Tibet and beyond

I am back in Khatmandu. It's Saturday afternoon, July 17th and I've returned from a seven day trip to Tibet, destination Lhasa. Seven minutes before landing I was thrilled to witness and photograph Mount Everest poking up through the clouds.

Day 1, July 10

I joined 20 other world travellers on our bus journey to Tibet. We left Kathmandu early in the morning and landed at the border in Kodari (Nepal). It was raining very hard and we had an interesting hour before we set foot on the Tibetan turf. We tried to keep calm and complacent as we endeavoured to keep the Tibet Tourist Visa stamp free from the rain. Very poor and persistent children hung around us and we gave them biscuits and I began to give out the first of many dozens of pencils for kids that I had brought specifically for this purpose.

When we got through the border we started our long journey, driving on the Friendship Highway, to Lhasa. We drove uphill to Zhangmu/ Nyalmu (formerly known as "the Road to Hell") and up to 3800 meters to Nyalam, a former trading post, where we stayed the night.

Day 2, July 11

We drove around a big pass called Lalung La 5050 meters, and later, Gachula Pass, 5200 meters. If the weather had been clear we would have seen Mt. Everest. We didn't. We were at this point getting to know one another and interest in each other's stories. Quite firm bonds were being made.

Day 3, July 12

WORLD CUP FINALS DAY, we had travelled past Gutsuo, 4400 meters and through Tingri, 4340 meters (1,000 square feet headwaters around Arun River). We came to Shigatse for two nights. Shigatse (3860 m) is the capital of the Tsang territory and the second largest city in Tibet, also famous for pilgrimages and hikes. We all went to bed early and woke up at 2:00 a.m to watch the very boring World Cup Finals, Spain vs. Germany. Little knowing the affect for me, I had one and a quarter beers and woke up with a terrible headache which lasted all day. Fortunately we had two nights, day 3 and day 4, in Sigatse (July 12 and 13). I was able to stay in bed on July 12, to nurse my headache unfortunately missing the visit to the famous Tashilumpo Monastry and the seat of the Pance Lama.

Day 5, July 14

We left Sigatse. We drove over Gyatchu La, the highest pass (5,220 m) on the Friendship Highway route to Lhasa. We trekked to to Palkhor Monastry and the Khumyum Stupa and stayed in Gyantse (3,990 m) the third most important city in Tibet known for its cultural and political importance and also for its many monastries

Day 6, July 15

We drove from Gyantse past Nakartse (4410 m), beautiful lakes area, and down a bit to Chusul or Quxul (3600 m). We arrived at our destination, Lhasa, early afternoon and had our first rather luxurious night's sleep in a quaint Chinese/Tibetan guest house. We were centrally situated, close to the often politically active, religiously vibrant and Tibetan handicraft stalls-loaded Barkher Market. Our small group settled into the Lhasa -n 'land of the gods' world from Thursday afternoon, July 15 until our departure this morning, Saturday, July 18.

The above is the Friendship Highway road route from Kathmandu, Nepal to Lhasa, Tibet. I have not mentioned the beauty of this journey. Perhaps you can imagine the scene. A grafted cut path through the Himalayan mountains, valleys and lakes. A medium sized bus carrying about twenty questioning world travellers. The bus is wending its way north east; we are on top of the world. The bus is going slowly, dipping, and climbing, turning and twisting. From time to time there must be some road construction as we find ourselves bumping along some country path, backing up, waiting for an hour or so and then we realize that somehow we are back on the Friendship Highway once more. Other times it sees as if our bus is calling "time out"! Its engine emits choking sounds, the brakes screech their resistence, there is smoke coming from the exhaust. The ever-sensitive and alert Tibetan driver then stops the bus, gets out and dowses the brakes with buckets of water from a nearby well.

Regardless, the mountains, valleys, rivers are our witnesses. The Tibetan folks and their animals are at work or at ease; the many villages, farmlands, and small towns en route allow us various visual and auditory delights. The bus stops often to allow us to pee or take photos of breathless views. We stop for lunch and for short hike breaks. Our evenings are quite delicious with relief and anticipation as we disbark once more from our bus, enter our shared guest house room, explore the town and try out the most appealing looking restaurant for dinner.

Now to the 'City of the Gods' or Lhasa, Tibet. A complicated story here and one which you can deliberate for yourself. If you have done so, and when you will do, you will realize how sensitive our trip to Lhasa really is and, as long as the 14th Dalai Lama-and-surrounding politics is around, will always be.

Leaving the Tibetan countryside and arriving in Lhasa is quite a ... cultural shock. We were expecting this. We settled down nicely into the quaint traditional Chinese guest house with its gongs and looms and wall hangings, curtained ceilings and deep stone flagged steps and terraces. The occasional prayer flags in appropriate places. We were thrilled to find a flush toilet and warm shower in our twin shared room. We were welcomed by the guest house staff who draped a Buddhist white peace shawl around our neck.

We visited the Barkhor market and had fun bargaining for Tibetan jewellry and clothing.

We searched for good food.

We found it was a city but not a city.

We saw wide boulevards but not that many cars.

There was only one ATM machine locally and it would not work. The bank could not/ would not take my Visa so I had to borrow some money from friends in the group to eat lunch and dinner yesterday!

