Another gorgeous sunny day.
We have been a little confused about whether we are in China or in Tibet. The answer is both but it depends on your perspective. In 1950 the Peoples Republic of China led by Mao, began to assert a new Chinese presence in Tibet. The resistance in Tibet was soon crushed. Tibetan representatives (having lost) negotiated with Beijing to incorporate Tibet into China. This was repudiated by the government in exile and Dalai Lama shortly afterwards. To cut a long bloody story full of resistance, death, exile and destruction short what was Tibet before Mao is now divided up. Cultural Tibet (Pre 1950) consisted of:
• Amdo (A mdo) in the northeast, is now administratively part of the provinces of Qinghai, Gansu and Sichuan (China).
• Kham (Khams) in the southeast encompasses parts of western Sichuan, northern Yunnan southern Qinghai and the eastern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region (China).
• Ü-Tsang (Ü in the center, Tsang in the center-west, and Ngari (mNga' ris) in the far west) are the central and western portion of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR)
• Southern Tibet - ceded to India in 1965 after a short war.
Whether in a Chinese province or in India, Tibetan people still say they are in Tibet. The Chinese influence seems to be welcomed in Yunnan, but the locals still differentiate between themselves (Tibetan) and the Chinese (often guests in the hotel). Sarah and I are of course: “foreigners”At 11 am we set off with the manager’s Tibetan mastiff, Langka (Blue Sky), Lobsang and Lobsang’s mutt, NuNu (Lobsang said this means sexy but a quick internet search revealed that the poor mutt is named after slang for a sex organ!).
Both dogs were well behaved and good tempered with only occasional bursts of energy to chase yak or child.
We wound our way up a logging track and over the top of a crest to find a green pasture, filled with yak and a few cows, and a nomad’s settlement.
We had brought some barley flour and Yak butter tea balls (good for energy according to Lobsang and Mario Piazza – manager of the hotel) but this was not enough for lunch for Lobbing.
We went in to the nomad hut with the smoking chimney to introduce ourselves and eat yak butter yoghurt, home-made flat bread, home made yak cheese and finally… to drink yak butter tea.
Sarah tried her hardest to like it.
We gave our hostess all the edibles we were carrying – 2 pears and a nut bar. (To be fair, Jo and I did not eat very much but Lobsang tucked in.) She stoked up the fire and was really welcoming.
We compared ages and shoe sizes! Although our Tibetan was limited to Tashi Delek (a greeting meaning luck or Hello) Hon (yes) and Ma Ray (No) Too Je Che (thank you) Lobsang translated for us.
There were a reasonable amount of creature comforts adorning the hut – a few bottles of barley wine and cigarettes.
From here the walk got even better as we joined a small path that wound its way through the pine trees. Sarah investigated some finer family law points for Tibetans on death of both parents (all goes to elder child whether male or female)
We jumped a couple of rivers and finally descended back to the temple, where we started, and of course ginger tea and biscuits in the lobby of the hotel.
Deluth and Joey arrived at 23:10 tired after a day of travelling; too late for photos
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