Walking with the pilgrims...

Dear Family and Friends,

We've reached the holiest city in Tibet, Lhasa! We've traveled from our homestay about 15 hours by bus with stops in between and then a two hour flight from Chengdu, but lets start from the begginning...

The homestay was brilliant. We stopped in our guide Jamyung's town to pick up some food for our host family to cook us and we also picked up a famous local musican from the village that our guide was friends with. Arriving at our homestay we were greeted by the grandaughter and grandmother with open arms and hugs. The little cottage was situated in the middle of the grasslands about a hundred yards from the white river. The landscape was so beautiful and I walked down to the river as soon as we got there and just laid on my back and staired at the blue sky reflecting on our journey thus far and pinching myself occationally to fully take in where I was sitting. Before our dinner we sat in the family room, one of two rooms in our cottage, while the local Tibetan musicain sang and played traditional songs. Everyone's eyes where closed and bodies perched against the wall as his music completely put everyone in an incredible trance of tranquility. After our dinner we talked story and all cuddled in our blankets for warmth as we fell asleep in the middle of the Tibetan grasslands in the middle of absolutely nowhere.

The next day we got back on our trusty bus and headed for a little hotel between our homestay and Chengdu. The drive was one not to forget as the landscape turned from vast grasslands and hills with thousands of animals to a narrow road tucked between massive mountains and beautiful tall trees. Arriving at our hotel alongside a flowing rapid river we drove up to a lamb being slaughtered in the front of the hotel. Our guide told us this was probably for a tourist group coming from Chendgu and staying in the hotel, and it turned out to be. After eating dinner in the hotel restaurant I walked out to the bar to get more beer for everyone when I was stopped by some of the Chinese who wanted me to take a shot of their local liquor. Never saying no to free booze I of course accepted and drank about 3 shots in a tall glass of this discusting rice liquor. Walking back to our dinner table I became apparently drunk as everyone laughed at me and decided it was a good idea to join me! After everyone finished our shots and dinner Jay and I decided to hang out with the Chinese tourist group outside the hotel where they were roasting a lamb over a fire and all drinking and dancing. We were seriously like international superstars as everyone brought us drinks and wanted pictures with us, it was unforgatable. The next day we woke up at 5:00am to get on our 5 hour bus to Chengdu, oh was that fun!

The bus ride to Chengdu will forever remain in my eyes as we saw a beautiful lanscape transferced into the insanely massive construction of multiple hydroelectric dams being built and man made landsides creating numerous rock quorries. It was so heart breaking to see the bastard Chinese government demolish Tibetan homes along the way and the hillsides eroded by construction of massive bridges, roads and damns.

Chengdu is the high tec, silicon valley if you may, of China and was a pretty cool city of only 11 million! Since we went down in altitude it was nice to finally be able to breath again, but breathing in smog isn't pleasant either. We walked mainly in the hip village alley ways with shops, bars and plenty of good food. Jay and I drank with our tour group that night and it was awesome to see the older people drinking and singing songs with some of the other older locals, there's something about booze that brings people together but I can't quite put my finger on it yet, haha. After our group left Jay and I hit on some local Chinese girls and struck out again and again because of the whole language barrier thing, who would have thought? We got frusterated so decided to get revenge in our own way, by walking the entire way home with our butt cracks showing! If you see any pictures of our cracks on the internet I'm sorry mom!

Our 2 hour flight to Lhasa was beautiful as you could gaze out the window at the towering Himalayas. Our first day in Lhasa was to re-adjust to the altitude and relax which is exactly what we did! The second day we ventured through the square finally found in ATM which was totally gratifying since I had been borrowing money from Jay for like 3 days. Walking with the pilgrims around the holliest temple, johkang temple, in Lhasa is a truly breath taking experience that everyone should try and see one time in their short lives. I sat today in the square and tried to some it up in a poem or something resembling that so enjoy...

Walking with the pilgrims,
clockwise ensured good karma,
prayer wheels turn,
hums of praise echo,
vibrant colors ignite,
devotion bows to Buddha,
arroma of incents flows free,
children smile with "hellos,"
stares of wonder exchange,
such peace and spirituality,
mountains privide sanctuary,
for a people lost in time...

Shepta,
Grant