Episode 075: Half A World Away

Homesick and Altitude Sick in Lhasa. Today was a day of contrasts for me. On one hand I was amazed and enthralled by the Potala Palace. On the other hand, I was sad beyond words.

We began the day by visiting the Palace. We actually walked there from our hotel and it was good to see more of Lhasa that way. Scott was able to stop at an ATM and get some cash. Always good to have.

We arrived at the Potala Palace and I was surprised to see this enormous square across the street. It was just huge, covering several acres. At one end is the Palace and at the other end is an incredibly large and tall monument to Chinese Communism. Again, a huge contrast.

The Potala Palace is amazing beyond words. It is so much larger than I had expected and much larger than it even looks from the outside. We couldn’t film anything inside of the Palace, so all I have to remember it all are memories. I’ll tell you what, I’ll never forget it. I think my jaw was dropping the entire time we were walking around the Palace! I mean, it it so large and old that it seems more geologic than man-made. Truly one of the treasures of our world.

Later on we had lunch and I could tell that the altitude was really affecting me. I couldn’t eat anything and was barely able to suck down a Coke. Although there was more sightseeing planned, I felt I needed to retire to the hotel room and rest. Besides, I was suffering from a huge lump in my throat due to the news that my wife was not pregnant.

It was a glorious, but tough day.

Jon Miller

Total Running Time: 27:30