continuation

The most important thing in Llasa is the Pacala Palace built in the 7th century. Every Tibetan Buddhist is required to go on a pilgrimage to Llasa at least once in her or his liftime. The palace is a place of residence of the Dalai Lamas (or it was before the Chinese occupation). It is a huge structure situated on a hill, with many buildings attached to it since it's original form. I went through all the steep stairways, chapels with different statues of Budda and prominent Dalai Lamas, the Dalai Lamas "sarcophaguses" all in gold and precious stones, the apartment of the Dalai Lama. The monastery is a very strange building - it's an architectural style unlike any I have seen so far. It's difficult to explain. It's also rather cold and musky. The monks were wondering about, some were sleeping on low sofa-like beds in front of the statues, some were reading, some were sweeping the floor and cleaning the stautes and the many dark corners of the building. I talked to some of them (the ones who spoke English) and they were all very nice. One of them was openly flirting with me and asked me if I wanted to see him again later (a randesvous with a monk? interesting... just kdding!). I don't know much about the Tibetan monks. I only know that they are sent by their families to the monastery at a very young age. I wonder if this is a good system indeed. It seems rather repressive... I observed the monks on the streets when they were "window-shopping" at the markets, eating at the little restaurants, asking for donations for their monastery. There were a few who asked me to support their monastery away from Llasa and who got hostile when I told them I didn't give money on the street but I could donate money if I went there in person (that is true - I can only donate money to an organization which exists for certain). Maybe they were fake monks, I don't know... I wonder what their life is like and if it does resemble the life of the Catholic priests. It most likely involves the personal struggle of normal human instincts and what is considered a devout life, free from desire of any kind, the only goal being the enlightment or the connection with the higher power.

There were many beggars on the streets of Llasa. They would come very close to my face showing me the stacks of small bills, asking to give them more money. They would grab my hands, kids were wrapping themselves around my legs. Somone told me that begging goes along with the Buddhist tradition and those who have the money support the ones who are unfortunate and don't have them, but I felt that for many of these people it was not a necessity but a way of life. Every few steps I was stopped by someone. I heard "give money" about a hundred times. After two days I felt tired... One of the tourists I met in the Snowlands restaurant (a touristy place but having good food and a heating system; I basically went there to get warm - there was no heat in Hotel Yak) told me that he saw a similarity between the Indians of Bolivia and Tibetans. And that is very true: I saw the same connection. Both are highland Indians, their body built and facial features are similar, they dress similarly, their lives are equally hard in the harsh climatic and environmental conditions. However, I think that Bolivians are too proud to beg. It must have to do with their believes and tradition, not so much with the Christian tradition but the pre-Columbian. Also, there were many crippled and mentally ill people walking and crowling on the streets of Llasa. That looks also different from what I saw in Bolivia. In Bolivia the family tradition is so strong that all the less fortunate people are embraced by their families and seem not to be left to themselves. Observing the life in Llasa I was wondering about all these similarities and differences and what shaped the two groups of people. I tasted the food in the many little eating parlors. It's difficult to get a non-meat dish so I had meals containing yak meat. The famous Tibetan tea which contains butter can be very delicious or disgusting depending on the freshness of the milk (in any case it's sour in taste). I walked around the long market street and got many strands of coral and turquise neckleces - I will make a huge necklace out of it, to resemble the ones worn by the Tibetan women. Also men wear jewellerly, particularly turquise earings.