Date
Meal |
Day |
Activities |
Hotels |
| 24-July'07 |
Tuesday |
Depart USA |
|
| 25-July'07 |
Wednesday |
On board |
|
26-July'07
D |
Thursday |
Kathmandu
AM: Arrive in Kathmandu. PM: visit to Swoyambhunath. 4 pm: Orientation meeting in the lobby, followed by a visit to the miraculous self arisen mount’ Swoyambhunath Temple. |
Hotel Yak & Yeti |
27-July'07
B/L/D |
Friday |
Kathmandu
Full day trip to Pharping.
8am: Drive to Pharping to visit the power sight of the Tantric
Yogini tradition. This exquisite mountain temple town is home to
several thousand long term meditators. Then we drive to
Boudha for lunch, the religious center for Tibetan refugees living in
Nepal. The fabulous stupa here marks the sight of 6th and 7th
religious exchanges between Nepal & Tibet. Meet in the hotel
at 4 pm for Tibet preparation and check list. |
Hotel Yak & Yeti |
28-July'07
B/D |
Saturday |
Tsedang
Fly to Lhasa Gonggar airport. Transfer to Tsedang.
7.30 am: leave for airport
9:45 am: fly to Lhasa Gonggar airport arriving at 1 pm local time.
Note that we lose 2.15 minutes on this flight since Tibet is on
Beijing time. Before arriving in Tsedang we will visit Mindroling
Monastery. This is one of the six great Nying Monasteries of
Tibet, and had an especially close relationship to the Dalai Lamas. |
Yarlung Hotel |
29-July'07
B/L/D |
Sunday |
Tsedang
Tsedang, Yumbulakhang, Traddruk.
Yambulakhang: It is one of the oldest buildings in Tibet overlooking
the Yarlung Valley. It’s a tapered finger like structure sprouting
from a craggy ridge. It provides a breathtaking view of the village,
hills and the river. The original one was larger and the design
suggests a mad Bavarian prince’s dream as it was built as a
palace – the first fortified house in Tibet – for the first Tubo King
and only transferred to a monastery in the 7th century.
Trandruk Monastery: It is 5 km before entering Tsedang. An
ancient tale says that the site was a large lake which Songsten
Gampo tried to drain to build a city but was stopped by a ferocious
dragon. He then retreated to a cave and meditated for 14 years
after which he came out as an eagle, slew the dragon, dried the
lake and was able to build the town and monastery. |
Yarlung Hotel |
| 30-July'07 B/L/D |
Monday |
Tsetang
Visit Machik cave.
The great Machik Labdon stands as one of the greatest female
mystics in eleventh century Tibet, and probably the most important
woman in Buddhist history. The two schools of Tibetan Buddhism
descend from her: the Zhichey and the Tsar Chod. Although
these no longer exist as independent entities, they can be found
within all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The small cave where she
lived and meditated for sixty-two years is located just an hour's
drive from Tsetang. It was here that she achieved her
enlightenment and delivered most of her teachings. |
Yarlung Hotel |
| 31-July'07 B/L/D |
Tuesday |
Samye Monastery
Visit Samye.
After breakfast we will drive to Samye Monastery. We spend the
night here in the guest house next to the monastery. The
accommodation here is very basic with common bathroom facilities.
There is a restaurant that serves simple Tibetan food.
Samye is Tibet’s first monastery. It was built in the mid-eighth
century by the Indian tantric master Padma Sambhava with the
assistance of his female disciple, the yogini Yeshe Tsogyal. It was
greatly damaged by the Cultural Revolution, but was not totally
destroyed. One can sense its long history and spiritual power.
Chimpuk Hermitage lies in a nearby valley, and here the female
mystic Yeshe Ysogyal, who became Padma Sambhava’s main
Dharma heir, led the 25 adepts in a 12 year retreat and attained
realization. Since that time it has served as a long term meditation
retreat site for men and women practitioners alike. At the foot of
the hill is a small female lama school where we might be able
to sit in on the daily chanting session. |
Samye Guest House |
| 01-Aug'07 B/L/D |
Wednesday |
Lhasa
Drive to Drak Yerpa Caves. Overnight in hotel in.
