Landscapes and Yamdrok Lake

Today we left Lhasa for the first time during our stay. The city itself is mostly not inspiring: the western half is like any other Han Chinese city (immigrant Chinese outnumber native Tibetans in Lhasa), and the Tibetan quarter is filled with small windy alleys, street vendors and small shops - if one changed the accent and outfits it wouldn't be unlike parts of London and other old cities. The city is ringed by mountains, and the centre of the city is dominated by the bizarrely moonlike Potala Palace, which is faced by a giant square in typical Chinese style - apparently last year a lake was paved over to celebrate 50 years of Chinese rule.

Outside the city the Potala Palace makes more sense. Millenia ago the Tibetan plateau lay at the bottom of an ocean, and it remains an arid barren moonscape interspersed by stunning blue waters. It's not difficult to understand why Tibetans hold lakes and rivers sacred. Water is a precious commodity. Today we drove up to Yamdrok Lake, one of Tibet's three sacred lakes, at almost 5,000 m. [Lhasa is at 3,600 m]. Though Lhasa is relatively warm and water is running, as we drove higher all the streams were frozen. We passed a man chipping away at an icy stream: he would melt the ice to make tea before resuming work. The road we took leads to Everest Base Camp, and is remarkably good - apparently it's two years old, winding up and up and up and up and up and up and up: millions invested for the benefit of tourists.

Bizarrely, at the pass marking the highest point we reached there were vendors selling prayer flags which we duly invested in and tied to a high point for good luck, blue for the sky at the highest point. Another couple of vendors had placid yaks, brightly dyed and dressed up in tapestries. We were coerced into spending another 5 yuan each (about 60c) for the benefit of taking photographs of the yaks. We weren't too keen, but thought we should reward the vendors for their massive hike up from their home village down the hill. To our surprise they insisted that the poser sit on the yak: see Peter on the yak. These vendors had odd brocade and fur "carpet" hats, which they insisted that the poser wear as well. My favourite tribal look is the Kampa men, who have long braids with red ends which they wrap around their heads. I've been teasing Peter that he should grow his hair and dye it red, but somehow the carpet hat isn't quite as sexy :)

We convinced our guide to take us down to the shore of the lake, which was thinly frozen over with breaking ice caught up at the edges. We took some photos that should be wonderful - more promises.