Curious Tibetans in the middle of nowhere
Once again, I am in the middle of nowhere. Yet, there is internet access!
Today we were blessed with juicy-fruit blue skies, amazing mountain vistas, and 2 hours of paved roads (and later, 5 hours of dusty, bumpy, gravel tracks). I continue to marvel at Driver's aptitude with the car. He doesn't talk much (and when he wants to communicate, he'll grunt or point), he loves to sing along with his Tibetan music (which he blasts as loud as he can, and which sounds like a combination of a wailing cat and nails on a chalkboard), but he's a hell of an asset behind the wheel.
Today's journey took us 2 hours on a straight as an arrow road from Gyantse (3950m) to Shigaste (3900m), site of one of Lhasa's largest monasteries. Since our guide had informed us that the chinese government was pocketing the entire exhorbitant $10 entrance fee (instead of sharing it with the monks), we decided to join the throngs of pilgrims on their hour-long kora around the monastery. This circuit was special, since it was entirely lined with prayer wheels (instead of having to vocalize their prayers, buddhists can spin these wheels and get the same credit). Also, it had several tests of devotion, in which pilgrims had to rub various body parts against rocks, walls, or trees. And so we walked slowly, thronged by smiling, joyous Tibetans, who paused to say "Hullo, Hullo!" and stick out their tongues at us.
For lunch, we went to a chinese restaurant that was dubiously named "Joe's Greasy Diner." I didn't see anything on the 5 page menu that appealed to me, so I got up, went into the kitchen, and picked out my meal. I pointed at a chinese eggplant, some shitake mushrooms, chilis, and then vaguely waved at the rest of the spices, inferring that the chef should use his discretion. It was delicious.
After Shigatse, we bounced along the Friendship Highway to Lhatse (4050m). The drive was spectacular, as it took us through a parched desert thronged by barren peaks, past a few oases where Tibetans eked out a living, and over a mountain pass which gave us a beautiful vista over the valleys.
Lhatse is nothing more than one paved road, a huddle of guest houses, and a few restaurants. We spent the afternoon in the fields behind the town, smiling (and talking a bit) at a farmer and his family as they plowed the field with their two Yak. Alas, I made the farmer's baby cry. His mother came over to me and explained (by pointing at her nose and touching my arm hair), that my big nose and strange looks had scared Baby.
There is no running water in my hotel and the bathroom consists of a platform with two holes (separated by a barrier, but no door). Imagine my surprise when, while I squatted and took care of business, a whistling tibetan walked into the bathroom. There I was, in all my glory staring up at him, and he actually took the time to peer over and inspect me (while he continued to whistle)! After a nod of approval, he then noisily got down to his own business.
Today we were blessed with juicy-fruit blue skies, amazing mountain vistas, and 2 hours of paved roads (and later, 5 hours of dusty, bumpy, gravel tracks). I continue to marvel at Driver's aptitude with the car. He doesn't talk much (and when he wants to communicate, he'll grunt or point), he loves to sing along with his Tibetan music (which he blasts as loud as he can, and which sounds like a combination of a wailing cat and nails on a chalkboard), but he's a hell of an asset behind the wheel.
Today's journey took us 2 hours on a straight as an arrow road from Gyantse (3950m) to Shigaste (3900m), site of one of Lhasa's largest monasteries. Since our guide had informed us that the chinese government was pocketing the entire exhorbitant $10 entrance fee (instead of sharing it with the monks), we decided to join the throngs of pilgrims on their hour-long kora around the monastery. This circuit was special, since it was entirely lined with prayer wheels (instead of having to vocalize their prayers, buddhists can spin these wheels and get the same credit). Also, it had several tests of devotion, in which pilgrims had to rub various body parts against rocks, walls, or trees. And so we walked slowly, thronged by smiling, joyous Tibetans, who paused to say "Hullo, Hullo!" and stick out their tongues at us.
For lunch, we went to a chinese restaurant that was dubiously named "Joe's Greasy Diner." I didn't see anything on the 5 page menu that appealed to me, so I got up, went into the kitchen, and picked out my meal. I pointed at a chinese eggplant, some shitake mushrooms, chilis, and then vaguely waved at the rest of the spices, inferring that the chef should use his discretion. It was delicious.
After Shigatse, we bounced along the Friendship Highway to Lhatse (4050m). The drive was spectacular, as it took us through a parched desert thronged by barren peaks, past a few oases where Tibetans eked out a living, and over a mountain pass which gave us a beautiful vista over the valleys.
Lhatse is nothing more than one paved road, a huddle of guest houses, and a few restaurants. We spent the afternoon in the fields behind the town, smiling (and talking a bit) at a farmer and his family as they plowed the field with their two Yak. Alas, I made the farmer's baby cry. His mother came over to me and explained (by pointing at her nose and touching my arm hair), that my big nose and strange looks had scared Baby.
There is no running water in my hotel and the bathroom consists of a platform with two holes (separated by a barrier, but no door). Imagine my surprise when, while I squatted and took care of business, a whistling tibetan walked into the bathroom. There I was, in all my glory staring up at him, and he actually took the time to peer over and inspect me (while he continued to whistle)! After a nod of approval, he then noisily got down to his own business.
posted by Ace at 5:30 AM
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