Oct 17, 2014, Friday – Gyantse to Shigatse

Pelkhor Stupa

First sight today was the Pelkhor Choda Monastery and Stupa.  We did a quickie tour of the monastery since we have seen several and walked around and up through the stupa.  While there we ran into some of the monks that we had met at the Xining airport.  Small world.

Prayer Wheels

 

We also requested to see a copper factory that we had read about.  After many wrong turns and several requests for directions we ended up at a carpet factory.  Apparently “copper” is not on Yishi’s vocabulary. 

In the afternoon we drove to Shigatse, about a 2 ½ hours away.  The scenery was unremarkable but there was a lot of activities in the fields.  It is barley harvest season. 

After lunch and checking into the hotel Paul headed out to Ta Shi Lhun Po monastery, home of a 17 meter (55 feet) bronze Buddha.  It is a 300,000 square meter (74 acre) compound, built in 1447. 

He also saw monks cooking their meal on a large griddle about 2 feet wide and 6 feet long.  










He then went to the market but it was all tourist items (but very colorful).  Mary stayed in the room and took a nap and nursed a minor cold.