In May of 2005, Shannon had the opportunity to travel to Tibet with her teacher and the founder of the Unlimited Network, Arne Rantzen.  The following are emails that were sent home to friends and family during the journey, along with just a few of the pictures that were taken.  They each tell the story of the tangible experiences of the trip, but say little about the spiritual journey that occurred along the way.  Those experiences were intentionally omitted as everyone’s journey is different and sacred unto the traveler alone.

 May 5, 2005

It's either 2:50 AM or 3:25 AM depending on which of the two clocks in my immediate sight I look at.  We're in Bangkok on a 12 hour layover before heading out to Nepal at about 10 AM Bangkok time.  The Thai massage shop here in the airport was a great luxury...a 60 minute massage for $26!  It's a combination of unabashed stretching as well as rubbing in the more familiar Swedish style and perfect for a weary traveler.

I'm sleeping on and off on the plane and so, even though it's early in the morning local time, I'll either sleep here on the floor the way many other travelers are or I'll sleep on the plane on the 5ish hour flight.  I don't anticipate much jet lag getting in since I'm so mixed up on my times and dates currently.  I mean, if your body doesn't have a clue what time it's functioning in, how can it object when that time zone changes? :)  We'll see...

The people I'm traveling with are great, and the trip so far has been both pleasant and easy.  The flights have been uneventful.  The seats are smaller than I would have hoped, similar to NWA's coach class seats, but with more leg room.  The service is exceptional.  I'm loving hot towels before our meals and the pleasantness of the staff.  The food has also been better than average.  After our lay over to refuel in Osaka Japan the plane was fairly empty and all 11 of us in the group so far (2 others are meeting us in Kathmandu tomorrow) had an entire row to ourselves to stretch out in.  It was great!

It seems strange to think that I've been traveling for as long as I have.  It's really been its own adventure, though I have to say that I'm looking forward to the next phase begining.  I'm told that there are internet cafe's in Kathmandu, purported to be a rather bohemian city, as well as in the hotel we'll be staying in on and off in Lhasa, Tibet (when we're not camping).  I'll keep you posted.

 May 6, 2005

I've made it this far.  We arrived in Kathmandu and were greeted at the airport by the scent of incense burning as we waited in line to get our visas.  The hospitality team that orchestrated the travel plans for us sherpa-ed our bags to the bus and gave us each a lei, that we termed Him-a-leis, which paired nicely with the orchid corsages that the airline gave all of the women as we landed.

Kathmandu is a city full of adventure.  Driving is crazy with no noticeable traffic laws and lots of horn honking that seemed to be used almost as a greeting rather than a warning.  The streets are full of buses, cars, motor bikes, bicycles, and pedestrians.  There was so much to see along the way, I had to keep myself from taking pictures of everything.  This is my first experience in a third world country, and it is about what you'd imagine - people everywhere, random camp fires along the streets where people are cooking, dogs that wander, crumbling buildings, streets that are unpaved or randomly paved with cobblestone.  The people however have all been pleasant.  There is a vibrancy and a peacefulness here that I've never felt in so crowded a space, even among the horn honking and the chaos of the roads.  The birds are happily singing, it is green and lush environment, the sky is blue and bright, and the temperature is comfortable.  And then there are the mountains...Wow!  The mountains are awe-inspiring.

The hotel we're in tonight and tomorrow is beautiful, a converted palace with carved wood molding and furniture and marble floors.  The grounds are well manicured and there is a swimming pool.  The staff met us at the pool with the local version of lemonade immediately upon our arrival and wouldn't let us even think of carrying our own bags to our rooms. 

Tonight we're meeting for dinner to become familiar with the place and the people.  I don't know what the plans are yet for tomorrow.  It's on an itinerary somewhere in my luggage.  My state of mind is such that I'm simply trusting the guides rather than trying to have everything all figured out right now.  Maybe it's because I haven't slept much in the last two days or because of all the travel we've done.  I need some time to adjust just to being on this trip. 

I continue to enjoy the other people of the group.  We're all a little weary at this point.  Many are now out by the pool enjoying the sun and the warmth.  I'm enjoying a little solitude in a small room that is generally kept locked since it contains something so valuable as this computer.  The gentleman that showed me to this space was kind, a student studying economics, and offered to get me a single room should I want one.  That's the thing about a new culture, I just don't know what the norms are, so I don't really understand yet if that was an act of sincere generosity (which I'm told is typical of the culture) or if he was bucking for a big fat tip.  I'm guessing the latter, but at this point, I just can't say for sure.

