The First Few Days in LAHSA
YAK HOTEL Sitting at the courtyard outside our dorms eating apples
entrance
The helpful staff at Yak Hotel
Doing our washing at the flat stone basin.

The first few days of rest in Yak was really great and it gave our trip in Tibet a wonderful 'opening'. After resting for about 5 days, we had more or less overcome the symptoms of AMS, and were ready to set off for our 4D/3N excursion out of Lahsa on our rented land rover.

         
YAMDROK LAKE 

A few hours drive out of Lahsa, we reached our first destination of our 4 days trip out of Lahsa, the city area on our rented 4WD----Yamdrok Lake.
This is one of the four holy lakes in Tibet. It was said that if you walk along the long lake, you will probably take 3 days to finish walking.

 

A group photo taken at Yamdrok Lake
sheep cattle
The long Yamdrok Lake behind us

 

prayer flags

 

man & yak

 

 
Along the way to Gyantse & Shigaste
lucky hai ta
a dam
toilet break
with shifu (our driver)
crossing river
nomads
toilet
my sis & me
         
GYANTSE
This is our 2nd destination for the trip. Stayed only half a day here, but find it quite boring...or maybe we were too lazy to explore??
inside kambum monastery
at kambum
kumbum
gyantse fort
         
Shigaste & Tashilhunpo Monastery
         
a monastery dog
shigaste tashilunpo monastery
natives at work
tashilunpo at shigaste
Entrance of Tashilhunpo Monastery

 

alley of a monatery

accomodation at shigaste
tashilunpo monastery
 
         
ON THE WAY TO DAM XIONG...
We had our worst accommodation here as we arrived very late at the town. So all the rooms were full, and we had to settle in a temporary room surrounded by wooden planks. Had quite a terrible time here. Firstly, the room is weird, and we didn't feel comfortable (not referring physically or amenities, maybe spooky is the word). Secondly, shower is not available. Apart from the food we had at a Chinese restaurant opposite the accommodation, I didn't find here a pleasant stay...But what I really enjoy here is that night when we brushed our teeth outside our room with the sky all covered by stars......
my sis & me
on the way to dam xiong
town of dam xiong
mountains, soldiers, cattle
dam xiong
 
NAMTSO

Guess this is the page where it has the most pictures. Namsto is such a place where I couldn't help taking photos; it's simply beautiful. Really cold over there too and the food is expensive, so warm clothing becomes an essential especially at night, when it would snow sometimes. 
Go explore the area around Namtso, you will come across two monasteries in some caves like building nearby. We went to one with only a nun in it. She was very friendly although she couldn't really speak Mandarin and we had problem communicating. If you have any left over food that you do not want to bring it back to the city, you can give it to her. She will be really glad because her life is quite tough there.
Generally, Namsto is really different from the city or town area. Here, we can really see the other side of Tibetan life which is so simple yet most Tibetans are satisfied with their life. Seeing them really made me ponder why wasn't I happy sometimes?? And probably this is also the reason that I am trying hard to learn to appreciate what I am having now...

namsto accomodation
outside the accomodation
picnic at namsto
morning after the snowy night
after toilet
NG for photo
it's me sunset sunset
sunset
There was this time when Susien, Xiaoling and I were sitting outside and this group of natives came and surrounded us, pointing and looking at us curiously. They were even interested in the mineral water bottle in our hands which we treat it commonly, and were happy when we gave it to them. Unfortunately, we do not know Tibetan language and did not have our phrase book with us, so we could not communicate with them. But they mean no harm.
seagull
at altitude 5150m at altitude 5150m 5150m above sea level
  washing clothes
         
     

we were in tibet for more than 2 weeks, took lots of photos and had lots of stories, so there's more coming up...

last modified 28 March 2002