May 30, 2006

Nangatse, Start of Overland Trip

I have found the middle of nowhere. As I write this, two young Tibetan girls are peering curiously over my shoulder, whispering to each other about me. Every time I turn around they smile and giggle, avertaing their shocked eyes from my hairy arms.

Earlier, as I walked down the deserted street, in the shadow of a 7000m glacier, the quiet was broken with a cascade of moos. "Jusche, Jusche!" the old ladies cried as they hearded dozens of cows to the lake. One old lady stopped, in shock, to stare at me, forgetting her cows. She poked me gently with her walking stick, let out a satisfied exclamation, and stuck her tongue out at me as she went back to the herd.

The locals are very friendly, all taking the time to yell out "Hullo! Hullo!" and smile at me. Very few tourists stop at this place, which is a huddle of squat buildings on the shores of Yamdrok-tso lake (which is at 4500m). Accomodations are basic. The government run hotel wanted a steep $4 for a smelly bed in a filthy room. The toilet was nothing more than a strip cut out of a concrete slab. They refused to negotiate, even if the hotel was deserted. So, i crossed the street and walked into the Snowland hotel, a pristine, cheerful place with colorful bedding, clean hardwood floors, and satellite TV. All for $3 after bargaining. Alas, there is no running water, but the shared squat toilet is clean and they have thoughtfully provided a bucket of cold water and a thermos.

The drive was uneventful - the clouds were out so our views were obscured. We had a quick, cold stop at the top of the 4950m pass where chinese tourists were busy taking pictures of Yaks. The descent to the valley was quick and the views across the lake unforgettable.

Tonight, we went to a chinese restaurant decorated with posters of the Swiss Alps. I ordered "Beef with Vegetables and Sauce" after a long discussion in which I explained that I was allergic to eggs and pork (I even showed them a piece of paper a waiter in Philly had written out, much to their amusement). Imagine my surprise when an entire chopped chicken (including head, beak, and feet) was presented to me with a flourish. The argument involved me pointing to the menu and moo-ing, and then gesturing no while I clucked. The Tibetans got into the act, insisting that what I was pointing at was "cluck, cluck." Tibetan chicken clucking is quite different from ours. In the end, I went into the kitchen and pointed at a number of vegetables and chilis and got myself a nice stir-fry. I felt bad for the cost of the chicken, so I paid the nominal amount they asked for.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Should I add a picture of the chicken here? ;)
Great to read and remember the trip.
Thanks,
Martin

4:48 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Very pretty design! Keep up the good work. Thanks.
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3:46 AM  

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