In the morning we will cross the Yarlung Tsangpo on the ferry
and drive to our hotel in Lhasa to drop our luggage and continue to
Drak Yerpa Caves.
Drak Yerpa is about 18 miles to the northeast of Lhasa, it is probably
not of great interest for the average traveller but, for those with a
particular interest in Tibetan Buddhism, Yerpa is one of the holiest
cave retreats ever. At one time the hill at the base of the Cave –
dotted cliffs was home to Yerpa Monastery. The history of Dark
Yerpa includes many of the great names responsible for the
establishment of Buddhism in Tibet. Emperor Songtsen Gampo
meditated in seclusion here : Guru Rimpoche and several of his
disciples also meditated here. Here Jowo Atisha chose to preach
extensively. Although the ancient Kadampa Gompa has been
destroyed, the geomantic qualities that made Drak Yerpa a major
power place still remain and still attract hermits to its caves. |
Dhood Gu Hotel |
| 02-Aug'07 B/L/D |
Thursday |
Lhasa
AM: Potala Palace.
PM: Jokhang & Barkho Market. Overnight in Hotel.
Potala, the traditional home of the Dalai Lamas, is the site where
King Songtsen Gampo built his castle when he moved his capital
from Yarlung to the Lhasa area. His two wives, one an incarnation
of Green Tara and the other an incarnation of White Tara, were
instrumental in bringing the qualities of the female buddhas and the
dakinis to it, and it is filled with chapels dedicated to these feminine
divine forms.
Jokhang Temple is Tibet’s oldest temple and was built by King
Songtsen Gampo in approx. 650 AD for his Nepali wife Bhrikuti,
who is regarded as an incarnation of White Tara. It is considered to
be the primary seat in Central Asia of the Female Buddhas, and
also of all Dakinis.
The word Barkhor refers to the middle of the three concentric holy
circuits around the Jokhang Temple. The Barkhor Circuit runs
through the heart of the old city where life has changed little down
the centuries and it gives you a curious sensation of having slipped
through time into a medieval carnival. It is an area unrivalled in
Tibet for its fascinating combination of deep religiosity and pushes –
and – shoves market economics. This is both the spiritual heart of
the holy city and the main commercial districts being the center of
Tibetan capital's trade for centuries.
Afternoon you have time to explore Lhasa on your and for any last
minute shopping before we begin our long drive to Kailas. |
Dhood Gu Hotel |
| 03-Aug'07 B/L/D |
Friday |
Shigatse
Drive to Shigatse via the northern route which is about 4 hours.
We will make a stop in a Bon monastery on the way if time permits. |
Manasarovar Hotel |
| 04-Aug'07 B/L/D |
Saturday |
Ngamring
Visit Tashilunpo monastery and drive to Ngamring. Overnight in
tented camp.
Tashiluno Monastery: It was founded in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama.
This monastery is one of the few monasteries in Tibet that
weathered the stormy seas of the Cultural Revolution. This
monastery houses the Maitreya Buddha statue weighing 275 Kg
made of gold and 26 meters in height. |
Camp |
| 05-Aug'07 B/L/D |
Sunday |
Saga
Drive to Saga. Approx. drive 8-9 hours. Day drive along the shores
of the Tsong Po River to Saga. Along the way we see nomadic
Drokpa camps surrounded by the yaks, sheep and goats.
Overnight in tented camp. |
Camp |
| 06-Aug'07 B/L/D |
Monday |
Paryang
Drive to Paryang. Approx. drive 8-9 hours. Day drive through the
village of Zongba and camp at Paryang. Overnight in tented camp. |
Camp |
| 07-Aug'07 B/L/D |
Tuesday |
Manasarovar Lake
Another day of 8-9 hours drive with a few river crossings. We
arrive in Chiu Gompa, Manasarovar. Overnight in Guest House. |
Guest House |
| 08-Aug'07 B/L/D |
Wednesday |
Manasarovar Lake
Rest day at Manasarovar Lake. The lake is Tibet’s most sacred
and beautiful lake. Kora in vehicles of the holy lake. Overnight in
Guest House. |
Guest House |
| 09-Aug'07 B/L/D |
Thursday |
Kailas Kora
Drive about an hours to Darchen and (Kora) walk to Tarboche.
