在往後藏（岡巴拉山以東）日喀則地區的路上
陡坡上的寺院和蜘蛛網 似的經幡 The temples and prayer flags above the main temple form a web along the mountainside.	雅魯藏布江 Yarlung Zangbo River	Naughty cow.	收割後的青稞田 The harvested fields of barley, a staple grain for Tibetans.
。
雅魯藏布江 - 西藏最長的河，世界最高的河。 Yarlung Zangbo River - The longest river in Tibet and the highest river in the world.

 

後藏首府日喀則附近的扎什倫布寺
前門	曬佛台	窗	扎寺民主管理委員會
扎什倫布寺是中國黃教（格魯派）的六大寺院之一。經歷代班禪修繕擴建，現在是後藏地區最大的寺廟。我們參觀的時候，聽説年輕的十一世班禪（今年十六嵗）正從北京回到了這裡。他是中央政府批准認定的轉世靈童。十一世班禪一直在北京接受教育。許多遊客很想一睹他的風采，希望被他 “灌頂“。

 

藏民磕長頭是不管春夏秋冬和路途的遙遠。他們的飲食住宿和衣物如何打理呢？
原來有後勤車跟著他們，簡單的生存所需即有了着落。

These devout Buddhists make their pilgrimage to Lhasa kowtowing the entire way, regardless of relentless weather or great distance.  How do they manage their daily food, shelter and belongings?  Following the group is a caravan loaded with their basic necessities

這是藏民住的房子嗎？是的。這些房子都是中國各省對西藏的援助。
導遊對我們解釋：“就我們江蘇省來説，去年（2005）就援建了七億人民幣。
那紅房頂的是廣東省援建的，紫房頂是福建省建的，藍房頂是. . .”

Are these Tibetan houses?  Yes they are.  Each Tibetan community is sponsored by a different Chinese province.  As a Jiangsu person explained: "In 2005, Jiangsu province gave 7 billion RMB to develop a Tibetan community. The red-roofed houses are sponsored by Guangdong province, the purple-roofed houses are sponsored by Fujian province, the blue-roofed houses..."

 

"Supported by HeiLongJiang province"

 

 

在景區，公路旁，村落或小鎮，可看見許多有趣的標語。

 

高原也有地熱泉，溫度之高可以煮雞蛋。	觀光之処必有川味飯館。吃不來酥油糌粑就吃麻辣。	建設西藏的軍人隊。	火車翻過唐古拉山，進入西藏地區。
“天葬“（在山上進行的葬禮，將屍身割碎讓兀鷹刁食）是藏族人特有的喪葬方式，外界人對它的内容所知甚少，因此天葬在非藏人眼中十分神秘。 遊人到西藏來，多少會問起天葬的事。導遊曾在一處停下來，指着山上的某點說，"這就是天葬台，只能觀望，不得靠近!" 我用長焦距看到幾個白白的梯子，如此而已。導遊說，那些梯子叫 “天梯“。 兩個禮拜之後，在另外的地方，一個偶然的機會，我竟看到了天葬！但我和同伴説好了，我們都不會把圖片放在網上。也許有一天，我將另文敍述那奇遇。 The "Sky Burial" (a ceremony performed on the mountain top, by which the body of the diseased is chopped into pieces and to be served as food for vultures) is one of the death ceremonies of the Tibetan Buddhists.  Very few outsiders know about this custom, which makes the Sky Burial very mysterious.  Inevitably, passersby come to ask about the Sky Burial.  At one point, the guide stopped to indicate towards the cliffs and said, "This is the Sky Burial platform. You can only look at it. You cannot go towards it!"  I used my zoom lens to focus in on the white ladders painted on the rocks. The guide explained that the white ladders were called "Stairways to Heaven".   Two weeks later, and in a different location, I would have the opportunity to witness one of these Sky Burials.  I had agreed with my travel partners to respect these customs by not making the photographs on the web.  Perhaps one day, I will write an essay about this special experience.  （Translated by Cyndi Chiao)