Tashidelek! (Hello in Tibetan!)
We ate breakfast at the hotel-Western style buffet. Our driver and guide picked us up at 9:00 a.m. and we were off to visit and tour the Jhokang Monastery. It is 1300 years old and is a pilgrimage center-very many pilgrims waiting for hours in line to see many interesting things, including the oldest Buddah in Tibet. The Buddah was brought to Tibet 1300 years ago and it was already 1000 years old! (No pictures allowed!)
The Pilgrims have prayer mats and gloves on their hands and they put their hands together, bow, lay flat on the ground, rolling forward and back continuously. They have little wheels with bells on them and prayers on the inside that they spin and they are called prayer wheels. There were many monks in different colors, like orange and red, etc. The colors they wear represent where they are from.
Almost everywhere you went, they had some type of prayer candles and incense. The candles sat in big pots with lots of YAK butter in them. In Tibet, a very popular animal is the Yak. They have Yak stuffed animals, Yak bone jewelry, Yak meat, Yak fur, Yak butter, Yak milk, Yak cheese and Yak statues. We are getting a little yak’d away! They had many very old people but not many young people. I was the only kid tourist I saw. They might like to talk to me and touch me even more in Tibet than in Beijing!
We had a quick lunch and I liked my pasta. Dad ate a YAK burger. Mom had grilled cheese and egg noodle vegetable thingy. This was my best meal yet in Tibet!
After lunch we went to the Potala Palace. It is very near the monastery and right in downtown Lhasa. I thought it would be far away. It was the home of many Dalai Lamas. It is a very loooong walk up a hill, and up many steps. I saw lots of fancy Buddahs, lots of candles, many monks, Buddhist scriptures, silk hangings, thrones and gold, silver and brass everywhere. The main thing at the palace are the Stupas-these are the Funerary containers for all but one of the past Dalai lamas. They are large and made of gold and gems and many people make offerings to them. The biggest one has more than 3,000 Kilos of gold. It is for the 5th Dalai Lama, who unified Tibet. No pictures, none allowed in most of the Potala palace.
Our guide knows everybody. He went to school with many of the monks and calls them all his brothers-he is joking. We would let me go behind walls and railings that no one else could go to. All the monks were very friendly to me. At one of them, I got to sit with a monk and a cat with 4 kittens. I got to pet them.
Dinner was yucky!
We went shopping after dinner. The street vendors are all over. They sell from blankets on the sidewalk. We got a lot of great treasures. They all bargain a lot like the ones in China. I did some good bargaining!!
After shopping, we took the pedicab back to our hotel. We are all feeling much better but we are really tired. That’s all from Tibet. Good Night! Zai Jian!
15 Responses to “Day 27 - Monasteries and Palaces”
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Hey Jensen! When are yall comming back from china? Because I miss you alot. Mabey if you fell like it the day you come home we can play with each other and you or me could spend the night at yours or my house. But just please please please replie.
Caitlin ( your Bffl) Best friends for life
More great adventures. So thankful for “Jensen’s website” And so glad Jensen and Mom are feeling fine again. Love, Grandma Carolyn and Grandpa Dale
We where really worried about Tricia and Jensen………..
See you in 9 days…….
We are counting……
Sunny says WHERE IS TRACY(SOUTH PADRE ISLAND) AND BARK BARK
To whom does that child Caitlin belong to? Could someone please talk to her mother about her spelling? I think she was so excited and typing so fast she just did not pay attention.
We miss you all very much. Have fun and see you soon.
Love,
Christi
Caitlin-I don’t think I will be able to play with you the day we get back. Our plane does not land until 9 p.m. next Sunday night. I really miss you too and I got you some stuff and maybe I can play with you the next day. When are you guys leaving for the lakehouse for the 4th? How many days will you be gone to the lake? I want to do an overnight with you ASAP. We have so much to talk about! Love, Jensen
Grandma Carolyn and Grandpa Dale-I am off to the carpet factory. We all feel better. We went shopping yesterday and did some bargaining and got gifts! Grandma-they had hard boiled eggs at breakfast today and I ate 3! Don’t worry about me! Love, Jensie
Tracy and Colton-
Hope you had fun on SOuth Padre Island. We are off the a Tibetian Carpet Factory. Maybe we will buy one for our dining room! Love ya guys and miss ya-Tricia
Hey Christi-
When are you guys leaving for the lake house and when will you be back? We are off to the carpet factory and shopping at the bazaar. Hope you are enjoying your summer. Miss ya and love ya, Tricia
I am really glad my girlies are feeling better! What a fabulous pic of the 3 of you in front of the mountains. Jensen, the culture there sounds very interesting. I can’t wait for you to tell me all about it. Steve, Tom H. wants to know if you want him to pick you up from the airport. I can give him the info. Mia says “I love you. Are you coming back soon?” “I will see you sometime soon.” Well I had better start packing. Love you all,
Carolyn
Hi Tricia, Steve & Jensen!!!
Love the pictures and reading about your adventures!! Miss you!! Sunny says “ruff ruff”. He wanted to say hello too.
STEVE, TRICIA AND JENSEN
THE TIBETAN MONASTERIES ARE REALLY INTERESTING. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN KIND OF MISTERIOUS SINCE IT IS SO FAR AWAY FROM EVERYTHING. I GUESS THATS WHY THEY CALL IT “THE TOP OF THE WORLD”. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING AND HEARING A LOT ABOUT THE ADVENTURES IN MID JULY WHEN WE GET BACK TO TEXAS. WE ARE ENJOYING THE CONTINUING NARRATIVE AND PHOTOS.
LOVE TO ALL
GOGGIE AND GRANDPA ED.
Hi Guys,
We are enjoying reading your adventures and wish we could be there, too.
xoxo,
Briana & Maria
Hello Tonja, Sunny, Aunt Carolyn and Maria,
We are about to leave the hotel in Tibet and go with our driver and guide to the airport to fly to Chengdu-we will see the Panda Base Center and the largest Buddah carved into mountainside. Will be back in beijing Tuesday night.
Maria-I have been thinking about you everyday-what happened to your arm? Jensen misses Briana and I miss you!
Carolyn-That would be wonderful if Tom H. would like to pick us up. We will e-mail from Chengdu with details. We don’t get in until about 8:20 or so.
Love, Steve, Tricia and Jensen
We hope you have a safe trip to Chengdu and I will pass the info on to Tom H. We will check in upon our arrival in the U.S. What an incredible adventure! Tibet! Chengdu! Jensie, give a hug to a panda from us. We love you sweetie and cannot wait to see you. Steve, it is no fun going “skeeter” hunting at 1:00 am without you. Tricia, Sandee and I miss coffee with you. Love you all.
Carolyn
Yesterday I went to the mailbox and was pleasantly surprised to find your postcard had made it to Frisco from China! What a priceless life experience this month has been for you! You are so lucky to have this opportunity to be enriched in the beautiful Chinese culture and share it with your family! Thank you for thinking of me on your trip. Blessings!! Mrs. Norton