I LOVE TIBET!!!

August 15, 2004 --- Lhasa

Hmmm, where to begin besides raving about how much I love Tibet and how horrible it is that China is slowly eroding the Tibetan culture. But no politics today...just have to say that Tibet is SOOOO much better than mainland China. The Tibetans are beautiful people...so friendly, so happy despite all they've had to endure...just seriously gorgeous people inside and out. I know that sounds cheesy but everyone should come here and you'll totally understand what I mean.

We're travelling with a Brit named Tom, who we met getting off the bus in Lhasa, and Mark, our Scotsman/Australian who we befriended back in Chengdu. They're heaps fun to travel with and the Tibetan children...who are the most beautiful children I've ever seen, love running up and touching the hair on Tom and Mark's arms. Everytime we walk the streets, kids call out hello to us with big smiles and they love surrounding us to dance with us or have us take pics of them...they love seeing their faces on the digital cameras!

Today we attended a Tibetan Festival at Drepung Monastery, so amazing. High in the mountains, did the pilgrim circuit in a crush of people, think the crush of people than circumbulate Mecca and multiply it. You were pushed forward by the crowd, if you fell, you'd have been trampled. But it wasn't annoying at all or unnerving...it was an amazing experience.

Despite China, a lot of traditional Tibet remains, the Tibetans wear their traditional clothing and there are pilgrims and monks everywhere...the lakes and mountains are intact.

Suffered from an altitude headache yesterday because we ran around booking a Land Cruiser for us all to take a 9-day tour, hitting all the big sites in Central Tibet and then to Everest Base Camp. We did so much we were all hallucinating by the end of it from lack of oxygen.

God, so much to talk about...taken such amazing photos...but too tired to write anymore. I love this place, will definitely come back at least once more in my life.