Lhasa is an amazing place. The culture is completely different from that of the Chinese, however Chinese influence is starting to squeeze in. I can’t think of much to say about the place so I’m going to run off a bunch of unsightful knowledge I found by meeting some locals.

If you’re the type of person who gets nosebleeds from altitude change, don’t come here, you will die.

Everyone still drives around obliviously here, the only difference being that instead of everyone in little Cherries and VWs, everyone is driving around in big old school SUVs. Safety first.

The air for the few days I was there was not only breathable, it was actually invisible, like air is supposed to be. It doesn’t rain or snow here very often. The altitude of the city is about 3.6KM above sea level. It can get very warm during the day (20C) and cold at night (-10C?)

There aren’t any ridiculous skyscrapers, the only thing that rises in the skyline is the massive Potala Palace which sits somewhere in the middle of the city and is awesome. I could just stare at the place all day and eat yakabobs.

All of Tibet only has 1.6 million people, but about 10 million yaks. And they need all the yaks they can get, because in every Tibetan meal there’s some yak. I had yak burgers, yak soup, yak ribs, yak steak, and passed on a try of yak yogurt.

Tibetan people are very relaxed and laid back. They don’t give a shit about money, rather they’d prefer living free happy lives. Common activities include Internet cafes, hanging out at teashops and all night ragers.

Many Tibetans are religious, and practice Buddhism like it’s going out of style. They do all kinds of wacky things like doing hundreds of pushups in front of temples, walking around the Palace all day chanting and spinning prayer wands everywhere they go.

Tibetan girls are hot. They have a natural appearance; they don’t pile on the makeup or dress in designer gear. They’re do a bunch of hardcore shit like washing their hair with a bucket on the side of the road (this was common) and carrying kids around on their backs.

Tibet is one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen in China, even though that isn’t much of a compliment. Rugged mountains surround it, city-sized factories haven’t tainted the air and the rivers are actually blue. This will probably last another 2 years.

I’ve got more pics than you’ll know what to do with, after the click through.

Filed under: tourist shit