November 4, 2010
OK...I have an excuse for not adding to my new blog since September: we were away for most of October. (I MUST figure out a way to blog when I'm away as well as home!! Working on it...)
TIBET
TIBET
Our October was spent high in the Himalayan Mountains, visiting people and places in Tibet (referred to as "the autonomous region of Tibet"- still part of China...) and Nepal. It was an extraordinary journey that took our breath away, both literally and figuratively! Altitudes required some adjustment and the first few days we really felt it. But before long, we were comfortable being suspended between heaven and earth. We were able to see some of the mountaintops from our airplane window as we were approaching Tibet's largest city, Lhasa... incredible! WHERE WERE JACK AND HIS BEANSTALK? Don't you think they belong in this photo?
Above is a photo of some devout Buddhist pilgrims, prostrating themselves all the way to Lhasa...from who knows how far away! This helps them earn good karma for their next life. Not surprising, though, as we found the Tibetans to be a pious people...warm, friendly and content. They have their own unique way of dressing, depending on what part of Tibet they call home. We spent some time in the region's largest city, Lhasa, the center of the Buddhist religion and a most holy city. Pilgrims come from all over Tibet to worship in Lhasa's temples and monasteries. The Tibetans truly LIVE their religion. Because it suffuses daily life so completely, the concept of religion separate from day to day occurrences is completely foreign- there is no word for RELIGION in the Tibetan language. It's part of who they are and their purpose for being on this planet. Below the traveling pilgrims, note the paintings of ladders on the lower parts of the mountains. They show the path to take towards enlightenment for all Buddhist believers.
There were mountains all around us, wherever we went. There were so many monasteries and temples...each one similar yet different...each one beautiful and special. In Lhasa, the Jokhang Temple, Tibet's most revered place (first and second photo) and the Dalai Lama's former home...now a museum...the Potala Palace (the last of the three pictured) were feasts for our eyes and inspiration for our hearts. We saw yaks, prayer flags, lots of construction and the lower parts of many mountains painted with graphics of ladders , showing the way to a better, enlightened life. Most of our earliest days in Tibet were filled with 7th century Buddhist temples and wonderfully colorful markets. Everywhere we went, there were locals and pilgrims paying their respects and making offerings to the various religious figures, disciples and protectors or guardians...and Buddhas past, present and future. The constant bustle, gaudy paraphernalia of worship in stalls surrounding temples and monasteries, flickering yak butter candle lamps (yak butter can be purchased at those stalls as well) and wreaths of heady incense make Lhasa a memorable place both visually and sensorially.
Have you ever imagined what the kitchen of a monastery looks like? It's GINORMOUS!! The monks must make food for all of their brothers...a mammoth task. However, it's not as mammoth as it was before 1950 when China marched into Tibet and annexed the country. By 1970 more than a million Tibetans had died, either directly at the hands of the Chinese or through famine. Tibet's cultural heritage was razed, over 6000 monasteries were destroyed and with them, its religious Buddhist communities. There are many fewer monks and nuns today... Now, the Chinese government appears to be changing it's tune, but its stronghold continues to be strangling! Military and police presence is strong in the cities. Many monasteries have been rebuilt and re-opened, though strictly controlled; personal freedoms have been expanded. Progress appears to be continuing in Tibet and many aspects of traditional Tibetan life, previously forbidden, are reemerging. However, China's regime retains strict control of the population and Tibetan cries for independence have not ceased.
Our final destination for this trip was Nepal's Kathmandu, but we had a great deal of Tibetan country living yet to see. As we drove along the bits of highway and large areas of rough, rocky, rutted, twisty roads, (often forced to a screeching halt by roaming yaks, pigs, goats, donkeys, horses and cows,) we saw extraordinary scenery...beautiful mountains...some snow-capped, large bodies of deep turquoise water and people slapping cow dung patties on walls to dry, so that they may be used as fuel, mortar to hold houses together and even decoration. We saw some smaller city neighborhoods being rebuilt, many more temples, monasteries and nunneries- some tucked away on side streets in neighborhoods...all very colorful, inviting and curious, friendly families...and always, the ever-present Prayer Flags dangling from every spot where the wind might ruffle them!
