Drokpa Journal

Looks like it’s been awhile since my last update, though not nearly as long as the 4 to 7 months it used to take me to send out an E-mail update. This website is definitely the way to go.

On July 3rd I finished the Tibet trip I was on, and then spent a couple more days in Kathmandu trying to wrap up the report and accounts for that trip, as well as begin to organize for my next trip. I then took a flight to Beijing, via Bangkok, to start a short 9-day China-only trip on July 7th. I just finished that trip yesterday (July 15th) in Shanghai, and am now hanging out in Kunming awaiting my next group and a 21-day Tibet trip beginning on the 19th. However, all that is getting ahead of myself, so on with the update.

I last left you in Lhasa. As always I enjoyed my time there – it always feels like going home. The next morning we jumped in our Landcruisers and drove the 4 hours to Samye Monastery. We were extremely fortunate in that a festival, Cham, was taking place at the time. I’d been able to attend the same event last year, and so was excited to see it again. However, it seemed much smaller this time around – no camping area for the Tibetans, and very few restaurant tents and gambling. It was a bit disappointing in that regard, but the actual dancing by the masked monks in bright costumes to the sounds of cymbals, horns, and drums was still fantastic.

We took in the festivities that day and wandered up Hepo Ri to get some great views down to the mandala-shaped monastic compound. That night we were all in a dorm room together, avoiding the heavy rain outside. We didn’t get much sleep as monks were blowing on their horns until about 1:30, and pilgrims were enjoying themselves until the early morning hours.

From Samye we did the drive to Gyantse, over some big passes and affording views down to one of the sacred lakes – Yamdrok Tso. We did our standard routine in Gyantse – climbed the hill to the ruined fort and chuckled at the ‘anti-British’ museum, and then wandered around the monastery and Kumbum.

From Gyantse it was on to Shigatse for a few nights where we checked out Tashilhunpo Monastery and played a lot of cards.

Next stop…Sakya. Upon arrival we toured the monastery and then decided to cross the river and check out the more ancient part of town. We ended up entertaining, and being entertained by, a group of kids who tagged along for the walk. We all had a great time laughing with the kids, and took many photos. One of my favorite girls was a bit reluctant to have her photo taken at first – she’d put her head down anytime a camera was pointed her direction. However, she soon became the star of the show, posing and requesting photos at every opportunity. After descending from the hill and back into ‘town’ we bought all of our newfound friends an ice cream. It was a great afternoon.

From Sakya it was time to head back to Rongphu Monastery – the monastery only 8 kms. from Qomolangma/Everest. The accommodation, toilets, and basic food always draws criticism from passengers, but it’s hard to beat looking out your window and seeing the looming face of Everest. A great location. As it was the beginning of the rainy season in Tibet, the peak played hide-and-seek with us behind the clouds. However, it actually added a bit of mystery. Early the next morning we were able to get some beautiful views with the first rays of sun illuminating the slopes, and the clouds dancing across the summit. All of us elected to walk the 2 hours to basecamp. Since it is the rainy season, it also stands to reason that it’s no longer the climbing season, so there were no expedition tents to be found, and fewer tents catering to tourists. We did pop into the tent of someone I know for some tea and relaxation before heading back down to the monastery – some via motorcycle, others of us by walking back.

The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful – Tingri for a night and too much beer/brandy at 4400 meters, followed by no views of Shishapangma at the pass due to the clouds, and a night of heavy rain at the border town of Zhangmu. We then crossed into Nepal and managed to drive all the way to Dhulikhel without encountering any landslides. The group that followed two days later had to portage around 2 of them. Stay tuned to see how I fare this upcoming trip. We spent two nights at the resort in Dhulikhel, so it was great to simply relax after a tiring trip, do a short walk through the rice fields, and to get something in our stomachs besides noodles and fried rice. A couple nights in Kathmandu concluded the trip. I always enjoy hanging out in Kathmandu as there are some great little places, and a variety of food to be found. If only it were a bit cooler…

And, as I mentioned before, I had a few days to sort everything out before heading back to Beijing to start a new trip. That one was a full group – 12 passengers, and we met on July 7th. The following day we drove the two hours out to Mutianyu - a different part of the Great Wall than I’d visited before. It was much more commercialized than Jinshanling or Simatai, with many shops at the base of the hill. It also had a few options for gaining access to the wall – cable cars, chair lifts, and of course steps. We walked. Like my previous visit in June the mist added a sense of surrealism to the wall, but obscured it to the point where I wasn’t able to get any decent pictures. Maybe next time?!? One of the best parts of the day was a fourth method of transport – only available heading down…the toboggan run. There is a winding half-pipe track that descends from the wall to the parking lot below. You sit on a little sled with wheels, and have control over the braking mechanism. It would have been great to careen down out of control, but unfortunately I had a very cautious/scared Chinese woman in front of me who rode the brake constantly. A bit frustrating, but still, it beat walking.

We also checked out Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City in Beijing, before jumping on the 13-hour overnight train to Xian. Xian was the standard wandering of the fantastic Muslim quarter, and seeing the Terracotta Warriors. As it was a passenger’s birthday we also enjoyed a meat-feast at a Brazilian restaurant in town. This particular trip also visits something known as Huiling, which is a school set up to help some of the learning disabled young adults of China. We had lunch at the school and were treated to various performances by the students – singing, dancing, piano, drums, etc. The kids had constant smiles on their faces, seemed to enjoy being there, and one got the impression that they were developing some much-needed confidence in their ability to function in the world. A great place.

Back on the train we headed to Suzhou via a 16-hour overnight trip. I’ve been to Suzhou a few times and always enjoy my time there. The Chinese have a saying – ‘There is paradise in heaven, but on earth there is Hanzhou and Suzhou’. Suzhou was the center of the silk industry in the past, and is also known for it’s fantastic gardens. The gardens incorporate typical ancient Chinese buildings, surrounded by ponds, rocks, and trees/bushes. Very relaxing places to wander, though while we were there it rained a lot. One night we were treated to cultural performances at one of the best gardens in Suzhou – Master of the Nets. We walked from building to building where we were entertained for 5-10 minutes each by a typical Suzhou performance of comedy, singing, dancing, or playing of musical instruments. It’s a great glimpse into the culture, while recognizing that Westerners may not be able to handle such performances if they’re too long!

The following afternoon we boarded a boat for a short one-hour trip along the canals of Suzhou towards the train station. It offered a different perspective on the town. The train we were hopping was bound for Shanghai, a mere 40 minutes away.

In Shanghai we walked along the Bund – the impressive European buildings built along the river still echoing of past glory. We also took a short boat ride to admire the floodlit buildings. A visit to the museum and free time to shop, gain access to high points in buildings for the view, or simply relax concluded our time in Shanghai, and thus the trip. It was a short trip, but as the name suggests, it’s meant to simply provide a ‘Taste of China’, such that people can see what this huge country is all about, and what areas they may like to return to for future explorations.

I’m now hanging out in Kunming and loving it – temperatures during most of my last trip…mid-30’s Centigrade. Temperature here…20. Gotta love a little bit of altitude! I’m finishing up some trip reports, but also believe I’ll have time to add quite a few pictures to the galleries for Nepal, China, and Tibet, so check back in the next few days. The “What’s New” section will let you know when they’re out there.

I’ll have a few days of free time here before meeting my next group of 11 passengers on the 19th. We’ll be doing the 21-day trip from here to Lijiang, Chengdu, into Tibet, and finishing in Kathmandu. Stay tuned.

And with that I’m out of here. Hope all is going well in your part of the world, and I’ll catch you from somewhere down the road.

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