August 2
We arrived back in Chengdu last night and went out for pizza - not a grain of rice in sight! Ordering the pizza was not so easy -- funny really -- since for the first night since the trip we were without translators. But in the end we all pretty much got what we wanted. Today (Thurs) we are sweating it out (the humidity is amazing) in Chengdu repacking for our flights home and doing some last minute shopping.
Time is a bit of a blur but here are a few highlights from the last post (which we can't access so there may be some overlap). We spent two nights in Litang where this weekend there is huge horse festival. You could feel the town residents gearing up for the big event. Litang sits in a huge valley so it is perfect for hosting the gathering. We visited the local monastery that is quite active with young monks dashing about on foot and motorcycles. Eighty families are supporting the construction of a two-story Buddha in one chapel and there are further renovations throughout -- i.e. wet paint as the back of jacket will show. Our guide for the tour is the father of a ripoche living now in New York (apologies, I don't have his name handy). Father, as we came to call him, was a lovely host. After the tour we walked over to his home where his wife and family had prepared a feast -- the tsampa momos (roasted barley meal, yak butter, sugar in a steamed pastry wrap) were a favorite. We then visited his daughter and son's homes for more buttered yak milk tea and treats.
The next day we headed to the ripoche's nunnery and monasteries -- all in remote locations -- do conduct needs assessments. The ripoche's father -- about 73 years old andwhose daily practice includes about 500 prostrations! - traveled with us. Our first stop was the nunnery where the prayer hall is all but finished. The abbess has been their for 15 years slowly rebuilding the nunnery. Next stop was a small monastery deep in the hills. Unfortunately we had to abandon this stop after almost an hour on a narrow, rough dirt road with another hour plus ahead of us. On the way to the larger monastery -- the ripoche's priority -- we stopped at a nomad camp to visit one of Father's relatives. We sat on mats outside their tent drinking yak butter milk tea and munching of bread and fruit.
We asked about nomadic life and how the summer season was going -- which is going very well with the good rains. Even though we have seen many fences across the grasslands -- a factor in changing nomadic life patterns - this nomadic family did not seem to be aware of any pressures to alter their seasonal rhythm. They have their summer camp plus a permanent home where relatives look after crops of barely, potatoes and diakon....
Back in the car and on to the larger monastery. Once we arrived it became apparent why this one was the ripoche's priority monastery. The monastery, atop a steep hill, is unstable and the structures are beginning to bend and fold. They now have permission to build a new monastery on the flatter land beneath the current one. We were as usual treated with loving kindness with tea, a kind of Tibetan cheese cake and steamed bread with sugar and butter and a intimate tour -- some parts of the monastery hold over 600 years of devotion. We took notes and pictures for the ripoche.
We traveled into the dark to reach our next hotel in Yajiang (I believe this is the right spelling). We were fortunate to reach the peak of a high mountain pass (approximately 12K feet) just at sunset. We were up early the next morning to get back to Kanding for some afternoon shopping. There, Appo, the head of the orphanage in Tagong, met us so that TVP could buy more supplies and clothing for the boys. He joined us that night for a Tibetan feast to celebrate our conscious journey through Kham. Most of us commited to raising additional funds (around $2500) for winter clothing for the boys.
The next day -- Aug 1 - the group headed back here to Chengdu without Tamdin who stayed in Kanding to meet with some local NGOs and to check on a midwife training.
We begin our flights back to the US and Canada tonight about midnight. It has been a life-changing experience and some of us are already planning to return next year. We are all grateful for a safe and exciting journey. We are all in good health and ready to share our experiences with all of you in person -- very soon now!
Elizabeth
P.S. My writing buddy, Carol la, is on her way to Lhasa with Tsador -- lucky girl!
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Camping at Yulhun Latso Lake etc.
July 24 through July 28th
We drove from Dege back over Tro La Pass to Yulhun Latso Lake near Manigango. We arrived and needed to set up our tents and dining room tents quickly as a storm was approaching.
We adjusted our ininerary to remain at the lake for three nights. If we upload photos, you will understand why. We had grand vistas of snow capped Himalayan mountains, glaciers, forests and star studded nights and we felt as if we could touch the stars.
