Tibet. Birthplace of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, invaded or "liberated" (depending on which side you stand) by China in 1950 is a place of contrasts where old practices and customs are fast being dissolved in what I call the emergence of the Chinese nation. Tibet used to be one of the relegated provinces in China (Xinjiang still is). A corner that today, still feels forgotten by the rest of the world.

interacting with locals has been a wonderful experience. but the only foreign language they speak is Putonghua (Chinese Mandarin) so i suggest prospective visitors learn some before arriving. tour guides are the only locals that can speak English but i doubt they'll give you much insight into Tibetan culture.

We were extremely lucky to have ran into an "unspoiled" nomadic village in our trip to Nanshan (south of Lhasa). they spoke only tibetan and the only people who spoke Putonhua (Chinese Mandarin) were some of the lads who were going to school. i heard that most nomads have become highly commercial, charge money for pictures to be taken with them and have been acustomed to tourists. The village we encountered was a clan composed of 25 nuclear families. Most men were out herding sheep for days to weeks and the communal herd can be as big as 4000 sheep. The greatest satisfaction i gained from the experience was when i taught a girl how to use my camera. her pictures have become my favourite.

Many thanks to the people i met during the 2 weeks i spent there. "i have been blessed".