Animal sacrifice
I'm not sure what was so intriguing about it but Ryan and I were set to see it. We travelled 13 Km (The roads are so terrible here, it took more than an hour) to get to this temple where some animal sacrifices were to happen. As in any kind of situation I am curious and I want to get in there and really see whats going on. So I took of my shoes and walked through this water muck to go into the temple
"Are you Hindu?" A man turned to me and demanded.
"No.....are you?"
"Yes, you cannot be here." And he pointed to the entrance/exit.
I can say I felt humiliated. I can say I was angry. I can say that I wanted to see that guy come into a Christian church just so I could say "Go!" I can say those things but I won't. After talking to numerous people about this and learning more about the Hindu religion, I still think I am right. Although I agree its important to respect ones religion. For example when I went to the temple I was wearing long pants and I took off my shoes. But I think ones religion should also respect me. Am I so dirty, so impure, so unworthy of seeing what it is that you have? Am I a spy, a terrorist, or a crock?
No. I'm just a person who is interested in learning what happens in the Hindu temples. I have never been denied access to a church, temple, mosque or shrine before. No monk or priest has ever turned me away. How is one to seek faith if the people who have faith already don't have faith that I could have faith....? Anyways, as you can see I am still upset about the situation. I plan on learning more about the Hindu religion, if the let me into their temples or not!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Bundipur
These names will mean nothing to most of you. Maybe some of you have been to these places, hopefully there are some people reading this who plan to go. Anyways, I just want to give you a picture. Maybe inspire you to take a trip. I don't know how I have ever lived without coming to Nepal and I can't imagine living a life that didn't include it.
Bundipur is a small hill town built in the 17th century. I went there because it sounded quiet. The town consisted of one street. There were no tuk tuks, no touts, no tvs, no tacky advertisements, there weren't even many tourists.
Perfect.
My 'hotel' was someones home and I had the feeling I was staying in the guests bedroom. With the town being so small the only thing to do was to go to the hills. While walking I met many people. Most looked, some smiled, one even asked what Calvin meant on my shirt. The kids were amazing. None asked for money. A small boy named Dandskin gave me a tour of his Hindu temple (which he politely said I was no allowed to enter). His English was great and his dream was to be an actor. He showed me some red flowers that you can eat and reassured me that the red and green palm sized spiders that hung around the village weren't poisonous. A different little girl grabbed my hand and led me up a hill to see one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. Back in the village a 10 year old beat me at chess. The elders themselves were awesome. They asked questions out of interest. In too many of the tourist places someone will waste your time with asking you where your from and what your doing before they get to the real question, how can they get money out of you.
I spent the evenings with a brilliant German teacher who taught me a lot about absolutely everything. Any question I had about anything he seemed to have an answer. The days I spent climbing in the hills. Besides the spider webs in the face it proved to be a peaceful time.
One evening I sat admiring the clouds for sometime before I noticed that what I was looking at was the Himalayas. They seem to cover the whole horizon and are of such mass and beauty it is beyond words.
So if your looking for an excellent city that has nothing, Bundipur is your place.
Bundipur is a small hill town built in the 17th century. I went there because it sounded quiet. The town consisted of one street. There were no tuk tuks, no touts, no tvs, no tacky advertisements, there weren't even many tourists.
Perfect.
My 'hotel' was someones home and I had the feeling I was staying in the guests bedroom. With the town being so small the only thing to do was to go to the hills. While walking I met many people. Most looked, some smiled, one even asked what Calvin meant on my shirt. The kids were amazing. None asked for money. A small boy named Dandskin gave me a tour of his Hindu temple (which he politely said I was no allowed to enter). His English was great and his dream was to be an actor. He showed me some red flowers that you can eat and reassured me that the red and green palm sized spiders that hung around the village weren't poisonous. A different little girl grabbed my hand and led me up a hill to see one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. Back in the village a 10 year old beat me at chess. The elders themselves were awesome. They asked questions out of interest. In too many of the tourist places someone will waste your time with asking you where your from and what your doing before they get to the real question, how can they get money out of you.
I spent the evenings with a brilliant German teacher who taught me a lot about absolutely everything. Any question I had about anything he seemed to have an answer. The days I spent climbing in the hills. Besides the spider webs in the face it proved to be a peaceful time.
One evening I sat admiring the clouds for sometime before I noticed that what I was looking at was the Himalayas. They seem to cover the whole horizon and are of such mass and beauty it is beyond words.
So if your looking for an excellent city that has nothing, Bundipur is your place.
Fighting Fear
There was a time in my life when I was fearless. Then I almost died.
Climbing a mountain near Nelson I almost fell of a cliff and since then I've had a fear of heights. When I let Ryan know this, he laughed and told me in delight all his wonderful times bungee jumping. He assured me that if there was one in Nepal we were going to do it.
And whatdya know, there was a bungee jump in Nepal. One of the highest in the world.
So we went.
A bridge suspended 300 meters over a canyon was to be the spot for me to risk my life. I hate these bridges. The one with slates so you can see the roaring river hundreds of feet below. Every time someone stepped on the bridge it would shake and my heart would race.
We were weighed and separated into two groups. I watched as a 13 year-old girl threw herself with no fear off the bridge. After watching this over and over again, with no deaths, my confidence was up. We took a break and then the second group was to start. Me and 7 other guys who weighed over 70 kilos walked the plank.
I was the first to go.
They tied my feet and stuck a camera in my face and asked how I was doing.
I smiled, hiding my fear. The man winked at me giving me the sign that everything was ready. I stepped across the barrier, leaving nothing but a small slab of steel between me and the air. I looked down and saw the raging river.
"Don't do it." The man in my head was firm.
"Hands up." The man behind me ordered.
"3, 2" As he counted I said a last goodbye to the world. What if something happened? Something could happen. Anything could happen. Things happen all the time.
"1, Bungee!"
I jumped
It all went so quickly. I screamed as my body flew towards the ground. The river was coming fast, I was sure I would smash into the ground.
And whahahg, up I went again, and down, and then hung there. It was over. I had lived.
