Mount Everest, Rongbuk Monastery and Back to Gyantse
After a few weeks I’m finally getting round to continuing the travel blog from Tibet. After a beautiful starry night at the foot of Mount Everest we got up early to experience the sunrise in front of the walls of Rongbuk Monastery, at almost 5,000 metres one of the highest monasteries in the world. It was cold again, but less windy this time than the evening before.
A cuckoo clock in Rongbuk Monastery
After breakfast we visited the old monastery – and to our astonishment a cuckoo clock was hanging there. Daniel, being from the Black Forest, felt almost at home. Then we headed back towards Lhasa, with a first overnight stop in Gyantse. The monastery of the Nyingma school lies at the end of the Dzakar Chu valley; the expeditions of the 1920s and 1930s stopped here, and the base camp for the north side of Everest lies around eight kilometres further south at the Rongbuk Glacier.
Rongbuk Monastery in the morning light, snowy Everest above.The first sun touches the summit face of Everest.A silhouette on the monastery wall, Everest in the first light.A white stupa against the light, Everest behind it on the right.Rong pu monastery – at almost 5,000 metres one of the highest monasteries in the world.A yellow door beneath ornate beams.A carved mani stone and a printed prayer flag.A white stupa with a golden spire above the prayer flags.Two visitors at the monastery gate.A large drum in front of a painted wall.A cuckoo clock in front of the mural – almost like the Black Forest.A framed poster with mountain and stupa.A folded red hat on the pile.The altar with butter lamps between painted pillars.Three seated Buddhas on a thangka.The monastery courtyard, Everest above the roof.Painted beams and a balcony balustrade.A bird on the painted balustrade.Red façade and green banner in the courtyard.The monastery rooftops, Everest behind.A wide valley with a village – the way back towards Gyantse.A motorbike on the pass road, the Himalayan range behind.Folded brown mountains under clouds.White houses on the plain before brown mountains.A dark gorge between bare rocks.Layered rock walls in a valley.A flock of sheep on the plain before a dark mountain.Rounded mountains in the evening light – Gyantse is not far now.
