Sun, 4/22.  After two day of looking at the Potala Palace, we finally toured it.  Requiring a climb of 300 steps plus an continuous inclined stone path.  At 12,000 feet.  Actually, easier than I feared.  I was third to the top and the first two (natives to 10,000 foot Colorado) didn’t really count.  No photos allowed inside, monitored closely.  Everything is in superlatives.  Massive stupas and tombs.  Thousands of statues.  A timed one hour walk though with intense incense!  We saw only 17 of the shrines.  Overwhelms the senses.  Very few windows, so you’d never know you were hundreds of feet above ground level.

For lunch we had the Tibet version of pizza.  Not heavenly.  After a needed rest, we set off for the Tibetan family visit, comprised of one woman, who gave mono-syllabic answers.  Our Tibetan tour guide gave most of the answers.  Frustrating.  But her home was extremely attractive.  Custom made furniture with incredible paintings, which matched the ceiling paintings.  I don’t think she was a typical Tibetan.  A big picture of China’s leadership was incongruously displayed in one corner. “Every home is given one.” She was unwilling to get anywhere close to a conversation about China.

Dinner was yak burgers.  Not bad.  Taste was not like hamburgers.  Got off the bus early to take my last picture of the Palace, from the same perspective shown on the 50 Yuan ($8) bill.

8:30 in the morning. Note the bowtie.

Family Kitchen. In the winter, it’s also their living room/bedroom. Stove supplies the heat. But the rest of the house is fantastic!

The Potala Palace is on the . . .

. . . 50 Yuan bill. About $8. (The largest is only 100 Yuan.)