Tibet

 

March 14, 2026

For Spring Break the students got to choose someplace in Asia to spend their week. Most of them selected to see another location in Japan. Three went to Malaysia and one went to South Korea. We decided to tour Tibet! We met up with Karl's grad school roommate and his wife in Xining to board the train for a 22-hour trip to Lhasa!

Karl and Jeff checking out the bunk situation in our cabin.

The train departed at 10:00 pm. We had the cabin to ourselves. We got in, found space for us and our luggage, made our beds and settled in. About three hours later I woke up with symptoms of altitude sickness. I didn't want to wake anyone so I thought I would get out of bed and get some fresh air in the hallway. That was a bad idea! I quickly learned just sitting up made me feel like passing out. We had the ability to have oxygen in our room but you had to call the steward and I didn't want to wake anybody up at 3:00am. So, I lay down again, focused on my breathing and fell back as we continued to climb through the night.

View from the train.

We had some games and a movie to watch as we made our journey, but we ended up not being able to stop watching the view. The scenery was stunning! We saw plains of permafrost, glaciers, rivers, herds of sheep, yaks and an animal the Tibetans call a blue sheep, that really isn't a sheep. We also watched the traffic outside our cabin door. The train wasn't policed in the same way the trans-Mongolian train we took in 2017 was. We had plenty of "hard berth" passengers sitting on pop-down stools in our hallway and sleeping on the benches (and floor) in the adjoining dining car. We were the only Western people on the train, as well as in the city of Xining where we began. In fact, the only foreigners we saw on our entire journey were the fellow companions on our tour and one couple on a private tour.

This sign, halfway on our journey, says we were at 15,426 feet--higher than any mountain in the continental US. After we woke up, we ate breakfast on the train. After we saw the kitchen crew washing the dishes in the bathroom sink in the hallway, we decided we would not partake of any more meals in the dining car. I'm suffering from a bout a food poisoning as I write this, so I will not dwell too much on the food. Also, having access to Google products behind the Great China Firewall means I will just briefly describe a few of the things we saw.

Rocky hills behind the Drepung Monastery

Bonism is the local animistic religious tradition of Tibet. Buddhism was introduced to Tibet in the 8th century by King Songtsen Gampo. The people of Tibet adopted Buddhism but retained some of their Bon traditions. If you zoom in on the rocks, you can see ladders painted on them. They paint ladders as a spiritual symbol representing their aspirations for a path to enlightenment, higher consciousness and desire for a better reincarnation.

Pictures were not allowed in the monasteries. We visited many and there are many uniquely Tibetan characteristics. Instead of burning incense, they burn yak butter. In fact, Tibet smells of yaks from the butter burning in the altars of the temples and monasteries, and in their kitchens and at night they burn yak dung for cooking and heat. The monasteries are also filled with chapels honoring the Dalai Lamas, the Panchen Lamas and Je Tsongkhapa, the founder of the yellow hat school of Tibetan Buddhism.

At the Sera monastery we got to watch the monks debate. The monks who are seated are the defenders and the ones standing are the challengers. The seated monks offered a Buddhist philosophical thesis. The standing monk tries to find the weak points in their thinking. The discourses go back and forth between the two demarcated by a loud clap of their hands which symbolizes the destruction of ignorance and the unison of wisdom. The monks compete and those who win are often awarded prized opportunities for further study.

Getting ready to climb the steps to Potala Palace.

We spent a half day at the Potala Palace. I read that climbing the steps to get to it is the equivalent of climbing to the top of a 13 story building. But doing that at 12,000 feet is much more difficult! It took only  about 5 to 6 stairs before we felt winded! We took it nice and slow, pausing to enjoy the views. The Palace was the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas from 1649 - 1959. It is a tightly guarded tourist spot where we had to pass through security and show our passports. The white walls are refreshed each year by using a "paint" of yak milk and sugar. Tibetans gather as a community and throw it at the walls. Chinese tourists sometimes lick the building to see if the rumor they have heard is true! The deep red portions are painted yack fur. Pictures were not allowed inside but we saw the chapels, meditation rooms and reception rooms of many former Dalai Lamas.

Pilgrims crossing the street.

There were throngs of local pilgrims at all of the sites we visited. The women, if they are married, wear aprons. Most of the men wear cowboy hats! Tibetans go on pilgrimages to purify themselves and to accumulate merit in hopes of a better reincarnation in their next life. We saw parents bringing babies to be blessed. We saw sons carrying their lame father on their back up incredibly steep steps to make the rounds of all the chapels in a monastery. They are a devoted people!

