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March - October 2005

Intrepid Season 2005 - China, Tibet, & Nepal (part III)

Brett Voegele
2005-11-19 14:41:04

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the fantastic Muslim quarter, checking out the Terracotta Warriors, and doing some street-grazing for great food.

Then it was another overnight train to Lanzhou, followed by breakfast and hopping on a bus for Xiahe. I liked the feel of Xiahe (Labrang, in Tibetan) much more this time than I did in the past – probably because I had more time to wander around the huge monastic compound. It’s considered one of the 6 most important monasteries for Tibetan Buddhism.

A short bus ride had us in Langmusi, a place that I love. It’s a small town with some great hiking possibilities just outside of town. The people are extremely friendly, and it has a timeless energy and feel to it. I always love returning there.

A homestay was next – and this time we didn’t arrive in a downpour…what a concept! It meant that we could wander around the village and surrounding hills, which is where I ran into kids who seemed eager to play and pose for the camera – as long as I could show them the results immediately. It was a lot of fun, and a very genuine moment.

Driving across the beautiful grasslands, playing basketball on a court seemingly in the middle of nowhere, and popping our heads into a nomadic tent for some tea and smoke inhalation rounded out the itinerary on our way to Chengdu – our gateway for the flight into Lhasa.

Lhasa was the conventional stuff during an unconventional time – Jokhang, Potala, debating at Sera, Braille without Borders, Dropenling crafts, shopping, and simply wandering – including strolling through the beautiful new park.

As always, the 5 days in Lhasa went all too quickly, and before we knew it we were on our way to Samye, Gyantse, Shigatse, Sakya, and then the monastery near Everest. We arrived to a veil of secrecy – not because of the celebrations, but because of the cloud cover…Everest was nowhere ...