UADarthmaul's Travels: Tibet 3: A homestay, Shannan/Tsedang, and the drive to Gyantse

Down the mountain from Ganden, we stopped at Zhuxi Village, for a night in a homestay. No one was there when we arrived, so I walked around the village on my own.

When I returned, I noticed three children playing nearby. They saw me and ran over. They found both me and my camera to be fascinating. The homeowner returned and we were let in. The kids followed. The woman was acting a bit stilted. I asked Ganpo about it, and I was told that they are not used to foreigners staying. He suggested that she might have been embarrassed that she could not communicate with me in English. Their son was watching tv, but Ganpo explained that it was just hooked up to his phone, and so he was watching online video clips, not tv.

The homestay

The next day, we drove back to Lhasa, and returned to my original hotel, for a day of rest. I was still having trouble breathing, and also had a headache that would not let up. The tour agency called someone over to evaluate my condition. The said that I showed no signs for concern, but left me a large oxygen container to temporarily ease my symptoms. I used it for about two hours, and my problems temporarily went away. It made me feel less worried that it was a larger issue.

The next day we left for Shannan/Tsedang. Once we arrived, we went straight to a police station, to register my presence. We were the only ones inside, with a single attendant.

We stopped for an hour or so at the Yalong River Hotel, where we would stay that night. I tried going to a coffee shop, but Google Maps led me to a hospital instead. I walked around the corner and found a place serving Tibetan curry, which was more like a soup.

Next, we went to the palace of the first king of Tibet. Some people chose to ride up on horses. We walked. He explained that a mysterious man came down the mountain and the locals made him king.

Next was Tradruk Temple.

The final stop of the day was by my request. I wanted to have a look at a local market. Ganpo took me to a shopping street. He explained that westerners usually went to Everest rather than monasteries and towns in Tibet, so people were not used to seeing foreigners. I experienced a lot of staring.

We came across a wonderful clothing store and I tried on a few shirts. There was no changing room. Ganpo insisted that I could change in the open. When I changed into the clothes, I was the only customer. When they had to come off, there was a group of old womeninside. One of them exclaimed something as I removed the shirt. I asked Ganpo, and he said that the woman said, "Oh, so white!" I bought a bunch of shirts, and two hats.

The next day, we left for the Samye monastery.

The monastery grounds were massive and were filled with beautiful buildings.

Next was a long drive over the Gangbala Pass. As we drove, we saw people stopping at roadside spots, where big dogs were dressed up. We stopped at an overlook, with tons of animals being used to sell photos. I found the whole thing to be disgusting. I didn't partake.

On the other side of the mountain was Yamdrok Lake, known for its very blue color. The area was a circus. I did not stay long.

Down in the valley, following the lake, we stopped one more time. When I returned to the car, I felt my pocket, and my phone was gone. On a hunch, I made a mad dash down to the water. I had maneuvered down very low for a photo, and thought that my phone might have slipped out then. It did. I was huffing and puffing very hard on my slow walk back to the car.

By the next stop, I was tired and uncomfortable from hours of driving. It was Korola Glacier and there was rain. I walked out, said, "cool," and then returned to the car.

Not far down the road was a nice view of the mountains, on a plain. I was amused by some ground squirrels.

The last stop was a magnificent viewpoint, covered in flags. Some people were flying drones, which made a ton of noise and blocked others from taking nice photos.