As the men brought me down I broke into laughter.
The first thing I thought was that was way to quick. The second thing was I have to go sky diving.
Climbing a mountain near Nelson I almost fell of a cliff and since then I've had a fear of heights. When I let Ryan know this, he laughed and told me in delight all his wonderful times bungee jumping. He assured me that if there was one in Nepal we were going to do it.
And whatdya know, there was a bungee jump in Nepal. One of the highest in the world.
So we went.
A bridge suspended 300 meters over a canyon was to be the spot for me to risk my life. I hate these bridges. The one with slates so you can see the roaring river hundreds of feet below. Every time someone stepped on the bridge it would shake and my heart would race.
We were weighed and separated into two groups. I watched as a 13 year-old girl threw herself with no fear off the bridge. After watching this over and over again, with no deaths, my confidence was up. We took a break and then the second group was to start. Me and 7 other guys who weighed over 70 kilos walked the plank.
I was the first to go.
They tied my feet and stuck a camera in my face and asked how I was doing.
I smiled, hiding my fear. The man winked at me giving me the sign that everything was ready. I stepped across the barrier, leaving nothing but a small slab of steel between me and the air. I looked down and saw the raging river.
"Don't do it." The man in my head was firm.
"Hands up." The man behind me ordered.
"3, 2" As he counted I said a last goodbye to the world. What if something happened? Something could happen. Anything could happen. Things happen all the time.
"1, Bungee!"
I jumped
It all went so quickly. I screamed as my body flew towards the ground. The river was coming fast, I was sure I would smash into the ground.
And whahahg, up I went again, and down, and then hung there. It was over. I had lived.
As the men brought me down I broke into laughter.
The first thing I thought was that was way to quick. The second thing was I have to go sky diving.
Nepali Innocence and the secret party
What is really going on in Nepal? I asked myself that daily while in Kathmandu. There are beautiful woman that roam the streets in the most dashing clothes and yet they don't dart an eye at the guys. There are guys with big muscles and leather jackets that walk the same streets holding hands. I went to a disco the other day that was packed with head banging local men. The next disco had a dance floor full of woman dancing with each other.
Why do they segragate themselves? Can the really feel no sexual desire? Do the guys not think the sari is sexy? Do the woman not think that fat, balding, Bollywood actor is intriguing?
Is the religion influence still that strong today?
You look at this scene, day in and day out, and think, thats just the way it is here.
And then! You see the other side! You scratch the surface.
Our neighbors in one hotel happened to be three young Nepali girls. I met them when they barged into my room, sat on my bed, and asked for a cigarette. They were masseuses. They worked downstairs. What exactly their work entailed I never found out. But I learned about them. They smoked pot every morning. The would walk around in their bra's. Boys would call on them and take them out to the disco. Yes, there are 'bad' Nepali girls.
Here's another example
As rules have it now, ALL bars close at 11. So for the average backpacker when the Thamel bars close they call it a night. But there are things happening that only rickshaw drivers know. We asked one to bring us to a party, and he did. We travelled down a dark road for miles. Finally the rickshaw pulled into a driveway.
"Party, party, dancing, drinking, there." He pointed down a long driveway. So we followed the drive way, then a small path, and arrived at this amazing house. More than 100 people were dancing in front of a huge screen. The Dj mixed above the crowd and the music was amazing. There were 40 year-old men with yellow tainted glasses dancing beside men with mohawks. Nepali girls in high heels lost themselves in the trance music. A man in a suit sat in the corner with two beautiful models, one on each arm.
We found a different Nepal.
The night ended when the police locked us in the compound. We were surrounded by armed guards and they demanded that the owner identify himself. After an hour they let us go. It just goes to show, nothing is ever as it seems.
Why do they segragate themselves? Can the really feel no sexual desire? Do the guys not think the sari is sexy? Do the woman not think that fat, balding, Bollywood actor is intriguing?
Is the religion influence still that strong today?
You look at this scene, day in and day out, and think, thats just the way it is here.
And then! You see the other side! You scratch the surface.
Our neighbors in one hotel happened to be three young Nepali girls. I met them when they barged into my room, sat on my bed, and asked for a cigarette. They were masseuses. They worked downstairs. What exactly their work entailed I never found out. But I learned about them. They smoked pot every morning. The would walk around in their bra's. Boys would call on them and take them out to the disco. Yes, there are 'bad' Nepali girls.
Here's another example
As rules have it now, ALL bars close at 11. So for the average backpacker when the Thamel bars close they call it a night. But there are things happening that only rickshaw drivers know. We asked one to bring us to a party, and he did. We travelled down a dark road for miles. Finally the rickshaw pulled into a driveway.
"Party, party, dancing, drinking, there." He pointed down a long driveway. So we followed the drive way, then a small path, and arrived at this amazing house. More than 100 people were dancing in front of a huge screen. The Dj mixed above the crowd and the music was amazing. There were 40 year-old men with yellow tainted glasses dancing beside men with mohawks. Nepali girls in high heels lost themselves in the trance music. A man in a suit sat in the corner with two beautiful models, one on each arm.
We found a different Nepal.
The night ended when the police locked us in the compound. We were surrounded by armed guards and they demanded that the owner identify himself. After an hour they let us go. It just goes to show, nothing is ever as it seems.
Religion in Nepal
I think if the whole world learned to live with different religions like Nepal did we would have a much more secure future.
Although most of the people are either Buddhists or Hindus you can also find Christians and Muslims. In a small mountain village I went to the other day they were all on one street.
A kid put it very simply the other day.
"So are you Buddhist or Hindu?" I asked.
"I'm Hindu" he replied shyly.
"Whats the difference?" I asked testing him.
"Nothing really, we worship Vishnu, they worship Buddha. Some people worship Jesus and other Muhammad." He said simply.
I thought about it after and I think he really has it clear in his head. He sees these people as profits that all give a different interpretation of the same thing, the Divine.
