Shigatse and Tashilumpo
After an exhilarating day at Rongbuk and Everest Base Camp, we had another long drive to get to Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet, staying at the Van Ray Hotel. The heaters did not work very well here, breakfast was poor but it was an easy walk to the main street and Tashilumpo Monastery the next day. The afternoon was free for our first open afternoon. Tashilumpo, one of the six great Gelugpa institutions (along with Drepung, Sera and Ganden), was founded in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama. It became the seat of an important lineage - that of the Panchen Lama. The Panchen Lama's role is to help in the search for the next Dalai Lama. The Kora around Tashilumpo takes about an hour and provides great views of Shigatse and the valley in which it sits. Lots of shopping and seemed to be more prosperous than I remember from 2006.