You'll notice that many of the women wear face masks...they say it's protection from the sun (?), pollution and the dust, but it looked more like a fashion statement as they came in a variety of colors and patterns. In the cities, the women also wore beautiful and fashionable hats...another trend or custom. The Tibetans look very "oriental" whereas the Nepalese people are split...some look "oriental" and some look Indian. A quick note...something that surprised me...STREET ART is against the law and comes with a stiff penalty- talk about squashing a peoples' creativity and expression of culture!!!!
Our final destination for this trip was Nepal's Kathmandu, but we had a great deal of Tibetan country living yet to see. As we drove along the bits of highway and large areas of rough, rocky, rutted, twisty roads, (often forced to a screeching halt by roaming yaks, pigs, goats, donkeys, horses and cows,) we saw extraordinary scenery...beautiful mountains...some snow-capped, large bodies of deep turquoise water and people slapping cow dung patties on walls to dry, so that they may be used as fuel, mortar to hold houses together and even decoration. We saw some smaller city neighborhoods being rebuilt, many more temples, monasteries and nunneries- some tucked away on side streets in neighborhoods...all very colorful, inviting and curious, friendly families...and always, the ever-present Prayer Flags dangling from every spot where the wind might ruffle them!
As we made our way across the Tibetan Plateau heading west, we saw the country folks...even met some of them and shared some butter tea and yogurt...the BEST yogurt I've ever had, made from yak milk. It was plowing and harvesting time for barley in the country so there were families walking along the roads leading their yaks, carrying supplies to camp out for a bit while they got their work done in their fields.
As we progressed closer to the great Mount Everest, we were able to see it as well as its snow-capped neighbors...equally gigantic and majestic. There were 3 "passes" we went through as we traversed the soaring giants, each with a bird's eye view of the mountain we were soon to meet face-to-face. At least one of the mountains was part glacier...it sparkled in the sun. Once again, the Prayer Flags waved us on, wishing us good fortune...
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Tibet's infrastructure is not yet set up well for tourists except in the large cities. After all, it hasn't been opened to visitors for very long. As we traveled through more remote areas, the places to stay became rather basic. Many of the places depend on solar heat and as the mountains grew closer, the weather changed...it got colder and there was less sun (during the days we were there.) As a result, we had no hot water and minimal light (once daylight was gone.) It's the hot water we really missed as it was F-R-E-E-Z-I-N-G at the high altitudes!! But, with 2 quilts and a blanket (and our long underwear,) it was all an adventure... and we loved it!!
We stayed at a hotel just 10 miles from Everest...in fact, we had a clear view of this breathtaking mountain right out our window!! It was like a dreamscape... The drive to the foot of the mountain was short...getting to Everest's Base Camp was a bit longer. Although our breathing was noticeably labored (even when we walked slowly,) it was worth braving the biting wind and cold...we were dressed for it in our long underwear, layers of clothing, warm jackets, scarves and hats. We marveled at the hundreds ...perhaps thousands of CHORTENS (piles of stones in a variety of formations for good luck...like tiny stupas) that visitors built reverently in the areas surrounding the world's highest mountain (that's considered a holy place as well.) Interesting to note that in the Himalayan Mountain Range there are 14 mountains above 24,000 feet...some of the tallest peaks in the world. Mt. Everest, "Goddess of the Sky" in Tibetan and "Mother Goddess of the Universe" in Nepalese, alters her look at different times of the day...but she's always stunning! Now, here she is...the AWESOME LADY at the TOP of the WORLD...
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Off to Nepal...we took one of Buddha's fearsome guardians with us (in our hearts and minds.) We took him just as a precaution...entering a new country...but we really needed him!!
