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Published: August 6th 2006
Tibet I miss you so so much!! Second day out and I miss you already. My 1 month in Tibet has been an incredible journey and I'm so glad to have had the chance to experience it--Tibet is changing fast.
I arrived in Lhasa a few days after the new opening of a train line that connects Tibet to the rest of China. It marks a serious sea change to come that travellers who have been to Lhasa 5, 15 years ago can only fathom.
Tibet today in 2006 is already a haven for backpackers. There are trendy cafes lining the streets and shops selling trinkets from India and Nepal. Many people speak english, and after the Southern Silk Road, I am definately back on the Banana Pancake trail in Lhasa. Outside of Lhasa though, Tibet still has so much to offer. Isolation, Tibetan nomads, yaks, antelopes, gazelles and unbelievable scenery (lakes, mountain ranges, ice peaks, desert canyons, sand dunes, mt. Kilash and mt Everest)
Beautiful Tibet, but Big Brother's Watching
Beneath the beautiful landscape and friendly smiles, Tibet is a land occupied and a people repressed. Hints of this fact are either suttle or plain obvious
Potala
insideto me as an outsider.
On any poster or street sign, Tibetan script is nearly always the subscript and the Chinese script the main foretext.
Tibetan children are taught Tibetan but predominately Chinese at school. Will Tibetan become a dying language, the very fabric of a culture? Already, Tibetan music are sung mostly in Chinese.
Photos of the 14th DalaiLama, who in the Chinese Government's eye stands for Tibetan Freedom, are illegal in Tibet. To Tibetans, he is their spritual leader, and their 'Ocean of Wisdom'. Secret photos hidden are their only means around this. On the Mount Kilash Kora (a 3 day pilgrim trek) Anna and Neil were asked several time by Tibetans, "How is the DalaiLama??". Foreigners are seen as the only window to the outside world, to outside information. Neil replied enthusiastically, "Mr DL is healthy! He is well!"
With the opening of the new Lhasa train line, I am seeing a displacement of Tibetan people before my eyes. For the last 50 years, the Chinese Govt. have encouraged the settlement of the Han Chinese into Lhasa and Tibet, making Tibetans a minority in their own land. This will be even more so
with the new trains bringing in more and more Chinese natives and Muslim Chinese who compete for work and business.
One day, a Tibetan man once asked me, "Why is it that in an office in Lhasa, right on Tibetan soil, that the Manager hires 6 Han Chinese staff and only 1 Tibetan staff? Why dont companies seek to employ Tibetans in their own land who are educated and hardworking?"
On the other flip side, my Tibetan friend admits that even some Tibetan businesses today may prefer to hire the Muslim Chinese over Tibetans. "...Because Muslim/ Chinese people by nature are generally hard working, and they will work hard with less pay. Tibetans are generally more laid back people and sometimes it shows in the their work."
I wondered what the view point of a young Tibetan must be, who was born after the occupation and who had never seen or lived a life in freedom. Young Tibetans know their history and feel the same resentment. In Lhasa I met young Tibetans who had crossed illegally into India, Darjeeling on a pilgrim to see their DalaiLama, had been beaten and put in jail for 3 months to
a year for voicing a Free Tibet.
Looking around Lhasa today you will find new roads, buildings, businesses, shopping malls, entertainment, hospital, and a booming tourism industry. Surely, Chinese development has benefited Tibetans in many ways-- economically and a higher standard of living. The repression for Tibetans must be mental, not being able to speak or access information freely. A Tibetan girl saw Anna reading a book that is banned in China -"Tibet, Tibet: A Personaly History of a Lost Land" by Patrick Pearce. She approached Anna several times to ask earnestly, "Can I have this book please!??". What do you do in this situation, give a book to a Tibetan, that if caught will surely get her in trouble? Or do you give her access to her own history that has been banned probably even before she was born?
The Tibetan girl wrote the title of the book and author on a piece of paper.... "I will get it when I go to India..."
Tibet has a huge army and police presence. Sitting in a quiet tea house with a Tibetan man I asked many questions about life in Tibet that I probably shouldn't have asked.
There was no one else there aside from a waitress standing far away. He said he didnt feel comfortable talking.
Why I asked? "....because in Tibet, even walls have ears."
Such is the reality of a modern Tibet in 2006.
The People Make it
I have never been in a place where I have met so many many cool dudes!!!! Tibet is full of them. Tibetan men in very cool cowboy hats, shepherds in amazing traditional outfits, women in colourful gear and multicolored hair, cowboys on motorbikes with tassles hanging on the handles and blowing in the wind. Elderly men and women with deep deep wrinkles, big cheeky smiles and missing teeth.
