My Tibet Tour Story: A Tale of Tibetan Monks, Ya Dung and Everest

Written by William Ford from United Kingdom 0 COMMENTS

The sound is immense. I’m being guided through a Tibetan monastery and university, which you’d think would be the very essence of peace and harmony. And yet, only thirty metres away sit hundreds of monks - all draped in their customary blood-red robes - shouting animatedly in what seems like quite an aggressive manner. It’s certainly one of the most intriguing parts of my trip.

The monks take it in turns to expound the principles of Buddhism and are met with a barrage of criticism from their fellow students. It gives these trainees a good chance to defend the principles of Buddhism and demonstrates their knowledge of the big picture of Buddhist philosophy. The debating is a sort of test - can they explain and defend the philosophy of Buddhism?

You would expect the sound of monks chanting in a monastery, but this is something quite different. And owing to the considerable number of monks here (this is the largest school for monks in Tibet), the volume is incredible.

Debating monks in Tashilunpo Monastery

Enter Tibet from Kathmandu

This is day five of our trip, which started with a very gruelling overland trip from Katmandu to the Tibetan border. After the border crossing into China, the roads are decidedly more civilised. Evidence of China’s significant ‘Belt and Road’ initiative, connecting the mega manufacturing coastal parts of China with is distant provinces which border key markets. I am relieved - the roads in Nepal are among the worst I’ve ever experienced and the difference is stark.

The first part of our trip has some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. And as we wind through the Eastern Himalayas I can’t help thinking how inhospitable the outside environment is compared to the tranquility and comfort inside our minivan. We are 4000m above sea level, and will climb to over 4500m - certainly the highest altitude I’ve been to. Living off the land as Tibetan subsistence farmers do is no walk in the park. Until recently, Tibet was one of the most inaccessible places on Earth, an enigma and spiritual emblem for centuries.

Some of the tilled land on the Tibetan plateau

I’m actually surprised to have such a close-up view of monks in a monastery. Before coming to Tibet I was sure that all of them had been obliterated. But here is evidence of a monastery that is alive and well - albeit a fraction of its former self.

And it’s something I am confronted by time and again in Tibet - a sign that religious freedoms are being exercised by native Tibetans, that Buddhism is still practised here. It’s not for this short blog post to go into the various historical complexities of the issue, but suffice to say that I am surprised at this. I was expecting to see so many buddhist monks in Tibet.

MY First Encounter with Tibetan Yaks

We stop for a quick break and a herd of Yak crosses the road ahead of us. I’ve never seen a single Yak, let alone a herd of them. But by the end of the week I will have tried yak in its many forms and the exocitism will have worn off.

Yak crossing

Yaks are pretty much everywhere, grazing on the virtually pastureless plateau. The ‘roof of the world’ extends as far as you can see - and beyond that the forbidding Himalayas. We catch glimpses of Everest many hours before we arrive at the base camp, and my tourmates David and Jeanne who have climbed Everest Base Camp twice on the Nepalese side, tell me that the view from Tibet is far superior. - Check the classic Lhasa to EBC tours.

The view from the monastery at the Tibetan Everest Base Camp

I can confirm, the view is amazing and there is something life-affirming about seeing something so instantly recognizable in the flesh. I have to pinch myself and try to believe my eyes. I text my friends back home some photos from my phone and they reply with questions like, “So, are you going to climb it?” I’m sure the sentiment is facetious, but the reality is that climbing Everest is an investment of several months of your life and up to $100,000. Not to be undertaken casually! I’m grateful for the chance to get this far, and be confronted by this awesome sight in person.

Switchback roads on the way to Everest

My Funny Story of the Yak Dung Stove

That evening we are back in the van later than expected, and instead of returning to Xigatse as planned, we stop at a local guesthouse in a one-horse town inside the Everest national park. It’s basic. One toilet which consists in two holes in the floor, and the only heating is provided by yak dung-fired stove. But the experience is like nothing else. We sleep beneath several layers of blankets and animal skins, eat noodles and play cards until we’re too tired to stay up any more. It’s about as far away from a 4* hotel you can get, but we all agree that it’s the most authentic place we stay at on our trip through Tibet.

Inside our Tibetan guesthouse

Some of the best is yet to come - an incredible turquoise Yamdrok lake seems like a huge detour on our way to Lhasa but is totally worth it. The colours are other-worldly and it’s hard to believe that we are still over 4000m above sea level.

The long and lonely road, Tibet

Turquoise lake, Tibet

Our trip ends with a couple of days in Lhasa which is certainly more charming than I had expected. Much of the old town is intact or reconstructed, and whilst at times feeling like a Disney version of Tibet, often surprises and delights.

The Potala palace is another postcard moment, and we join the locals for part of their circuit walk around the palace grounds. From the elevated position of the palace, it’s impossible not to wonder at how much development has taken place in Lhasa over the last few decades. What was once a sleepy town is fast developing at a lightning pace.

Getting the obligatory photo outside Potala Palace with my tourmates David and Jeanne

Shopper in the Lhasa market

My exit from Tibet comes after what feels like an age, but is actually just over a week. It’s been one of those life-changing trips, seeing something incredible every day as well as time to think about life -- being on the road in wide open landscapes encourages one to be expansive. And also to think how Tibet represents man’s conquering of nature. And as I leave Tibet via high-speed train (it runs all the way to Beijing), I take with me a lot of memories and thoughts that will remain with me for a long time to come.