I’m in Thailand. Hallelujah. It was definitely time to move on and Thailand is exactly what I needed. I’ve been thinking alot about Tibet as I spend my days relaxing in Bangkok, though.
My final excursion in Tibet was a two day trip to Nam-Tso, a holy lake about 3 hours Northwest of Lhasa. I saved this trip for last because the elevation at the lake is about 1,000 meters higher than Lhasa, and I was already suffereing from minor headaches because of the altitude.
As seems to be the norm in Tibet, Nam-Tso was breathtaking. Clear blue waters surrounded by the Himalayas and monasteries. We spent the night in a tent and it was cold, cold, cold, but definitely worth it to experience the lake without the circus that begins when the tour buses arrive at 11am and ends when they leave at about 4pm. We met cool new people, took in breathtaking views, experienced unique cultural exhanges, and enjoyed some of the most memorable days of our lives. You know, the norm. At least when you’re in Tibet. [read on]
The beginning of the kora at Gandan monastery, Tibet
We spent a couple of days this week hunting down local buses that would take us to a few monasteries outside ... [Continue reading this entry] 
Tibetan women walking the circuit around the Jokang Temple in Lhasa
It was raining when we arrived in Lhasa at 8:00 pm on Tuesday evening. I didn't have a ... [Continue reading this entry] 
View from the dining car
There was a definite excitement in the air as we all waited to board the train to Tibet in the Beijing West Railway Station. ... [Continue reading this entry] 
Late night shoe repair, Beijing
I've been in Beijing for 8 days now and although I wasn't exactly excited about spending another week of my vacation here it was exactly ... [Continue reading this entry] 
It took two trips to Beijing, but I finally made it to The Great Wall. Yesterday I hiked 10 kilometers on one of the less developed stretches of ... [Continue reading this entry] 
It's over.
I made it through a month of Kung Fu training in China without any broken bones or major injuries. Every part of my body was screaming ... [Continue reading this entry] 
Entrance to the Shaolin Temple
The Shaolin Temple is only 9 kilometers from my Kung Fu school. It is said that Kung Fu began in the Shaolin Temple and ... [Continue reading this entry] 
It's been a long week. We loaded up two buses last Friday with all of our belongings and a ridiculous amount of swords and drove about an hour ... [Continue reading this entry] 
Amanda