One thing that will stand out in my mind whenever I think of Tibet is the amazing joy and resilience that I see in many people.
On the Kora pilgrim in Mt Kilash, many tibetans young and old would yell out to me, "Tashi Delek!!!!!!!!! Nee How Mah!!???" (How u doing in Chinese). Even though I look like a native Chinese, many Tibetans won't hold any ill will towards the Chinese individual. Resentment and fear seems to only lie with the
Chinese army and police. Many times I've seen Tibetans and Chinese tourists in a tea house sipping yak / chinese tea and having a carefree chat. One Tibetan once even said to a Chinese tourist, "You know Tibet was once seperate from China. But well, what can you do. Today China and Tibet are one and there's nothing to be done..."
On the 3 day trek around Mount Kilash the scenery was amazing. However, I almost died on the 2nd day from unfitness, alttitude, a backpack that seemed to weigh a tonne on my shoulders... I was always at least 50m - 100m or more behind the rest of my friends (Neil, Anna & KT),and I walked like a snail. I just focused on breathing the thin air and to put one foot in front of the other.
It didnt help when a Tibetan guide who was part of a group said to me, "Hey Ida!! Big Bag, Small Woman!!" Stating the obvious almost killed me. He continued though, "Are you cold?" (Yes) "Are you tired?" (Yes), and then went on his merry way. Torture.
The 2nd day was when we climbed high and gained the highest
Trouble Makers
some kids never grow up alttitude. At one point I saw a climb that was a direct steep slope. From then my headache started, either from pure dread or the altitude, but I'm pretty sure it was the dread. I walked walked walked, and a Monk and a Tibetan guy who were ahead of me saw I was about to die. They waited for me at the slope and kept yelling out to me and gesturing something. The monk kept pointing to his friend and that he will carry my bag up the slope!!!!
I was thinking, "Oh he is so kind! But I cant this bag is H E A V Y."
As I climbed I came across a little stream. A Tibetan said to me in english, "here you can drink this water from this stream, it is clean!!!" Thinking what a great dude and although thirsty I refrained. This is 'China' after all. A couple of yak turd sat at the middle of the stream a few steps away. Thank goodness.
By the time I passed the monk and his friend, they made me rest and insisted on grabbing the bag off me. They were part of a group
A Cool Dude
he's a tibetan sheperd and only 17 yrs old. he looks after about 50-60 sheep and goats, and came to check out our tents. we shared a nescafe which he's never had before... of Tibetan pilgrims, both men and women. While I rested they gave me Tsampa, a Tibetan dish where flour is mixed with yak butter tea. Even though I hate yak milk, yet in my exhaustion it tasted good. I watched Tibetan women, some younger than me, some elderly hike up the slope like hardcore atheletes. Oh, Respect. I watched some women collect dried yak dung as fuel. Dried wood or any wood is scare in Tibet.
Even without a bag I hiked up the slope and felt like dying. The monk and the Tibetan guy carrying my bag would wait for me and grin. They kept pointing at their heads to say, "Do I have a headache??" (Yes) and gestured with their hands to say "I get it sometimes too, so go slowly, slowly".
Arriving at the top of the mountain I rested on the ground with a huge sense of relief. My bag was waiting there for me. I looked at the Tibetan dude and monk who had huge smiles on their faces and eyes, and I said with the biggest sincerity, "Te Te Jay!!!!!! Thank you soooooo much you just saved my life and my back!!!
Te Te Jay!!!!!!!!! Tashi Delek, Best Wishes!!" and they continued down the mountain for the rest of their pilgrim. Amazing amazing people.
At the top there were masses of prayer flags and a stunning view of Mount Kilash. It seemed so close like I could've touched it. I arrived to the top with a Mars Bar waiting for me from a Swiss guy and his Ecuadore wife....unbelievably generous people. Being given chocolate in the middle of nowhere I can't describe how I felt with this act of generosity. They gave Anna a bottle of water also. All 4 of us, KT, Neil, Anna and I were wailing in joy. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
The second time they gave us chocolate again, the Swiss guy called Philip said, "It's not a big deal...maybe one day you will give someone a Mars Bar!" Pretty neat.
That afternoon as I continued hiking through amazing mountains and rivers, I was feeling ill, head banging and thinking evil thoughts. I couldnt stomach drinking water which is bizarre, but is a sign of altitude sickness. Even though slow I would rest and then walk and walk and walk. Neil
Hello!!!
a cute baby goat on the road, he's tiny!
would walk ahead to catch up with the Swiss couple and their Nepali Guides (Andy and Besant) to get medicine off them. He got some alttitude tablets from them and brought them back to me!!! Later on, Anna would insist on carrying my backpack and give her stuff for Neil amd KT to carry. I felt sooooooooooo dead that day but equally overwhelmed by people's kindness, from the friends I was travelling with and Tibetan strangers.
