At 3,650 meters of elevation, Lhasa was established around 600 AD on the banks of the Brahmaputra River. The heart of the city is centered around the Jokhang Temple, the most sacred building in all of Tibet. Our comfortable, simple, clean hotel is located in a medieval neighborhood a few steps from the Jokhang, built in the 7 th century. We will have a good wander through the streets of Tibet, and take a refreshing walk through the fabulously massive Potala Palace. Built on a hill in 1645, using the remains of older palaces and fortresses, the Potala has untold dark hallways, with steep narrow stairways, and rooms filled with more gold then you will probably ever see anywhere else.
Some Pilgrims crawl the last few kilometres into Lhasa.
After touring Lhasa, resting to adjust to the altitude, and enjoying some hearty meals of soup and home-made dumplings, we ride comfortable landcruisers across the Tibetan Plateau to the town of Shigatse, where we are able to visit the thriving bustle of the 15 th century Tashilunpo Monastery, the largest active monastic institution in Tibet. Monks in their maroon robes seem busy everywhere, going about their daily chores, praying, and practicing ceremonial music. Then, we drive for two days, nearly across Tibet to its western edge. The people who live here are nomadic, herding sheep and yaks, and live very close to the land with almost no possessions. There is impressive scenery and a bridgeless river crossing or two in this section.