Tibet is the land of spectacular mountains, majestic views, yaks and where Harry Potter is a subversive. My first experience of Tibet was coming into Gonkar airport over a barren, rugged landscape. As you come down the aircraft steps you feel the altitude, shortness of breath and a pumping heart. Once through immigration you collect your bag and have them x-rayed. This is where the fun starts, the stern woman customs officer couldn’t have cared less about my Lonely Planet and detailed maps, what caught her eye was my copy of Harry Potter. She spent twenty minutes turning every page, not that she could read it, before grudgingly handing it back in a semi dog-eared state.

It takes around 3 hours from the airport to get to the capital Lhasa. Two enormous gold yaks stand guard on the first roundabout and on the left is the Potala Palace. The city has been taken over in every way by the Chinese, only 5% is still Tibetan. This 5% is centred around the Barkhor. The Barkhor is a lane which surrounds the wonderful Jokhang Temple. You can spend hours wandering(Clockwise) around the market, which is mainly full of tourist kitsch, you can buy a complete set of monk’s robes or an “Antique” in the wonderfully named “Ancient Thing store”!

After doing the Kora or circuit, stroll into the Jokhang which is usually packed with pilgrims, some of whom have travelled hundreds of miles, for their once in a lifetime visit. You will remember the Jokhang’s ethereal quality, incense and prayer wheels long after your visit. Go up to the roof for a fantastic view of the Jokhangs golden roof, look across to the Potala and see the city spread out below. The Potala Palace takes a good five hours to visit. The Potala is a warren and is best visited with a guide and a torch. Without the aid of a guide the hundreds of chapels would have no meaning and without a torch you would miss the frescos down the dark passages. The Norbulingka Palace, where the Dalai Lama fled from, can be seen in an afternoon, you can see where the Dalai Lama slept, lived and meditated, all just as he left it, 1950’s furniture, old radiograms and even his bath with the “Made In England” still visible.

Food in Lhasa is not for gourmets and vegetarians may starve. The Dunya Restaurant, run by a Dutch couple during the summer months is worth a visit, a mixture of Chinese and Western dishes are offered in pleasant surroundings.

Lhasa is a fascinating city to visit, just make sure you get there, before the Chinese take over the remaining 5%.

Kevin can be contacted on Kbrackley@yahoo.com
Next week, Japan by the Travelling Stoat!