Travels with Tibetans

[Lotus Eater]

I truly don't know where to begin or end on this one. I filled 5 disks worth of photos - a 1gig, 256, 2 x 64 and a 32. I had loaned my 512 to a friend with my smaller camera or I would have had more! Worked out at well over 500 photos - not counting the ones I deleted enroute as being too blurry etc.

Me on my horse trek


The autumn colours - these don't happen in my part of Oz, so I get really excited about it.



Can you see why I love this part of China? I have found a 'home away from home" - both for it's heart breaking beauty and deeply friendly people.











Getting ready for winter - scything hay



Collecting the hay



Yak transport for taking it to the village



And when you don't have yaks, there are always people



The hills of my new 'home'. Day before yeterday - with snow on them - sunrise


Later in the day



Want to be a nomad woman? Cooking in the yak hair tent.



Milking the yaks



Collecting yak dung for drying for fuel



But you get to dress up in your jewellery everyday.



And there is always party time after the work is finished for the day - 13 of us managed to fit into a tent approx 4x4 metres. 3 westerners and 10 Tibetans.



Home is where you move to each couple of months



One of my best Tibetan friends - Shi Ke Ta



Yaks are interesting as well as useful for milk, butter, cheese, meat, hair (tents, ropes, skins) and transport. White yaks are more valuable than black.







The prayer flags on top of 4800m HuagaiShan.



I LOVE SNOW!! I'm coming back to this place during the Spring Festival break when it will all be coverd in snow.

Winter fuel being created and stored - hay, wood and manure



The miller and her children - a water wheel power mill sited above a small stream



The people:
Prayer wheel kora




Having a chat



Cool dude - but singing and later dancing to traditonal music



Dancing during dinner in a local restaurant - traditional - despite the haiorcuts and clothes!




Got a smile like this on your face?



Washing day



Road going to the Hot Springs where we bathed - a couple of the few westerners ever invited to the springs. And yes - we also got bogged, and yes, I also got totally coverd in mud pushing us out!!



Transporting a sheep - inside the bus were chickens, and well over crowded.



Village scene - corn drying on the roof.



Garlic anyone?



Why do we fight about religion - here it is easily managed - minaret from the local mosque next door to the Tibetan monastery.

[Raoul Duke]

"........".... stunned speechless....."....."

[George61]

Pretty good, Lotus. Theoretically, I should go see if I can do better, but you can have the monoply on Tibet. I don't like heights.
Incudentally, did you get bogged before or after bathing at the Springs??

[Lotus Eater]

After. So being clean didn't last too long!!

[Non-Dave]

Spectacular Lotus. Can you organise a tour for the rest of us?

[Becster79]

Thanks Lotus for the pics....Tibet is my favourite place in the whole wide world ;D . I went there myself last July/ August, talking to monks was so cool, travelling to Everest Base Camp was just incredible (I SO badly wanna go back!!), stopping at all the little country festivals and meeting cow/yakboys on the way back wasn't to be missed (and trying yak butter tea...hmmm, but yak meat is just delish!). Also stopping at a little village nestled in a glacier on the way was spectacular, the kids were just gorgeous, people are so friendly and live simply...and like one of your pics show, religious differences are non existent....aaahhhhhh.......a trip to Tibet should be mandatory for ALL human beings!

Pity I got food poisoning in Lhasa though !

[Lotus Eater]

Base camp is cool isn't it? I went there summer of '04 and we were the first up the mountain - sat and watched Everest undress as we ate breakfast on the rocks - a real high!

This trip was to 'traditional' Tibet though - Langmusi in Gansu province. The people are Amdo, and for the most part still live a very traditional Tibetan life.

Next summer I want to take the train through to 'map' Tibet - one of the world's great journeys as far as I can see.

[Newbs]

dave said:

Spectacular Lotus. Can you organise a tour for the rest of us?

What non-Dave said.

[Ruth]

I'd love to go, too.

Question about the fuel drying picture: Is that manure drying on the rock fence? If so, pretty neat way to do it.

[Lotus Eater]

Yes it is manure drying on the fence. Also done on sides of houses and rocks. The manure collector earlier up will spread her collection by hand on the grass to dry and then when it is dry will pile it into the corner of the tent - about 1/4 of the tent is taken up with a manure/fuel pile. The 'party' photo has them leaning against the pile of manure - confined by the striped sheet. The stove is fuelled by manure.

[Jollyjunklass]

Hey Lotus, these are by far, in my opinion, the best pics you have taken. They are my type of scene, you go gurl