Another highlight of my visit was visiting the Sera Monastery which is famous for its debating monks. This has a long tradition where senior monks debate with young ones teaching them a Buddhist wisdom while using some gestures and clapping of hands, which is believed to have a symbolic value. Even without the knowledge of language I could sense a deep respect and discipline of the young monks towards their teachers.
On the way to the highest monastery in the world, I visited a local Tibetan family and they invited me for their tea ceremony typically slowly sipped and drunk from wooden bowls. I tasted a salty yak tea for the first time in my life and the drinking of yak tea is a regular part of Tibetan life and an important social activity. The main ingredient is butter, but it provides calories, energy and subsidies of fresh fruits and vegetables, which are difficult to grow in the high altitude.