Lhasa to Shigatse
Like mountains, some lakes are considered paticularly sacrosanct by the Tibetan people. Such lakes are believed to be the dwelling places of protective deities. Yamdrok-Tso is one of four such holy lakes in Tibet.
The others are Lhamo-La-tso, Nam-tso, and Manasarovar. Yamdrok-tso is revered as a talisman and is said to be part of the life-spirit of the Tibetan nation. It is the largest lake in southern Tibet and legends say that if its waters dry, Tibet will no longer be habitable. Water levels are falling as the authorities abuse this resource.
Samding monastery, the only Tibetan monastery to be headed by a female re-inarnation, sits on one of Yamdrok-tso's nine islands.
After visiting the Kumbo in Gyantse, the expedition climbed to Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet where as if to warn us that the roads of Tibet are long, Kunjo-la our driver, was rushed to hospital to undergo an emergency operation for piles.
Shigatse is famously home to Tashilhunpo monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lama. It is the site of the 10th Panchen Lama's stupa, and at 26 metres tall, the largest Buddhist statue in Tibet.
