Happy New Year Tibetan style 12/31-1/1
We drove back to Shigatse yesterday. I slept most of the way since I didn't sleep last night from my cold. The guest house was fine, they gave us heating blankets to sleep on, but the inside toilets were frozen so we had to go across the street to the public toilet. Kinda miserable in the cold at night, plus they were overflowing. Since the inside toilets were closed, they decided to hang a dead dried lamb. It caught us offguard when we turned on the lights. This is why I just want to eat veg. 
We wanted to go to a nice restaurant to celebrate New Years but all the restaurants are closed due to the offseason and cold. We went to one restaurant that had the only other white people. It wasn't impressive, standard Chinese food. Chinese food is weird, it's the only cuisine that tastes exactly the same as in the US. Back at our hotel and we watched the Golden Child on Netflix (which somehow the government hasn't blocked) and was impressed on the likeness of Kathmandu and the yellow hat sect monks in Tibet. No fireworks or public celebration tonight. Explosives aren't allowed here. Bed before 10.
Today we headed back to Lhasa. On the way we stopped by Gyantse Fort which the British built in 1904. We got out to take pics and noticed the police at the square had blankets and fire extinguishers in case any self-immolation was going to occur.
We drove by a glacier that used to reach the road but has receded so much from global warming. We passed a lake caused by a dam, and a huge beautiful natural lake (Yamzho Yumco) w Everest in the distance w sheep grazing by the water.
We reached Lhasa and checked into the same hotel in old town. We got out as much cash as we could to pay X for the tour- we assumed we could pay w a CC since the tour was so much, nope only cash. That could be a problem since we can only take out so much each day. I think we'll be able to get out enough. Back to Lhasa Kitchen for dinner. Same food this time as last except we opted for butter naan instead of the weird Kashmir Xmas naan. We saw an old picture of Tibet were people used to live below the Palace before China leveled it with concrete and put in the light and music show.
We headed for the Potala Palace to get some night shots, hopefully they don't turn off the lights before we get there. We walked passed the large cement phallic symbol of power China put in where Tibetan houses were to demonstrate "liberation". All the lights and music blaring tries to take away from the beauty of the Palace. It's a shame China has to try to ruin the ambiance of the Palace as well everything else they've ruined. The yellow window blinds were up- they are only supposed to be when the Dali Lama is present but of course China violated that belief as well. We walked across the front of the Palace counter-clockwise to take some pictures so if shit goes down our karma has been ruined and we know why. People were still prostrating around the building at night in the cold. That's belief. The Vegasness around the Palace is a reminder of the oppression and destruction China has placed on this land and people. People who want nothing but to practice their religion and go about as they please- freedom. Tibetans are beautiful people and it breaks my heart to hear and see what they've gone/are going through. Hopefully one day they will be free.