| Okay, so you love traveling - you've tried Cabo, the | | | | ice-blue rivers and the towering majesty of Mt Everest |
| Caribbean and you've even 'done' Europe. But for the | | | | and other snow-capped Himalayan peaks. |
| adventurous traveler there are far more challenging | | | | In the capital, Lhasa, the 'jewel in the crown' of |
| destinations to explore. A couple of years ago, | | | | destinations is a visit to the Potala, the Dalai Lamas' |
| following a - rather sanitized - organized tour to the | | | | winter palace. The current Dalai Lama spent much of |
| tiny mountain kingdom of Bhutan, I set out on my own | | | | his early childhood there, and it is easy to imagine him |
| to visit Tibet. Tibet is one of the most fascinating but | | | | wandering the darkened halls or sleeping in the tiny |
| also one of the most difficult places for independent | | | | silk-draped bed in his private quarters. |
| travelers - both to travel to and to travel within. | | | | Following a one-week stay in Lhasa, visiting the |
| The first challenge is just getting into Tibet which is | | | | surrounding monasteries and the turquoise sacred |
| now, of course, part of China. Independent travelers | | | | Lake Yamdrok, I set off back to the border with Nepal. |
| are forced to join an organized tour to get into the | | | | I assumed I would be able to catch buses all the way |
| country. After that you can travel around on your own | | | | back to the border with Nepal. How wrong I was. |
| - up to a point. But, if you want to go anywhere off the | | | | Arriving at the small town of Lhatse - about half way |
| beaten track, like Mount Everest base camp, you will | | | | back - I found that there were no more scheduled |
| need to apply for a permit to travel there. Traveling in | | | | buses to the border! Not too discouraged by this, I |
| Tibet can be uncomfortable, also, as many of the | | | | checked into a local hotel and asked around about |
| roads remain unpaved. | | | | travel options. |
| All the hassle is well worth it, however, for the | | | | I was told that sometimes buses which had taken |
| experience once you get there. For those interested in | | | | tourists to Lhasa drove past empty. The next day the |
| Tibetan Buddhism or the history of Tibet, visiting | | | | waitresses in a local restaurant helped me by flagging |
| famous ancient Tibetan monasteries such as Ganden | | | | down passing buses and helping me negotiate a price |
| and Tashilhunpo is a real treat. The terrain along the | | | | to the border. In the end I had my own private bus all |
| road from the Nepalese border to Lhasa is mainly | | | | the way to the Nepalese border - definitely an |
| dusty and arid, but is broken up by views of rushing | | | | unforgettable travel experience all round. |