Thursday, October 05, 2006Email from Tibet Got an email today from my pal Jill, coming to the end of her trekking in Tibet. Because it sounds so cool, I'm going to just excerpt it and share it with you guys....Well, I was kind of mistaken about the accessibility of internet in Western Tibet -- either it isn't available or our schedule (pull in at night! eat dinner! leave in the morning! (and nothing in Tibet opens before 9 or 9:30 a.m.)) didn't allow access. I'm typing this in the internet cafe of Saga, Tibet, surrounded by fatigue-clad members of the Chinese military who evidently have been let off the base to come here and play video games and monopolize all the PCs. There's a heavy military presence in Western Tib, presumably because of the disputed border with India. We're on our way back east after 14 days in the West; stops included Everest Base Camp (which is basically a small collection of large tents housing tea houses, cots for rent, and souvenir shacks) and where we didn't see the Mount because of clouds but which had some pretty spectacular peak views nonetheless, and where I went hiking on an obscure trail (at 18,260 feet, let me point out), couldn't find the way down and ended up descending a VERY tall and vertiginous hill of scree on all fours and my butt like a spider. Which was, thank God, effective, but I couldn't help picturing everyone at BAse Camp watching me and giggling.) Yes, Heather, I know that was a long sentence. Anyway, besides EBC, we've stopped at various remote monasteries which are emails in themselves so won't go into it here, did a three-day trek around Mount Kailash (google is your friend) of which I barely survived day two (peak altitude 19,140, but no nausea! yay!) but was manically ecstatic on day 3, and a long, steep 4--wheel drive through Tibet's Grand Canyon to the beyond remote Tsada and cliff fortress/monastery/castle ruins of the 10th century Guge Kingdom. The landscape here is incredible -- it's kind of like the American West and Southwest times about 15. Long golden meadows of either sand or short grass (dotted with dark shapes of yaks, nomad tents, walking Tibetans, goats, etc.), sometime intercut by dark blue or milky grey blue (depending on altitude) snaking rivers, stretching to multi-colored (painted desert) mountains that are themselves just foothills for the more remote. blue, ice-topped Himalayas. It's hard for me to describe off the cuff without cliches. I use "this is really cool" a lot. We have 2 more days on the road trip -- another pass through the Everest area, hoping for better weather and a view of the peak(s), then down to the Nepal border where Isabelle & I catch a bus or car for Kathmandu. # posted by Katherine Doughtie Nolan @ 9:39 AM  
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