Driving in my Car

The day starts with some car trouble.  First we find we have a flat tyre and then the Landcruiser fails to start.  Our driver flags down a passing tractor and is towed to a mechanic conveniently less than 100m down the street.  Repairs are quickly made and we are soon heading for Gyantse.   This area seems different to those we have travelled so far.  The countryside is predominately farming land, rather than grazing, so I assume there is a local water supply. Later in the day I discover the reason.  There is a large lake and HEP at the head of the valley which supplies good irrigation water to the region.

Gyantse is meant to have one of the most impressive buildings in Tibet, the Chorten, a stupa of 108 rooms over 30m high.   It is good but I feel the LP slightly overdoes how impressive this is.  I prefer the overall setting.  the monsatery here is surrounded by a castle wall and overlooked by a palace in the style of the Potala.  The town was the site of battles against British occupation and this is commenorated in the name of the main street "Hero Street".

After lunch we drive past the reservior and over another 5000m pass with views up to the glacier at 7119m.  We descend to Yamdrok Tso famous for its brilliant turquoise colour.  Today is overcast and the lake, though beautiful, does not display its bright colours.  Over another pass and we are into the Lhasa valley.  In the valley we stop on the banks of the river at a water burial site.  Seeing the pile of clothes and machete lying on the rocks here is a little odd to us, but to Kalsang and other Tibetans this is perfectly normal part of their way of life, no stranger to them than a cremation is to us.