Tibet

Johkang Temple, one of the holiest sites in Tibet, draws pilgrims from all corners of the country.

These monks were preparing for a festival the following day.  They, like Bruce, were drinking coke zero.

Potala Palace, now open to the public, was previously the home of the Dalai Lama and his administration.  It's repainted annually with white pigment, yak milk and sugar.

The three colors of the palace signify the function of each structure: red=religious, white=administrative, yellow= living quarters

These ladies were among the thousands who visit the palace daily.  The locals were very quick to smile and loved Kida's blond hair.  Their own hair was usually waist length braids (men and women)  interwoven with colorful pieces of cloth.  These aprons with the horizontal lines indicate that they're married.

The practice of prostrating yourself on your way to the temple is pretty common.  Some villagers take 2-3 years to arrive in Lhasa in this manner, pushing a pebble in front of them the whole way…. and I thought P90x was hard.

Jex is now 6'4" and the Tibetans always grinned when they mimed how tall he was.

Time's up

Time's up… we're on our way home to California

Yangshuo

Yangshuo is the poster child for China, picturesque, friendly and bike friendly.  The smoke in the background is from fireworks for a wedding party.

It flooded the first couple of days we were there.  The stone causeway to our lodge was 4' under water.  Fortunately there was an alternate route.

Friends from Canada joined us and we biked along the rivers and through the ancient towns.

This area supports two rice crops annually.  The rice straw hats that always seemed so comical to me now made a lot of sense in the sweltering heat.