I was thinking of Tibet today. Maybe because the sun made a short glimpse through my morning window. A shining memory it is, from 2009. I just hade to go back to the archives…
Through all the sorrows for the people there with the occupation, this nunnery was a gleam of joy. The nuns going about their daily business with a smile. The shining spheres in the yard were for warming water with the sun. The kettle was put in the middle.
The most sacred monastery in Tibet, the Jokhang Temple, was built in 647. The smoke from the fires was thick and people from all over the country gathered to pay their respect, fueling yak-butter lamps, eating and praying. They all waited patiently in line to come inside.
Outside Lhasa people lived off the land and every house had a cow in the street or on a small balcony. Not a great life for the cows not being free – but so much better than in the big factories here in the west. In Tibet they were family members and got some words of love every day.
There were always welcoming doors to the temples…
Seldom is the journey to go to a place more interesting than this one was. We entered the train in Beijing, and I think we sat by the windows with cameras tight every minute of those 48 hours – not in the darkness though. There was extra oxygen in the compartments, and the rails were laid on the permafrost, which I guess now is melting… We were not allowed to leave the train anywhere on the trip.
The landscape was spectacular with long views, open plains and mountains on the Tibetan Plateau.
Nomads with Yaks like little dots – and only once we got this close! A beauty.
How I loved that landscape! And the clouds seemed so huge and so close to the ground.
The beauty of it all seized us and will keep its grip forever.
I have hundreds of photos from that train ride. Every time I look at them I must take a deep breath. And remember. Because I will never see this again.
Leya 
An incredible journey.
Thank you, It was.
Not many of us will ever have that experience, Ann-Christine. We just push our noses up against the screen. Wishing you all the joys of the festive season.
All the best to you and yours, Jo!
Thanks sweetheart xx
Thankyou for sharing your wonderful images.
For something like 45 years Tibet was my sole interest and on my bucket list, so it was especially interesting to see the country through your eyes. How the Tibetans have suffered under C. rule.
Oh Vicki, I cried every day there. They were so much opressed and supressed…they could not talk about it. We had to walk out in the fields to talk.
Oh my God! The beauty is endless.
♥
Thank you for this weekend gift to us – what a wonderful collection of memories those photos bring to you and teach us! 🙂 🙂 🙂 ! I love the cows on the streets . . . not ideal but they must truly feel like part of the family . . . we all have our tasks and obligations . . . well, they provide the healthy drink . . .
Thank you for your thoughts, Eha! Always appreciated.
What an amazing experience and journey Ann-Christine, thank you so much for sharing 💚 xxx
Thank you – I have written about it some times before – but when I remember…I have to write again.
Ever so wonderful time and photos Ann-Christine 😀
♥ Aren’t we lucky to have cameras?
The best thing ever invented I reckon ❤️
❤️
Certainly a memorable journey
I know I have written about it before, but it is there, in my fondest memories.
What gorgeous vistas and images Ann-Christine. I can see why this stuck with you over the years, plus having a chance to visit the temple and experience their simple life.
A wonderful people too, so humble and kind.
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What phenomenal scenes to have in your memory, Aided of course by your terrific photographs. Such land and townscapes! And that yak …
Thank you – and I know I write about it maybe too often – but I can still cry about the people there being harshly treated by the occupants…
Indeed. They’ve suffered so often throughout their history.