“Stop at the monastery!” our guide hollered as I jumped on a bus headed to our campsite 200 meters below the Mt. Everest Base Camp. The bus let me out in front of a small mountain decorated in prayer flags, and near the middle, I could discern a small, cottage-like building.
“This must be the monastery, but how do I get up there?” I asked myself. To my right, a wide gravel path appeared to go up and behind the cottage. Without seeing any better options, I started the arduous, five-minute walk. Although this hike would normally not present a problem, here at 5,000 meters above sea level, small hills are mountains!
After following the path up and around to the backside of the hill, I realized this wasn’t the path leading into the monastery. “No!” I mumbled in between my pants for breath. I turned around and headed back, hoping to discover the correct path.
Directly below the small cottage I spotted a narrow, steep, rocky path. “This can’t be worth it!” I thought, but not wanting to miss something, up I went. After exploring what I thought to be just a one-room abandoned monastery, I headed back down to the campsite. The monastery proved to be anything but impressive.
While walking back, a kind Korean woman informed me that a monk lived in the monastery and could show me ancient meditation caves. “Are caves worth the hike back up?” I wondered. “Oh well. I am going back to the monastery.” Below the hill I sat on a rock and waited for the others to come, hoping that it would be worth the effort. I wasn’t disappointed…
On Saturday, May 1st, Josh and I landed in Lhasa, the capital of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR). TAR lies in eastern China in the Himalayas bordering India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Burma. Although this area is officially “Tibet,” more ethnic Tibetans live in the Chinese provinces of Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan, and Yunnan than in the TAR itself, and many Tibetans inhabit areas stretching from India to Burma.
Upon exiting the airport, I stopped and stared in wonder. We were surrounded by mountains, not mountains like those in the Northwest, but brown, rocky mountains with jagged peaks that reached so high they displaced the deep, magnificent blue sky. This had to be the most beautiful place on Earth.
We spent Saturday and Sunday exploring Lhasa with the help from our amazing guide—all foreigners visiting Tibet must go through a travel agency to secure numerous special permits. Lhasa is divided into two sections: old town and new town. Old town, where we spent our time, is full of Tibetans, monasteries, and culture, and thanks to the PRC, it has an overwhelming military presence; however, the new town, resembles any other Chinese city free from military presence.
We were able to visit the Potala Palace, the former winter home to the Dalai Lama, the Jokhang Temple, the most holy temple in Tibet, and the Sera Monastery. The highlight was watching monks at the Sera Monastery debate that morning’s scriptures. One monk stood while others sat at his feet. The standing monk asked questions to the sitting monks, which he signaled by clapping his hands, and if the response is wrong, the standing monk sharply yelled, “Tsa!” Witnessing spirited monks come to life was incredible. Below you can find a video of the debates.
On Monday morning, after a night of feeling the effects of altitude sickness, we began our five-day adventure outside of Lhasa. We spent each day driving hours in a van to reach our next location, and for the first time ever, the trip was more about the journey than the destination. Yes, our destinations were important, but stopping to admire beautiful scenery such as Namtso Lake made the journey worthwhile.
Monday evening brought us to Shigatse, the second largest city in the TAR, where we visited the Tashilhunpo Monastery. Since it was six in the evening, the monks had just begun their evening study and worship. As we passed through the large study room, the monks sat on long benches singing and chanting. I’ve never heard anything as beautiful and moving. Though I could understand nothing, I had goose bumps.
The next morning, we headed to Mt. Everest Base Camp, the most anticipated highlight of our tour. After another day of mesmerizing driving, we arrived at our guesthouse, a tent heated by a yak-dung fire. Although we were only 3,500 meters below the peak of the mountain, clouds blocked the view. Many tourists visit Base Camp without ever catching a glimpse because the mountain rarely clears. Would we be fortunate enough to see the mountain?
At about 8 p.m., the guesthouse’s owner came in shouting that the mountain was visible—yes, it was still daylight since all of China is on one time zone! We ran outside and began shooting pictures like crazy. Mt. Everest, with its glaciers and snow, was breathtaking. Here we were, staring at the highest peak on Earth.
The sky gradually became dark, forcing us back into our tent. The next morning, we awoke to a cold, snowy cloud covering the mountain. Was there a mountain somewhere in the clouds? I certainly couldn’t tell! The guide and I hopped in a bus and traveled the three kilometers up to Base Camp. The boys wanted to hike, but since I was already shivering, I gladly accepted the ride.
Upon arrival, the Chinese policemen checked my passport and permit and strictly forbid me to take photos of the police buildings at base camp—there’s more to base camp than what you can see in my photos! Below a little hill, sat the numerous camps of hikers soon to climb Mt. Everest. If I’d ever contemplated climbing Mt. Everest, I adamantly decided against it. I can’t imagine sleeping in those little yellow tents for weeks in the freezing cold, let alone climbing at this altitude! After marveling at the brave souls below, I got in a bus headed to the monastery…
After waiting on my rock below the cottage for what seemed like an eternity, a bus rumbled down the hill and let off the others. “Now where is this monastery!?” I asked in slight frustration. After climbing back up the rocky, non-existent path to the same “abandoned” cottage, we entered a small room with a monk!
We sat down, and abruptly, a woman appeared and began to make sweet tea over the yak-dung fire. As we watched the odd process—there was some type of branch in the spout of the teapot!—the monk began shaking dice and reading a scripture to tell our guide’s fortune. Needless to say, we asked him to read our fortunes as well. Mine was promising, and he even knew that my father helps me a lot and often worries about me!
Suddenly, the pile of blankets lying behind us came to life. “Ah!” shrieked Ben who was unknowingly leaning on a man’s face. This Tibetan had just returned from climbing Mt. Everest, and he’d be returning in just over a week as part of a mountaineering school!
The monk whispered something to our guide causing her to smile in disbelief. This amazing climber was willing to hang our prayer flags that we brought from Lhasa and had blessed by the monk at the top of Mt. Everest. Wow.
As we sat in this small cottage sipping our sweet tea, time literally stopped. We were in a far corner of the world, away from civilization and technology, simply enjoying the moment. Something about the situation left me shivering. The monk, the climber, the cottage, all separated from the rest of the world, exuded a deep, spiritual feeling. Tibet has something special, a religion that is compelling even to an outsider.
As China continues to modernize, homogenize, and control Tibet, religion remains a serious point of contention. Will this mystical religion, which has united the people and fostered hope and joy for centuries, survive? Or, will Tibet abandon its ancient religion and join the Western World in its relentless material pursuit of pleasure?
(Click here for pictures)
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