Our Purple Paladin Bus
The Potala PalaceWe had our first FULL day in Tibet on Friday, May 21st. Everyone suffered a bit on our first night from the altitude, but everyone answered the bell on Friday morning.
Our first stop was the Jokhang Monastery in the center of downtown Lhasa. It is a very old monastery and most crowded place I have ever been. Pilgrims were coming from all over to visit the shrines, some of them going full prostrate every THREE steps to pray. There devotion is unbelievable. There was much yak butter and incense being burned inside. Truly an experience of a lifetime being in there.
Tibet pilgrims praying outside Jokhang Monastery
A market outside of Jokhang Monastery
Amazing woodworkOur next stop was a hospital nearby that practiced traditional Tibetan medicine. We had a brief lecture on their practices by a doctor there. It was most interesting. For all you biology majors out there, he told us they figured out that the development of the fetus closely resembles the stages of evolution. In Biology 21, Dr. Pielieu taught us that morphology recapitulates phylogeny.
They figured this out about 700 AD!
They figured this out about 700 AD!
A native Tibetan Medicine Hospital Our next stop was the Potala Palace, home of the Dali Lama. We had a set time we needed to be there, so we got take-out, Tibetan style. Kate ran into a shop and got us some Tibetan qiches and muffins to eat on the way.
The Potala Palace is so big you have to see it to believe and you can't take pictures inside. Going to the top is quite a feat, especially at 13,000 feet, but we all made it and were glad we did.
Information on the Potala Palace
After a late lunch, we went to the Sera Monastery just outside of town. We were able to observe monks debating religious topics in their unique style.
Monks debating at Sera Monastery
Prayer wheels at Sera
Market Square
A beautiful Tibetan Family photo
Monks debating at Sera Monastery
Prayer wheels at SeraKate then took us to the market ouside the Jokhang Monastery for about an hour of shopping and bargaining with the local vendors. Some were better bargainers than other, but everyone came away with some treasures from Tibet. We had a late dinner at an upstairs restaurant downtown and then crashed.
Market SquareSaturday we look forward to a monastery out in the countryside and a visit to a village medical clinic.
A beautiful Tibetan Family photo
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