The internet appeared to hve a mind of its own...

The malls seem to have dozens of counters carrying the very same trinkets, cheap jewellry, rugs and Tanka paintings.

There is a different type of poverty here ...

Many begging children. Several fought over their handed out pencils ...

Somehow rougher than Kathmandu, somehow ...

The markets definitely more interesting than the shops The outside stalls with their handcrafted goods, the activity, the fun of bargaining, the intentness sometimes stubborness of the stall holders. The traditional dress, everyone walking in the direction of some religious intent. Prostrations in front of monastries, prayer wheels in constant motion. Lightings of candles, prayer wheels and malas constantly on the go ...

For those who know Lhasa, the following are some of the famous places we visited. Remember, these famous buildings are all built on top of or inside a huge Himalayan rock or mountain:

Potala Castle, home of the Dalai Lamas since the 6th DL. A"fusion of architecture and art". Culture and religious significance. Has two chapels.

Barkhor Market - handicrafted stalls, political and cultural significance. Monastry (ies?) nearby

Jokhang Monastry "most sacred temple in Tibet". 7th century

Derpung Monastry, 1416, a.d. Residence of 3rd, 4th, 5th Dalai Lamas, before the Potala Palace

Sera Monastry, north of Lhase. Peaceful environment. Caves where monks live. Had great hike around there.

Inside the monastries there are many stories, many faces, images, statutes representing the Buddah. There are many prayers. Historical interesting and the current history is poignant, unbelievable sometime and often very sad. Colours mostly faded, flags, curtains, cushions, robes disintegrating. Thousands of faithful all ages, from baby on breast to very old and sick individuals, always inside or circumambulting around these religious places. Tibetan dress, tourists discretely keep their distance. The believers prostrate their entire body for hours, circumambule 3 x to 108 xs. Thebelievers softly chant, gently turn their personal malas, or/ and quietly offer small money bills to various gods. Butter lamps are being lit, and are burning. Many steep steps are built to rise steeply upward to yet another floor of 'chapels' or very small rooms, or alcoves, each one surrounded by significant, always compassionate, gods.

Compassion is the theme.

Loving Kindness and Sympathetic Joy are also part of the Buddhist precepts...

When scrutinizing some statutes a little closer I noticed that the sculptor managed to achieve a definite character into the face of the deceased Dalai Lamas or elevated Lamas.

Stupas, urns, gods of many characters, you choose. You pause a while and perhaps you manage to sense your own compassion or acceptance of life, things... Those eyes looking down at you ... Then there are those thousands of arms reaching out, to everyone .... Even the ferocious statutes are working most likely in your favour against the unaware in us, the unawake, the unjust, the unkind or just any old negative passion that gets in the way of your 'compassion, love and sympathetic joy' ...

You are not to guilty at not knowing anything about the Buddhist scriptures. I understand that this is a gentle all accepting and forever sceptical and analytical philosophy. The basic requirements are pretty obvious if you want to become 'enlightened'.

So many steps leading to roofs and so many long halls and 'chapels' or just look in to some nook to see a buddah's face looking back at you. Same compassion, or perhaps a gentle yet austere derision. One might feel encouraged to reflect within..

Shelves and shelves of scriptures covered in thick dust. Bales of Tanga paintings covered in thick yak skin to protect from rodents...

For me some moments of great sadness at the empty thrones and meeting (and tea) rooms of the current Dalai Lama. I saw glimpses of anguish in the eyes of our guide as he cautiously gave us some details of recent historical events.

So much destruction

I cannot describe ...

of a gentle culture...

We hiked, climbed a castle fortress, we walked 8 times (representing the eight stages to enlightenment) around a famous stupa and felt thwarted as the doors to the 6th, 7th and 8th levels were locked ... ?!

We had a most interesting afternoon watching dozens of monks debating in a monastry square. Intense, focussed. Usually three monks to one discussion. Two seated on the ground and one standing challenging the other two monks with some (Buddhist-related) philosophical question. He would build his question to a mild crescendo and clap his hand while stretching his arm towards one of the seated monks. The clap would mean that he was throwing the question to the other guy who was expected to answer it. There are different groups of debaters, the younger (and always being tested another monk with a checklist in hand) and the older, (the more experienced) monk.

Later we followed these monks into the nearby monastry where they sat and chanted for hours. Their voices were led by the extraordinary lower-than-bass tone of some older monk. Often there would be an accompanying bang bang bang of a gong and, from time to time, the Tibetan style high-altitude call from a long thin bugle type of mountain instrument.

Despite the constant noise in the prayer hall we often saw monks sleeping soundly, leaning against one another or sharing some intimite childlike secret with his neighbour. Close to the end of this special prayer night an older monk got up and walked slowly, stooped, holding a huge kettle, and poured yak milk tea into each monk's mug. Another older monk followed him handing out biscuits.

Indeed, a gentle faith...

These are just some notes written spontaneously onto paper and is not edited. I just wanted to post something onto my blog before I return to Child Haven for a very busy two weeks of projects before I leave for Canada on August 1st.

Sending thoughts out to family and friends who read (and don't) this.

oh yes, I have sold my condo!

Onwards,

hugs, Dyane