Tom from North Carolina wrote in to tell us about his
time in Tibet: we (a small group of 8) had the usual difficulty with our
visa delaying our entry to Tibet from Katmandu by a day even though this
was planned and paid for in advance. We had to pay a second time and our
original visa fee was eventually returned. Chinese officialdom also confiscated
my Swiss army knife before I was allowed to board the airplane to Lahasa.
We toured the country in a small bus with Tibetan driver
and Chinese guide both very pleasant. In addition to Lhasa, the capital,
we also visited Shigatse and Gyantse, the next two largest cities, really
small towns. This meant long rides (10 hours one day) travelling on dirt
roads with no guard-rails but great scenery – neat farms, spectacular
lakes, snow-capped mountains with steep drops and yaks.
We ate delicious food outside at a “one table”
roadside place at very low prices. All the Tibetan people were very gracious
and pleasant. At one lunch stop (two tables) while our food was being
prepared we observed the ladies of the town in a Tug-of-war contest being
cheered on by their men. The four ladies in our group were invited to
participate.
Other than the scenery, the highlight of the visit was
the Potala Palace in Lahasa where we spent an entire day climbing all
types of steps and ladders to the thirteen levels of that seat of the
Dalai Lamas. That is why Tom now has a bionic left knee.