 May 8, 2005

We are still in Kathmandu, Nepal until tomorrow morning though we've been traveling around to different towns and monasteries in the Kathmandu Valley.  It's warm - 80s ish - and very comfortable.  Yesterday we traveled to Pharping and had an audience with a Tibetan Lama named Tenga Rinpoche, akin to the Dali Lama.  While the altitude on this trip has not at all been an issue yet, walking into his room made my head spin for all the elevated energy he personally has.  After a blessing from him, the equivalent of the abbot of his monastery sat with us and gave us a lesson. Afterwards we explored some sacred caves used by past Lamas for meditation.  Again, words do not describe the experiences in such sacred places.  I've taken lots of pictures though, and will hope that they begin to communicate the awe of such a land and culture.

In addition to this really being a spiritual pilgrimage, I've also done this journey to experience the people of the region.  My guide books told me that the number one reason to visit this area is the people and they couldn't have been more right.  I've been struck by the safety I feel here.  People are happy.  I can't help but compare it to the American culture where so many people seem to be constantly on the go and never content.  In Nepal, there is little money, but the people move slower and everyone smiles and greets you when you walk by.  Kathmandu is a relatively large city, and the streets and markets are full of what I would call chaos and a hundred things happening all at once. Rather than looking down or away, people here look at each other in the midst of it all and smile warmly.  They all pride themselves on service and honesty.  I feel completely safe here. 

There is, however, a military presence on the streets.  I'm not really sure what for as I'm told that crime is very low.  However, there are bored looking men not really even looking for trouble (much less expecting it) dressed in camouflage, some carrying automatic weapons, some other rifles, and some just sticks, all standing around mostly just talking to each other.  The guns look like they wouldn't work even if they were fired.  Arne explains that a lot of that is simply a way to give people jobs.  It's still strange to pass in front of a gun as I walk casually on the street. 

Tomorrow morning we leave for Tibet.  For some reason I'm not clear on (Arne said the Chinese didn't want to give us a plane) our flight into the country was cancelled, so we're bussing it.  We'll have our own bus, but the roads here leave much to be desired, so the 100 miles we'll travel into Lhasa Tibet will take us about 2 1/2 days.  I'm sure there will be plenty of stops along the way, but that's quite a long trip. 

I'm not sure what to expect of the trip after reaching Tibet.  Time does funny things here.  It doesn't seem to be moving at all.  It's been a very full couple of days here in Kathmandu and it seems strange to think that there is still so much of my trip left.  I'm very much enjoying all of it. 

 May 12, 2005

We'll, we made it - finally - to Lhasa.  There have been a few amazing experiences these last few days, and a few frustrating ones.

Our bus from Kathmandu took us to the boarder of Tibet.  Because of the long line of trucks waiting in line to cross the boarder, we were asked to get out of the bus and walk across, an act of trust to be sure.  I know I put in my last email a note about the chaos of the roads, and it was as true there at the boarder as it was in Kathmandu itself.  So, the 12 of us walked in the rain with our day packs to the boarder amidst many, many cars inbound to Tibet being at a standstill because of the wait, and out bound going about their random merry ways.  In the middle of all of this, there were children wandering around the streets and people trying to sell us stuff.  Surreal doesn't begin to describe the experience.  I have no idea how our bags made it across the boarder.  The bags are just one of the many things I have had to not think about on this trip out of necessity to keep myself sane.  I am simply unable to keep track of such things.  At any rate, we were met at the boarder by the Chinese military inspecting our packs and our passports and visas.  (I really didn't have any idea before coming here exactly how controlled by China Tibet really is.) Then we walked maybe another 1/4 mile to a restaurant for lunch.  Afterwards we were met by our drivers and our guides and our bags were there and loaded in the three jeeps that would drive us to Lhasa on the new Friendship Highway, a connection between Nepal and Tibet.  
 