In Nepal the Hindus and Buddhists go to the same place to pray. There are no hard feelings between them, or so they claim. I just find it hard to believe. The other day in Kathmandu the Hindus sacrificed thousands of animals by cutting of their heads. They sprinkled the blood on their vehicles and doorsteps for good luck. The neighbor Buddhist watches this with tears in his eyes. They don't believe in the killing of animals and to them, this is a time for extra praying. When I asked them about this paradox they just shrug and say nothing.
Although most of the people are either Buddhists or Hindus you can also find Christians and Muslims. In a small mountain village I went to the other day they were all on one street.
A kid put it very simply the other day.
"So are you Buddhist or Hindu?" I asked.
"I'm Hindu" he replied shyly.
"Whats the difference?" I asked testing him.
"Nothing really, we worship Vishnu, they worship Buddha. Some people worship Jesus and other Muhammad." He said simply.
I thought about it after and I think he really has it clear in his head. He sees these people as profits that all give a different interpretation of the same thing, the Divine.
In Nepal the Hindus and Buddhists go to the same place to pray. There are no hard feelings between them, or so they claim. I just find it hard to believe. The other day in Kathmandu the Hindus sacrificed thousands of animals by cutting of their heads. They sprinkled the blood on their vehicles and doorsteps for good luck. The neighbor Buddhist watches this with tears in his eyes. They don't believe in the killing of animals and to them, this is a time for extra praying. When I asked them about this paradox they just shrug and say nothing.
Kathmandu - sensory overload
Coming from the quiet mountains and going into the heart of Kathmandu can be quite an experience. Although its not a hugely populated city its dense and polluted. While driving into the city we could smell the exhaust, hear the horns, feel the heat, and touch the traffic. We were happy to be in our Jeep.
Thamel is the tourist town and it is littered with touts selling everything a backpacker in Nepal could want.
Cheap knock off North Face - Check
Books, magazines, maps - Check
Scarves for the cold, Sandals for the hot, and umbrellas for the rain - Check
Drums, violins, guitars - Check
Silk, cashmere, polyester- Check
Ganja, dope, grass, hash, pollen, - no comment
Sandwiches, friend rice, roti, curry, pasta, steak, fruit shake, - Check
There are hundreds of things that are actually really cool but there's just no room to pack them.
The city is a maze of cluttered ancient alleys. Steep wooden houses lean over the beaten roads. Dogs, cows, rickshaws, motorbikes, taxis, and people assure that traffic crawls. The smells are pleasant and indescribable. There is no one skyscraper in the city. Street hawkers sell all sorts of greasy delicacy's on corners. Women was clothes in public open bath houses. Children fly kites and play on huge swings. Religion is a huge part of every ones life and you can see monuments sprinkled all over the city.
There's no rush in the city. One can go to the main square and sit and people watch for hours. There are huge temples with generations of history in the most bizarre places. There's a place called Freak Street where all the freaky hippies used to meet. We ran into one and I took his picture and he got angry. I won't write anymore for fear that he could be reading this now. Of all the capitals I've been to Kathmandu one of my favorites. And I didn't even see the half of it.
Thamel is the tourist town and it is littered with touts selling everything a backpacker in Nepal could want.
Cheap knock off North Face - Check
Books, magazines, maps - Check
Scarves for the cold, Sandals for the hot, and umbrellas for the rain - Check
Drums, violins, guitars - Check
Silk, cashmere, polyester- Check
Ganja, dope, grass, hash, pollen, - no comment
Sandwiches, friend rice, roti, curry, pasta, steak, fruit shake, - Check
There are hundreds of things that are actually really cool but there's just no room to pack them.
The city is a maze of cluttered ancient alleys. Steep wooden houses lean over the beaten roads. Dogs, cows, rickshaws, motorbikes, taxis, and people assure that traffic crawls. The smells are pleasant and indescribable. There is no one skyscraper in the city. Street hawkers sell all sorts of greasy delicacy's on corners. Women was clothes in public open bath houses. Children fly kites and play on huge swings. Religion is a huge part of every ones life and you can see monuments sprinkled all over the city.
There's no rush in the city. One can go to the main square and sit and people watch for hours. There are huge temples with generations of history in the most bizarre places. There's a place called Freak Street where all the freaky hippies used to meet. We ran into one and I took his picture and he got angry. I won't write anymore for fear that he could be reading this now. Of all the capitals I've been to Kathmandu one of my favorites. And I didn't even see the half of it.
Nepal
From arid mountain plains we descended into the muggy Nepal jungle. The canyon narrowed and white waterfalls splashed onto the road. Colorful buses with melodic horns tried to press its way towards the boarder. Dark people with baseball caps sold samosas on the street. AHHH,
Nepal
Its always great crossing boarders. You cross this imaginary line and everything changes. In China everyone obsess over cleanliness. In Nepal, old woman with alligator skin and nose rings sit on the roads while kids with no pants jump in the dirt. In China its rare to find people speaking English. In Nepal most people can speak a little English and they spoke with no sense of shyness. In China the kids would scream "Hello" and then run away giggling. In Nepal the kids would say hello and then proceed to start a conversation.
I knew from the second I was in the country that I would love it.
We still needed to get to Kathmandu. So we rented a jeep with some fellow tourists for 600 Rupees each. Just when I thought that I left China forever, I was reminded, China is everywhere, especially nowadays. Ryan and I shared the jeep with six Chinese people and I spoke about China with Chinese people for the next 4 hours.
Nepal
Its always great crossing boarders. You cross this imaginary line and everything changes. In China everyone obsess over cleanliness. In Nepal, old woman with alligator skin and nose rings sit on the roads while kids with no pants jump in the dirt. In China its rare to find people speaking English. In Nepal most people can speak a little English and they spoke with no sense of shyness. In China the kids would scream "Hello" and then run away giggling. In Nepal the kids would say hello and then proceed to start a conversation.
I knew from the second I was in the country that I would love it.
We still needed to get to Kathmandu. So we rented a jeep with some fellow tourists for 600 Rupees each. Just when I thought that I left China forever, I was reminded, China is everywhere, especially nowadays. Ryan and I shared the jeep with six Chinese people and I spoke about China with Chinese people for the next 4 hours.
