It was a long awaited wish of mine to see the Potala palace in person and after several years of trying it came true in May 2007. It really is a breathtaking view and despite all the attempts of the Chinese government to profane it the Potala spreads out an overwhelming aura of spirituality. The neverending stream of pilgrims circulating round it underlines this spirituality.

Late in the evening when the sky is dark and the Potala is lit by spotlights, they have a set of color-lit fountains on the huge square opposite the Potala to which they play classic evergreens such as the "Blue Danube Waltz" or the "Hungarian Rhapsody" loud but in poor quality. The whole scenery is then quite bizarre, a bit like one would imagine a Potala Hotel in Las Vegas. But even that couldn't take away the Potalas dignity.