Since our time was limited we woke up early, ate breakfast, and were out the door by 8:00. After breakfast we visited the permit office. Let me tell you, it is quite hidden. The door is near the exit of the “outdoor” market, so look for it there. We asked if they did travel permits and they simply said: “go get one is Lhasa.” Thanks.
In the other directions was the Tashilhunpo Monastery, which turned out to be one of the best we saw on the entire trip. Although locals can enter and exit as they please, we of course had to pay money. It was well worth it. The little city below the monastery was interesting, and we wandered through several of the little houses. The more religious buildings were further up on the hill. The view from the balcony of the highest temple was magnificent, and extremely peaceful. We spent maybe an hour on the large balcony just sitting, quietly, with no agenda. After walking around the back of the temple we met a monk who grabbed my arm and said, “yak.” If that doesn't ring a bell, it is the high altitude cow, used for meat, cheese and milk. “Yak, Yak, Yak.” We took a photo with him grabbing my arm.
Eventually we left the monastery, picked up our bags, and went to the bus station. Our “bus” was a small minivan cramped with people, which screamed along the high Tibet roads. The four of us highly stuck out, but people were quite kind. I decided to break the ice, as I had planned, and brought out a bag of candy I had purchased earlier that morning. Most of the people were eager to take a piece or two (or one guy who took four or five). The ride was a little nerve-racking, but after a few hours we finally arrived in Gyantze.
We surveyed the hotels in Gyantze and found one we found acceptable. One of our influencing factors was a guy we met who we had already met in Lhasa – he was doing a huge round-the-world trip. While at food we met a unique older teacher from Thailand, but the conversation was interesting. Eventually we played some bridge, and fell asleep.
This entry is from my journal and was written on July 10, 2007. It's been tagged with Travel and Crazy Bus. There have been 0 comments so far.