Ganden Monastery and meeting Natalie Portman

The next day Lee and I went to Ganden Monastery on the bus. We had to get up at 6.15 to get the bus. Boo!! The Monastery is at 4700m above sea level so around 1000m above Lhasa but i thought I could handle it. We got on to the very full local bus with two Israeli girls, who were off on a 5 day hike. I was so jealous! If I had more time I would have loved to have joined them.

The view from the Monastery


On the bus Lee and I sat with 4 monks on the raised section at the front of the bus next to the driver. It was a very tight fit and the monk next to me kept falling asleep on my shoulder. Haha!The bus ride took about 1.5 hours.

The monk asleep on my shoulder. He looks like ET in this photo.

We had a look around the monastery for about 2 hours and then sat around talking to the locals who worked at the tourist stalls.

Photos from the Monastery:

While we were chatting to the locals a huge bus pulled up and only 6 people got off. One of them was Natalie Portman. Lee was so excited walked up and introduced himself.

We then sat around chatting to the locals again waiting for our bus back to Lhasa which was due to arrive in 3 hours.

Me dressed like a local Me and one of the locals

Natalie and her team finished looking around the Monastery and returned to their bus. Lee asked if we could get a lift back to town. She said that it was fine so we went home in style.

On the bus ride home no one talked to us. They didn't even ask where we were from or anything. Lee declared he no longer had a crush on Natalie and was glad that he had closure. The whole bus ride was so surreal.


That afternoon my guts were really bad and I got some bread and honey from the supermarket and ate that for lunch. I had been sick for about 5 days and was over it. I went to bed and was meant to get up at 6pm and meet the dutch girls and Lee to see a local Tibetan who wanted to tell us his story. I really wanted to go but was too sick and slept too long.


Instead when I woke up I went to the Jokhang and hung out with a Monk and his family for a few hours. Back at the hostel I meet up with this woman who had been sick in bed for the past 4 days with Altitude sickness. Me and some other convinced her that she needed to go to the hospital. She was in Lhasa with 3 friends who had just left her at the hostel while they went sight seeing. I couldn't believe they had not tried to help her. We told them they should take her to the hospital and they agreed but I don't know if they meant it.


That night I had dinner with the English guys and Mel.We had yummy street food!! After dinner Mel, Will and I sat around and talked. A bit later Lee and the dutch girls returned from their meeting with the Tibetan guy. They were all very moved by his story and the problems in Tibet.


The man had told them about what life was really like in Tibet. At school the children had to say "The Dalia Lama is bad!" every Thursday. If they do not say it like they meant it the whole family was in trouble and could be jailed. The people of Tibet have no passports or ID and so can not leave China ever!


The government controls who and how many people are monks. The monks feels like they are performing in a Zoo for tourist. They are told which traditions they can perform and when they can do them with no consideration for the actual Tibetan traditions. Monk's rooms are searched regularly for images of the Dalia Lama.


The Tibetan man was from a nomadic tribe and had been studying Tibetan medicine at the local university but could not get his degree as he could not afford the fees. The cost of a degree in Tibet EURO 1400. They had no way of paying the fees and could not get a loan from a bank or anything. The dutch girls were so upset by it and wanted to give him money. Mel started debating all the reasons why this was not a good idea and things got a bit intense.


Mel had some good point. If they gave him the money then the government will know that he had told people about his problems and he would be jailed for talking. The Chinese government never expect him to be able to pay it so how can he ever pay it.


The debate continued for a while and finally everyone went to bed. In the morning i left for Xian to meet my Dad and Sister.