Alexandra David-Neel

The author and narrator of "My Journey to Lhasa," Alexandra David-Neel is in her 50s as she sets out on her journey. It is her fifth time traveling into Tibet. She has studied Tibetan religion and culture, and is ordained as a Tibetan lama.

She does not travel as a lama, however, as the political situation in Tibet forbids foreign travelers. She draws upon her extensive experience living among Tibetans to successfully disguise herself as a native. She and her adopted son, Lama Yongden, travel to Lhasa pretending to be poor peasant beggars on a religious pilgrimage. She displays a deep resourcefulness in avoiding the suspicion of the people she meets in Tibet and in elaborating convincing stories that explain their purpose for being on the road. She is very bold when the situation calls for it, sometimes to the point of recklessness.

David-Neel admits in the...