The Potala Palace in Lhasa is the iconic symbol of Tibetan Buddhism.

Two monks discuss Tibet’s odyssey with The Idiot below the Potala Palace.

There are only thirty lamas maintaining the estimated 948 rooms in Lhasa’s Potala Palace, the traditional home of the Dalai Lama and the iconic symbol of Tibetan Buddhism.

Yet up to 2,000 tourists, pilgrims and government officials climbed 365 steps today to pay their respects, gawk at myriad treasures and/or admire the one-time home of the 14^th Dalai Lama, who grew up here but has lived in exile since 1959.

Getting to the palace is much easier for some than others.

If she can make it, you can too.

Tibetan pilgrims happy to be at the front door.

The entrance to the palace is a vivid reminder that its lawful tenant has been away for a while.

The middle staircase, reserved for the Dalai Lama, has been closed for over fifty years.

There are no photographs permitted inside the thirteen stories of one of the most remarkable manmade structures on earth. But it’s easy to imagine the present and past Dalai Lamas learning scriptures in the comfortable study hall, receiving foreign guests in the sumptuous reception rooms, practicing Buddhism in the serene meditation area and praying for all sentient beings in the ornate chapels.

White prayer scarves are reverently left in front of the Dalai Lama’s empty throne and piles of jiao/yuan notes decorate the three-dimensional golden mandalas, innumerable statues of the Buddha, golden stupas that include the tombs of past Dalai Lamas and almost every other palatial nook and cranny.

There are surprises around every corner, including a copy of a book by Barack Obama on one worn settee and a multi-hued but varied décor in every room.

There are only, besides a palace-wide wi-fi, a few things missing in this picture. They would include the 14^th Dalai Lama and the hundreds of thousands of Tibetans who have joined him in exile.

At the moment, despite progressive moves in many parts of China, it doesn’t look like anyone’s going to invite him/them back.

The Potala Palace is topped by a Chinese flag.

The Idiot raises a non-violent fist before entering the palace.

Text by Joel Stratte-McClure

Photos: Joel Stratte-McClure and Lex Hames (1)

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About Joel

Joel Stratte-McClure has been a global trekker since the 1970s. He lived in France for over 30 years, working as a journalist, before he turned his attention to a unique life-time-project of walking the shores of the Mediterranean. The first 4,401 kilometers are explored in his inspirational and entertaining first book "The Idiot and the Odyssey: Walking the Mediterranean." The next 4,401 kilometers are covered in the gods-filled sequel, "The Idiot and the Odyssey II: Myth, Madness and Magic on the Mediterranean,” published on Valentine's Day 2013. The last 4,401 kilometers will be discussed in the last book of the trilogy currently entitled "The Idiot and the Odyssey III: Alexander the Great Walks the Mediterranean."