Lhasa, monasteries and Western Tibet

<p>Has anyone been in Lhasa recently and in general central and western Tibet?<br>

I will heading over to Mt. Kailash in September starting out in Lhasa and visiting Gyantse, Shigatse etc. I keep reading different accounts of where you can photograph. While older posts talk about high fees to shoot in the Potala, others simply state that photography is no longer allowed there at all. Other sites have various fees but it is hard to discern whether flash is allowed or tripods permitted. </p>

<p>In eastern Tibet it varied a lot but tripods were never an issue and few places had a fee - but they were less regulated by the state and more by the monks it seemed. If anyone has had any recent experience I'd would love to hear about it.</p>

<p>My current plan is to take two cameras - my new 5D II with the 24 - 105 and my trusty 20D with the 70 - 200 f/4 - I've often found the longer lens better for people shots and for isolating sections of the mtns. I wanted to minimize lens changes as everyone keeps mentioning dust problems in the west - not much of an issue in Amdo and Kham, at least in rainy season... </p>

<p>But I'm not keen on trekking around Kailash lugging both. Again, has anyone been out that way that can comment on the dust issue and lens changes.<br>

Many thanks,<br>

Jeff</p>