Two weeks in Tibet

Tibet has been everything BUT what I have expected. It is entirely my fault as I fantasized about a mountainous town filled with nomadic tribes, and a few hard-core backpackers. I was crushed when the first advertisements we saw as we stepped off the bus into town were a dozen neon signs for Coors light! I thought maybe it was the altitude, and gave it another chance the next day. The three of us walked through the main street which reminded us all of a small European street. New stone streets ran between big modern buildings. Department stores, banks, high fashion, you name it... it is already in Lhasa. I came expecting to hang out with monks in the hills, but instead we encounter monks everyday walking the streets, talking on their cell phones and shopping just like the rest of the city. The juxtaposition of ancient culture and modernization is really shocking to see in person! Besides the monks, the other western tourists are more abundant than I had expected. Although the city is different than I had anticipated, we are still finding ways to avoid the tourist traps, and explore some of the hidden parts of the city.

The best part of Tibet so far has been the people. Everything about the Tibetan culture is colorful... the way they dress, their buildings, their accessories, their smiles... it is all beautiful. Despite loosing their uphill battle to keep Chinese influence out of their region, they are some of the most genuine and friendly people I think I have ever met. Their faces and smiles are warming, and we have been lucky enough to socialize with a few off the beaten path. Interestingly, I think we have encountered more English speaking locals here than in Beijing. The new train we took is flooding the region with tourists, and the town seems to be anticipating it well... for now. It will be an interesting thing to watch as the tourism industry begins to explode in Tibet.

We have spent the last two days acclimating to the capitol city almost 10,000 feet above sea level. Tomorrow, we depart on a five day tour up to Everest Base Camp. More details to follow when we return...;)