Days 12-14 - Discovering Spiritual Tibet

Early on day 12 of our trip we were heading to the airport to fly from Xi'an to Xining, as the train to Lhasa only departs from the latter city. I did not mention that my visa to Lhasa got rejected two days before and I was in quite some unrest over that fact, until I received a last minute message that the papers eventually got approved in the second run. Consequently both of us valued the opportunity even more to be able to visit the Tibetan capital.

So after a quick stopover in Xining (a dusty city on the rise with a lot of construction in progress) we boarded our train looking forward to a 22 hour train ride on what is considered the world's highest rail track peaking at 5,072m above sea level.
Unsure at first what to do during all that time, we we surprised by how entertaining the train ride turned out to be. There were nice colleagues in our compartment (although I didn't understand a word they were saying) and the landscapes were rather fascinating. There even was a dining wagon where food could be bought at reasonable prices. To get there, you had to leave the sleeping wagons (considered first class) and cross through three "second class" wagons with simple seats. This was quite an experience as the people travelling in this class seemed quite a strange combination of simple farmers, construction workers, weirdos and monks.

Upon arrival on day 13 we had to go through a quite extensive immigration process and thereafter were picked up by my personal tour guide for the next couple of days who dropped us off at our hotel (just for clarification: western citizens are required to book a tour in Lhasa which includes accommodation and the visa application process). We ended the day in style with a stroll through the ancient part of Lhasa, enjoying the unique spiritual atmosphere and the beautiful outfits of the locals.

The agenda for day 14 was easy and tight: Firstly, I was able to discover the famous Potalla palace, the former residence of both the highest Tibetan religious leaders as well as the Tibetan government. Secondly, we visited the amazingly decorated Jokhang temple, situated right in the center of Lhasa. The tour was arranged well and the 7 other participants were mostly laid-back and young guys, therefore the tour was good fun. To our surprise, on the second of June (15th of April in the Tibetan calendar) one of the highest Tibetan celebrations takes place as they celebrate Buddha's enlightenment. Fortunate as we were to be here on this day, this was the explanation for all the fancy local dresses all around us and the heavy praying going on. Tibetans were circuiting either the Potalla palace or the Jokhang temple in a praying manner all day long.

To bring this great day to an end, we spend the afternoon in a wonderful cafe, writing postcards and sipping cappuccinos.