Tibet Travel Notes 2 | Wherever the Heart Wants, Pilgrimage to the Potala Palace

PART

01

On the first night we arrived in Lhasa, we went to bed early to recharge for the next day’s journey. When we woke up the next day, we walked in the courtyard and witnessed Lhasa at 8:30 in the morning. After breakfast at the B&B, we started our personal hero journey in Tibet. This time, the first stop of our trip to Tibet is to the legendary Potala Palace.

The day before arriving in Lhasa, we booked tickets for this visit in advance on the official WeChat article of the Potala Palace. We set off from the B&B at 10:30 in the morning and took a taxi to Lhasa city for about 15 minutes.

The driver drove the car along the way, and the speakers in the car played local ethnic Tibetan songs, which became the BGM of the vlog video. Finally, we took a bus through the crowded square and queued up at the south gate of the Potala Palace.

If you arrive early, you might as well go to Yaowang Mountain opposite the Potala Palace to check in and take photos. With the Potala Palace as the background and the bright sunshine of Lhasa shining through, taking a photo with RMB 50 can be regarded as the "seal" of the scenic spot's certification.

We reserved tickets for the 11:20 am visit and needed to line up at the south gate of the Potala Palace 1 hour in advance. The south gate is where local citizens and individual tourists in Lhasa queue up. While queuing up, I found that local Tibetans had arrived at the Potala Palace early, preparing to start a new day of pilgrimage. My friends and I walked around circles of fences, passed through layers of security checks, and couldn't help but speed up our steps towards the second ticket gate at the end of the square.

 

We walked through the crowded square and walked for a long time before reaching the midpoint of the square, facing the Potala Palace and the White House. The Potala Palace is located at an altitude of about 3,700 meters, which can be said to be the highest ancient palace in the world. When I saw the Potala Palace with my own eyes, it felt like I was in a dream. Looking at the majestic building with white walls and red tiles in front of me, I couldn't help but sigh at the majesty of the Potala Palace.

PART

02

There are three security checks in the Potala Palace, and the last ticket security check is halfway up the hillside of the Potala Palace. My friends and I were fully equipped with sunglasses, sun hats, etc. We walked for more than an hour before actually entering the Potala Palace.

We rented an electronic guide at the door and experienced the Potala Palace from different perspectives along the way. Passing by the stone monument, we climbed up the stone steps. The white stone walls tell the story of the vicissitudes of history, with a history of more than 1,300 years.

Due to the high altitude, it was a bit difficult for us to walk on the potholed stone steps. We had to find a place to rest every 10 minutes before we could continue on our way. Otherwise, your body may easily suffer from altitude sickness over a long period of time. I couldn't help feeling that climbing the Potala Palace was really exhausting, only to realize that it was a laborious task.

Since tourists are not allowed to take pictures when visiting the interior of the Potala Palace, we put away the shooting equipment before the official visit. During the visit, we walked through the main hall. There were devout monks burning incense and chanting sutras in the hall. From time to time, two or three monks gathered in the corner to sit in meditation.

On the way, we need to climb up and down different hidden compartments, wooden stairs, etc., as if traveling through time to experience the daily life of monks thousands of years ago. Among them, some narrow stairs are 75° or even steeper. As someone who is afraid of heights, I need to hold my breath from time to time and walk down step by step.

After visiting the White House and coming out, the Red Palace came into my sight. Through the mottled windows, the blue sky and white clouds in the distance are reflected, as if falling into the world. Before leaving the Potala Palace, I used the go pro in my hand to record the blue sky above the Potala Palace.

PART

03

After walking down the long stone steps of the Potala Palace, we took a taxi to Barkhor Street in Lhasa. There are ethnic-style buildings on both sides of the commercial street, with flowers placed on the windows of each house, echoing the blue sky and white clouds in the distance, like a calming oil painting.

When lunch time came, we chose a restaurant called "Namased Restaurant" near Barkhor Street. We didn't expect that the first meal we would eat out in Lhasa would be Nepali food. Our first experience at a Nepalese restaurant, we ordered potato and beef buns, chicken masala with naan, and kati spring rolls. The golden mashed potato balls are wrapped in rich beef filling, and paired with a rich dipping sauce made from Nepalese spices, which gives it a unique flavor. The two of us ordered three dishes and were very satisfied.

After lunch we wandered around Barkhor Street and had a cup of "A Diao Milk Tea" when we arrived in Lhasa. I met two tourist ladies at a milk tea shop. They ordered delicious milk tea, and we ordered a cup of "Lam La Trouble" flavored milk tea. By the way, should Angela Chang's version of "A Diao" be played at this time? (Promise me to finish listening to this song)

The famous local teahouse in Lhasa, the Old Guangming Teahouse, is a tall wooden building with a strong sense of history. The old men sit around the table chatting, smoking cigarettes and drinking Tibetan sweet tea. This lifestyle is really pleasant. Young tourists come to the teahouse from time to time to experience the leisurely afternoon tea time of Tibetans.

In the afternoon we went to Akedin Tibetan Bakery for afternoon tea and a black highland barley yogurt cake. The yogurt is paired with nuts, which is full of layers, and the fragrance of highland barley cake is left between the lips and teeth. In a leisurely afternoon, I chatted with my friends and sat in the store for a long time. Occasionally looking at the street corner in a daze, the flavor of a city is reflected in time.

Lhasa is still bright in the evening. Walking back on the lively Barkhor Street, looking at the crowds of people coming and going, it feels like walking in the flow of time.