Day 58 Monday 30 October Lhasa, Tibet

We meet Pu-Chung who has tickets for the Potala at 10.40 so we drive there and climb slowly up the stairs. It’s massive and awe-inspiring, and completely exceeds our jaded expectations. We progress thru a labyrinth of rooms stuffed with golden buddhas of all shapes, postures, aspects and sizes and also the private rooms of the Dalai Lama, left more or less as they were when he fled to India. There are many tombs of previous Dalai Lamas including the 5th for whom the red palace was built. Apparently he died several years before its completion but they kept news of his death secret until it was ready for his burial in a 20m chorten covered in tonnes of gold and precious stones.

The entire Potala, which comprises the red and the white palaces is like a real version of Gormanghast and were the headquarters of both the religious and civil administration, but are now more of a museum with no monks. To see monks we head to the Sera monastery, on a hill side 5km outside the city. Here there are several hundred resident monks (there were over 5000 prior to the cultural revolution) grouped in three colleges, including one Tantric. We witness the monks gathered in a courtyard for ‘debating’ where the monks in pairs or small groups take it in turns to question one another on points of Buddhist philosophy. This proves to be a very physical activity with the questioner thrusting forward and slapping his hands together when inquisiting his seated interlocutor.

Then its back to the hotel, exhausted from all this religiosity, for the last of our Lao Johnnie Walker black label which is becoming increasingly mellow with age and altitude and is perhaps the real thing after all.

Weather 5, Sunny intervals
Distance today 16km
Distance from start 12,776km
X5s 3(!) (all new ones)