Leaving China
That day at Everest will be ingrained in my head for my whole life. It also marked my last day in the country that I called home for 3 years. We drove for hours on terrible roads to get to the boarder town of Zhangmu. The city is built on a windy slanted road. At the bottom was the Nepal boarder.
A lot of things were going through my head when I was going through customs. 3 years earlier I was doing the same thing, except I was coming into China. I have to say I was equally moved by the custom people there, so polite and straight. Thousands of memories started flooding through my head. I've met so many amazing people, seen so many breath taking sights, and had such an amazing time in China. I realised that I was leaving all of that. Everything that I had made for myself I was leaving, again. The guards saluted me, just like they did three years ago, and a tear slid down my cheek, (I hid it from Ryan and the guards) just like it did three years ago.
China
That word has a million memories attached to it. And I will always bring them with me. People can knock the country as much as they want, and I will stick up for it. Because for as many bad things people can come up with, I can counter with all the random acts of philanthropy that I have seen.
I walked through, got in the bus, and said goodbye.
A lot of things were going through my head when I was going through customs. 3 years earlier I was doing the same thing, except I was coming into China. I have to say I was equally moved by the custom people there, so polite and straight. Thousands of memories started flooding through my head. I've met so many amazing people, seen so many breath taking sights, and had such an amazing time in China. I realised that I was leaving all of that. Everything that I had made for myself I was leaving, again. The guards saluted me, just like they did three years ago, and a tear slid down my cheek, (I hid it from Ryan and the guards) just like it did three years ago.
China
That word has a million memories attached to it. And I will always bring them with me. People can knock the country as much as they want, and I will stick up for it. Because for as many bad things people can come up with, I can counter with all the random acts of philanthropy that I have seen.
I walked through, got in the bus, and said goodbye.
Everest
We arrived mid-afternoon at base camp. The road was terrible and it took us hours to plow through the dusty, bumpy roads. We read the day earlier that it was going to be raining at Everest so when we arrived to a cloudy sky. we weren't surprised.
We still managed to hike up towards the mountain and watch the sunset. Just at that time the clouds cleared a little and a massive mountain came into view. We giddily grabbed the camera and started shooting what we thought to be the mountain. Still, we wanted more, so the next day, we woke up at 5:30 to get a better look.
5:30 AM
The stars seemed brighter than ever. At 5000 meters it felt like we could touch to black sky. We headed towards the mountain in the dark. There was an eerie feeling in the silent valley. As the sun slowly crept up the horizon we realised that the mountain we were staring at the day before was a dwarf. The real Everest towered above it.
It was beautiful. A crystal clear sky with Everest standing boldly in it. We ignored the sleeping guards and continued way past the 'tourist stop here line'. The closer we got the more intimidating the mountain became. Besides the rock statues there was no sign of humans. The clouds started to fall on us from the sky, adding more to the suspense of the craggy valley.
After walking for hours we realised that if we didn't find food soon we would soon begin to complain of being hungry. We had no clue how far we had gone or how much further we would have to go. The mountain grew taller and broader with every step we took. Hunger and cold soon took over. We turned back.
As soon as we got onto the plain we knew we were in trouble. A very angry Tibetan waved us down as soon as we got in the vicinity.
"Ohhhh, you made a mistake!" Said the angry Tibetan.
"What, what did we do?" Said Kyle and Ryan as innocently as possible.
"Ohhh, you know what you did, big mistake, come with me!"
So we were lead to the army camp. Fearing the worst Ryan and I prepared to use our kungfu skills to ditch the situation if it got serious. In the end they were spared. The Army guards where 20 year-olds from a province which I have been to many times. After sharing some of the facts I knew of the place, sharing a joke, and giving out some cigarettes, we were free to go. The Tibetan was still angry. I still don't know why.
We still managed to hike up towards the mountain and watch the sunset. Just at that time the clouds cleared a little and a massive mountain came into view. We giddily grabbed the camera and started shooting what we thought to be the mountain. Still, we wanted more, so the next day, we woke up at 5:30 to get a better look.
5:30 AM
The stars seemed brighter than ever. At 5000 meters it felt like we could touch to black sky. We headed towards the mountain in the dark. There was an eerie feeling in the silent valley. As the sun slowly crept up the horizon we realised that the mountain we were staring at the day before was a dwarf. The real Everest towered above it.
It was beautiful. A crystal clear sky with Everest standing boldly in it. We ignored the sleeping guards and continued way past the 'tourist stop here line'. The closer we got the more intimidating the mountain became. Besides the rock statues there was no sign of humans. The clouds started to fall on us from the sky, adding more to the suspense of the craggy valley.
After walking for hours we realised that if we didn't find food soon we would soon begin to complain of being hungry. We had no clue how far we had gone or how much further we would have to go. The mountain grew taller and broader with every step we took. Hunger and cold soon took over. We turned back.
As soon as we got onto the plain we knew we were in trouble. A very angry Tibetan waved us down as soon as we got in the vicinity.
"Ohhhh, you made a mistake!" Said the angry Tibetan.
"What, what did we do?" Said Kyle and Ryan as innocently as possible.
"Ohhh, you know what you did, big mistake, come with me!"
So we were lead to the army camp. Fearing the worst Ryan and I prepared to use our kungfu skills to ditch the situation if it got serious. In the end they were spared. The Army guards where 20 year-olds from a province which I have been to many times. After sharing some of the facts I knew of the place, sharing a joke, and giving out some cigarettes, we were free to go. The Tibetan was still angry. I still don't know why.
To the Himalayas and beyond
When our tour was coming to an end our tour guide asked us what time our plane was back to Shanghai. When we told him we weren't flying back, we were going off on to Nepal, he was aloof. Apparently the 'travel agency' needs to arrange not only your trip into Tibet, but out of Tibet; and everything in between. This meant that if we were to go anywhere, except the toilet, we needed a permit, a tour guide, and a vehicle, 'to protect us'. So we were forced to fork out another 5700 RMb (700USD) for the trip to Nepal. We had no choice. The next day our 5'2 woman protector came to pick us up.
