http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Wangmo/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Wangmo en-us Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:40:24 +0000 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:40:24 +0000 I'm running a 5K tomorrow Saturday May 9 Won't you join me in helping to change the lives of children throughout Tibet China India and beyondMany of you know how passionate I am about Vision Builders the organization I worked through in Tibet and India.WELL TOMORROW I'm running in a 5K and it's the last day to sponsor me. Won't you please consider a small or large donation Just t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Arunachal-Pradesh/blog-397284.html A Colorful BeginningWe left Varanasi during Holi the ldquoFestival of Colorsrdquo an fertility celebration glorifying the Hindu god Krishna. The festivities began the evening prior with huge bonfires on the street burning effigies of the demoness Holika. On the second day of Holi the day that we left the streets were lined with people of all ages throwing pink and blue paint on every pa http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Arunachal-Pradesh/blog-277482.html Apologies for the delay in getting to this blog entry. And why is the road to China so slow Because I'm still not there yet. About a week before my scheduled return to Tibet my plans changed and I wound up here in Varanasi India. Actually it's Sarnath to be exact which is the site of the Buddha's very first teachings on the dharma. The teachings were given at a place called Deer Park a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-256195.html Many months have passed since my last entry. Irsquom in the US now and I guess I only think about updating my travel blog while Irsquom overseas and technically traveling. And here at home therersquos not much to report except for life in the good olrsquo US of A as most of you already know it. These days that means a little cold a little grey and a little too much holiday food.My La http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Qinghai/Golok/blog-230165.html Please visit the extensive photo gallery that goes with this entry. See it here.Shortly after four of the pilgrims left for their homelands see last entry Chuck Carin and I returned to Ngawa and to the home of Lama Yonten and Osel Drolma. There we spent ten days so that Chuck and Carin could assist with work at Lama Yonten's monastery Kashi Gompa. Their primary role was to teach Engilsh t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Qinghai/Golok/blog-202389.html Note Please see the two links embedded below to visit two rather extensive photo galleries of our trip.Northern JourneyAt the end of June I made the several day trek up to Xining to meet friends Irsquod be taking on pilgrimage. My visit there was somewhat bittersweet because I knew it might be my last stay in my ldquoold college townrdquo and probably the last time I saw my friends who we http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Tibet/blog-197079.html It has been awhile since I've written I've been busy traveling to Chengdu cute Pandas Beijing Hong Kong Western food and then back to Chengdu again dealing with visa complications. After a month of busywork and a huge amount of money spent all is now just fine with my visa. I forgot to mention this awhile back for those who are interested an article in the Ann Arbor News was written http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Tibet/blog-171009.html Irsquod been meaning to make the trip to Dartsedo all year. Some of the texts Irsquom hoping to translate were said to be there so I knew Irsquod go eventually. Rather than make the trip over three long bus days I decided to break it up by taking a small pilgrimage along the way stopping in various ancient kingdoms throughout the Gyarong Gorges Chinese Jiarong. A note about Gyarong http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Tibet/blog-163394.html Tibet's dogs are somewhat legendary this I knew before coming here. The most famed is the Tibetan mastiff huge and black with a head and mane somewhat resembling a lion. Most of them wear a red furry neck ornament which aims to drive the lion point home. Buying one is not cheap it takes thousands sometimes tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to install one as the household guard dog http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Tibet/blog-148412.html Needing to make a quick trip up to my apartment in Xining I met my friend Anne on the road and together we hired a car. Surprise The one we found was being driven by one of Amdo's most famous singers the oneandonly Sherten short for Sherab Tendzin I later found out. Sherten was headed to Xining on his way to his first international appearances performing in cities throughout the US. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Tibet/blog-148408.html Part OneIt is the eve of the Tibetan and Chinese New Years which this year fall on the same date. I am in a small Tibetan village in Aba which is located in the heart of Sichuan Province. Abarsquos favorite point of boasting is that it is the home of the panda bear. Every Chinese school child knows the English word ldquopandardquo and Irsquom told that all panda bears in zoos around http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Tibet/blog-132857.html For those of you following this story... here is a happy picture of Shangbo and Tashi. Lamas' blessings work in mysterious ways http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Tibet/blog-122013.html Happy Winter Holidays to All Greetings from the cold and filthy city of Xining. This week Irsquom wrapping up my semester at Qinghai Normal University. It has been a terrific jumpstart to my learning motor and I feel much better equipped to spend some time in more remote places again. Next week I will travel into Golok and after visiting a few friends in their hometown villages I will he http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Tibet/blog-115060.html For those of you following the girls' school project in Golok I've just posted a new photo gallery. Please see it here.For individual biographies of each girl please click here.Enjoy http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Tibet/blog-109441.html Shy SchoolgirlIrsquove moved again this time stationing myself in Xining the largest major city near Golok. These days Tibetan winter is in full force so it is a twoday trip between here and there. Xining is flooded with nomads on their way to Lhasa for the winter. There they will go on pilgrimage visiting and circumambulating sacred sites. Now that there is a new train to Lhasa it is http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Tibet/blog-104007.html Many of you have asked about making contributions to the girls I'm working with here in Tibet. Here is the good news. Thanks to the ingenius suggestion of Julia Smillie you can now donate easily and securely through paypal. Just send it to my account zangthalmac.com and remember that even 5 goes a long way here. I'm about to buy mittens for all the girls and found some really warm ones fo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Tibet/blog-98192.html For the last month Irsquove been traveling about like a troubadour. My trip began in Xining which is the closest major city to Golok an eighthour mountain drive away. Seeing a relatively modern city again was quite a shock I felt like I was living the high life restaurants with actual bathrooms a few western faces streets free of human waste and roaming cattle amazing After a few http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Tibet/blog-92842.html Finally photos have been added to my entry called Five Cats 22 Orphans and 24 Nuns. Please view them here New PicturesAlso I've posted a new photo gallery of the girls' school including individual shots of all the girls. Soon bios will be added to their pictures. See it here School GalleryStay tuned for more upcoming travel news as I'm headed to Beijing. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Tibet/blog-87279.html FINALLY pictures have been added to this entryAlso for a complete photo gallery of the girls' school visit Gallery These days my studies are slow. I have no official teacher at the moment so I'm feeling frustrated and a bit downtrodden. My conversational progress seems to have halted and I'm not sure how to advance to the next level especially without a teacher. I spend a fair amount o http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Tibet/blog-82922.html To visit a more elaborate photo gallery from this trip please visit httpweb.mac.comzangthaliWebSiteDarlag20Trip.html The Colorful Grasslands and Rough and Ready Cowboys Last week I headed with Holly Anne Belgium and Angela US back down to Darlag for festivals and consecration ceremonies at Traling Gompa. At last the weather is warm the wild flowers are in bloom and the moun http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Tibet/blog-74773.html