7 days in Tibet.

    Tibet has always been a mysterious land for people from both West and East. Europeans were intrigued by the culture and life in this inhospitable and difficult terrain. Asian wished to conquer the region which was a buffer zone?? Between China and India. For many years Tibetan army as well as natural predispositions.

Successfully defended the access to their homeland. What’s more, it was actually Tibetans who would annex neighbouring lands to create an empire with its northern borders in present day China and southern in present day Bangladesh. Lack of written documents leaves a blank spot on this period of Tibetan history and we can only imagine how the life on the Roof of the World was back then. 

    In 7^th century Tibetans decided to sign a treaty with China to defend themselves from the mutual enemy. To seal it, Tibetan leader married a daughter of Chinese emperor. She’s the one who is believed to bring Buddhist religion to Tibet. The religion which will later dominate over original Tibetan Bon believes. A few centuries later the nation transformed from aggressive to peaceful one, supported by contacts with Mongol Empire. Hence even today there are many similarities between the two nations. It’s a Mongolian word Dalai which became the title of the highest religious leader of Buddhists (Dalai means “ocean”; as an unfinished knowledge) – Dalai Lama.

    Since the beginning of 20^th century Tibet was practically unknown to Europeans. The first of them to arrive where missionaries and then British delegates being East India Company (present day India) representatives. The first conflict has started in 1903 when British delegates accused Tibetans of Cooperation with Russian Empire, which was a British enemy. Various treaties between the parties eventually guaranteed peace and made Russians and British accept Chinese control over Tibet.    

Even though Tibetan independence was not internationally recognized, after the end of the last Chinese dynasty (Qing, in 1913), the land became independent. Tibetan government has even started to issue its own postal stamps. 

    Social life of Tibetans in that period could be quite controversial for a modern reader. The cast system – popular as well in India, was common. It determined life of an individual, his career and life opportunities. Many people lived in villages often resembling the ones from the Middle Ages. Food was scarce, housing was very primitive, lack of hygiene and health care caused high mortality rate. At the same time the ones who resided in the Dalai Lama’s palace had all the modern facilities and commodities.    

    It was all changed when Chinese People’s Republic was established on October 1 1949. The political leader Mao Zedong, and his advisers tried their best to turn China into a role model communist country. Any cultural or ethnic diversity wasn’t welcomed. In 1950 Chinese Liberation Army arrived to Tibetan Plateau under the propaganda of liberation from imperialistic/western domination. Until the end of 1950’ the leaders in Lhasa – Tibet’s capital were guaranteed autonomy, but in 1959 the rising tensions between locals and Chinese forced the Tibetan leader – Dalai Lama to escape from his homeland and create the government in exile in an Indian town of Daramshala.

The dispute if annexing Tibet to Chinese territory was a right decision is still going on. On the one hand it has limited Tibetan people’s independence and rights, suppressed their culture and religion and caused uncountable amount of historical relicts to perish. On the other hand, we cannot ignore the fact that Chinese people’s activities in the Tibetan territory has highly improved lives of a regular citizens of the region. The cast system was abolished, education became compulsory (prior to that the majority of people were illiterate), the hygiene and sanitation have improved (the infant mortality rate decreased from 45% in 1959 to 0.3% in 2019).

    Along with the new Chinese policies to open up to the outside world in the end of 1970’, Tibet became a place of interest for many travelers and mountain climbers. The famous book by Heinrich Harrer “Seven years in Tibet” and the film with the same title became the spark for many people to visit the land shown in the book as a romantic and mesmerizing place, with intriguing People and breath taking views. Colourful clothes, traditional infrastructure, mysterious rituals and magnificent Himalaya Mountains. All of this made Tibet a place to be in that period of time.  

    Unrestricted travelling in the region was suddenly stopped. Constantly rising political tension and more and more protests of desperate Tibetan independence and freedom fighters caused strict limitation on visiting the region by foreign travelers. Ever since 2008 Tibetan Autonomous Region (created in 1965) became a restricted part of China not only for outsiders but for Tibetans living in other provinces of China, too. 

    Ever since for all those who don’t have Chinese ID the only way to visit Tibet is to sign up for an organized tour where you will be accompanied by a guide and a driver. A single person can go too, however usually a few people go together to share the costs, which are not from the lower shelf. Searching for Tibet trip you can find practically every possible option and flexible itineraries. From a weekend runaway, to a few week long journeys. Sightseeing Tibet’s capital - Lhasa in a few days or a road trip to a little less beaten tracks and the option to see the world’s highest mountain – Mount Everest (called here Qomolangma), which peak is divided between Nepal and China.

    For independent travelers this kind of trip might seems boring but even in these limited circumstances you can make the journey a little bit different than the typical one. The key is to not go “off the beaten track” but rather “off the beaten time” (avoid summer – the high season). Tibet in winter is a totally different place than the one which is seen by the crowds of tourists who come there in summer. 

    Travel agencies’ photos promoting The Roof of the World, films showing its beauty, books’ descriptions and romantic visions of the mystic land is definitely not the place which a person who goes there is summer will see. Traffic jams, the need to book every restaurant limited time for entering some places of interest, lining up to take photos, common cloudy weather. It’s just a part of reality in the high season time. Even Tibetan people are hard to be spotted (except for those who are engaged in different forms of tourism). The normal view is a mass of western and Chinese tourists in almost every part of TAR (Tibetan Autonomous Region).

