At a glance, first thing that strikes is that the Barkhor kora is, while spiritual journey, a succession of street stalls, something like "golden mile" of Lhasa (not surprising if one thinks of the similarities with the great pilgrimage epicenters of major monotheistic religions). A few feet of the pilgrims who wear their rosaries, of monks kneel extending his arms on the bare floor to re-enter and repeat the process over and over again, progress meter to meter to fulfill one promise, merchants trading with tourists the price of souvenirs. As in the rest of the city, Chinese shopkeepers have been hogging the posts and have left the traditional minority Tibetan vendors. No wonder Alec Le Sueur says in his funny "The best hotel in the Himalayas" in the Barkhor "You never know who to trust. Any of the Tibetans and Chinese harmless looking could be an informant ".
Is here, the shadow of the sacred temple of Tibetan Buddhism, when the traveler sees for the first time one of the most characteristic odors of Tibet: the unmistakable aroma of rancid yak butter that feeds the lamps flickering prayer by hundreds in every temple that boasts.
First problem. The universal slogan that every traveler who travels to Tibet received in the first five minutes of stay in the country of snow is: drink plenty of water to prevent altitude sickness. But, piss nobody explains where such large amounts of liquid (four to five liters). In this first walk through the old Forbidden City, bladder only takes a couple of hours declared in default. And the traveler, if you try, not find a suitable place to pee deployment meantime spirituality. Water sacred ground not in my plans for ahora.Cuando I'm about to throw in the towel, I guess the entrance to a public bath in one of the narrow streets around the Barkhor born. Within a low wall just barely two feet high. Back, squatting, a Chinese strives to alleviate the unpleasantness of her womb. The worst thing in these cases is to be intimidated, so I retreat into a corner and my mission finally smells a deep hole. After, do not forget to take my half liter bottle of water, inseparable companion of these first steps by Lhasa.
The universal slogan that every traveler who travels to Tibet received in the first five minutes of stay in the country of snow is: drink plenty of water to prevent altitude sickness.
The best place to watch the tide of pilgrims walk the kora is the Makye Amye, a restaurant that offers a spectacular view on the first floor. As is recommended in the Lonely Planet, the equation is simple: almost always full. In fact, We offer settling into the same table with a pair of Scandinavian tourists. As we do not want to end up talking about bulls and paella with supply disclaim Swedish couple.
After two failed attempts in new Tashi I (that making a display of originality defines the Lonely Planet as "friendly" and that seems to us dirty and smelly) y en el Kailash (where they explain very politely that do not serve dinner), ended up in a hovel whose name I remember and the first time I try yak meat stewed (although it is, obviously, an act of faith). All washed, now that foreshadows the hotel bathroom, with a few liters of water.
