Hi From the Roof of the World

We arrived in Tibet this afternoon after a quick night (5 hours sleep) in Beijing. Our last moments in Ulaan Baatar were some of our favorite-- the Damdinsuren family presented us with gifts, asked us to pose for pictures in their traditional robes and hats, and sat with us at the airport. When the flight was called, they stood outside the window and waved until we had to turn and check in. We feel very honored to be their friends!

On the flight to Beijing, we met an Aussie tourguide named Craig who turned out to share our senses of adventure and humor, and the two-hour flight whizzed by. A good thing, since Mongolian International Airlines has the kind of safety record that international diplomats have made official policy to avoid. We all shared a car into the city and plan on keeping in touch.

As we landed in Tibet, we were fascinated by the view out of the window-- and on the video screens! The plane was outfitted with forward and bottom cameras, so we could see the mountains and approaching runway. Pretty cool if you don't have vertigo.

When we landed we were met by a guide who presented us with traditional white scarves. In Tibetan Buddhism prayer flags and scarves are very important. Each color (red, blue, white, green, yellow) symbolizes good luck, love/respect, long life, prosperity, God and other good stuff. On the road we saw many, MANY flags and scarves draped on rocks, bridges, and branches that had been planted in the Yellow Tsangpo (the river known as the Brahmaputra in India). Our guide explained that the flags in the river were actually memorials for children who had died and been "fed to the fish" (her words). Only children are given water burials because they are not yet ready for Nirvana; adults receive sky burials.

The altitude here in Lhasa is approximately 10,800' if our metric math is right, which is a stretch because our brains are fuzzy from the lack of oxygen. We're glad not to have plans until tomorrow, so we can adjust to the altitude. In spite of all of that we are staying in a former Holiday Inn and just had a warm meal which helps.

Tomorrow we visit the Potala, the palace of the Dalai Lama. In 1949 he fled the country due to the Chinese occupation. More in coming days.