    On the other hand winter is the time which scares off the majority of tourists, who are afraid of unbearable temperatures. The truth is that the average elevation of 4000 meters above the sea level may suggest very low temperatures, but it’s still a far cry from a Siberian winters. The big snow can be practically only seen on the highest mountain peaks. Regular winter clothes are enough to be out during the day and nights are normally spent in warm hotels (international tourists/travellers are accommodated in the high standard hotels). Tourism as well as infrastructure are very developed. It doesn’t surprise then that to the Tibetan Everest Base Camp one can get by the paved road. 

    Occasional winter breeze helps to move away the clouds from the perfectly blue sky and sweep off the snow from the mountain peaks. That guarantees breath taking views on the Himalayas. All the most famous peaks such as Lhotse, Makalu or Cho Oyu are perfectly visible. Even our tour guide was surprised by the weather, during out 7 day trip, which is quite uncommon in the summer season. 

    Forced to join the group, I was trying to find the least commercial agency, which at the same time offers the same program. Eventually I was a part of 3 people group (me included), compared to summer time groups of dozen or more people. Less companions allows more flexibility, more time for sightseeing. One thing doesn’t change despite the size of the group – in Tibet you don’t ask about politics. Such conversations may end up very unpleasantly. You never know who of the people you see or meet on the streets collaborates with the Communist Party and spies on outsiders. 

    The tour itinerary is not very tight. There is no rush to visit 2-3 attractions in Lhasa chosen for each day in the city. After 3 days spent there we hit the road and go to other cities and towns of Tibet. Most of the visited attractions are Buddhist temples and monasteries; original as well as those reconstructed after the Cultural Revolution (1966 – 1976) during which more than 6000 sacred buildings from the Tibetan region were destroyed. In the present day Tibetans under certain conditions (for example: they cannot possess or publish Dalai Lama’s portrait) can openly practice Buddhism. 

    Because most of the people living in TAR are farmers, winter is the only time when they can make a pilgrimage to the most sacred places in their land – the city of Lahasa and Mount Kailash. Pilgrimaged often last for years as the people move by constant prostrations.

Common view in the whole Tibetan territory are Buddhist monks wearing dark red clothes, studying religious scripts, making rituals or wandering around city with a smartphone in their hand. The clash of two cultures in an inevitable part of globalization and a sign of quickly changing life.

    For the western guest Tibet is mostly colourful, soaked with incense smells and butter lamps temples, where various rituals take place. Often even Tibetans don’t fully understand its meaning. Every part and element of the temple has its meaning and role. The walls are covered with hundreds of detailed paintings. The visitors of the temples ask for health, happiness and love, but also for the world peace. Small offerings in the temples help to “boost up” your Karma – deeds which decide about your reincarnation – being reborn in a new body (human or animal, depending on the current life deeds).

    In winter 90% of the people in Lhasa are Tibetans. For many it’s the first trip to their capital and the first and only chance to see foreigners, hence locals asking for selfies with tourists are quite common there. Hundreds of people do “kora” – circumambulating around the Potala Palace accompanied by constant repetition of famous mantra – “Om mani padme hum” and turning the prayer wheels. The other place to do kora is the historical city center with Jorkang Temple located in its middle. According to the legend the Buddha statue inside the temple was blessed by the Buddha himself. The only of its kind in the world.     

    The hills surrounding the Tibetan cities are covered with colourful prayer flags, installed there by pilgrims. They are believed to be passing the messages to the gods.

Tibet is divided into seven regions. Each of them has different national clothes and language/dialect. It’s common that Tibetans from different parts of the country need to use Mandarin language (which is not taught in schools from the early stage) to communicate with each other.

    Any time of the day, in the numerous tea houses and restaurants people, usually men, gather to play card games or local board games. They drink Tibetan tea – sweet, made of milk with sugar, or salty – with yak’s butter, the animal which is the most commonly kept as farm animals in Tibet. Even though in the present day Lhasa you can eat a burger in KFC, locals prefer traditional Tibetan meals such as tsampa – roasted barley flour mixed with sweet or salty tea, various types of bread or cheese and yoghurts made of yak’s milk.  

    Coming closer to the southern Tibet, when for the first time we can catch the glimpse of Mount Everest, we are left literally breathless. 3600 meters above the sea level in Lhasa may not be such a problem for a lot of people, but here the altitude hits. We cross passes located over 5200 meters, where even a slightly faster walk causes dizziness (because of the lack of oxygen). This is an inhospitable place for all, people, flora and fauna. Snowy mountain peaks are dreams of many climbers. Until 1950 Nepali government forbid foreigners to enter their country, hence all the climbing expeditions to Mount Everest (starting from 1921) would be led through Tibet (through so called North Face). In 1950 it was China who closed its borders and Nepal opened them. So the first man on the top of Mount Everest got there through Nepali South Face of the mountain.

    From the world highest monastery Rongbuk (4980 meters above the sea level) there is undisturbed view over Qomolangma. It is the place where most of the famous and breath taking photos of the mountain are taken. On the way back to Lhasa we stop near Kharola Glacier which also attracts Tibetan tourists. Everyone is always eager to chat with foreigners. Tibetans are believed to be fond of foreigners and are happy when they see them on the Roof of the World. Locals ask about opinion of Tibet abroad. They always praise Tibetan nature, hospitality and friendliness of the local people.  

    Unquestionably Tibetan people are one of the friendliest (however, having spitfire attitude is not uncommon) nations of the world, with a fascinating history and culture. Despite many problems and conflicts their culture survived till this day. Even though many years have passed since the “discovery” of Tibet, the land still mesmerizes and overwhelms. To see the Roof of the World with your own eyes, try yak’s milk tea and greet everyone with Tibetan “Tashi Delek” is an experience one of a kind, an adventure for a lifetime.