama" as monks are called in Tibet) walks though the central square of Drepung Monastery. The word "lama" means "religious teacher" and is the Tibetan equivalent of the Sanskrit "guru". In other words, all Tibetan religious teachers are "lamas", but not all Tibetan Buddhist monks are religious teachers, although they are often referred to as "lamas".
High in the mountains, overlooking the area near Sera Monastery, we enjoy our first (of many) picnic lunches. In this instance we were sheltered from the sun by a simple canopy; in others we were sheltered from the cold winds with a full tent. Whatever the situation, the food was always excellent, prepared on site (you can see the cook's truck just off to the right). And after each meal the cook staff came around with individually wrapped Dove chocolate bars! That was a delight everyone always waited for!
Monk debate at Sera Monastery. A courtyard full of debating monks is a cacophony of noise and excitement! The sitting monk must answer questions based on Tibetan Buddhism, or other moral and philosophical questions (what came first: the chicken or the egg); asked by the standing monk. They pose the question with much flair: they raise their hands and swing forward to clap them loudly in front of the sitting monk! The seated monk must remain calm and answer the questions with insight. This debate is a regular practice for monks - they will take their "final examinations" before higher level monks.