Shigatse

We arrived in Shigatse late after a long days driving through some incredible scenery that took us via Yamdrok Lake and Gyantse. Yamdrok Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Tibet, and is an awesome turquoise blue colour. It was our first taste of real altitude (and cold too), as we went over Kamba-La Pass at 4794 m. Needless to say the lake looked spectacular hundred of metres below us. We piled back in the trusty Toyota Hiace to get out of the bone chilling cold, and headed to Gyantse.

Gyantse is a traditional Tibetan town and home of the Pelkor Chode Monastery and its famous Kumbum Chorten. The Kumbum Chorten is a stupa which is a protector against anything bad (inside a temple or monastery a stupa can also be a tomb). This one is special because it is the largest in Tibet and is 9 levels high with 108 rooms (sacred Tibetan number) and has 10,000 images. It was amazing. The Monastery itself was one of my favourites so far as it was in use, and in pretty original condition.

We made it to Shigatse to a cold shower (less than ideal in Tibet) so passed on that idea and had an early night ready for another long journey to Mt Everest the next day.