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Setting Out on the Journey
Jangchub Drolma, Yumchen Tsomo and Alex, photographed as we began the portion of our trip on foot. Seasons Come and Seasons Go At last - the mountainsides are turning from dingy, dry brown to lustrous, emerald green. What better time to head out to the grasslands and enjoy a day in the company of friends?
Around noon, Yumchen Tsomo, Jangchub Drolma, Alex (an American teacher here) and I gathered with an abundant picnic, sunhats, a tent and a thermos of tea. We set out on our adventure and headed toward a peaceful grassland expanse that Alex had recently discovered. We were a funny crew - Jangchub Drolma speaking only Tibetan and Chinese, Alex speaking only English and broken Chinese, me speaking English and broken Tibetan, and Tsomo speaking competently in all three languages. There was translation all around and explications of many new words, which of course inspired endless laughter.
The sky was grey, and rain seemed imminent. Jangchub Drolma and I made a 10 quai bet: if it rained, I would pay up and vice versa. I easily lost the bet, for as soon as we set out on the hike, pellets of water fell from the sky. We decided to hire a taxi for the early part of the trail, but once we
Tsomo in the Grasslands
Rolling about the hillside, we enjoyed our brief encounter with the sun. encountered grazing yak and rugged roads, we continued on foot.
Our umbrellas were blown by the fierce winds and soon we were fairly wet. It seemed as though we would never arrive. Who starts out on a hike in the mountains when it is raining? Isn’t rain a sign that it is time to turn back? Instead we ventured forward, determined to reach a place where we could set up camp and enjoy our picnic, no matter what the weather revealed.
Encampment We did at last arrive at our destination, a glorious flat area of grassland over looking the city of Dawu. Still the rain continued but at least we had our tent shelter and delicious foods to look forward to. We set up the tent and quickly spread out lunch - a feast of five kinds of Chinese noodles, fruit, nuts, cookies and a special treat from Alex - brownies made from an American baking mix. Eating the brownies was heavenly, even considering the pungent flavor of yak butter. Post-lunch, we settled down for a rest and took turns singing songs. Jangchub Drolma, who has an incredible nomadic folk voice, sang many, many traditional songs
Jangchub Drolma
Jangchub Drolma sang and danced all around the mountainside and watching her, I could imagine that she has done so all of her life. - some of love, some of drinking, some of friendship. I took a turn and stood out on the mountainside, belting out operatic melodies at 15,000 feet! I’m sure that’s the way opera was meant to be sung.
Brief Reprieve For a small window of time, the sky cleared. Alex made his way higher, looking for an eagle’s nest reported to be several hills beyond. Tsomo, Jangchub and I took advantage of the sun and played on the hillside, lying in the grass, investigating new shoots of wild flowers, singing and dancing. For me, the experience was totally new but for these women, life in the grasslands is all they’ve ever known. Being a part of it was like glimpsing into a storybook, yet utterly personal. Playing in the flowers, enjoying the sunlight and open sky, laughing, holding hands and rolling about like puppies - for a little while we had nothing to do, no work, no obligations, just nature, simplicity and friendship. It was unexpectedly moving and I was filled with gratitude.
The Long, Wet Road Back Soon, the sky again turned dark. Alex made his way back from the nest (which he did in
Tiny Friends
All during the hike, we watched the ground scrupulously, doing our best to avoid stepping on tiny creatures such as this frog. fact find), we packed up our belongings and headed back. Deciding upon the shortcut meant that we had to cross a thigh-high stream. Alex went through first, and we each followed in suit, pants tied around out waists, shoes and socks in hand. Land-bound at last, we took a short rest and then continued into town.
Khordro Arriving at the Gesar Thanchen, we found the townspeople enjoying “khordro,” traditional circle dancing. We dropped our backpacks and joined in. What a sight - men, women and children of all ages dancing together in a round, following steps they had obviously practiced many times before. There was an intense sense of welcome for all, and plenty of room for a couple of foreigners to learn. Song, dance, art, poetry - all of these things have great importance in Tibetan culture, and are equally practiced and enjoyed by men and women alike.
It was a perfect celebration to top off our day in the grasslands. We danced until we could no longer, then made our way back home.
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