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First Full Day In Lhasa

Posted by: | September 06, 2010
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Cho Oyu
Elevation: 12,000 ft.

Today the team explored Lhasa mostly on foot. Just a short walk for our hotel is the Barkhor Square and Barkhor street market. This is where most Tibetans buy and sell their handmade goods, local vegetables, and just about anything else you can think of. We managed to find a few good deals, but not after some tough bargaining. After our shopping extravaganza we headed off to lunch. We found a nice little local spot not far from the hotel and had fun trying to order in English even though no one understood us. However, the food was great!

The next few hours were spent visiting the beautiful Potala Palace. It was built between the 7th and the 13th centuries and had been the home of the Dalai Lama’s until 1959. You don’t have to be Buddhist or even religious to understand the sacred meaning this place has to the Tibetan people. I believe everyone was truly moved by just the presence of it. Walking through it was like stepping back into time. We could all sense the spiritualism and were thankful to have an opportunity to see it.

If you would like to get a feel for what it is like, I suggest renting the movie “Seven years in Tibet.”

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