When they arrive at a holy image, they prostrate themselves to the ground and use slippery hand paddles that allow them to quickly slide completely flat. They then sit back on their legs and fully stand up. They do it over and over--perhaps 10,000 times over weeks or months. It is an impressive feat! It is a symbolic representation of humility and the act can absolve them of their sins.

Road trip!

We took a 7-hour overnight trip to see Shigatse, the seat of the Panchen Lama (second in command). We were a group of twelve: 4 Malaysians, 1 Canadian, 2 Australians and 1 Mexican. The fellow travelers were one of the highlights of the trip. We enjoyed their insights and company.

Blue Sheep

We pulled over to get a picture of these blue sheep. Our guide said they are usually only seen in the high country. (I thought we were in the high country!) They are really goats with sheep-like traits.

We saw incredibly still lakes with mountain peaks behind them. The humidity was 1%, so it is very, very dry this time of year.

We saw glaciers. Our guide was upset that a Chinese movie company intentionally blew up part of this glacier for a scene in their film.

We saw lots of prayer flags! Each of the colors are symbolic and represent the five elements. They are not intended to convey the prayers to the gods, but rather to bless all beings. They are stamped with these prayers and hung horizontally on mountain tops and across streams. When they become tattered, they are burned. We also learned that Tibetans prefer "sky burials" for their deceased loved ones. The body of the deceased is carried to the top of a mountain where carrion birds can consume the body. 

The entrance to a monastery in Shigatse that also served as the Panchen Lama's residence for many centuries. The current Panchen Lama is in Beijing and has not visited this sight since he was seized by the government. We did not discuss this point. Our guide only said "he comes here sometimes."

Yellow Hat lamas walking the monastery corridors.

We drove back to Lhasa and the trees were starting to bloom! We anticipated that Tibet would be one of our coldest locations, but it was in the 60s and beautiful! We spent the night and went our separate ways. We flew on to Fuzhou to meet the students and class starts on Monday morning.

 

Sushi Making

 

Presenting the ten pieces of sushi we each made.

February 26, 2026

We went with the students after class today to a Shinjuku restaurant for a sushi making lesson. Good thing we didn't eat much for lunch because we got to eat everything we made. Two are lean tuna (akami), two are fatty tuna (chutoro), three are salmon, two are flounder and one is called Japanese omelette.

The first step was grating the wasabi root with the metal grater. The sushi chef taught us the specific way to pick up the sushi rice in our dominant hand and how to roll it carefully into a ball without crushing the grains of rice. With our other hand, we picked up a piece of fish and applied a small dab of wasabi paste. Then we placed the small ball of rice underneath, making sure to create a small hole in the bottom of the ball. Then we placed the fish on top and formed it into the shape of a rising loaf of bread.

When we formed them all, the sushi chef came to each of us and placed a dab of mayo on one of the salmon pieces and caramelized the top with a torch. One of the restaurant workers was documenting everything for their Instagram page!

Karl getting the hang of shaping his pieces. 

The sushi chef brought around this seventeen pound chunk of tuna for us to hold. This piece is worth $400!

The sushi was delicious. When everyone was done eating, the sushi chef suggested a wasabi eating contest. These three students agreed to the challenge. They each ate their piece with that much fresh wasabi and held it down! It didn't seem like an appetizing way to finish a meal, but you can see it on Itamae Sushi's Instagram page.

We took a tour of the Meiji Shrine yesterday in the rain with a Shinto priest. His name is Ito, and he explained all about the history of the Shinto religion in Japan. Shintoism has no founder. There is no sacred text. There is not a strict moral code. There is a reverence for nature because they believe that spirits or divine energies inhabit all natural things such as rain, rivers, rocks, trees etc.

Ito gave us a presentation in which he described how Japanese people pick and choose what types of ceremonies they want to hold. Only one percent of the Japanese population are Christians, 46-56 percent are Buddhist and 48-67 percent live a Shinto life. It is common for many Japanese to have a blend of Shinto-Buddhist practices. But we were surprise to learn what percent of the population have Christian marriages! While we were at the shrine, we saw a baby blessing group and a wedding party arrive.

We also got to observe a blessing ceremony where a Shinto priest prayed for our safe travels and for the University of Puget Sound. We were not allowed to take pictures, but a priest chanted, two other priests played flutes and two young girls dressed in red dresses with flowers in their hair danced.

Tokyo Temple and Trip to Nikko

 

Tokyo temple

February 24, 2026

We attended one of the English-speaking wards on Sunday that meets next to the Tokyo Temple. It was a big ward with lots of visitors and diversity. We were told ward members come from twenty-five different countries. We had hoped we could attend the temple while we are here, but it is closed for spring cleaning.

