Shigatse

While we were getting used to the altitude in Lhasa, we found a Dutch couple who wanted to do the same 4-day trip. (They had posted a flier on the message board at Snowlands, our hostel.) We went around to different travel agencies to see how much it would cost for a 4-day trip to Everest and back, and the Banok Shol FIT agency gave us the cheapest price and was able to make arrangements the fastest. We were pretty happy with the way things worked out, although our vehicle wasn't exactly awesome, and our Tibetan driver and (required) guide didn't speak any English! Our guide spoke Chinese, though, and she and Joel could actually communicate pretty well.

On the road!

If you meet a herd of sheep hogging the road, guess who has the right of way?

The landscape we drove through on the first day was different from what I'd imagined...it was arid with low mountains, and we even saw some small sand dunes. It was pretty empty, too, which was to be expected. But even the second-largest "city" in Tibet--Shigatse--seemed empty. It was more like a village than a city.

Part of Tashilhunpo monastery.



Putting on sunscreen at the monastery.

Shigatse is home to Tashilhunpo monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lama. We didn't get to take pictures inside, but there were the usual giant Buddhas and elaborate jeweled stupas. It was a nice visit, but there's not a lot to say about it here. Then we ate some mediocre food at our mediocre hotel and went to bed early in preparation for the long drive to Everest the next day.