The Potala Palace
I visited on October 2, 2007 and it is something I will never forget. This is...
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Potala
Work began on the White Palace in 1645. It took three years to...
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Taxi near east entrance
We entered the Potala on the east side. Had to show our tickets, go through a...
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Grey clouds over the Potala
With pilgrims and rickshaws in foreground.
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Side street at entrance
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Pilgrims and tour buses
About to enter. Note the wall surrounding the palace.
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Finally inside the grounds
A lifelong dream comes true. I am so thrilled to be here.
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Tibetan hat for the sun
October 2, 2007. The weather was like summer, and we had all those stairs to...
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Me in front of the Potala Palace
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Flowers on the grounds
The green shield is used for construction purposes. Some repairs must...
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Gardens and outbuildings
I asked our guide and he said that all these buildings are now empty....
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A view of me climbing up
Always keep at least one water bottle handy.
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Still climbing
There were many people stopping for their breath on the way up. On my...
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The stuff of dreams
About to enter another checkpoint. There are several places where you have to...
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Catching our breathe
And waiting fro the crowd to move through this gate.
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Courtyard on the top of the white palace
About to enter the Red Palace.
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Cheese
About to enter another checkpoint. At this checkpoint they time stamp...
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Leaving the Red Palace
No photos are allowed inside. But it is breath taking and very moving...
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Seizing the moment
Since no pictures are allowed inside, all pictures are taken outside....
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View of Lhasa from Potala Roof
Not much looks very Tibetan. It is all a lot of cement block Chinese...
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Quick snap of a couple of monks
We made it on time and our tour leader gets to keep his job.
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Chinese security camera
On the top of the roof.
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Coming down
Leaving by the back. At least we were able to do the tour in a clockwise...
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Pilgrim
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The huge walls
With the park in the background.
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Another view of the mountains and city
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Prayer flags
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Mountains surrounding Lhasa
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Switchback walkway down
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Medieval ramparts
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A humbled pilgrim
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Getting closer to the ground
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Tree in the walkway
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Modern Chinese city - Lhasa
The Tibetan section of Lhasa is not very big. What a thing to say, "The...
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Walking down
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Lips in the stone walkway
Must be for rain purposes
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Closer to the ground level
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New on new
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Lhasa, Tibet
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Rooms of the White Palace
From the back.
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Looking over the city
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More city views
I wonder what is there now and what has been damaged or set on fire?
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Streets in rows, radio tower
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Bridge over Lhasa River in distance
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Looking east
The mountain with the crags is a feature of the drive out of Lhasa.
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Some green left
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Looking back
And not wanting to leave.
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Mountains over Lhasa
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A high rise and a radio tower
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Radio tower and a high rise
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Blue and green construction
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Couple more turns
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Truck on the path
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Detail of the wall
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Looking back at the Red Palace
With new prayer flags lining the path, where ever there is room for them.
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Prayer flags around the Potala
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Prayer Flags around the Potala
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Last part of the walk out
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Looking up and back
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Prayer flags at the Potala
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Cosmos growing in the cracks
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Cosmos at the Potala Palace
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Truck again
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A helping hand, true compassion
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Lhasa Oct 2, 2007
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Mani stones
Note the run off ditch at the side of the pathway.
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Khatas and prayer flags and shrine
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Outer buildings of the Potala, back side
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Approaching the gate
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More prayer flags, mani stones
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The radio tower on the hill
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A last view
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Ramparts
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Exit
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Exit
The back exit to the Potala Palace. No one goes in this way as it is counter...
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Prostrating outside the Potala
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Prostrating
I had to give him a donation for these pictures.
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Prayer Wheels outside the exit
And a row of tourist shops.
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Tourist shops
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Tourist buses and vans
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Chinese tourist shops
They have the best locations. We did not go in.
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Outside the exit of the Potala
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Heading back in a rickshaw
The old Tibetan city which used to lay at the base of the Potala has all been...
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Lhasa street scene
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You must have a hat, it is very hot
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From a speeding rickshaw
Potala with a large road in front of it.
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Potala Palace from the south west
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Red Chinese flags in front of the Potala
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Potala Palace from a rickshaw
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Potala Palace
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Pilgrims prostrating in front of Potala
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Giant new wall around the front
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The Potala Palace with pilgrims
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Potala with cab
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Potala from the south west
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Rickshaw driver
The Tibetans drive the rickshaws, and the Chinese drive the taxis.
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A happy camper
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Rickshaw ride back
There are rickshaw designated lanes which makes it feel a little...
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Lots of rickshaws
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Rickshaw race
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Stores on the street in Lhasa
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People wear masks
For the deisel fumes from the vehicles.
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Life in the rickshaw lane
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Rickshaw lanes and shops
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Lhasa street, more Budweiser
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Shops
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Signs in Chinese
Rickshaw rides are a lot of fun, and very cheap, but watch out for those left...
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Passing a rickshaw
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Row of bikes
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Rickshaw barrier is gone now
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Back in the Tibetan section of Lhasa
That is such a sad thing to say, the Tibetan section of Lhasa.
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Tibetan section
No rickshaw railing, smaller narrower sidewalks, lots of little independent...
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A bit blurry, but a nice shop
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Tibetan street in Lhasa
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Rickshaw ride
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Back to our street
The ride from the Potala back to our street took less than 10 minutes.
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Tibetan shops in Lhasa
A good rule is to go in and say Tashi Delek, if they don't know what it...
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Paying the drivers
It is very cheap to ride in rickshaws. About 25 cents from the Potala to our...
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Planning our next outing
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Sun was on the wrong side, very strong
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Lhasa, Tibet, Oct. 2, 2007
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Going for lunch
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Lots of great restaurants
Plenty of great food, very inexpensive, great service and friendly people.
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Thanks for the tour.
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Our hotel
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