We went through at least 10 check points before arriving at our destination, so yea, no getting away from the bureaucracy.
The trip was to take 3 days with a side trip to the tallest mountain in the world, Everest.
We went through at least 10 check points before arriving at our destination, so yea, no getting away from the bureaucracy.
The trip was to take 3 days with a side trip to the tallest mountain in the world, Everest.
The Potala Palace
There isn't much to write about except that its amazing. The monks in the palace were dressed in civilian clothes and looked quite sad. With the Dalai Lama gone I think the house seems quite and empty. The palace towers over the city and is an architectural wonder of the world. At night it glows with green neon light.
Just one of those things you have to go see yourself. And I recommend doing it while the pilgrims are still around.
Just one of those things you have to go see yourself. And I recommend doing it while the pilgrims are still around.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
With light comes fright
We woke up bright and early our first day in Lhasa. Ryan and I were both excited to see what the city had to offer. Ryan took a tour around the Dalai Lamas former summer residence while I walked the streets. I was curious to see how the people lived and what I could differentiate from the Tibetans and the Chinese.
First, there are a lot of Chinese in Lhasa. Most of the small streets I wandered were occupied by migrants or peasants, just live every other big Chinese city. The Tibetans are easy to pick out though, especially the pilgrims.
Since Lhasa is a sacred place, pilgrims come from hundreds of kilometers away to pay tribute to the city. Almost all of them had a prayer wheel, something that resembles a tin can on a stick, that they twirl in a clock-wise motion. They are dressed in country clothes and big hats and, the scary thing, is that they looked to be all over 60. Our tour guide guessed that in 20 years there would be no more pilgrims. They have hard, brown, beaten faces. They are much larger than the average Asian, but somehow they maintain a friendly glow. They follow certain routes around the city and I found myself following them to see what it was all about. They stopped at small temples that were packed with people being blessed by monks. Around another corner they rubbed their knee on a rock. The rock had been rubbed by so many knees that it was indented and shined a polished black. The route led to the old city, and that was where things got scary.
There are armed guards stationed on every street. By armed guards I mean 17 year-olds with rifles, pistols, bats, and shields. They marched the streets in lines of fives in order to 'keep the peace'. There were cameras watching from all the small alley intersections. On buildings men with sniper rifles would patiently score the scene. I have to say this took away the general "Tibetan feeling". The whole time we were there it felt like there was someone or something watching us. Saying that, the old city was, overrated. The streets are lined with merchants selling the exact same crap that is sold all over China. The buildings, all about four stories, were peeling and crumbling. Because of the riots in March tourism was down and this made the touts even more eager to sell their rocks, silk, and other tourist paraphernalia.
We were given a tour of the holiest temple in all of Tibet, which was again repetitive. The tombs however, were of great interest. Some of them were so huge and so valuable it was amazing to see how accessible they were. Although it would be a good heist, I think getting out of Lhasa with a 10 ton tomb would be difficult. I did learn about the different type of Buddhisms though. And I took a special interest in the Red Sect, where they use sex to get to higher levels of spirituality.
First, there are a lot of Chinese in Lhasa. Most of the small streets I wandered were occupied by migrants or peasants, just live every other big Chinese city. The Tibetans are easy to pick out though, especially the pilgrims.
Since Lhasa is a sacred place, pilgrims come from hundreds of kilometers away to pay tribute to the city. Almost all of them had a prayer wheel, something that resembles a tin can on a stick, that they twirl in a clock-wise motion. They are dressed in country clothes and big hats and, the scary thing, is that they looked to be all over 60. Our tour guide guessed that in 20 years there would be no more pilgrims. They have hard, brown, beaten faces. They are much larger than the average Asian, but somehow they maintain a friendly glow. They follow certain routes around the city and I found myself following them to see what it was all about. They stopped at small temples that were packed with people being blessed by monks. Around another corner they rubbed their knee on a rock. The rock had been rubbed by so many knees that it was indented and shined a polished black. The route led to the old city, and that was where things got scary.
There are armed guards stationed on every street. By armed guards I mean 17 year-olds with rifles, pistols, bats, and shields. They marched the streets in lines of fives in order to 'keep the peace'. There were cameras watching from all the small alley intersections. On buildings men with sniper rifles would patiently score the scene. I have to say this took away the general "Tibetan feeling". The whole time we were there it felt like there was someone or something watching us. Saying that, the old city was, overrated. The streets are lined with merchants selling the exact same crap that is sold all over China. The buildings, all about four stories, were peeling and crumbling. Because of the riots in March tourism was down and this made the touts even more eager to sell their rocks, silk, and other tourist paraphernalia.
We were given a tour of the holiest temple in all of Tibet, which was again repetitive. The tombs however, were of great interest. Some of them were so huge and so valuable it was amazing to see how accessible they were. Although it would be a good heist, I think getting out of Lhasa with a 10 ton tomb would be difficult. I did learn about the different type of Buddhisms though. And I took a special interest in the Red Sect, where they use sex to get to higher levels of spirituality.
Lhasa
Just from the amount of security on the train we imagined that Lhasa would be a prison. Sure enough, as soon as we got off the train, we saw the army of armed guards stationed outside the station. Our 'tour guide', who we were forced to pay for, picked us up at the airport and gave us a 'traditional' white scarf. He said that it was a cultural gift from Tibet to welcome people into their homes. We drove to the 2 star hotel that was included in our package (an outstanding 2500 RMB(350USD) for 3 days) and our guide warned us not to shower because of the altitude. I have to admit that the first days in Lhasa, even though we had been slowly acclimatising in Qinghai, were hard. It was like eating psilocybin. My head felt like it was slowly being crushed. My body was heavy but I still felt like I was flying. Any kind of strenuous effort would leave me breathless. However, we drank as much water as we could and went all the way up to 5300 meters without suffering too bad. That night we caught our first glimpse of the Potala Palace, the Dalai Lamas former residence. I need to add that to the list of jaw droppers.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Free Tibet
I read an article the other day about all the fanatic people who want to free Tibet and it really hit the spot. Once I find it I will link it here,
When the riot happened in March us foreigners living in China and those of us who like the Chinese were really stuck in the middle.
