Yamdrok lake

  Drepung Monestary

Lake Yamdrok, one of Tibet's sacred lakes. The lake is remarkably blue, much like Crater Lake in Oregon, but for a different reason. Crater Lake's blue is a result of its depth (1,000 feet below)-- white light enters the deep waters and most frequencies (colors) are absorbed. Blue and violet escape, giving the lake a deep, rich, indigo color. Yamdrok is quite shallow, The lake is a dead salt lake -- no rivers feed it -- and it is considered to be the abode of certain protector deities.    

Sera Monastery located in Lhasa's northern suburbs, is also an institution of extraordinary beauty. The complex is somewhat smaller than Drepung, but it is otherwise similar, with many beautiful statues and paintings within. Behind Sera, well up the mountainside, is a small building that is evidently intended for meditation retreats, and I do believe that given its high place on the slope, few tourists would be able to ascend to the building to pester the monks. From the rooftop of one of Sera's buildings, one can look across Lhasa's northern district at the Potala, which stands prominently above the streets on the hill

Drepung Monastery is a large complex of buildings, most of which are decorated in the maroon and white motif common to Tibetan religious architecture. This shot shows the richness of the gold decorations one sees on the rooftops. The slide was taken on an automatic exposure setting and, though resized and cropped slightly, is otherwise unaltered.