Gorkha Hotel At 3500m above sea level, the air becomes thin enough for the body to manifest signs of Altitude Mountain Sickness, or AMS. Symptoms includes breathlessness, headaches, spells of dizziness and in more serious cases, constant vomiting and even coma, leading to death. Right now, at 3640m above sea level, all I can say I'm suffering from is breathlessness and massive disappointment at the weather here in Lhasa. Daytime temperatures hover about the 25 degrees Celsius mark in direct sunlight, making a mockery of all the long sleeved t-shirts and long pants I brought over. It doesn't get much cooler at night; 10 degrees maybe. Certainly bearable, and much higher than what I was lead to expect.

Lhasa is certainly more developed than I thought it would be. Walking through the streets, it reminds me of Kao Shiung in Taiwan. There's that one main street with the buildings lining along it, each of them not more than seven storeys or so high, adorned with bright garish neon lights advertising anything from Wella Spa to KTV lounges, definitely more of the latter. The difference lies in the little touches of Buddhism that is so prevalent in the society. Old women, hunched over as they walk, shaking their prayer wheels, on their way to the nearest temple to pray for inner peace or for grandchildren. Monks, in their saffron robes, walking everywhere, either to beg for alms or just to have some secular fun.

The mountains are the most impressive part of the city, encirling it, everywhere you see. Is it any wonder that the ancient Tibetians came to worship them as the dwelling of gods? Interesting anecdote: the tiptoeing only treat those mountains with snow caps as true mountains. Anything else is a hill to them.

Alright, off to the pothole Palace now. Updates should be quite regular till I leave this hotel in two days time.  ¶ 9:19:00 am