Kathmandu - Lhasa - Gangte

Hello Everybody!!

Since there are so many dear friends I would like to read (and maybe also understand;) my Blog, but they can't speak german, this is going to be my first english Blog-Entry! Spelling-mistakes regretted ;)

Well, a lot happened since my last entry. I didn't get used to drunk tourists in masses and Gogo-bars in Kathmandu, but I found out that the City has also other, positiv, sides - you just have to see them!

After strolling around one day in the historic Center of the town I even have to admit, that the City is beautiful!! You can walk around, and behind every second corner there waits something to be discovered!

be it a giant choerton...

...just a nice shop...

... or a tempel occupied by Pigeons!

And there is much more for us to see! Btw, since the shopping-possibilities are really great, also stephanie liked it a lot ;)

Since we had 3 days before our departure to Lhasa, we decided to make a little adventure-trip as well -

here you see stephanie 'swinging' - that means you are standing on a 160m high suspension bridge, and have a approx. 50m long rope tied to your harness. The other End of the rope is fixed to a massive steel-rope, which is fixed to a steel-rope which is strained over the ravine as well. And then you jump. And Scream ;)

But the best thing about that trip was, that we met some very nice guys there, from the US, Netherlands and the Pharao-islands (sorry, elisabeth, had to write that ;) who we could hang out with for the next couple of days! I really hope to see some of them again some time!

But Time is always running fastest, when you enjoy it! And so we soon had to leave per plane to Lhasa...

...having some beautiful views of Tibets harsh landscape!!

And here we go, LHASA!! A rather chinese city nowdays, but still beautiful (if you stay in the tibetan corner of the city).

Amazing for me was, how big the streets all the sudden have become (compared to Nepal and Bhutan especially)! Potala in the Background...

and, ok, this has nothing much to do with lhasa itself, but have you ever seen a cat with two different eye-colors?? We found one guarding a little little monastry inside the old city! Strange but beautiful!

And today we went to Ganden-Monastery - an unbelivible place build on a little hill about 45 min north of lhasa

And from upthere you just have the most amazing view! The only problem is to walk up there - since the air is really getting thin above 4000m!!

Here you see one of the many temples from inside - as you mention correctly, its the first picture of the inside of an monastry on this blog so far. This is because in Bhutan its strictly forbitdden to take pictures of the temple, but china doesnt seem to care, they ask for a photo-fee and you dont even have to take off your shoes...

and thats it already - another entry will come somewhen next week!

cya

Travel Tips:

• Dont go Canyoning in the Monsoon season (at least not at Last Resort): Only the small canyon will be available (because the bigger ones have to much water). But what they dont tell you is, that at the small one all the water is used for irrigation of the fields above, so you basically repell down a more or less dry gorge, and the only reason you are wet is because you are sweating like hell in the wetsuit!! So dont get talked into it!
• The Kathmandu Guesthouse in Kathmandu is a good palce to stay. They have all kinds of rooms from 2 USD to 60 USD, but all are clean and safe. Besides it is located in the touristic center of the Town, in Thamel. You can also buy some beers in the shop round the corner and drink them in peace on the roof top - really nice! Sometimes you will find taxi drivers who will bring you from the Airport to the Guesthouse for free (because they get comission).
• If you like it a little cheaper go to the Freak-streat. This is the old touristic center of the Hippy-times, not so important nowdays. But you get pretty good places for cheap, try e.g. the Moon Stay Lodge, it has a really cosy atmosphere and rooms start from 150 NRP per night
• Dont miss the monkey temple in Kathmandu - great view on the city!
• In Lhasa we were staying in the Kirey Hotel - Rooms are clean, even if the shared toilets arn't always. But its a local place (you support tibetans by staying there!) and you have a very good and cheap restaurant (Tashi II) in the courtyard
• Dont miss Ganden Monastery! Really nice! And walk up the top of the Hill, the view is really worth it!