Tibet > The oldest monastery of Tibet

At nine o’clock, the bus is ready in front of the hotel. Thasi turns out to be ill, and today Gonbo will accompany us as our guide. His English is not very strong, and it’s his first time guiding a group. Herman is also not coming with us; he’s been sick for the past few days and will stay in Lhasa for two days. Today we are driving to the Samye Monastery complex, where we’ll spend two nights. Since we won’t need all our luggage for these days, we leave part of it behind at the hotel. We drive out of Lhasa via the same road we took earlier in the week. We pass the Yellow River and drive past the airport. Along the way, we visit the Nyeitand Drolmalhakang Monastery, located several dozen kilometers outside of Lhasa.

Tibet - Crossing by boat towards Samye Monastery

Gonbo tries to give some explanation, but he actually knows too little about the monastery to tell us much of value. With the Lonely Planet in hand, we manage to learn quite a bit ourselves. I find the old, worn prayer wheels along the kora particularly fascinating. As we continue toward Samye, we suddenly hear a loud hissing sound coming from under the bus — a flat tire! It turns out one of the rear tires is punctured, but since the bus has double rear wheels and we’re supposedly only five minutes away from our transfer point, the driver decides to continue. The “five minutes” turns out to be more like fifty, but fortunately the tire holds until we arrive. We unload our luggage and lay everything out along the riverbank. In the distance, we see an open wooden boat approaching. When it docks, the crew quickly loads our baggage aboard. Just as we set off, the crew hands out life jackets. Laughing, we wave off the old, worn vests at first, but it turns out they’re mandatory for tourists. It would probably be easier to swim without them, but we put them on anyway. The crossing takes about an hour, during which we eat our packed lunches. On the opposite shore, a bus is waiting for us. The luggage is loaded onto the roof, and there are just enough seats for everyone. Over a bumpy road, we reach the Samye Monastery in less than half an hour. By the monastery, there’s a nice terrace where we order a drink. However, there’s a problem with the room assignments. Even though the list was sent ahead of time, most of the rooms have three beds instead of two. Since my roommate and I share one bag between us, it’s difficult to split up.

Tibet - The Samye Monastery Complex

For others it’s easier, and the problem is soon resolved. In the afternoon, Gonbo takes us on a tour of the Samye Monastery. It’s the oldest temple in Tibet. During the Cultural Revolution, it was heavily damaged by the Chinese, but it has since been completely restored. From time to time, the restoration work is clearly visible. Gonbo shows us rooms in the temple that are normally closed to visitors. We even visit the Dalai Lama’s bedroom. His explanations are sometimes hard to follow, and he frequently asks monks for clarification, which he then translates for us. Still, we get a good overall impression of the temple. After the tour, we stroll around the monastery grounds and past the four colorful stupas. In the evening, we dine with the group at the Friendship restaurant in the small village outside the monastery gate. By now, I’m quite hungry. Unfortunately, my yak soup doesn’t arrive at the same time as the others’ soups. The momos (dumplings filled with vegetables) are also served late. Finally, when everyone has finished eating and I’ve already eaten my momos, a small bowl of yak meat, potatoes, and rice appears. On the menu, this dish was — to everyone’s amusement — labeled “Yak Soup.” Apparently, the English translation doesn’t quite match the Chinese original. I take a few bites, but I’m already full.