Tibet
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Day 28 Lhasa • Yamtrok Lake • Gyantse Dec 4, 2018
Today we leave Lhasa and travel overland on the “Friendship Highway” to Yamtrok Lake. Spectacular mountain views give way to the bluest water as we come upon the lake. Yamtrok is believed to be the physical transformation of a goddess. Seen from above, with its unique fan shape, the mythology is believable. After admiring the beauty of Yamtrok, we continue our drive to Gyantse (about 13,000 feet), which was once the third largest city in Tibet. Here, there may be a possibility of witnessing a water burial.
► Lahasa Friendship Highway ► Yamtrok Lake ► Friendship Highway 2 ► Yeti Hotel Gyantse
Day 29 Gyantse • Shigatse • Palchor Monastery • Kumbum Podang Dec 5, 2018
After breakfast at our hotel in Gyantse, we set out to explore the Palchor Monastery. This monastery was built in the early 1400s and boasts the largest Buddhist stupa in Tibet, the Kumbum Podang. With 108 chapels and the presence of countless pilgrims offering prayers, we are surrounded with ancient texts and the dim light of yak candles. We then continued our overland trek to Shigatse (12,800 feet). Here, we enjoyed lunch and visit to a local market. After check at our hotel we had free time to rest and acclimate to the altitude before gathering again for dinner.
► Palchor Monastery ► Ancient Old City Jiarijiao Gyantse ► Overland Trek to Shigatse ► Shigatse Local Market
Day 30 Shigatse • Tashilhunpo Monastery Dec 6, 2018
Our day started with a tour of Shigatse, the second-largest city in Tibet, and its Tashilhunpo Monastery, founded in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama, Gendun Drup. The monastery is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas, the second-highest ranking Lama in the Gelukpa tradition. Located on a hill in the center of the city, the monastery’s name means “all fortune and happiness gathered here,” or “heap of glory.” The monastery features bronze-gated chapels and hundreds of Buddha statues. Although the tenth Panchen Lama passed away in 1989, several monks continuously pray for his new incarnation as an infant. After lunch we had free time and we explored on our own. We made it back to the hotel just with enough time to shower before we met the group for dinner at a local restaurant.
► Shigatse City ► Tashi Lhunpo Monastery-1 ► Tashi Lhunpo Monastery-2 ► Shigatse City 2
Day 31 Shigatse • Lhasa Dec 7, 2018
Today is going to be a long drive. Just after breakfast, we began our drive overland for our return trip to Lhasa. During the trip, which took most of the day, we were surrounded by the beautiful scenery of mountains, glaciers, and the occasional yak herd. Just after leaving Shigatse we stopped at the Black-necked Crane Reserve. Along the way, we made a stop at a Tibetan incense factory. To stretch our legs, we stopped at a small Tibetan village. We stopped at a local restaurant for a picnic lunch. When we reached Lhasa, we had dinner at a local restaurant.
► Shigatse ► Black-Necked Crane Reserve ► Overland Shigatse to Lhasa 1
► Tibetan incense factory ► Overland Shigatse to Lhasa 2 ► Lhasa
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