Our 5 star chefs, Tenzin and Tsedor La prepared fantastic meals and we ate watching fish in the lake, and some of us sat on large boulders. What a team.
We had to navigate many "boulders" of yak dung, but we were thrilled to be where we were.
The yak were at our tents and we could hear them just outside. Truly a Tibetan experience.
We hiked 5 hrs. one day and we were checking out views and looking for nomads. Unfortunately, the nomads moved from the area to a more conducive location for the summer.
We were up at about 14,000 ft.
After breaking camp yesterday, we drove about 7 hrs. to Nyarong for an overnight stay and today, July 28th, we arrived in Litang. Along the way, we were lucky to find a nomad camp where we stopped to have lunch and wound up doing Tibetan Village Project work. Elizabeth handed out toys and school books, and Carol did some first aid to a 2 year old boy who had a 3 day old burn from scalding hot water.
Tamdin advised us to be careful about wild dogs who protect the herd of yak and goats and we were.
So here we are ready to retire for the evening and we think of all of you who support us.
Elizabeth a.k.a. Lamu la
and Carol La
We drove from Dege back over Tro La Pass to Yulhun Latso Lake near Manigango. We arrived and needed to set up our tents and dining room tents quickly as a storm was approaching.
We adjusted our ininerary to remain at the lake for three nights. If we upload photos, you will understand why. We had grand vistas of snow capped Himalayan mountains, glaciers, forests and star studded nights and we felt as if we could touch the stars.
Our 5 star chefs, Tenzin and Tsedor La prepared fantastic meals and we ate watching fish in the lake, and some of us sat on large boulders. What a team.
We had to navigate many "boulders" of yak dung, but we were thrilled to be where we were.
The yak were at our tents and we could hear them just outside. Truly a Tibetan experience.
We hiked 5 hrs. one day and we were checking out views and looking for nomads. Unfortunately, the nomads moved from the area to a more conducive location for the summer.
We were up at about 14,000 ft.
After breaking camp yesterday, we drove about 7 hrs. to Nyarong for an overnight stay and today, July 28th, we arrived in Litang. Along the way, we were lucky to find a nomad camp where we stopped to have lunch and wound up doing Tibetan Village Project work. Elizabeth handed out toys and school books, and Carol did some first aid to a 2 year old boy who had a 3 day old burn from scalding hot water.
Tamdin advised us to be careful about wild dogs who protect the herd of yak and goats and we were.
So here we are ready to retire for the evening and we think of all of you who support us.
Elizabeth a.k.a. Lamu la
and Carol La
Monday, July 23, 2007
From Tagong to Dege
Tashi Delek from Dege. We are getting the word from emails that the postings are actually getting up on the blog homepage. That's good news since we have difficulty getting to the homepage.
Everyone in the group is well and having a great time! The group has really come together to support each other and to interact easily with the wonderful Tibetans we are meeting in small towns and in rural areas.
Friday July 20
We are unable to read Megan's posting so we are starting with some experiences in Tagong. We were so excited to witness a ceremony uniting Carol and Tsedor (members of the Kham group who are from Taos and Lhasa). They met last year on a Tibetan Village Project trip. A monk Apo, who we connected with in Tagong and who runs a school and orphanage, gave the blessing and each of us placed a khata on Carol and Tsedor after rings were exchanged. The ceremony took place on a high hill overlooking the town and monestary and below a sacred cave. On the way up, we were purified by soaking rains that stopped miraculously for the ceremony. Prayer flags covered the hill.
After the ceremony, all of us raised our own Tibetan Village Project prayer flags with all our donors and families' names written on them. You were all there with us in spirit and love. Thank you!
Saturday July 21
This was a long driving day in the rain (12 hours) through grasslands and alpine forests. We arrived at the Menye Monestary near Luhuo where about 30 monks and students ranging in age from 7 to 85 greeted us. We went upstairs to a variety of drinks and snacks. They then served tea. The lama of this monestary lives in Boulder (near Tamdin) and has been in exile for 30 years. We were there to do a needs assessment for him. We discovered that the top priority was the school that the monks run. They want to double their enrollment from 40 to 80 and they need stipends for additional teachers.