Darchen is a little village where most of the travelers organize their
Kora to Kailas. Here is a small monastery and a significant Tibetan
site. We will trek to Tarboche, about 2 hours of easy walking. Camp
after Tarboche (15,500 ft.). The camp is in a large meadow with
view of the west face of Mt. Kailas. Overnight in tented camp. |
Camp |
| 10-Aug'07 B/L/D |
Friday |
Kailas Kora
Kora to Diraphuk, about 5 hours.
It is an easy walk following the Lham Chhu River. There is a
monastery in Diraphuk across the river in the south. To the north of
our camp is Kailas. Driraphuk is at an altitude of 16450 ft and it is
our highest camp on this pilgrimage. Overnight in tented camp. |
Camp |
| 11-Aug'07 B/L/D |
Saturday |
Kailas Kora
Kora - Cross Drolma La to Lham Chhu Khyr valley.
Kora to Lham Chhu Valley, about 7 hours walk. This is the longest
and most difficult day, also spiritually most rewarding as we trek
through Drolma pass at 18,200 ft. We will offer prayer flags
(please make sure you buy them in Boudha or Lhasa) and a picnic
lunch in Drolma La. As we descend from Drolma La on the right
below the path is the Gaurikund Lake, the Tibetans call it Tuje
Dzingbu, the Bathing Pool of Compassion. The descent to the valley
is steep. Overnight in tented camp. |
Camp |
12-Aug'07
B/L/D |
Sunday |
Kailas Kora
Kora - Cross Zutrulphuk to Darchen. 5 hrs walk. We continue our
walk through Lham Chhu Valley along side rows of Mani stone walls
before we reach Zutrulphuk, Cave of the Miracles. We continue to
Darchen, the end of our Kora. In Darchen we will ride our land
cruiser and drive to Mayum La. Overnight in tented camp. |
Camp |
13-Aug'07
B/L/D |
Monday |
Darchen
Rest day. We will drive to Tirthapuri hot springs for a soak and
come back to Darchen. Overnight in Guest House. |
Guest House |
14-Aug'07
B/L/D |
Tuesday |
Kailas Kora II
We begin our second of Kailas.
Kora to Diraphuk. Overnight in tented camp. |
Camp |
| 15-Aug'07 |
Wednesday
B/L/D |
Kailas Kora II
Kora - Cross Drolma La to Lham Chhu Khyr valley. Overnight
in tented camp. |
Camp |
16-Aug'07
B/L/D |
Thursday |
Kailas Kora II
Kora - Cross Zutrulphuk to Darchen. We will drive for a few hours
to our camp. Overnight in tented camp. |
Camp |
17-Aug'07
B/L/D |
Friday |
Paryang
Drive to Paryang. 8-9 hours. Overnight in tented camp. |
Camp |
| 18-Aug'07 |
Saturday
B/L/D |
Drive to Saga. 8-9 hours. Overnight in tented camp. |
Camp |
19-Aug'07
House/Camp |
Sunday
B/L/D |
Drive to Nyalam. From Saga we drive south towards Shisapangma and further down to Milarepa cave just before Nyalam. Overnight in
tented camp or a lodge in Nyalam. |
Guest |
20-Aug'07
B/L/D |
Monday |
Kathmandu
Drive to Kodari border and to Kathmandu. 6 Hours drive.
After immigration, we drive for about 20 minutes to the Friendship
Bridge, the border of Nepal and Tibet. This ride maybe in a truck or
a 45 minutes walk, depending on road conditions and weather.
Cross the bridge on foot to Kodari. After immigration & custom
formalities, we drive to Dhulikhel for lunch and continue to Kathmandu.
Overnight in hotel. |
Hotel Yak & Yeti |
21-Aug'07
B/L/D |
Tuesday |
Fly to USA. Transfer to airport for your flight home. In the morning B/-/-
after breakfast we will transfer you to the airport for your flight home. |
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