Let me start this controversial article by saying I went to Tibet.
Now a lot of people have a lot of different arguments and a lot of terrible things to say about the Chinese 'invasion'. I have heard stories of talking away their culture, their buidings, their way of life, and a lot of other terrible things. Lets not dwell too much on what happend in the 1950's. There were terrible things happening to a lot of people then.
Lets talk about now.
I saw a lot of temples, a lot of pilgrims, and a lot of people praying everywhere in Lhasa. The people seemed pretty free to pray. Incase anyone thinks that China's 'communist'* regime doesnt tolerate religion there are tens of thousands of temples and mosques and even churches all around China.
China is developing so a lot of things they are doing, including the destruction of buildings in Lhasa and other parts of the country, are under a lot of scrutiny. They are developing. It is a process. And as much as we love to see old, molding, “traditional” houses. A lot of people want a better life. And I know that old people who have had their houses past down to them generation after generation don’t want to leave. One thing I learned from my Japanese boss was " You cant make everyone happy".
The Tibetan people themselves are extremely spiritual (sometimes in very bizarre ways) and the countryside is poverty stricken. I have never been impressed with children beggars. I've seem them in almost every country I've been to. Usually their parents are two steps behind them, urging them on. Interesting enough I didn't see a lot in Laos or in Burma, unarguably the poorest countries in Asia. The kids in Tibet were pitifully. In every village I went to, no matter how small or secluded, they trotted towards us with big eyes, filthy faces, and open palms. This was obviously taught from their parents. And If I can blame them, I blame foreigners.
I've seen them about. They come in on the tour bus or in their aircon tainted glass vehicles. They stop at a village, hand out some candy or coins, get a cute picture and leave. In their hearts they feel like they've helped.
Well you haven't.
Stop
If you want to help, build a school.
*Anyone who knows what the defintion of communism is knows that China is not a communist country.
To add to that, no country that has ever claimed its government as communist has followed the rules of communism. Therefore, in all the history of time, we have never, ever, seen a communist government.
When the riot happened in March us foreigners living in China and those of us who like the Chinese were really stuck in the middle.
Let me start this controversial article by saying I went to Tibet.
Now a lot of people have a lot of different arguments and a lot of terrible things to say about the Chinese 'invasion'. I have heard stories of talking away their culture, their buidings, their way of life, and a lot of other terrible things. Lets not dwell too much on what happend in the 1950's. There were terrible things happening to a lot of people then.
Lets talk about now.
I saw a lot of temples, a lot of pilgrims, and a lot of people praying everywhere in Lhasa. The people seemed pretty free to pray. Incase anyone thinks that China's 'communist'* regime doesnt tolerate religion there are tens of thousands of temples and mosques and even churches all around China.
China is developing so a lot of things they are doing, including the destruction of buildings in Lhasa and other parts of the country, are under a lot of scrutiny. They are developing. It is a process. And as much as we love to see old, molding, “traditional” houses. A lot of people want a better life. And I know that old people who have had their houses past down to them generation after generation don’t want to leave. One thing I learned from my Japanese boss was " You cant make everyone happy".
The Tibetan people themselves are extremely spiritual (sometimes in very bizarre ways) and the countryside is poverty stricken. I have never been impressed with children beggars. I've seem them in almost every country I've been to. Usually their parents are two steps behind them, urging them on. Interesting enough I didn't see a lot in Laos or in Burma, unarguably the poorest countries in Asia. The kids in Tibet were pitifully. In every village I went to, no matter how small or secluded, they trotted towards us with big eyes, filthy faces, and open palms. This was obviously taught from their parents. And If I can blame them, I blame foreigners.
I've seen them about. They come in on the tour bus or in their aircon tainted glass vehicles. They stop at a village, hand out some candy or coins, get a cute picture and leave. In their hearts they feel like they've helped.
Well you haven't.
Stop
If you want to help, build a school.
*Anyone who knows what the defintion of communism is knows that China is not a communist country.
To add to that, no country that has ever claimed its government as communist has followed the rules of communism. Therefore, in all the history of time, we have never, ever, seen a communist government.
Sneak into Tibet
Now I know earlier I said that you can almost do anything in China, but getting into Tibet without an expensive permit is NOT one of them. Our ticket and permit was checked twice before we got on the train and three times once we got in. Then it was checked at every hotel we checked into, over 10 times while we were on the road, and finally, at immigration. So, unless you’re sneakier than Bond or have more connections than Trump I wouldn’t try it
Tibet Today
Things have changed a lot in Tibet.
A long time ago Tibet, and especially Lhasa, was known as the Forrbidden city. Many people trekked through the worldest highest mountains trying to get to there but died. Then came a time when people went to Tibet and came back raving about the awsome spiritualism, the hospital people, and the beauty of the land. Then, in the 1950s, the Chinese Liberation Army entered Tibet and anyone who has studied anything about Tibetan history will know what happened then. Then came a time when China closed its doors. The world was at war and nobody new what was happening. China opened its doors again people were back into Tibet but something had changed.
A long time ago Tibet, and especially Lhasa, was known as the Forrbidden city. Many people trekked through the worldest highest mountains trying to get to there but died. Then came a time when people went to Tibet and came back raving about the awsome spiritualism, the hospital people, and the beauty of the land. Then, in the 1950s, the Chinese Liberation Army entered Tibet and anyone who has studied anything about Tibetan history will know what happened then. Then came a time when China closed its doors. The world was at war and nobody new what was happening. China opened its doors again people were back into Tibet but something had changed.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Karakuri Lake
The lake
As soon as we got out of the car we were offered accommodation with the local Kyrkies that lived at the edge of the lake. Echo wanted to try her time as a cowgirl so we took a horse ride to the village to check out our new home. The village was extremely simple. I first thought that the feces that were spread out around the village were used for fertilizer. (You've seen what dog urine does to grass, can you imagine what camel pee does!?) but later learned they use it for fire. Grey stone fences surrounded mud made houses. The towns one and only uni bathroom was in the center of the city. It was repulsive The local school kids had tulip stem green eyes and marched around a dirty Chinese flag.