After a visit to the school and a dinner prepared by the monks of yak momos, some of us pitched tents and others slept in the monestary.
Sunday July 22
We rose at 6:30 to join the monks in meditation. The chiropractors headed to Chengdu to fly to Lhasa on Tuesday and the rest of us headed to Dege. We finally had a clear day during the rainy season which makes everything green and brings out the wild flowers. The drive was breathtaking with views of the Himalayas and many glaciers. We lunched in Manigango -- a one street western-flared town (no horses but lots of motorcycles, even monks with sun glasses!). Our typical meals have been Chinese food as it is hard to find Tibetan restaurants.
Lucky for us we had the opportunity to go inside a nomad's tent for yak yogurt, and we gave out shoes. Our drive then took up to Tro La pass with an altitude of 15,500 feet -- the highest point of the trip. It truly was breathtaking!! We raised more prayer flags.
Before dark we arrived in Dege.
Monday July 23
Dege is a cultural center for Kham. We visited the Dege printing house which is a national treasure. It houses thousands of old wood printing blocks on topics ranging from astronomy to medicine. We watched the print makers who work in pairs and turn out 2000 pages per day!
We then visited an important medical center where a Tibetan medical doctor explained the three aspects of Tibetan medicine - spiritual, physical and mental. We had some free time in the afternoon for shopping. Later on we spoke to a local doctor who does not turn anyone away for lack of money - pure compassion.
We had a dinner with a local Tibetan family in their home.
Carol La and Elizabeth (aka Lamu La)
Everyone in the group is well and having a great time! The group has really come together to support each other and to interact easily with the wonderful Tibetans we are meeting in small towns and in rural areas.
Friday July 20
We are unable to read Megan's posting so we are starting with some experiences in Tagong. We were so excited to witness a ceremony uniting Carol and Tsedor (members of the Kham group who are from Taos and Lhasa). They met last year on a Tibetan Village Project trip. A monk Apo, who we connected with in Tagong and who runs a school and orphanage, gave the blessing and each of us placed a khata on Carol and Tsedor after rings were exchanged. The ceremony took place on a high hill overlooking the town and monestary and below a sacred cave. On the way up, we were purified by soaking rains that stopped miraculously for the ceremony. Prayer flags covered the hill.
After the ceremony, all of us raised our own Tibetan Village Project prayer flags with all our donors and families' names written on them. You were all there with us in spirit and love. Thank you!
Saturday July 21
This was a long driving day in the rain (12 hours) through grasslands and alpine forests. We arrived at the Menye Monestary near Luhuo where about 30 monks and students ranging in age from 7 to 85 greeted us. We went upstairs to a variety of drinks and snacks. They then served tea. The lama of this monestary lives in Boulder (near Tamdin) and has been in exile for 30 years. We were there to do a needs assessment for him. We discovered that the top priority was the school that the monks run. They want to double their enrollment from 40 to 80 and they need stipends for additional teachers.
After a visit to the school and a dinner prepared by the monks of yak momos, some of us pitched tents and others slept in the monestary.
Sunday July 22
We rose at 6:30 to join the monks in meditation. The chiropractors headed to Chengdu to fly to Lhasa on Tuesday and the rest of us headed to Dege. We finally had a clear day during the rainy season which makes everything green and brings out the wild flowers. The drive was breathtaking with views of the Himalayas and many glaciers. We lunched in Manigango -- a one street western-flared town (no horses but lots of motorcycles, even monks with sun glasses!). Our typical meals have been Chinese food as it is hard to find Tibetan restaurants.
Lucky for us we had the opportunity to go inside a nomad's tent for yak yogurt, and we gave out shoes. Our drive then took up to Tro La pass with an altitude of 15,500 feet -- the highest point of the trip. It truly was breathtaking!! We raised more prayer flags.
Before dark we arrived in Dege.
Monday July 23
Dege is a cultural center for Kham. We visited the Dege printing house which is a national treasure. It houses thousands of old wood printing blocks on topics ranging from astronomy to medicine. We watched the print makers who work in pairs and turn out 2000 pages per day!
