Story and Photography mLureTHE By David Noyes Of Tibet m or years I longed to visit Tibet. Maybe it was a taxi across town to the Potala Palace. I had come from fascination inspired by romantic movies or the sea level in Beijing to over 12,000 feet in a matter of Fpowerful lure of a distant land of myth that few hours and was advised to take my first day slowly. But I western travelers have ever seen, but I could barely con- felt wonderful and wanted to experience a bit of Tibet tain my joy as I crowded at a portal window to steal a before I settled into my comfortable room for the night momentary glimpse of a magical snow-capped moun- and the controlled itinerary of my guided tour. tain as we made our descent The drive down Beijing into Gongkar Airport. Road revealed what a large I was traveling alone on a and increasingly modern city Far Left: Potal Palace— spontaneous trip to photo- Lhasa had become. I was a mBuilt of granite with reddish- graph this beautiful land, but bit surprised—and a bit dis- brown walls of willow branches and adorned with my journey to Tibet began appointed—that the once- golden rooftops, the striking over 20 years ago. I vividly forbidden city was now a architecture and vivid contrast of red, white, gold and black is remember being captivated sprawling mini-metropolis of unmistakable. Work began on by a fleeting image of the two hundred thousand peo- the White Palace in 1645 when Potala Palace in a television ple with contemporary build- the fifth Dalai Lama moved his government from Drepung report that described how this isolated and obscure ings, shopping malls and nightclubs. I couldn’t help but monastery to the terraced place on the roof of the world was increasingly acces- think that maybe I was too late to experience the Tibet slope of the 130-meter “Red Hill” in the heart of Lhasa. sible to a tightly controlled and limited number of out- of my romantic vision. That feeling quickly changed to The Red Palace, by contrast, siders. My pilgrimage started that day. a childlike exhilaration when the Potala came into view consists of funerary stupa halls for eight Dalai Lamas through the dusty windows of my Lhasa taxi. and chapels to exhibit a trea- DISCOVERING LHASA After a restless night, my tour group began a series sure of Buddhist artifacts. As After arriving in Lhasa, I felt compelled to disre- of short excursions to monasteries and sites on the out- subsequent Dalai Lamas passed, the Red Palace was gard the advice of my Chinese tour guide and took a skirts of Lhasa. On consecutive days, we visited the periodically enlarged, conclud- ing with the stupa built for the 36 AAA Going Places | July/August 2008 | AAA.com AAA.com | July/August 2008thirteenth | AAA GoingDalai PlacesLama in37 1936. m m mDISCOVER CHINA hile travel to the Tibet Autonomous Region of China (also know as Xizang and W TAR) is increasingly accessible to foreigners, it is tightly controlled and requires both a Chinese Visa and a Tibet Travel Permit from the Tibet Tourism Bureau. Tourism is an increasingly important part of the local economy in Tibet, and the growth of tourism will allow more Tibetans to earn a living in Lhasa. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said it is important that foreigners see Tibet—and then tell the world what they have seen. SKY TRAIN —BEI J ING T O LHASA THE SI L K ROA D For those looking for a novel way to visit 7 days from $1,709 (land only) one of the world’s more remote corners, Journey deep into remote western China the new express train to Tibet offers an to explore magnificent vistas, ancient ruins extraordinary trip. The 710-mile rail line and colorful history along the legendary m crosses mountain passes up to 16,640 Silk Road. Travel to Dunhuang, Turpan and feet high and is a marvel of modern Urumqi where you’ll see the Flaming Moun- HE T OOK MY HAN D ... engineering. The soft-sleeper class cab- tains and Heavenly Lake. 6 nights hotel with ins have flat-screen TVs and four soft daily breakfast, 6 lunches and 4 dinners; AN D WHIS P ERE D ... bunk beds. Comprehensive sightseeing and all on-tour “YOU HAVE J OURNEYE D A VERY transportation and transfers. CHINA T O TI B E T B Y R AI L L ONG WAY T O VISI T TI B E T .” 13 days from $3,474 (land only) DISCOVER BEI J ING Our 13-day small-group escorted tour in 8 days from $799 (land only) China and Tibet includes Beijing, Xian, Experience the best of Beijing, including Lhasa and the highest train in the world. Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. formally great Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) THE JOKHANG AN D T HE BARKHOR It was hard to leave the forecourt, but Inevitably, we began the long journey Includes 24 meals, sightseeing and internal Savor authentic Chinese dishes and learn monasteries of Sera and Drepung. From As dusk began to settle over Lhasa, I the day was nearing an end, so I reluc- back to Lhasa through the Mi-La Moun- flights.(Maximum 20 passengers per tour) to prepare them yourself during a visit to the 17th century until recently, Drepung sat reposed for over an hour on the stone tantly began my swift walk on the Bark- tain Pass, and I started to accept that the home of a local family! Get a glimpse was the largest monastic university steps that lead down to a forecourt at the hor—Tibet’s famous pilgrimage circuit. my Tibetan experience would soon end. YUNNAN & TI B E T of an ancient Chinese tradition when you in the world and home to as many as main entrance of the Jokhang temple. The narrow streets were lined with stalls The distant sounds of monks chanting, 11 days from $2,299 (land only) visit the Temple of Heaven. You’ll also tour 10,000 monks. Though very little remains of the original and shops selling butter oil, wicks, khata the pervasive odor of yak butter candles, Southwest China is a region of stunning Beijing’s Summer Palace, the largest and My visit to Drepung reflected a much 7th-century structure, the Jokhang is the (a silk offering scarf signifying purity and the warmth I felt in my soul from landscapes, remote villages rich with eth- best-preserved royal garden in China. An different time in the history of this holiest of all holy places in Tibet. and goodwill), and incense for worship- the kind toothless smile of a pilgrim nic traditions and ancient towns. Then unforgettable highlight will be kite-flying travel on to Lhasa, Tibet, and discover the on the Great Wall. You will also have the once-magnificent monastery tucked at According to legend, Buddhism was ers, as well as cheap jewelry, prayer flags would soon become personal memories beauty and deep spirituality of this moun- opportunity to visit the famous pandas at the base of a hillside just 8 kilometers received into Tibet when 400 scrip- and assorted other trinkets that I scarcely from the high plateau that would only tain land. the Beijing Zoo. west of Lhasa. I shuffled quietly into a tures fell from the sky onto the roof of stopped to notice. Unlike the rhythmic survive in my dreams. small room illuminated by the golden the Yumbulagang fortress in the 5th chanting of “om mani padme hum” that I sat quietly as the threatening clouds glow of yak-butter candles when my century. However, most modern schol- lifted skyward on the soft breeze in front finally released their rain and one spec- eyes unexpectedly made contact with ars believe that Buddhism was estab- of the Jokhang, the Barkhor was alive with tacular landscape after another sped past ace of the Dalai Lamas is an eerily quiet become of Tibet if history had taken a an elderly monk. He smiled at me and lished in Tibet during the reign of King the sounds of chatter and commerce. my window like a misty motion picture. museum with gift shops offering books different, less violent, path. asked, in perfect English, “Where have Songtsen Gampo, who died in 650 Before darkness finally consumed the and trinkets celebrating the long history I came to Tibet to see for myself if the you come from?” AD. The Jokhang was built to house TOWAR D JOURNEY ’S EN D countryside, we passed several groups of of this magnificent building. Scores of magical place of my imagination—filled “The United States,” I answered. an image of Buddha Mikyöba (Akshob- After several days exploring monas- nomads starting yak dung fires and herd- tourists and pilgrims lined the dimly lit with ancient rituals, cloistered commu- He took my hand as we walked clock- hya) brought to Tibet by his Nepali teries, temples and shopping areas, we ing their animals back into camp fol- hallways leading to small rooms and cha- nities and an indigenous culture that cel- wise past a Buddhist shrine and whis- princess, Bhrikuti. packed our belongings and boarded a lowing a routine that has been repeated pels that were once alive with activity. ebrated a profound spirituality—still pered in a voice so quiet I could barely I watched as worshipers who had trav- comfortable motorcoach for a multi-day every night for centuries. It felt both awkward and disrespect- existed on the roof of the world.