Cheng Du, China. The gateway city to Lhasa, Tibet

Amazing pandas at the research center outside Cheng Du

This little guy was only 10 days old

There are only 1000 giant pandas left. This little guy is 3 months old

Lisa is holding a red panda (more like a racoon than a giant panda)

The impressive Potala. Former seat of religious and political power and former home of the now exiled Dalai Lama

Beijing Road. The main road in Lhasa

Prayer wheels line the circuit around the Potala

Walking around the Jokhung Circuit; people loved looking at our books since the Chinese ban so many

Barkhor Square, home of the Jokhung Temple and the heart of old Tibet

Some young monks surround Micahel at Barkhor Square

The view from our room at the Dhood Gu Hotel

Infectious smiles

Prayer flags adorn almost every hilltop and mountain in Tibet

More prayer wheels

Modern and not so modern buddhists walking a prayer circuit

A face full of character

Lisa's brother David & wife Della joined us in Lhasa!

A small candlelit temple outside of the Jokhung Temple

Yak butter candles

Saying a prayer

David & Della relaxing inside the Jokhung courtyard

More beautiful smiles

On the roof of the Jokhung with the Potala in the distance

Pilgrims prostrate day & night outside the Jokhung

On top of all the temples, this is the Wheel of the Eightfold Path

Shadowplay

Walking the Potala Circuit

The abominable snowwoman outside our broken down van on the way to Nalenta Monastery

Tibetan toilets are a sight (and smell) to behold

A group tiolet at Nalenta Monastery

Our private outdoor toilet at the monastery

The four of us spent the night at Nalenta Monastery a few hours outside of Lhasa

Inside one of the temples. Nalenta was built i nthe 7th century and destroyed by the Chinese in the 1950's. Some of the buildings have been rebuilt.

Monks debating in teh courtyard using their flamboyant techniques of distraction

The monks were mesmorized by D&D's copy of the Dalai Lama's autobiography as anything with his image is banned

Our bedroom in the monastery doubles as our kitchen

An impressive yak on the hillside near Ganden Monastery

Another yak with a great view of the monastery

The monks' beautiful maroon robes provide a striking contrast to their surroundings

More spirited debating in the courtyard

David and our guide watching the debates with the Himalayas serving as the backdrop

At a cute restaurant above the Barkhor circuit

At a local pub in Lhasa with a bunch of fellow travelers

Hiking up the mountaiside above Ganden

Della enjoying a moment of peace and reflection

Hanging prayer flags at 14,840 feet!

Our first flat tire on the friendship highway. 15,160 feet

For long stretches there are many more sheep than cars on the road

We took a short break in the small town of Nangatse

Buying supplies during our 3-day journey from Tibet to Nepal

The scenery was absolutely beautiful

Day #1 and flat tire #2

We stopped in Nandon to patch the tires. The kids loved the video camers

The first mountain pass. The air is very thin at 17,200 feet.

Outdoor pool tables abound in Tibet

On the road to Everest Base Camp, the cars become fewer and fewer

The mighty Mt. Everest. The highest peak in the world at over 29,000 feet

We were lucky that it was a perfectly crisp, clear day

Trekking from the Tibet side of Everest is rare and at this time of year, base camp was empty

Back on the dusty road

Shishapanga in the distance

From Rongpu Monastery, only 8km from Everest Base Camp

At the cliffside border town. Tibet is on the left & Nepal on the right

On the Friendship Bridge straddling the two countries

Navigating our way through the mud and traffic to Nepalese customs