Team XPD's sojourn from New Tingri were on roads that were single carriageways and hence overtaking other vehicles were a challenge. The team went for a high pass to about 5200 meters and then moved on to reach Xigazê to handle the necessary paperwork and documentation with the authorities there. The team then stop over at a lovely hotel that looked like a monastery for lunch. Thereafter, they rushed to a place where cars were checked for road-worthiness and then at the Police Headquarters where the engine and chassis numbers were checked. A visit to the hospital to get an eye check-up done for their driver licenses was a must for the team. When their guide was posed with the query of why the need for so many formalities, the guide replied that it was easy to enter Mainland China directly than through the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Day 16:
Team XPD's sojourn from New Tingri were on roads that were single carriageways and hence overtaking other vehicles were a challenge. The team went for a high pass to about 5200 meters and then moved on to reach Xigazê to handle the necessary paperwork and documentation with the authorities there. The team then stop over at a lovely hotel that looked like a monastery for lunch. Thereafter, they rushed to a place where cars were checked for road-worthiness and then at the Police Headquarters where the engine and chassis numbers were checked. A visit to the hospital to get an eye check-up done for their driver licenses was a must for the team. When their guide was posed with the query of why the need for so many formalities, the guide replied that it was easy to enter Mainland China directly than through the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Day 17: Xigazê
With only half the paperwork completed, the team left to the hotel, chilled a bit and then went on to a Tibetan Hotpot place that had yummy food for vegetarians too. The team was then asked to rush to the traffic police station for the unfinished paper work to be completed, and finally got their Chinese DL and Chinese car registrations. Car insurance was taken care of by Wangtha, their guide, earlier.
The team celebrated their teammate Madhuri's birthday at Burger King. The cars were then taken for a check-up at a workshop as both cars had taken a bad beating on the unforgettable Kathmandu-Rusawagadhi stretch. Once that was done, the team headed to Tashi Lhunpo Monastery founded in the year 1447 by the first Dalai Lama. The monastery was huge and was known to have sheltered 4000 monks in the past with about 900 monks presently residing there.
The monastery was destroyed multiple times by the Nepalese and Red army but was consecrated on January 22, 1989 by 10th Penchan Lama. The team explored and covered 70,000 sq.mts of the monastery which is now the largest functioning religious institution in Tibet. The enormous golden statue of the Future Buddha or Maitreya is a giant gilded statue renowned in the world.
Day 18: Xigazê - Lhasa covering a distance of about 392 km
The team woke up to a rainy morning but managed to resume their trip after breakfast at the hotel. Their first stop was at Gyangse, which was about 130 km from Xigazê. They headed to the Palcho Monastery founded in the year 1947, which is a synthesis of Tibetan Culture that has remained untouched even during the cultural revolution. The team spent about an hour walking around various buildings in the complex. The monastery is a three-storey flattop building complex, consisting of Temples, Stupas, Zhacangs, Fort walls, Wheel - Prayer cloister and more religious sites.
'Kumbum' is a must-see in the Palcho Monastery according to the team. Built-in 1418, this gold-dipped white building with nine tiers covering a space of 2,200 square meters is 32 metres high with a total 108 gates and 77 chapels spreading in each floor.
"The team then had their lunch and headed to the Yamdrok lake, one of the four sacred lakes of Tibet and the most beautiful lake in the world. It was breathtaking and protected well with no litters around. The lake lies several hundred meters below the road at 4440 m. Tibetans believe that like their mountains, their lakes too are sacred, and are the dwelling place of protective deities. According to an old saying, “If its waters dry, Tibet will no longer exist.” Pilgrims believe that the lake has magical powers and can make the old look young again, give the middle-aged a longer life, and make children smarter," revealed Meenakshi on Tibet's beliefs of old.
As the team came down the lake, they had a view of the River Brahmaputra and continued their journey toward Lhasa, crossing a few high passes and a number of glaciers. The team finally reached Lhasa and had their first view of the red and white Potala Palace soaring above the holy city and got a hotel in the old town. The team then enjoyed a sumptuous dinner at a restaurant named 'Dunya' that had a delectable spread of Indian, Western, Nepalese and Tibetan food.
Day 19: Lhasa.
The team woke up at Lhasa, the city of wonders and thereon visited the Potala Palace, which was once the seat of the Tibetan Government and the winter residence of Dalai Lamas and Lhasa's cardinal landmark. Unlike many Buddhist monasteries, the Potala Palace was not damaged during the uprising and cultural revolution. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 with the Jokhang temple and visitors' entry is restricted each day.
Lhasa is located at over 3,600m with approximately 40 percent less oxygen. The monastery had stone buddhas, gold buddhas, big ones and small ones. The monastery had a room that was heavily draped in fabric along the walls, ceilings and pillars where the monks assemble to pray. The team then headed back to the old town of Lhasa. At old Lhasa, the team walked through the meandering alleys to first lunch at KFC.
The Barkhor is an area of narrow streets and a public square located around Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. The 1300 years old Jokhang temple is the spiritual heart of the Tibet. The central golden Buddha image at this temple is the most revered in all of Tibet, and the team's guide Wangtha gave them tidbits of the religious importance of the temple as they journeyed along. Thereafter, Team XPD Asia walked back to their hotel for a power nap.