That evening we arrived at a beautiful valley with a river near by and yaks grazing. The Swiss couple and Nepali dudes had set up camp and we joined them. These are seriously the most unreal people I have met in a long long time. Besant would yell out to us to set up tent behind their kitchen tent as there will be less wind/ better camping spot. We watched them set up cooking stoves and perparing food from a distance. We were travelling through Tibet stoveless and with no guides, some moments feel tough.
After setting up tent Neil, KT, Anna and I sat outside our tents with our big selection of instant noodles. I hate these packets with a passion.
Tibetan Cowboy
Love the earing and hat...We met at a small small town on the way to Toschen, like a Western movie set only better. Our next problem was where do we get hot water? We thought of asking our Nepali friends. Philip the Swiss walked over, "Are you guys hungry? Do you have food?" Neil looked up at him, "Yes!! We have a feast before us, every flavour of Instant Noodles you can imagine!!!!!!!!!" Philip looked at us in disgust. "I will get our Nepali guides to cook for you tonight."
Later that evening, our Nepali friends came over and gave us some tea and cake. KT and I was passed out in the tent by this stage and Neil was the recipient of the kindness. Neil was shocked and said to Basant "Thank you so so much, you are very kind. Do you want some money??" It was the only thing Neil could think of to say at the spur of the moment. Living in a city like London, kindness from others brings a natural caution... is there an incentive, ulterior motive or whatever? What do they want from the act of giving? City folk thinking.
"Do you want some money?" Neil had said. Basant looked at Neil offended but also with a perfect teeth smile replied, "Of course not!!!!!! It
is HUMANITY (stupid)!!!" Later he asked whether we mind having curry that night for dinner.
KT was in the tent half asleep yet picked up on the word Curry. Quoting her exactly, KT hyperventilating and gasped at me, "Oh my God Ida did he really say curry??? OMG OMG OMG OMG I think I'm gonna cry, I'm gonna cry. I want curry so bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you please check?"
By this stage you are probably thinking we had gone completely nuts, but thats what living on Instant Noodles does to you.
I poked my head out of the tent and whispered to Neil, "Did he really say the word curry???"
"Yep." KT and I were in heaven.
We waited till 10pm that night in Neil & Anna's tent when our Nepali friends came over with candle, plate of perfectly displayed fresh veges (like in a restaurant), rice and the best tasting Nepali curry ever. We were overwhelmed and ate the meal like animals. Later, Basant would keep coming over to ask if we would like more food. How kind are these people? They work hard through the night, cleaning and washing their pots and pans, and we
Prayer Flags
and our ready to have a nervous breakdown jeep. create more work and hassle for them. Yet still their smile and kind words don't cease. "Do you want coffee??!" was another kind gesture at night. The Nepali guides work long hours, Andy always has dark tired bags under his eyes. They made Cinnamon Rolls from scratch that night in a tent in the middle of nowhere, and made sure they had made enough to share with us in the morning...
Tibet, Tibet, I hope I will never forget the people I met and the places I saw in a long long time...
7 Things to Try Whilst in Tibet
1. Must try the yak tea, there are two variations, the salty and the sweet. Best bet is to go for the salty.
2. Must try the yak cheese and sugar pasta dish found at a Tibetan Restaurant in Shigatse. Cheese lovers you won't regret it....maybe after 3 mouthfuls.
3. Must try fresh yak cheese from the side of the road from Lhasa to the Tibet Sichuan Highway. Real Tasty.
4. In the name of character building, must try the squat toilets in the 2nd floor of the Banakshol Hotel. Some days they
On the way to Zanda
we drove through amazing desert canyons. flush, some days they don't. Bring a face mask or an oxygen flask.
5. Must try the black forest cheese cake at the Snowland Hotel, Lhasa. Half price at 4Y after 9:30pm so treat yourself and buy 4.
6. Must party at a local tibetan Nugma / disco!! Many are located on Beijing Lu, Tibetans perform on stage with dances and song, plus enough bad techno to last a lifetime... but it rocks!!! Watch Tibetans do amazing line dances on the dance floor. Amazing costumes. Tibetans will want to buy you drinks all night and get to know you even though they don't speak a word of english. Bring a phrasebook Tibetans love looking through them. 10Y/ Beer but its a great night.
7. Try to prostrate in your dorm/hotel floor 10 times just to know how committed these buddhists are......Some Tibetans prostrate in the most challenging places...highways and rubble ground on the kora.
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porka thanh
non-member comment
IDA MATE!
take care - don't get the runs, and don't marry a tibetan i hear they are very cute!