We then visited an important medical center where a Tibetan medical doctor explained the three aspects of Tibetan medicine - spiritual, physical and mental. We had some free time in the afternoon for shopping. Later on we spoke to a local doctor who does not turn anyone away for lack of money - pure compassion.
We had a dinner with a local Tibetan family in their home.
Carol La and Elizabeth (aka Lamu La)
Friday, July 20, 2007
Week 1
After a bumpy start, Jennifer and I finally joined our group in the city of Kangding. We missed our flight out of Denver and had to wait two days to catch up with the group. Kangding was an amazing city on the border between "China and Tibet." The mixture of culture here was very interesting to see. Jenn and I joined about 1,000 Chinese and Tibetans dancing in the town square. They do this every night for exercise, and it was a good workout!
We left Kangding the following day and travelled a few hours on bumpy roads into the heart of Tibetan culture. We stopped in one small village and distributed shoes to a few children and had fun playing and racing with them!
Th further we drove, the more beautiful the landscape became. We passed by gorgeous traditional Tibetan homes, built of stone and ornately decorated.
We are now in Tagong, and have been here a few days. We were very lucky to meet a kind and generous monk who runs a small school/orphanage for boys. The school is in great need of assistance, so we hired local contractors to build new beds, gave tennis shoes to all of the (40) boys, and bought new blankets. We also played games with the boys and cooked a great meal to share with all of the students and volunteers. Even our hired trip drivers pitched in with the cooking. The boys were very focused on their studies, reciting Tibetan scripture, but they all had tremendous smiles on their faces!
Today was an amazing day- we visited a nunnery, and hiked up the mountainside in the rain to raise prayer flags which we had blessed by the highest ranking monk of the local monastary. We also had a beautiful wedding blessing ceremony for two of the group members!
After a bumpy start, Jennifer and I finally joined our group in the city of Kangding. We missed our flight out of Denver and had to wait two days to catch up with the group. Kangding was an amazing city on the border between "China and Tibet." The mixture of culture here was very interesting to see. Jenn and I joined about 1,000 Chinese and Tibetans dancing in the town square. They do this every night for exercise, and it was a good workout!
We left Kangding the following day and travelled a few hours on bumpy roads into the heart of Tibetan culture. We stopped in one small village and distributed shoes to a few children and had fun playing and racing with them!
Th further we drove, the more beautiful the landscape became. We passed by gorgeous traditional Tibetan homes, built of stone and ornately decorated.
We are now in Tagong, and have been here a few days. We were very lucky to meet a kind and generous monk who runs a small school/orphanage for boys. The school is in great need of assistance, so we hired local contractors to build new beds, gave tennis shoes to all of the (40) boys, and bought new blankets. We also played games with the boys and cooked a great meal to share with all of the students and volunteers. Even our hired trip drivers pitched in with the cooking. The boys were very focused on their studies, reciting Tibetan scripture, but they all had tremendous smiles on their faces!
Today was an amazing day- we visited a nunnery, and hiked up the mountainside in the rain to raise prayer flags which we had blessed by the highest ranking monk of the local monastary. We also had a beautiful wedding blessing ceremony for two of the group members!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
From Chungdu to Kangding
Sat July 14 and Sun July 15
After most of our group arrived in Chengdu around midnight Saturday night, we spent Sunday with the Lhasa group (mostly from Australia with a US doctor and student) visiting the Giant Panda Park and sharing a Tibetan meal talking about our upcoming adventures into different regions of Tibet. The food was fantastic - for some the highlight was tasting yak meat and for others the wide variety of veggy dishes. We met a couple of Tibetans who are running nonprofits and Tamdin discussed opportunities for partnering.
It was interesting to witness the different modes of transportation in Chengdu: cars, rickshaws, bicycles, and many flatbeds carrying huge amounts of coal used for heating and for cooking.
Monday July 16
The heat and humidity in Chengdu was overwhelming. Add to that the pollution, and we were more than happy to head to our first stop - Kangding. The trip was to take 6 hours but instead took 12! One of our vehicles required attention and then there were a couple of traffic stops due to construction. As we headed up into the mountains our excitement grew as we knew we were heading for the traditional Tibetan boarder. The air was cooler, cleaner and the clouds that drifted about just added to the mystery of our journey. For all of us --execpt for our on-the-ground trip organizer -- Kham is a new region. We will be doing assessments for future work while carrying out our planned volunteer work. Much of our ride was next to a river, and we passed through many small villages where card games and pool tables mixed with easy going commerce.
Tuesday July 17
The altitude in Kanding is around 9,000 ft. We will be climbing from here on out. The city is bustling with commerce, sounds of many cars and music blasting from loudspeakers. We visited a monastery this morning Tuesday where the monks chanted and blessed Tibetan Village Project. Each volunteer received a special "book" of prayers and blank pages for special people we meet to sign. We were served yak butter tea...and a monk repeatedly filled our cups. It definitely requires a special liking.
After the ceremony, our chiropractors introduced body work to the monks and to anyone who wandered into the area outside the monastery. It was truly delightful to see faces looking concerned to relief and utter enjoyment after being adjusted. Many kudos for our volunteers, Lou and Brent! They worked with about 100 people and their heartfelt caring was wonderful to watch.
A wonderful lunch and shopping was enjoyed by all. We had another great Tibetan meal for dinner and met up with project manager for the Bridge Project which conducts educational, health and micro-enterprise work. Again, there are opportunities for TVP to partner with this group working mostly in Kham.
Stay tuned and thank you all for your prayers and well wishes.
Elizabeth a.k.a. lamu
and Carol la
After most of our group arrived in Chengdu around midnight Saturday night, we spent Sunday with the Lhasa group (mostly from Australia with a US doctor and student) visiting the Giant Panda Park and sharing a Tibetan meal talking about our upcoming adventures into different regions of Tibet. The food was fantastic - for some the highlight was tasting yak meat and for others the wide variety of veggy dishes. We met a couple of Tibetans who are running nonprofits and Tamdin discussed opportunities for partnering.
It was interesting to witness the different modes of transportation in Chengdu: cars, rickshaws, bicycles, and many flatbeds carrying huge amounts of coal used for heating and for cooking.
Monday July 16
The heat and humidity in Chengdu was overwhelming. Add to that the pollution, and we were more than happy to head to our first stop - Kangding. The trip was to take 6 hours but instead took 12! One of our vehicles required attention and then there were a couple of traffic stops due to construction. As we headed up into the mountains our excitement grew as we knew we were heading for the traditional Tibetan boarder. The air was cooler, cleaner and the clouds that drifted about just added to the mystery of our journey. For all of us --execpt for our on-the-ground trip organizer -- Kham is a new region. We will be doing assessments for future work while carrying out our planned volunteer work. Much of our ride was next to a river, and we passed through many small villages where card games and pool tables mixed with easy going commerce.
Tuesday July 17
The altitude in Kanding is around 9,000 ft. We will be climbing from here on out. The city is bustling with commerce, sounds of many cars and music blasting from loudspeakers. We visited a monastery this morning Tuesday where the monks chanted and blessed Tibetan Village Project. Each volunteer received a special "book" of prayers and blank pages for special people we meet to sign. We were served yak butter tea...and a monk repeatedly filled our cups. It definitely requires a special liking.
After the ceremony, our chiropractors introduced body work to the monks and to anyone who wandered into the area outside the monastery. It was truly delightful to see faces looking concerned to relief and utter enjoyment after being adjusted. Many kudos for our volunteers, Lou and Brent! They worked with about 100 people and their heartfelt caring was wonderful to watch.
A wonderful lunch and shopping was enjoyed by all. We had another great Tibetan meal for dinner and met up with project manager for the Bridge Project which conducts educational, health and micro-enterprise work. Again, there are opportunities for TVP to partner with this group working mostly in Kham.
Stay tuned and thank you all for your prayers and well wishes.
Elizabeth a.k.a. lamu
and Carol la
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Introduction
Conscious Journeys is a program of the Tibetan Village Project, a nonprofit, non-political organization dedicated to promoting sustainable development while preserving the rich cultural heritage of Tibet. Coordinated by a socially responsible team of Tibetans, our balanced blend of mindful-tourism and volunteerism creates a win-win outcome for travelers and local communities. In 2007, TVP has two teams to Tibet: one to Lhasa and one to Kham. This blog is created for TVP Kham Team.
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