Now, I know what the word highway conjures up in my mind, and I'm guessing there is some similar though in all of yours.  Highway here meant a pitted gravel road, sometimes nearly impassable, and very remote.  There is a reason we needed jeeps, and many times, 4 wheel drive was required.  This is mountainous country too.  We rarely went more than about 40 KM/hour.  Hot, dusty, and bumpy only start to describe the trek.  And though I said the distance was 100 miles, I was wrong.  I don't know what the distance was, but it was considerably further than the 100 miles we were told it would be. 

Anyway, Monday night we stayed in a guest house.  It was charming, truly, well painted, with electricity, but no heat.  The bathrooms once we left Kathmandu have mostly consisted of a hole in the floor or ground, and this guest house was no exception.  A flash light was required to find it as well. 

The next morning we woke up early and left at 7 AM for what we were told would be a long drive.  We didn't realize that a long drive would mean getting in at about 10 PM to the next hotel on our trek.  Along the way, however we stopped at a cave used for meditation by Milaripa (sp?) a sacred place to be sure.  We also stopped at a natural hot springs purported to have curative effects for different parts of the body.  Combine those two stops and lunch and that only accounts for about 2 1/2 hours of our 15 hour day.  Thankfully the hotel we stayed in that night had running hot water (unlike the guest house), heat, and toilets!

Yesterday was supposed to be a 6 hour journey over the hot, dusty, bumpy roads.  It was 9.  We were all tired and crabby when we got into Lhasa last night.  A good dinner, a few drinks, and a good night's sleep have pretty much restored our attitudes.  I know that I've come to appreciate that the drive was good for seeing the culture and the people of the area, despite being unpleasant. 

Along the journey here, we observed many interesting things.  Work ethic is very relaxed.  We saw people working on the construction of this highway in random spots seemingly miles from anywhere.  It's not uncommon to see several people standing around watching a couple people work.  Most labor is done by hand, even heavy labor, so digging and carrying rock and the like are all done with shovels, picks, and baskets.  Men and women work side by side.  The women are dressed in traditional garb, while the men wear suit coats and dress shoes while they dig. 

Then there are the nomadic herders.  This is what your imagination may conjure up, with the exception being that, rather than tagging the ears of the animals in their charge, the shepherds braid in colorful cloth to their long hair.  They pay the government a small fee to use the land.  There are no fences.  A yak can take care of a family of 7 for a year.

Farming is interesting.  There are many many rocks in the area.  Fields in the river valleys are tilled by hand or by yak and are sectioned off by rock fences, not by kind of crop, but to let the farmers know the natural grades of the lands.  Any where that water naturally flows, the rock fences line so that the farmers don't compete with the flow of water for their crops.  Then occasionally they will use that natural flow of water to irrigate.

Altitude has been an issue for many of us, myself included.  We were between 13,000 and 17,000 feet above sea level for most of the drive, with the mountain passes being the highest.  Arne has been working with us on a breathing technique to help us adjust.  It's working, and most of us have acclimated well.  Of course, Lhasa is only around 11,500 ft, and that helps.

Today we got up and went to the Potala Palace.  Google it...it's magnificent!  We requested an Italian lunch as we've all gotten pretty ODed on rice.  MMMMM…it was the best spaghetti I've ever had.  OK...so it was fine, but because of the novelty of it, it tasted pretty darn good. 

Tonight we're headed to another temple, and tomorrow we camp. We'll be in and out of Lhasa over the next week and a half, camping then staying in the hotel on alternate nights.  I like Lhasa.  It feels comfortable and familiar somehow.  I haven't been out shopping yet, but there is a massage place across from the hotel that I'm tempted to try.  Maybe tonight.

 May 22, 2005

I wasn't able to log on to my email account from Tibet the last night I was there.  I don't know if it was an AOL thing, or if it was a China thing.  Either way, it's good to be in a country where I feel a little less monitored.

Anyway, 5 of the last 7 nights we were in Tibet were spent camping.  We first spent a night in a beautiful mountain valley at just down from a nunnery in the Shannan (yes, truly) region of Tibet.  The mountains were rugged and arid and rough, but right in the middle of this one particular one was an area that was green and soft-looking by contrast.  It also had a small stream running through the middle that at one point powered a prayer wheel that the locals must have set up at some point.  The cows that wandered through the area didn't seem to mind us much.  Some people choose to sleep in the caves near by (not necessarily a step up from the tents we had set up for us by the team of sherpas and cooks that were hired for just such a purpose), but I couldn't escape the beauty of that little area, so chose to stay in the tent. We awoke to snow in the morning, but it was soon gone with the sun.