NEPAL
LOOK AT THIS!!! You'd think you were in the middle of a traffic jam in midtown Manhattan!! This is the nightmare that occurs each day at the Tibet/Nepal border because the Tibetan truck drivers aren't permitted to go into Nepal. (Tibetan people, in general, can't get a passport to go ANYWHERE out of their country.) The Chinese government is afraid they won't return to Tibet, so they must back their trucks up to a Nepalese truck and move the products they're carrying from their vehicle to that of the Nepalese driver. Traffic from all directions is at a standstill for hours. The following day, not much further on, we were forced to a lengthy stop once again...this time by an overturned truck. (We came upon 3 more overturned trucks between the Tibet/Nepal border and Kathmandu...just a few hours drive.) The roads are narrow, there are too many vehicles...many of them very large...and there's no one to regulate the traffic flow. Add to that, the plethora of motorcycles that weave in and out of the chaos...and stop for NOTHING and NO ONE!! Even ALL of Buddha's guardians couldn't have helped us...they would have just kept us safe!! This was our introduction to Nepal and the traffic problem continued as we made our way into Kathmandu, the historic heart of the country...where two of the world's great religions- Buddhism and Hinduism- intermingle in extraordinary , time-worn temples and shrines. We turned our watches back 2 hours and 15 minutes from its Tibet setting...odd!! Unlike Tibet, Nepal is very green and lush. We saw groups of people, men and women, just standing around watching everything that went on...the unemployment rate is obviously very high . We passed many terraced rice fields and were introduced to our first Nepalese Hindu God, SHIVA, God of Destruction...a protector of sorts. He was perched high on a hill overlooking the fields. Evidently, there are 329 MILLION more Hindu Gods and Goddesses we've yet to meet!
Wedged between the mountain wall of the Himalayas and the steamy jungles of the Indian plains, Nepal is a land of yaks and yetis, monasteries and mantras, snow peaks and Sherpas, temples and tigers, magic and mystery.
Nepal seemed to be cleaner than Tibet and although it had its share of very old, run down housing, it also had some beautiful single homes and high-rise residences...something we never saw in Tibet. Too, most of the homes are made of brick. The Himalayan Mountain range dominates all aspects of Nepalese life and all of the vistas as well! It's a country of stark geographical and cultural diversity...and the birthplace of Buddha. It's a very spiritual country where Hinduism and Buddhism have become fused in a way that's hard to understand...but it evidently works. This symbol is revered by BOTH Buddhists and Hindus.
Nepalese Hindus are divided by ethnicity, by caste, as well as by occupation. The temple-lined city squares of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur provided us with spiritual and visual nourishment. The extreme crowds made us anxious. On a couple of occasions, we joined the Buddhist locals and pilgrims on their PARIKRAMA (ceremonial circuit) around some of the giant stupas as well as in the temples in the Kathmandu Valley. Non-Hindus were not permitted inside Hindu temples so we were limited to the familiar (from Tibet) Buddhist ways... ways that have become intermingled with Hindu ways in Nepal. Here are some photos taken in and around the medieval city squares of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, the primary centers of Nepalese culture and religion.
A visit to the holiest SHIVA temple in the Kathmandu Valley, the PASHUPATINATH, is certainly worth the trip. Although the main temple was closed to us, we wandered around all the minor temples and shrines that surrounded the complex. Coming around a corner, we spotted some men that seemed to be dressed for Halloween. Not so... we discovered that they were called SADDHUS. They're ascetic devotees of Shiva, God of Destruction. They travel from one Shiva temple to another and they exist on tips from having their photos taken. Friendly but bizarre...
Kathmandu via Meghauly (in a small chartered plane,) gateway to CHITWAN NATIONAL PARK and the award-winning TIGER TOPS JUNGLE LODGE was our home-away-from-home for the last part of our Nepalese adventure. Authentically in the middle of the jungle, we rode elephant, jeep and boat on safaris with the ultimate goal of spotting TIGERS. Well, we saw lots of rare one-horned rhinoceros, monkeys, birds, wild chickens, peacocks and pea hens, spotted deer, hawk deer, wild boar, crocodile and the now famous SPOTTED TIGER DEER (first discovered by our own guide, Prabin Lakhe. The discovery was made when Prabin though he saw a tiger in the distance and it turned out to be a spotted deer...I created a fake NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC cover for him...see photo below.) We saw many tiger tracks, but apparently, they'd only been coming out in the middle of the night lately, so we had no luck finding even one!! Nonetheless, we had a wonderful time at Tiger Tops, ate some good Nepali food, and got to spend some quality time with the elephants. The most fun was bathing the elephants in the river...
The weeks we spent in Tibet and Nepal will be in our hearts forever...what an awe-inspiring adventure and spiritual journey!
See you in the next,
Abby
Wedged between the mountain wall of the Himalayas and the steamy jungles of the Indian plains, Nepal is a land of yaks and yetis, monasteries and mantras, snow peaks and Sherpas, temples and tigers, magic and mystery.
