Against a landscape of stark rugged beauty, the people of Tibet devote their lives to Buddhism. Mysterious rituals dominate, from the imposing mural clad temples to handheld silver prayer wheels. My favorite place to observe their spectacular alchemy is on the overland journey from Lhasa to Gyantse, passing the sacred Lake Yamdrok that the locals believe is the transformation of a goddess.

A friendly old Tibetan woman with two teeth great us.
Yunbulakang Palace, Tibet’s oldest.
A worshipper at the Potala Palace in Lhasa.
A group of monk practicing a dance at Samye Monastery in Tibet.
An old Tibetan woman on the outskirts of Shigatse.
View of Samye monastery from a nearby hilltop.
Buddha display at Samye Monastery, Tibet.
A worshipper spinning prayer wheels at the base of Potala Palace in Lhasa.
An old Tibetan woman in Samye.
Sand dunes dominate the view on the way to Tsetang.
Portrait of a man from the Kham region of Tibet.
A yak casually walks across the road with Mt. Nojin Kangsang Glacier in the background.
A man spins prayer wheels with the Potala Palace in the background.
A flock of sheep graze with Yamdrok Lake in the background.
The beautiful high altitude Yamdrok Lake in Tibet.
View of Gyantse Dzong (fortress) in Tibet.
Aerial view of Yamdrok Lake, Tibet.
View of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet.