I left Lhasa this morning and began the 5 day journey back to Nepal. We made a quick stop at the banks of the Yarlung Tsangpo river, the highest major river in the world. Several axes and knives were sitting on a bluff indicating that this is the site where they do water burials. Similar to a sky burial, a monk chops the body up and throws it to the fish. My guide, Kalsong, has witnessed three sky burials including his father and grandfather.
I don’t normally get excited about Mountains or lakes, but we stopped to view Yamdrok-tso, the most beautiful lake I have ever seen. The water was crystal clear and a deep deep blue. The backdrop was Mt Nojin Kangstang a 23,590 foot high snow capped mountain peak. I walked along the shore for a bit and collected some beautiful white rocks. After visiting Samding Monastery we drove to Gyantse. I did a kora around the perimeter of the Pelkor Chode monastery, but decided to forego another monastery visit in exchange for wandering through the backstreets of the town. I met an old woman who invited me into her house. These houses are truly out
of the 14th century. It looks and feels like living in a stone barn and part of the main room/kitchen has no roof.
There were several kids inside so I took pictures of them all and let them play with my camera. It was getting pretty chilly so I left in search of a teahouse for some warmth then raced the sunset to get pix of the Gyantse Dzong, a 14th century fort which now houses an anti-British Imperialists Museum. While shooting, three very grubby children approached me for money. I don’t normally give money to child street beggars because often times the kids are just being exploited and rarely see any of the money themselves, but we were out in the middle of nowhere and they just didn’t seem quite as shrewd. I gave them a few Yuan and took their photos before leaving.
Later that night I bought some socks and groceries and took the 30 minute walk back out of town to see if I could find them. The majority of the walk was down a dark deserted road and I was freezing. The only light was from the stars which I used to find the area where I had last seen them.
I could barely see but I just kept going deeper into this field trying to listen for their voices. Finally I thought I saw the shadowy outline of a small tent. I noticed a small orange glow as I slowly approached it calling “Hello, Tashi delek” I don’t know why I wasn’t scared but I felt completely peaceful. It was eerily quiet
and no one said anything until I poked my head in the doorway but when they saw it was me they immediately smiled and invited me in to sit on the floor with them and keep warm by the small wood cooking stove. I took in my surroundings as I climbed over everyone and sat on the dirt. The three kids were there with their mother and father and grandmother. They all lived in a tent no bigger then 6x9 feet. It had a dirt floor and I could see very little bedding. There was no food either. I started handing out the groceries and with each item the kids looked so happy and the parents clasped their hands together and bowed gratefully. Everyone had huge smiles on their faces. We all took turns taking photos with my small camera and playing them back for each other while the littlest guy just kept giving me big fat juicy kisses over and over again.
Now I am lying in a warm bed with a full belly and I can’t sleep. I just wish I would have done more. Sure, I can barely pay my own bills, but I have so much and they they need so little. One of my smallest bills, say a couple hundred dollars for car insurance, could change the trajectory of their lives forever.
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