View of Lhasa from the Potala

Holy smoke on Shoton Festival, sunrise at Drepung Monastery

Waiting crowd on Shoton Festival, Drepung Monastery

The arriving of the Thangka, Shoton Festival, Drepung Monastery

Lung-tar thrown in the air, Shoton Festival, Drepung Monastery

Unfolding the Thangka, Shoton Festival, Drepung Monastery

The Thangka almost unfolded, Shoton Festival, Drepung Monastery

Drepung Monestary, Lhasa

Unveiling the thangka, Shoton Festival, Drepung Monastery

The thangka, Shoton Festival, Drepung Monastery

Holy rock, Drepung Monastery, Lhasa

Monk with cellphone, Drepung Monastery, Lhasa

Curious monks at the Shoton Festival, Drepung Monastery

The thangka seen from Drepung Monastery

Shepherd with yaks along the Friendship highway

Yamdok Tso Lake seen from Kampala pass

Yamdok Tso Lake, seen from Kampala pass

Kampala pass,

altitude 4.794 m

Rice sheaves along Friendship Highway

Tibetan landscape, along Friendship Highway

Tibetan landscape, along Friendship Highway

Tibetan landscape, along Friendship Highway

Tibetan landscape,

on the way to Gyantse

Tibetan landscape,

on the way to Gyantse

Dzong (fort),

Gyantse

Pelkor Chode monastery, Gyantse

Somewhere along the Friendship Highway

somewhere along the Friendship Highway

Hill top view with corrals, along the Friendship Highway

Selling butter at

Samye Monastery

(or Samye Gompa)

Guardian lion at

Samye Monastery

(or Samye Gompa)

Praying pole,

Samye Monastery

 (or Samye Gompa)

Praying wheels of Samye Monastery

(or Samye Gompa)

Samye Monastery, first

 Buddhist monastery built in Tibet

Samye Monastery, first Buddhist monastery built in Tibet