Whew. I see it's been quite a while since I've written anything. It's been a busy month- end of classes, traveling around Tibet, saying goodbye to my host family, flying home, and most recently, getting over some serious jetlag. It feels really good to be back in the States and back to sit-down toilets, inwardly-opening soda cans, grass (the kind that you have a picnic on), cereal, waffles, steak, (relatively) clean air, and everything else that I've spent these past 4 months pining for.
My 2 week trip to Tibet and Nepal was incredible. Definitely one of the coolest things I've ever done. Tibet was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. The people, the culture, the religion, the scenery... whether it was the bright smile of a Tibetan monk, the incredible architecture of the Potala Palace, or the long, bumpy road to Mt. Everest, I was in a constant state of awe and amazement.
We visited a lot of Buddhist monasteries - so many that I lost count. While it was really easy, in the words of Jon, to get "Buddha-ed out" after seeing so many, I could still feel a sense of sacredness within their dim, candle-lit interiors. Each time I crossed the threshold of a temple, I felt like I was entering a sanctuary, escaping from the chaos of the outside world. Pilgrims in ragged, dusty clothing filter in and out, prayer wheels and beads constantly in motion as they murmur the words Om Mani Padme Hum ("Hail the jewel in the lotus") before statues of the Buddha. The air is thick with smoke and the distinct, heady smell of yak butter candles. Murals of Buddhas and other deities gaze benevolently (and sometimes even angrily) at you as you make your way around the room. Countless gilded statues in glass cases and books of sacred texts line the walls. Monks sit in the corner, collecting donations and quietly recite scripture. Even for a person who isn't Buddhist, I could really feel a spiritual charge in the monasteries.
In terms of superlatives, the coolest place we visited had to be Everest base camp. It's a 4km walk from the end of the road to base camp, but at over 18,000 feet, it was slow going. The season was just about over, and only one expedition was left - they had started climbing only the day before. We were fortunate enough to have a relatively cloud-free view of the mountain, so I was able to get some decent shots with my camera. The wind was really strong, making me regret only bringing a lightweight nylon shirt. Still, it didn't detract from the awesome spectacle rising up before me. Sunset
The coolest thing we did was sitting on the roof of a bus for 40km on the road from the China-Nepal border down to Kathmandu. What a great way to travel. No seats - just hold onto the grill and pray the bus doesn't make any sharp turns. We passed other buses whose roofs were packed with Nepalis who liked to throw fruit at us (for eating). The road was barely wide enough to accomodate two cars, so it was always a hair-raising experience when the driver made a turn around a blind curve and there was a truck on the other side. There also was the occasional low-hanging branch that you had to look out for. This was one instance where I was glad I was short - they always cleared my head, but Jon, who was sitting behind me, would get a mouthful of leaves.
The grossest thing I experienced was in Kathmandu, at Swayambhunath, or more commonly, "The Monkey Temple." These monkeys are deceptively cute... they wait until you're not looking, then they grab your bag and run off with it, which happened to one of the group members. My experience, while much less distressing, definitely left me (specifically, my foot) smelling pretty bad. I was walking down a path, not paying attention to where I was stepping, and squish. "Uh, you just stepped in a giant pile of monkey crap," Jon dutifully informed me. I lifted up my left boot. Sure enough, there was a foul-smelling mess covering the sole. Despite stomping vigorously on grass, gravel, and every doormat in Kathmandu, it would not come off. It was like glue (must be all those fruits and nuts that monkeys eat). Even after 3 days, my boots still reeked. I'd be sitting at dinner with the group, and every once in a while, we'd all get a nice big whiff. I double-bagged my boots for the plane ride back to Beijing, and it took 20 minutes of hard-scrubbing to get the stuff off of just one boot. And they still stink.
Many other adventures - such as almost missing my flight back to China due to visa issues, altitude sickness, running out of money (Jon), trying to mail a yak skull from Lhasa, Tibet to Wayesboro, PA, and one particularly nasty bout of food poisoning - happened during those 2 weeks, but this post is long enough already. Pictures are forthcoming.
To end this post, I just want to say that the trip wouldn't have been nearly as much fun if Jon hadn't decided to come along. To quote a Dave Matthews song, "It's not where but who you're with that really matters." Jon made me laugh when I was stressed out, took care of me if I got sick (and vice versa), and always made sure that Joe the Penn State Lawn Gnome was prominently featured whenever we took a picture of a famous landmark. So thanks, Jon, for being such a great travel partner. You really made my trip.
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