Although the city was interesting and could keep a farmer intrigued for hours Echo and I decided to do some hiking. The climb up was difficult. Together the hardest thing we had ever climbed was the stairs to my flat when the lift was out. But the difficulty of the trek made it so much more gratifying when we reached the top. The yellow valley was speckled with camels and yaks and the bright turquoise lake reflected the cloudless sky with perfection.
At home our family lit a poop fire and give us some sort of stew. They started the entertainment by standing up and pretending to dance but later I understood they just wanted to give their teenage son a chance to get boogie with it with my girlfriend.
Day 2
We reunited with the two women we came up with. They had spent the whole last day driving and were very eager to drive all the way back to the city. On the way we stopped by various mountains with very logical names like Red Mountain and White Mountain. We once stopped at another mountain. After taking pictures of it one of the women asked what it was called. When the driver said it didn’t have a name the women let out a puff of air while angrily asking why we had stopped deleted the picture of her camera.
As soon as we got out of the car we were offered accommodation with the local Kyrkies that lived at the edge of the lake. Echo wanted to try her time as a cowgirl so we took a horse ride to the village to check out our new home. The village was extremely simple. I first thought that the feces that were spread out around the village were used for fertilizer. (You've seen what dog urine does to grass, can you imagine what camel pee does!?) but later learned they use it for fire. Grey stone fences surrounded mud made houses. The towns one and only uni bathroom was in the center of the city. It was repulsive The local school kids had tulip stem green eyes and marched around a dirty Chinese flag.
Although the city was interesting and could keep a farmer intrigued for hours Echo and I decided to do some hiking. The climb up was difficult. Together the hardest thing we had ever climbed was the stairs to my flat when the lift was out. But the difficulty of the trek made it so much more gratifying when we reached the top. The yellow valley was speckled with camels and yaks and the bright turquoise lake reflected the cloudless sky with perfection.
At home our family lit a poop fire and give us some sort of stew. They started the entertainment by standing up and pretending to dance but later I understood they just wanted to give their teenage son a chance to get boogie with it with my girlfriend.
Day 2
We reunited with the two women we came up with. They had spent the whole last day driving and were very eager to drive all the way back to the city. On the way we stopped by various mountains with very logical names like Red Mountain and White Mountain. We once stopped at another mountain. After taking pictures of it one of the women asked what it was called. When the driver said it didn’t have a name the women let out a puff of air while angrily asking why we had stopped deleted the picture of her camera.
Bickering Tuesdays
This is a part of an on going column called Bickering Tuesdays. Since most times I bicker its on a Tuesdays and since a lot of these things happened on Tuesday and because, most convenient, today is a Tuesday.
You can’t!
You know one thing I really hate? When complete strangers tell me I can’t do something. I am so sick of people telling me what or where I could or could not do or go.
Story goes like this
"I’d like to use the Internet please." I said politely.
“You can’t.” Says a boy of 14 years old without looking up from his stupid computer game.
“ Why not?” I asked.
“Because you don’t have a passport.”
So I ride across town to pickup my passport.
“Here’s my passport.” I say forcefully.
“You can’t.” Says the geek again.
“What’d you mean I can’t, here’s my passport, I have my passport!”
“You need a Chinese passport”
At that moment I really wanted to take the nerds head and smash through the computer screen. But I've learned that smacking arrogant Chinese boys is no way to solve any problems. I learned the hard way. See the 899USD smack.
Instead I pulled the cord on his gay Warcraft game.
Take that!
Story 2
I want to go to Karakuri lake
“Foreigner, haha, you cant go! The fat Chinese man said as he rubbed his attended his geeky, cheap glasses.
"Yes I can, my friends just went there." I said matter of factly.
“Nope, you can’t. You have to get a permit from so and so who wont give it to you because you are a FOREIGNER!”
"Listen you little..." My face started to go red. Before I said another word my girlfriend grabbed my arm and gave me that, 'don't' look.
"My friend just went, I can go, and I'm going to go. With or without you." I said and left the room. Nothing bugs me more than knowitalls who don't know jack$&!#
Story 3
“You can’t stay at the lake with the local people, foreigners aren’t allowed” Says the peasant driver.
“Yes I can, I know a guy who just did it”
“Nope, I know you can’t.
I've learned that this area is full of knowitalls why just don't know. So I sit back, and patiently wait for the time I can make this idiot lose face in front of all the passengers.
Moral of the story
I'm not a bad person and I think I can talk with any reasonable person. What made me so angry in all of these situations was the manner of the people, and their tone of voice.
Not only did I get on the Internet just down the street from that shop, but I also got to the lake and stayed with the local people. There are so many people with their heads up there you know what or filled with so much high esteem that you need to really be firm.
Take it from me. Almost anything can be done in China. You just need to talk to the right person and stay away from the people who tell you you can’t.
You can’t!
You know one thing I really hate? When complete strangers tell me I can’t do something. I am so sick of people telling me what or where I could or could not do or go.
Story goes like this
"I’d like to use the Internet please." I said politely.
“You can’t.” Says a boy of 14 years old without looking up from his stupid computer game.
“ Why not?” I asked.
“Because you don’t have a passport.”
So I ride across town to pickup my passport.
“Here’s my passport.” I say forcefully.
“You can’t.” Says the geek again.
“What’d you mean I can’t, here’s my passport, I have my passport!”
“You need a Chinese passport”
At that moment I really wanted to take the nerds head and smash through the computer screen. But I've learned that smacking arrogant Chinese boys is no way to solve any problems. I learned the hard way. See the 899USD smack.
Instead I pulled the cord on his gay Warcraft game.
Take that!
Story 2
I want to go to Karakuri lake
“Foreigner, haha, you cant go! The fat Chinese man said as he rubbed his attended his geeky, cheap glasses.