The temple grounds are small but very pretty with the manicured shrubs and small ponds.

We left early Monday morning for an overnight trip to Nikko. We took the subway to the train, to a bus and arrived in time for lunch. Karl had the fish lunch set. I tried the signature delicacy of Nikko yuba, which is tofu skin. My lunch came with little dishes that had it prepared in lots of different ways with different sauces. It was good! You can also see it in the blue bowl on Karl's tray.

I found a photo of me on our last trip to Nikko nineteen years ago.

So, we took another one at the same spot. The addition of the shed and the tarp in front of the pagoda doesn't add much. The pagoda has five levels. They represent the five elements of Buddhist cosmology. From bottom to top: earth, water, fire and wind. The fifth level represents nothingness. 

Yomeimon Gate is known as "the most beautiful gate in Japan."

We visited one temple and two shrines, the Rinno-ji Temple founded in 782 and the Toshogu Shrine and the Futaransan Shrine. The Toshogu Shrine is the most famous. It was built in 1617 to honor and enshrine Tokugawa Ieyasu the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Following his death, he was elevated to the status of a Shinto deity (at his own suggestion!) Photos were not permitted inside the shrine but this gate demonstrates by it's masterful craftsmanship that it was a statement of the power and wealth of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

It felt like we were in a Washington State Park. We climbed over 200 steps to get to the Okumiya (inner shrine mausoleum). Somehow, we don't remember the steps from our last trips, probably because it wasn't as tiring to climb them nineteen years ago!

There are several notable things to see at this UNESCO World Heritage site. This sleeping cat sculpture is one of them. The sleeping cat signifies peace and Tokugawa Ieyasu liked to be known as the one who brought peace to Japan.

Another well known feature of this shrine complex are these three monkeys. They are a reminder to live a virtuous life by admonishing to hear no evil, speak no evil and see no evil.

This pillar is known as a sakasabashira (inverted pillar). It is on the backside of the Yomeimon Gate and is intentionally placed upside down (the clouds are upside down) to represent deliberate imperfection. It warns against the superstitious belief that perfection invites destruction.

Tokugawa Ieyasu's palanquin.

Every year these palanquins temporarily carry the three enshrined Shogun deities on the "Procession of a Thousand Warriors" parade. After the temples and shrines, we went in a museum that held some of the personal effects of Ieyasu. Then we headed to our onsen hotel.

Our onsen was built on a hot spring. They had a swimming pool and public hot baths. Our hotel room had tatami mats for beds and came with a yukata we could wear to the baths or even to the restaurant!

We had a group dinner with so many different dishes: sashimi, shabu shabu, so many little pickeled dishes and flavors!

And then we did it all again for breakfast! Why not have salmon, salad and tofu soup in the morning?

Last Days With Lauren in Tokyo

 

View of Tokyo with Mt Fuji in the distance.

February 20, 2026

We tried to catch more Tokyo highlights before Lauren needed to return. It was a clear, windy morning so we went to the Metropolitan Government Building to check out their 45th floor observation deck. Karl asked one of the workers on the ground floor if you can see Mt Fuji from the viewing point and he was told no. That worker needs to take a look. There were signs identifying the buildings and naming the landmarks.

It is mind boggling to think that there are over 37 million people live in Tokyo. It beats Delhi at 33 million.

We haven't seen much modern urban architecture in our travels so far. Tokyo has some cool buildings.

Godzilla was climbing over the top of this building in the Ginza district.

This building is on Kappabashi Street. We spent too long looking at Japanese dishes, knives and cookware.

Also on Kappabashi Street. It is a haven for aspiring cooks.

We checked out an 11-story Muji store in Ginza that has a hotel on the top floors, a restaurant, a diner and floors and floors that felt like a Muji version of IKEA. So many cool things!

We went into a multi-story Uniqlo that had a flower shop on the ground floor.

We spent several hours in the Tokyo National Museum. It has six different buildings located in Ueno Park. I could easily go back before we leave Tokyo. We spent most of our time in the Japanese Gallery. The English signage was the best we have seen in any of the museums we have visited on this trip. 

We saw armors and swords. This is the armor of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.

This is a Japanese Hina doll dressed in Heian period clothing. We will be here for the Hinamatsuri Festival on March 3rd. Traditionally, the dolls acted as scapegoats to absorb misfortune and take on bad luck. 

The park on the museum grounds features five historic tea houses that have been donated and moved to this site.

We ate at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant. It was amazingly inexpensive. We will be doing that again before we leave!

It is not Sakura season yet, but we keep finding trees in bloom!