Advertisement
Published: August 9th 2007
Edit Blog Post
/Lelde/
it's actually not that hard to find your way around in the country where nobody speaks English, we have managed to purchase tickets and to find the right buses and trains so far without much troubles, well, Steven has dealt with these issues - bless him!!!😊
so we are in a little town called Xiahe. We arrived yesturday afternoon. Its very nice here - mountains and a lot of monks around. The people, especially females, wear very nice and colourfull costums, their hair is made into two long plattes and they have cool hats on their heads - still haven't got any pictures of those ladys as they want money for it and I don't think it's acceptable. It was sooo freezing here yesturday (it's still cold today), not only outside, but I had to wear a jacket inside our hostel as well. Prices here are cheaper, one nights stay at our guesthouse was 25 yuan, but today we moved to a very cheap place - the monastery guesthouse, we have our own little room, the toilets are awful, no shower, but it's only 10 yuan per night!!! it will do for one day as we're leaving early tomorrow
Young Monks.
I was invited into the monks' living quarters for food and a chat. They were really friendly and curious- a highlight for me! Young Monks.
Young Monks.
I was invited into the monks' living quarters for food and a chat. They were really friendly and curious- a highlight for me!
to Langmusi.
one of the very cool things when travelling is meeting other travellers, you can find out many interesting things, get some advice, hear interesting stories, share common interests etc. Last night we met some nice elderly Spanish ladys, young Swiith couple, some Franche people, so as you can tell in this, kind of remote Chinese town there are still quite a few travellers😊)
There was one thing we all agreed on - Chinese toilets!!! That is something dreadfull, the reasons why they abandan this place in terms of keeping it clean is unknown.... maybe something to do with the history....?
Ok, back to Xiahe - this is more a Tibetan than a Chinese place, they speak Tibetan, they cook Tibetan food, they venerate the Dalai Lama and they dress like Tibetans. Many people stare at us, but they are friendly and smile back😊
I'm getting used to it, especially when in Bejing I was stopped twice by a groups of girls, who wanted to have a picture with me, I was
Lelde looking intrepid in Xiahe.
We're moving to very basic accom. today. hoping to give out some autographs as well, but ...
Yesterday we walked around and turned all 1174 prayer wheels and looked around the monasteries as much as we could, because for some places you have to pay in some you can go in for free... In my opinion buddhism (or any religion) shouldn't go hand in hand with business or money and charge people for entering temples, they could get some donations if person wants to give it, but selling tickets doesn't associate with holiness and pure spirit in my mind. So I'm very sceptical to pay for it, which means I might not see as much, but that's the deal then.
When in Xi'an my ankel started to hurt and it was rather hard to walk form most of the time (which Steven wasn't that happy about as I slowed down everything - he's such a support - not! 😊 It lasted for 3 days and our host yeasturday told he will take me to some lady doctor who deals really good with these sort of problems, but, probably because we didn't sign up for the tour, he never did😊 My ankel seems better today and I hope
A Tibetan lady at our guesthouse.
They seem quite camera shy- perhaps there's a technique, but their clothes and jewellery are beutiful. everything will be fine, because it's so crappy to be on a trip and not be able to move around properly. Even the old people (prostrating pilgrims)
They seem quite camera shy- perhaps there's a technique, but their clothes and jewellery are beutiful.
were faster than me and were overtaking me..😊 It doesn't feel that good 😊))
Today we are planning to rent some bikes and cycle around and I would like to visit the nunnery.
Take 2
/Lelde/
its around 7.30.pm now. Just had some nice dumplings at a local restaurant (well, not sure I can call it like that, as the Chinese have many one room establishments of the street that are quite basic butr cheap and often delicious). Anyways - those are the best places to eat and it's so cheap as well. And I don't have the feeling I've been ripped off once again. And we've figured out how to order what we like, by using little phrases one can find in the Lonely Planet book! 😊
So we went cycling and it was great! And really good option considering my "weak" ankle situation - that's Steven's diagnosis, as it wasn't broken or twisted,
the only explanation that seemed convenient for him is to announce that I have a week ankle and I shall be excersising it more! - well, maybe it's something to do with the British educational system...
Anyways, inspite of the cold weather, we really enjoyed the ride and scenery. It's so hard to describe and even pictures can't show all that's here to see and sense.... And all people look so cool - I would love to photograph almost all of them!!! (well that might bancrupt me 😊.
I went to the nunnery as well, wasn't there for too long- a nice, young nun showed me around, was interesting. I found out that 81 nuns live there - that's if we understood each other right 😊
Tik neierasti, ka javelka biezais dzhemperis un jaka, ka ari cepure un cimdi, bet sheit ir visnotalj auksts. Man jau labak pacieshams shiet karstums un svelme neka aukstums un sals.. Rit no rita jau dodamies uz citu pilsetinju - vel mazaku ka sho- saucas Langmusi. Baigi jau feini viss un katra diena ka tads piedzivojums, brizhiem gan ir sajuta, ka nav nozime vai esmu Kjina vai Latvija - dabas speks un skaistums ir
The Tibetan part of town.
A real warren- closely knit streets of mud brick houses. vienlidz liels un apbrinojams!
Shodien izirejam ritenjus atkal un izbraucam rinkji apkar pa mazo pilsetinju - skaisti, skaisti... Melni rukshi ganas pa ielas malam sava valja un urkje atkritumu paliekas. Isteniba jau apkartne ir diezgan pievazata, vinji visu met zeme bez liekas domashanas un tad tu tik skaties cik ljoti skaistas templju vai maju notekas, gravji, upju krasti ir plastmas pudelem, papiriem,vecam drebem utt. piedrazati... Zhel.....
Sheit ir ljoti daudz muku un klosteru. Ir ari mukjenes, kuras es shodien apciemoju 😊 Un katrs cilveks izskatas tik feini, ka es labprat bildetu visus. Sievietes staiga matiem sapitiem divas garas bizes, kas galos ir sasietas kopa, nesa hutveida cepures un intersantas, nereti taisitas no kosha un spilgta materiala, drebes ar dazhadiem ornomentiem.
Cilveki ir ljoti laipni un smaidigi un ar neviltotu interesi Tevi apskata, noskata un appeta... Lai ari pilsetinja ir mazinja, tomer turistu te ir visnotalj paliels skaits, biju domajusi, ka esam izoletaka vieta.
St.citu, mazi bernelji pamperus nenesa, vinjiem visas drebites ir ar tadu lielu shkjelumu kajstarpe un, kad mazais grib pachurat, tad vinjsh ari pachura, lai kur ari butu (piemeram, kad bijam Shiana - viena no lielajam Kjinas pilsetam- un stavejam pie galvenas ielas, tevs savu mazuli mierigi pachurinaja
pie veikala skatloga).
Advertisement
Tot: 0.134s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 17; qc: 82; dbt: 0.0823s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.3mb
James
non-member comment
Buddhism the perfect complement to capitalism?
Some people have written extensively about this... money, it's immaterial man! How to build temples for the immaterial? Funny! Money for photos - I agree wholeheartedly... and you should ask too! Hope your ankle gets better Lelde... have fun guys, I like the blog.