And that was pretty much how the last week in Tibet went.  From there, we slept in Lhasa for a night, then camped for two, back to Lhasa for a night, then camping for another two.  The scenes changed.  Different mountains, different surroundings, different animals wandering through camp.  A couple of nights we stayed in a village (SMALL village) in what looked to me to be a corral.  Just up from there, though, was a natural hot springs.  We went up there the first night and sat for some time in the springs while it snowed on us.  MMMMMm....wonderful!  The next day we went back and spent 4 hours there, this time in the sun.  Let me tell you, it's difficult enough to walk up a hill (to where the bus was parked) in high elevation, but more difficult after you've just spent hours in a hot springs. :)  The springs were at the base of another nunnery, and one night we went up to their monastery and took part in what would be akin to their evening prayers.  It was a small group of women, and afterwards they wanted to talk to us, asking about our culture, allowing us to ask about theirs.  They LOVED getting their pictures taken!  It was fun.

The next afternoon was spent at a monastery watching the monks learn some special dance.  I'm not really sure what kind of dance it was supposed to be, but they all seemed to be having fun with it.  The specialty of this monastery is that the chants and prayers of these monks are said to be particularly good at helping transfer consciousness after someone dies.  There is no wood really in Tibet (yak dung as fuel source for cooking and heating) to cremate a body, and digging into the ground for burial certainly isn't an option for all the rocks and for the cold climate, so vultures are used to carry out the idea of "ashes to ashes, dust to dust."  This isn't nearly as morbid as it may sound.  It's actually quite a beautiful ceremonial process where the body is laid out on a mountain top and nature is allowed to take her course. 

One day we drove to a remote monastery that is still being rebuilt as a result of being bombed in the 50's as part of the “cultural revolution”.  It's not a tourist destination in any way, and Arne was telling us how few people visit this particular place as we turned the corner to find a field populated by 1000s of people from the region.  As it turned out, we happened to arrive during a festival, an unexpected treat.  I'm not entirely sure what the festival was for, but there was a Guru there, and he welcomed us warmly, wanting to know where we were from and why we had come.  Locals waited in line for quite some time to see him, but we were pushed to the front of his receiving line by what we would think of as a jester in a mask wearing bells and dancing with us.  Those that had been waiting seemed to agree that we needed to see this Guru ahead of them, and pushed us forward, shaking our hands and smiling as we passed.  It was one of the many experiences on this trip that was surreal. 

Our last night camping on this trip was spent at a salt water mountain lake at about 16,000 feet elevation.  It is another holy place, a pilgrimage site, and was splendid for its beauty.  Where we were had magnificent rock formations and a beach-like area (too cold for swimming!), but across the lake were mountains covered in snow that seemed more like glaciers.  It looked like what I imagine Alaska or the arctic to be.  There the animal most common was the dog, with several barking and running around, but the biggest pest were the locals who had come to realize that when non-local visitors came to the area, they could often beg food or money from them.  Now, this has been going on a lot of the trip, but these people were so bold as to lift the flaps and stare into our community tents looking for their hand outs.  Neither terse directives to leave nor pulling the flaps from their hands to shut them out would keep them from their mission, so our sherpas were set to the task of security that night to keep them away.

We arrived back in Kathmandu, Nepal yesterday.  It felt in so many ways like coming home.  First and foremost, we were all grateful to have had a plane ride back to Nepal rather than having to take jeeps for three days again!  After that, everything felt like gravy.  However, it was good gravy!  The weather here was 80ish and sunny - a treat as compared to the 30 to 50 degrees we were living with in Tibet (an unusually cold spring).  Many people spent the afternoon in the pool.  I spent it next to the pool under an umbrella as I am peeling from the sunburn I'd received from being in the hot springs for 4 hours the one day. We had a great meal last night, had a rickshaw race home (my roommate and I would have won too had another team not taken a motor cab!), and had cocktails by the pool until midnight. 

I'm off to do a little more shopping before meeting the group for lunch.  Then it's off to the "monkey palace" for the afternoon.  We leave tomorrow, stopping in Bangkok for a 13-hour layover along the way.