"LHASA AT LHAST!" a Lhasa Travel Page by mavl

at long last, i made it to the top of the world! it turned out to be so much more than i expected - the people, the culture, the architecture, the history, the landscape, and the sky!

oh yes, the sky! you may be 12,000 ft. closer to it here but it feels like all its colors have been magnified a million times - the blues are piercing, the white clouds glow.

you still witness the culture of this enigmatic place the moment you step out of your hotel and, when you enter the age-old monasteries, all your senses will immediately be engaged.

- the contrast of rich dark fabrics against whitewashed walls, the golden spires against the bright blue skies.

- the gutteral voices of monks chanting and the creaking of impossibly steep wooden stairways.

- the unmistakable scents of burning incense and butter lamps.

- the ancient feel of the stuffy interiors.

- the taste of stale saliva in your mouth as it's been agape with awe since entering!

in lhasa, most people on the street are either locals wearing traditional tibetan attire, monks wearing their striking red robes, or backpacking tourists like myself.

ok, you'll occasionally see a monk in rubbershoes chatting on a mobile phone.