Nepal seemed to be cleaner than Tibet and although it had its share of very old, run down housing, it also had some beautiful single homes and high-rise residences...something we never saw in Tibet. Too, most of the homes are made of brick. The Himalayan Mountain range dominates all aspects of Nepalese life and all of the vistas as well! It's a country of stark geographical and cultural diversity...and the birthplace of Buddha. It's a very spiritual country where Hinduism and Buddhism have become fused in a way that's hard to understand...but it evidently works. This symbol is revered by BOTH Buddhists and Hindus.
Nepalese Hindus are divided by ethnicity, by caste, as well as by occupation. The temple-lined city squares of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur provided us with spiritual and visual nourishment. The extreme crowds made us anxious. On a couple of occasions, we joined the Buddhist locals and pilgrims on their PARIKRAMA (ceremonial circuit) around some of the giant stupas as well as in the temples in the Kathmandu Valley. Non-Hindus were not permitted inside Hindu temples so we were limited to the familiar (from Tibet) Buddhist ways... ways that have become intermingled with Hindu ways in Nepal. Here are some photos taken in and around the medieval city squares of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, the primary centers of Nepalese culture and religion.
A visit to the holiest SHIVA temple in the Kathmandu Valley, the PASHUPATINATH, is certainly worth the trip. Although the main temple was closed to us, we wandered around all the minor temples and shrines that surrounded the complex. Coming around a corner, we spotted some men that seemed to be dressed for Halloween. Not so... we discovered that they were called SADDHUS. They're ascetic devotees of Shiva, God of Destruction. They travel from one Shiva temple to another and they exist on tips from having their photos taken. Friendly but bizarre...
The PASHUPATINATH temple lies on the Bagmati River where public cremations are performed daily on the five ghats (steps) ...one for each caste. Bodies are wrapped in shrouds and laid out along the riverbank, then cremated on a wooden pyre prepared by the family. The loved one's ashes are then scattered in the river. It seemed unusual to share such a personal and emotional time with curious tourists who have little or no understanding of Hindu ways. (I felt it was intrusive.) Despite being clogged with garbage, the Bagmati continues to be an extremely sacred river...a powerhouse of Hindu spiritual power.
Not only does Nepal have countless gods, goddesses, deities and Buddhas (among others) which are worshiped and revered as statues, images, paintings and symbols, but it also has a real LIVING GODDESS...the only one in the world. The KUMARI DEVI, the Royal Kumari, is a young girl who lives in a three storey, red brick building with some incredibly intricate carved windows, right beside one of Kathmandu's main public squares. (Her photo is from a postcard as we were not permitted to take any photos of Kumari.) We were lucky to see her as she just came to her window... she makes an appearance once a day... for barely a few moments. The people enter the courtyard to worship her, receive her blessing and wish her well. She was selected when she was 3...now she's 6. She only serves until puberty, then she's replaced by another Kumari. To be selected, she had to be from a particular caste and had to meet 32 strict physical requirements ranging from the color of her eyes and shape of her teeth to the sound of her voice... and she needed to have an appropriate horoscope. This young girl lives away from her family (who may come to visit her) with guardians. She only comes out of her home on special occasions and festivals...not very often! After she serves her term, she returns to her actual family and the normal life of a pre-teen or teenager (depending upon when she's replaced.)
Kathmandu via Meghauly (in a small chartered plane,) gateway to CHITWAN NATIONAL PARK and the award-winning TIGER TOPS JUNGLE LODGE was our home-away-from-home for the last part of our Nepalese adventure. Authentically in the middle of the jungle, we rode elephant, jeep and boat on safaris with the ultimate goal of spotting TIGERS. Well, we saw lots of rare one-horned rhinoceros, monkeys, birds, wild chickens, peacocks and pea hens, spotted deer, hawk deer, wild boar, crocodile and the now famous SPOTTED TIGER DEER (first discovered by our own guide, Prabin Lakhe. The discovery was made when Prabin though he saw a tiger in the distance and it turned out to be a spotted deer...I created a fake NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC cover for him...see photo below.) We saw many tiger tracks, but apparently, they'd only been coming out in the middle of the night lately, so we had no luck finding even one!! Nonetheless, we had a wonderful time at Tiger Tops, ate some good Nepali food, and got to spend some quality time with the elephants. The most fun was bathing the elephants in the river...
See you in the next,
Abby