"Yes I can, my friends just went there." I said matter of factly.
“Nope, you can’t. You have to get a permit from so and so who wont give it to you because you are a FOREIGNER!”
"Listen you little..." My face started to go red. Before I said another word my girlfriend grabbed my arm and gave me that, 'don't' look.
"My friend just went, I can go, and I'm going to go. With or without you." I said and left the room. Nothing bugs me more than knowitalls who don't know jack$&!#
Story 3
“You can’t stay at the lake with the local people, foreigners aren’t allowed” Says the peasant driver.
“Yes I can, I know a guy who just did it”
“Nope, I know you can’t.
I've learned that this area is full of knowitalls why just don't know. So I sit back, and patiently wait for the time I can make this idiot lose face in front of all the passengers.
Moral of the story
I'm not a bad person and I think I can talk with any reasonable person. What made me so angry in all of these situations was the manner of the people, and their tone of voice.
Not only did I get on the Internet just down the street from that shop, but I also got to the lake and stayed with the local people. There are so many people with their heads up there you know what or filled with so much high esteem that you need to really be firm.
Take it from me. Almost anything can be done in China. You just need to talk to the right person and stay away from the people who tell you you can’t.
Kurks in Kashgar (Kashi)
We went to Kashgar for the famous Sunday Market. Apparently this market is known all over Central Asia. It was definitely popular.
There were thousands of men selling camels in the North. Thousands of women were buying scarves in the South. Hundreds of kids were bartering for cassettes in the West. And, to tell you the truth, there wasn’t much going on in the East.
Animal Farm
The Animal market was full of drably dressed men with big white beards. They came to sell their goats, horses, cows, and camels. A camel goes for around 800USD while a cow can go for as little as 650USD. I couldn’t figure how much a goat cost but it seemed that there were a number of things that were important.
1) Weight
Bulky peasants with bulging muscles would bear-hug goats.
2) Bum
Smaller peasants with frail arms would smack the bum or poke the anus with a stick
3) Teeth
Strange peasants with some sort of teeth fetish would open mouths and examine gums.
I can’t say that I personally wasn’t perplexed a lot of the time I was at the animal market. No one could, or they could and they wouldn't, speak Chinese. This apparent part of China is about as far from the capital as you can get, and from the recent bombings and murders of Chinese police men, we can assume they prefer it this way.
Ladies Market
The scarves, pot, and hat market was a colorful sight. I have been very impressed with the beauty and style of the XinJiang women and the market felt like a big event. Women here dressed to the 10’s with glittery dresses, exquisite silk headscarves, and make-up which I have never seen before. The people here see the uni-brow and smile.
"Oh how beautiful your babies uni-brow is."
"Oh now, Zanzibar, I notice your babies uni-brow is getting thicker and thicker by the day." (I imagine) They say to each other
Almost all babies and a lot of women have a line drawn between their eyebrows to join them. I never understood why. It was really hard getting anything out of the people. But, I did manage to talk to one.
Super Muslim
Us in multi-cultural cities may have came across the odd woman with a headscarf. Those of us who have been to a Muslim country may have seen the women who cover their faces and you can only see their eyes. And I'm not sure how many people have seen these zealous women who cover their faces completely. When I asked a man about this he told me only the best and most faithful Muslim woman practice this custom. When I asked about his wife he said she also did this. When I asked what he thought about women who didn't do this, he responded with a pinkie finger.
The pinkie finger means bad...very bad.
Old goods are good goods.
Some must think that old cassettes, vehicles, and clothing styles just go to the trash. We’ll those people are wrong. Here all these are the in things! The ancient music would blast out of ancient radios while hip kids in ancient clothes sat on the curbs and ‘chilled’.
There were thousands of men selling camels in the North. Thousands of women were buying scarves in the South. Hundreds of kids were bartering for cassettes in the West. And, to tell you the truth, there wasn’t much going on in the East.
Animal Farm
The Animal market was full of drably dressed men with big white beards. They came to sell their goats, horses, cows, and camels. A camel goes for around 800USD while a cow can go for as little as 650USD. I couldn’t figure how much a goat cost but it seemed that there were a number of things that were important.
1) Weight
Bulky peasants with bulging muscles would bear-hug goats.
2) Bum
Smaller peasants with frail arms would smack the bum or poke the anus with a stick
3) Teeth
Strange peasants with some sort of teeth fetish would open mouths and examine gums.
I can’t say that I personally wasn’t perplexed a lot of the time I was at the animal market. No one could, or they could and they wouldn't, speak Chinese. This apparent part of China is about as far from the capital as you can get, and from the recent bombings and murders of Chinese police men, we can assume they prefer it this way.
Ladies Market
The scarves, pot, and hat market was a colorful sight. I have been very impressed with the beauty and style of the XinJiang women and the market felt like a big event. Women here dressed to the 10’s with glittery dresses, exquisite silk headscarves, and make-up which I have never seen before. The people here see the uni-brow and smile.
"Oh how beautiful your babies uni-brow is."
"Oh now, Zanzibar, I notice your babies uni-brow is getting thicker and thicker by the day." (I imagine) They say to each other
Almost all babies and a lot of women have a line drawn between their eyebrows to join them. I never understood why. It was really hard getting anything out of the people. But, I did manage to talk to one.
Super Muslim
Us in multi-cultural cities may have came across the odd woman with a headscarf. Those of us who have been to a Muslim country may have seen the women who cover their faces and you can only see their eyes. And I'm not sure how many people have seen these zealous women who cover their faces completely. When I asked a man about this he told me only the best and most faithful Muslim woman practice this custom. When I asked about his wife he said she also did this. When I asked what he thought about women who didn't do this, he responded with a pinkie finger.
The pinkie finger means bad...very bad.
Old goods are good goods.
Some must think that old cassettes, vehicles, and clothing styles just go to the trash. We’ll those people are wrong. Here all these are the in things! The ancient music would blast out of ancient radios while hip kids in ancient clothes sat on the curbs and ‘chilled’.
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