Langmusi-- pronuounced LangmussssssssA


Advertisement
Asia
June 9th 2012
Published: June 9th 2012
Edit Blog Post

Langmusi…that you have to pronunce, Langmusssssssssá.

The letter for the Chinese name for the phonetics in English are never the same.

This is a small mountain town in the South East of Xiahé in the Gansu province.

It has 2 Monasteries, in each one you have to pay 30Y to enter. Is incredible that in this country to visit anything, even a mountain you have to pay. Sometimes is not that much (in this case 5u$ each entrance) but the attractions are expensive that is what makes China an expensive place in comparison with South Asia. To enter to see a statue or a mountains, they charge 15u$ and so on, if you have one or 2 places per day make your accounting…The good thing here is the entrance fee is good for 3 days<span>J



The Monasteries here are poorer than Xiahe by far. Monks do not have mobile phones, and their clothing is much more austere. Is freezing now. And the hotels do not have heat, because for them is summer. But I am using 4 layers of sweaters , underpants, a hat and my gloves. The monks, and there are a little as 3 years old I guess, walking around with their dark red uniforms, seems to me almost naked. I do not how they survive to winter. I understand why when they chant they are not still and in Hinduism meditation, they move, balancing side to side, I am sure is to maintain the warm of the body.



The Monastery in the same side of the yellow river is an amazing place because the nature lives around the village and the monastery, there are great hikes next to the temples and the people is very friendly.<span> At the end of the main crowed building area there is a way to sacred caves where Tibetan comes to live their prayers and wishes. It is all surrounded by the yellow river a small river that goes all along the area. Finally I see clear fresh water and the air is clean.



The problem is there is some garbage around; there is not a culture of putting the remains of your things in a bin (well in Buenos Aires either).<span> But seen all this garbage around the lakes is sad. Some tourist come for picnic and leave all the garbage on the field is gross.<span> The explanation is that even they will learn to leave it in garbage bin; this stuff will not go anywhere. There is not a track or a place plan for the garbage, so in general, in China you see garbage everywhere or in corners, or sides areas in the best scenario.



Kids poops and pee in the street, their pants are already prepare for this. They do not use diapers. In a way is better because they learn to be independent earlier, and is less garbage (with plastic, etc) around. But is it quite shocking seeing people just doing their things everywhere. In public women bathrooms sometimes there is not division between the holes in the floor. I guess for all of us, being in the bathroom is an intimate moment, at least for me is. Well, here is not…nobody seems to care if they are pooping or peeing and you enter to do your things next to them.



The people of this region, especially kids have their chicks red. Is a defensive, or adaptation way of the body to combat the low temperature. It seems that as much as they are in the cities or away from long-term nomad life this marks in the face gone. But when they have them, and I find them cute, some other Tibetan and Chinese look to this people back, or discriminate them for being rural kids. That is what Mary the Canadian teacher told me. We in the west go to tan or put make up to have red healthy color in our faces, even smashed the chicks to become pink and here they want to hide this, or some women use bleach to cover their darkness…weird world.



The sun is again here, after a cold and cloudy day…I am in the land of clouds and shadows, I wonder If I am allowed to enjoy this sun or I should feel guilty for the privilege of having sun, even the sun here is a traitor, it ´s warms you but it offer as well bad radiation…



I have low band internet connection, when is available, Pics takes FOR EVER...I will share them when I get back home. Today I have a conference working call with NY for 2 research projects, at 8 am Saturday here...their 9 pm on Friday there...It was bizarre talking about branding, strategy and positioning of products while I was witnesseing how a groups of peasants where throwing stones to some yaks (the local cows) in the middle of the street because they did not wanted to contine walking with the rest of the animals...

Advertisement



Tot: 0.105s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 9; qc: 39; dbt: 0.0447s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.1mb