Tibet 40 Years Ago!

[Cossie]

After reading Matt's trip report, I started thinking about my own visit there in 1985, we visited the PRC in both 1984 and 1985, although we only got to Tibet in '85.
Interesting times, we met ethnic Tibetans that were living in India and had been encouraged to visit and see if the wanted to return, I'd love to know if they did.
We also met Canadians cycling from Lhasa to Kathmandu, and also met Sorrel Wilby who had just finished her trip and was going to write about it, which she did!

Tibet, a woman's lone trek across a mysterious land / Sorrel Wilby | Catalogue | National Library of Australia

catalogue.nla.gov.au

The thing I noticed most about my photos and Matt's is the seemingly small number of Tibetans now compared to Han Chinese, again, we had spoken to a few Chinese migrants at the time and they had been encouraged to go there with sizeable bonuses.

First and article that I have had for a very long time, no idea where it came from, but makes for interesting reading.
The unorganised tourists sign was where we had to pick up our bags the day after our flight from Chengdu.

 

[Cossie]

Not much in the way of accommodation, there were few "5*" hotels, but being backpackers, they were way too pricey for us,
we stayed at the Snow Land Hotel, quite close to the Jokhang Temple, Tibetan owned and still in business, think it's been updated a bit!



View from our window, there was a riot happening and a shop being broken into!

Potala palace was first on the list the next day, can't put it back at the top.

 

[Cossie]

Summer Palace, I think, about the only regrets I have after all my travels are the fact I didn't have a camera when I left home and didn't keep a diary... Then we went out to a monastery that had been destroyed in 1959. Ganden Monastery Ganden Monastery - Wikipedia

 

[Seat0B]

So interesting @Cossie to see what’s the same and what has changed. You know the saying that the past is a foreign country. Goes double for this TR.

 

[patrickw]

Loving the TR so far. Visited Tibet in March, and great to see so many familiar locations in similar, well preserved, condition. Less crowds back then of course...

 

[drron]

Love it. Even more proof that you should go to places as soon as you can. Things from a travel view point don't get better with time.

 

[Cossie]

A few shots from around the square in front Jokhang Temple, lot's of interesting people from all over Tibet. Some are a bit dark, unfortunately, they were slides converted to digital, then screen shots taken.

 

[Quickstatus]

@Cossie
Did you need O2 when in Tibet?

 

[Cossie]

@Cossie
Did you need O2 when in Tibet?

We flew in and out, but took things slowly, neither of us had any problems, I think the big hotels all had oxygen. I did however, get sick in Leh, a few years earlier, did too much too soon and suffered accordingly.

 

[Quickstatus]

Hemoglobin levels in a sample of healthy tibetan population living at 4000 meters above sea level

hard vertical black line - WHO Minimum Hb adjusted for age below which considered anaemic
broken vertical line - WHO Minimum Hb adjusted for age and altitude below which considered anaemic

It shows Tibetans on paper would be "anaemic" under WHO guidelines but they have considerable adaptation that they can tolerate altitude with lower Hb than expected. Meaning their O2 requirements are satisfactorily carried by what seem to be lower than expected Hb levels.

 

[Cossie]

A few more in front of Jokhang Temple, the guy with the red scarf is one of the people checking out Tibet to see if it was ok to return from India and Nepal, I would love to know what he ended up doing.

Some from what I think was Deprung, I'm sure we went there and Sera, but my memory is losing it....

 

[Cossie]

On the way to Shigatze, far too long on an uncomfortable bus! I think it was about 12 hours. Some of the views were spectacular, pity I didn't have a digital camera...

A very hard life for a lot of these people.

 

[Cossie]

Now I'm really starting to get confused between Shigatze and Gyantze.. oh for a diary.. Anyway, the markets with the destroyed Shigatse Dzong in the background, it is called the "Small Potala Palace" and was rebuilt in the early 2000's.



I only seem to have one photo of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, which was a big oversight.

 

[love_the_life]

Ah, those memories Cassie - time catches up and we don't remember as well as we thought we would. I am guilty of not keeping a diary when travelling and empathise with you. Fabulous TR though - a peek into a time and place long ago. Photos are great especially as you said they are originally slides.

 

[Cossie]

Moving on to Gyantze, can't remember how we got there! It had a real wild west sort of feel to it. We wandered up to Gyantse Dzong, must have been fitter in those days..
View from Gyantse Dzong towards Palcho_Monastery.



View of the fort,



The Dzong featured heavily in the British expedition to Tibet in the early 1900's.

Gyantse Dzong - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

British expedition to Tibet - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Our hotel, the guy at the window didn't want me taking a photo.

 

[Cossie]

The previous photo of the truck was taken from our hotel, pilgrims apparently, luckily for us it was a market day, so lot's to see around the monastery.



Then, of course, a wander around the monastery. We were told the dogs are reincarnated Lamas. The Chinese couple were doctors at a local hospital.