Lhasa

Or Lhaaaaza as our guide refers to it. Anyway, Lhasa, as the capital of the ludicrously titled Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) - clearly the Chinese don’t understand the word autonomous - is the end point for all tours in Tibet. Lhasa had traditionally been the home to Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, until 1959 when he was forced to flee across the border to India where he resides to this day. The presence of the DL didn’t quite tally with China’s idea of a godless state and so he was not so subtly ushered off centre stage. His residence - the sublime Potala palace - towers still over all of Tibet and so the DL may be gone but is far from forgotten. Images of the DL are expressly forbidden in Tibet and people are forbidden even to discuss the man. One evening in one of the many understated Tibetan restaurants which litter the city, a drunken Tibetan who's already bought us a beer, looks around and conspiratorially whispers; "Dalai Lama". This gets the thumbs up from Jaume and I as there's little else to add.
Like excited children on Christmas morning, as soon as we arrive in Lhasa, Jaume and I impatiently make haste for a close up view of the Potala palace. On our way there is the depressing sight of dozens of gun-toting military on every street corner and in several places in between. It’s even more galling when you consider that these arseholes are patrolling the most placid and peaceful people imaginable. In Potala Square there are few Tibetans and far too many military and police. The following morning our time inside the Potala is limited to one hour - blame the Chinese again - during which we race around the various chapels and rooms as Lawa does his best to remind us of what he’s already explained on many occasions before. For me at this stage it’s all about being inside the palace.
We enjoy some unexpected and unintentional comedy in Lhasa also by visiting the Tibetan museum, a three-storey exercise in propaganda if ever there was one. There’s a poster which refers to the “the peaceful liberation of Tibet (and it’s not explained what exactly Tibet was liberated from), particularly since the reform and opening up by the tender care of the Chinese Communist party central committee”, surely the first instance anywhere of the words ‘tender’ and ‘care’ being used in conjunction with the Chinese Communist party. It’s a palatial museum with some beautiful exhibits but it’s hard not to leave there without feeling that the Chinese are masters in the field of revisionist history.
We also visit the ‘Chinatown’ part of the city, a relatively recent construction, the sole aim of which seemed to be to discomfit the Tibetans still further as the site chosen for this futile and artificial monstrosity was formerly a favourite chill out area for the Tibetans. Tellingly there are no Tibetans here other than those carrying out the menial tasks of sweeping the streets. It's the most depressing part of the trip and we escape after 10 minutes of tedium.
The most beautiful and magical part of Lhasa, for me, is Jokhang Square. On our first night there as we make our way back to our hotel, we enter the square for the first time to see a few thousand people gather in order to celebrating the second night of an annual festival. It’s a thrilling evening, not just because we watch the monks chanting from the top of Jokhang monastery but because of the Tibetan people who almost literally fall over themselves to converse with us and tell us - as if we weren’t aware - how lucky we were to be witnessing such a celebration.
Then, without warning, as we look to our right the atmosphere of peace and harmony is shattered by the sight of about 200 people running in a panic away from something in one of the streets adjoining the square. It quickly becomes a stampede but dies down again as quickly as it began and no-one’s hurt. The ridiculously heavy police presence here do nothing but watch as the drama unfolds. Given the violent events of 2008 here in Lhasa it’s little wonder that people are somewhat spooked and on edge but we remain in the dark as to what caused the initial surge.
Jokhang square is also the spiritual centre for Tibetan Buddhists who come here on a pilgrimage from the neighbouring towns and villages. Central to this is the remarkable sight of hundreds of people prostrating themselves - throwing themselves to the floor in prayer - in front of the monastery. More remarkable still is the fact that many of these pilgrims have come long distances, prostrating themselves every three steps in a remarkable show of devotion. On my last morning here making my way to the hotel just before 7am and before the sun has risen, there are already hundreds of people prostrating themselves in front of the monastery in sub-zero temperatures. Incredible people.