Sakya Monastery,  Tibet, China Week 130 September 28th 2013
                       
The red engine warning light still comes on at higher altitudes.

Dave sent us an OBDII connector which we collected in Lhasa.

This bit is from a BMW. 40 pins, which when opened up has only three wires.

Just what we need - the three wires are connected to the correct pins in the OBDII (left hand) socket.

 
This is the existing OBDII socket in the truck. Only one wire.

Cut it, connect to the right wire in our new socket. Add +ve and -ve from cigarette lighter socket to the other two wires.

Connect special cable from socket to USB on computer.

Alas, unable to read the engine control unit. We'll have to wait until we are home, unless something else goes wrong. 

 
Greeenhouses.

We've seen lots, just hard to photograph on the fly.

 
The Sakya Monastery has parts on both sides of a river.

This is the bit we didn't visit.

 
A bit of rebuilding occurring around the monastery.

The slow process of decorating the eaves.

 
The monastery has a very solid wall round it.

Basically square with one entrance.

 
We saw this type of construction at the Potala Palace.

The small sticks pass through the wall providing a bit of "air conditioning".

From trees that only grow above about 4,000m - I guess it reduces the transport cost.

 
What is the significance of the peacocks?
 
We haven't seen any trees which are big enough to have provided the boards for the front door.

Probably because they've been chopped down for front doors!!!!!

 
There's a central courtyard, and a central building.

Guarded by snow lions.

 
The plan!

There's apparently a Mongolian influence to the architecture.

Perhaps a result of the support of the Mongolians in maintaining power.

 
The snow lions.
 
No photos .... but if we turn the sound on the camera off ....

This is the assembly hall.

 
Monks accommodation inside the compound.

A lot of the chapels were dark.

We also found a lot of warding off demons.

At one time the Sakya Sect may have ruled Tibet.

 
Just like a walled town. We could walk around the wall.
 
What happens to old speed tickets?
 
We haven't been too sure if we could have found "better" camp sites.

We passed a cycling tour camped for the night with their support vehicle.

 
And so towards Everest - the national park entrance.
 
Higher, less vegetation, bits of snow. 
 
Clouds.
 
We found a track down to the river and a bridge over it towards a village.

Stopped to share the marmots camp site.

 
And hoped for a glimpse of distant mountains.

We filled the water tanks.

 
Said hello to a passing herder on his way home.
 
To Zhangmu, Tibet, China Week 131 September 29th 2013
 
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