Lhasa

Just from the amount of security on the train we imagined that Lhasa would be a prison. Sure enough, as soon as we got off the train, we saw the army of armed guards stationed outside the station. Our 'tour guide', who we were forced to pay for, picked us up at the airport and gave us a 'traditional' white scarf. He said that it was a cultural gift from Tibet to welcome people into their homes. We drove to the 2 star hotel that was included in our package (an outstanding 2500 RMB(350USD) for 3 days) and our guide warned us not to shower because of the altitude. I have to admit that the first days in Lhasa, even though we had been slowly acclimatising in Qinghai, were hard. It was like eating psilocybin. My head felt like it was slowly being crushed. My body was heavy but I still felt like I was flying. Any kind of strenuous effort would leave me breathless. However, we drank as much water as we could and went all the way up to 5300 meters without suffering too bad. That night we caught our first glimpse of the Potala Palace, the Dalai Lamas former residence. I need to add that to the list of jaw droppers.