Day 2 in Lhasa: Hello Dalai

First off, our metric math and ability to reason were off-kilter yesterday; we are at more than 14,000 feet above sea level! We feel fine though, and have been drinking litres of water.

This morning we visited the Potala, the official home of the Dalai Lama. It was originally built in the seventh century and added onto since. The structure now stands an imposing 13 stories on top of a hill overlooking Lhasa, the "City of God." Since there's no elevator, looking up at the stairs was an excellent time to get motivated! Some of the stairs are so steep that our shins touched the next rung up as we climbed.

The artwork in the Potala is intricate and beautiful, fitting as this is to Buddhism what the Vatican is to Catholicism. Speaking of which, the more we learn about Buddhism the more we realize it has in common with the Judeo-Christian theologies we both grew up with. It certainly has more gods, though! The Potala contains multiple chapels paying homage to the previous 13 Dalai Lamas, as well as memorial tomb stupas and libraries containing ancient texts used by monks. It was a bit awkward to walk through the palace of the current Dalai Lama and know he hasn't been allowed anywhere near the place for approximately 50 years, since the "cultural revolution" of Mao.

Speaking of which, we can't talk about this until we get home. There are real consequences here, and it is an interesting vibe. The Navajo must feel a similar sense of liberation.

After the Potala we went to the Jhokhang Temple, one of the most important sites in Buddhism. In the center stands a statue which our guide told us contains an element of the underworld, and which Buddhists all over the world consider to be the most precious artifact on Earth. Since it's scheduled to return in total to the underworld 2500 years after its creation, we're glad to have seen it while it's here.

We also walked the kora of the Barkhor. A kora is a pilgrim's circumnabulation of a sacred site; in the Barkhor's case, it's also an opportunity to shop. We combined the two and worshipped at the shops. The vendors are extremely aggressive, particularly near tourist attractions. It was interesting to see an outdoor shopping mall where everyone walked in the same direction! We saw many Tibetans wearing the attire of their home region. Our guide pointed out pilgrims from Tingri (at the base of Mount Everest) and Kham in eastern Tibet. The people and the art remind us of South American Indian cultures; bright colored fabrics and dark, expressive faces.

Lunch saw a change in our diets. David switched from mutton to yak. Molly switched from mutton to lamb. Good stuff, especially the garlic naan (large pieces of flat bread).

After lunch we visited Norbalinka Park, home to the summer palaces of the Dalai Lamas. We saw the current Dalai Lama's summer residence, which he only used for three years. The park has many fresh flowers (the marigold trucks were pulling up as we left), lots of trees and ponds. Now it is used primarily for festivals and picnics. It's a serene place and we understand why the Dalai Lamas chose it as a getaway.

We have been watching CNN the last two nights, and it seems the news is all from the Middle East and all bad. With all of the history and culture here, it seems like every clash is balanced with compassion at some point, and we hope (against hope) that this conflict too will end.

That's it for now. The internet connection we've found here is very slow, so pictures will have to wait until we find a new connection and/or get back to Beijing.