robert j. mang cycling/travel

I now know why there was such a large military presence in Lhasa.  July is the 60th anniversary of the “liberation of Tibet from the oppression of the D.L.” (no Orwellian language there!)  Given that there was an uprising in 1998, I guess they are over preparing for the upcoming festivities.  No American or French visitors will be allowed into Tibet during July, except for a few special exceptions.  Apparently people from those countries are sympathetic to the D.L. and his cause (I can’t use the name because people who have, have had their internet access shut down).

We camped on the edge of a sheep-herding field, so I was expecting to wake up to sheep surrounding our tents. Instead, we woke up to snow. It was cold and blowing. The prospect of getting on a bike in this was not something I was looking forward to. Our guide agreed that it would be too dangerous, so we waited in the dining tent for a few hours. Once the snow stopped, we headed out. The ride was relatively easy, about 40 miles, and it turned into a pretty nice day, except for a bit of hail, and some rain, and, oh yes, a headwind that would have made my fellow Santa Fe riders take notice.

The people here have some of the most amazing looks.

This woman was very patient with me; though, I did have a very long lens, so I wasn’t in her face.  And quite a face it is.

At every pass there are prayer flags attached to everything and anything.  Also, cars that crest the pass will toss out small paper prayer flags (about 2″ square) that come floating down as the car speeds down the other side.

A (profile of a ) castle (not a monastery) in Gyantse, which like many small towns is completely torn up for the July festivities that accompany the 60th anniversary of the “liberation”.

~ by Robert on May 25, 2011.

Posted in Tibet, Tibet, Nepal & India, Travels