Lhasa - Rooftop of the World

The Potala - former home of the Dalia Lama

Having been in Lhasa for 10 days, we have encountered a lifetime of experiences. In one sense life here is much like you would expect in a growing urban setting in China. People bustling here and there, busy traffic with annoying horns, shopping centers and all the sights, sounds and smells one would expect. But in a more real sense, Lhasa is the place that the Tibetan Buddhists consider their holy city and the center of the Tibetan Buddhist world.

 As we seek to engage a new and different world view we are challenged by language and cultural barriers. Chinese is spoken by most of the local population but we are living in a Tibetan speaking area of the city. Tibetan Buddhism is the most visual belief system and is very complex. Both of these are huge challenges to our relating to and entering into the local cultures.

A new friend we meet on the street

We are thankful to have been provided with a beautiful apartment. It has 2 bedrooms and an ample size living room. Our kitchen and bathroom are nothing to sneeze at either! It was quite a surprise after the stories we heard. He is good all the time.

That is enough for now; we will let you know more as time goes on.