May 31 – June 5, final days in the Kathmandu Valley

After the intensity of Tibet, I was happy to have some quiet days in Kathmandu. When I could, I spent early mornings and early evenings walking with perhaps a thousand other people around the Great Stupa of Boudhanath. It was the most welcoming crowd I’ve ever been in. I always felt uplifted. Between morning and [...]

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My 29-30 Back to Kathmandu

We left Tingri in the early afternoon and headed west on the paved road that stretches from the Nepalese border to Lhasa and beyond. After three hours we passed through Nyalam where we had begun our acclimatization to high altitude 22 days before. From there is was just 38 kilometer (and a drop of 4000 [...]

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May 28 — Tingri and the cave of Machik Labdron

Our schedule called for an overnight trip to the Chinese Everest Base Camp. (Everest is on the border, so there is also a Nepalese Everest Base Camp.) Though it was less than 30 miles away, the trip required a several-hour drive over very rough roads. The main attraction was a closer look at Mt. Everest. [...]

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May 26-27 — The Long Drive

From Darchen we begin the long drive back toward paved roads, the border, and Kathmandu. May 26 is a nine-hour drive to Trongba. May 27 is a 10 hour drive from Trongba to Tingri. We drive through beautiful desert valleys, with constantly changing colorations and views. However, the ride itself is physically numbing. About ninety [...]

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May 25 — Back to Darchen

We wake to a below freezing morning. I huddle in my sleeping bag as long as I can. After breakfast, we break camp and  in small groups pick up the pilgrim trail. We follow the trail near a river and in the distance can see a wide plain, where we turn right to head back [...]

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May 24 — Droma La / Tara Pass

We wake with a sprinkling of snow on the tents and ice crystals in our water bottles. The snow has also given the north face of Mt. Kailash a new look. We set off at nine for the Droma La / Tara Pass, the highest point on the kora. At 18,600 feet it is 2400 [...]

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May 23 — Dirapuk Monastery

We have a free day before climbing over Drolma Pass. While most of the others go off to explore a glacier at the base of Mt. Kailash, I stay at camp to write. Then late in the morning I walk up to the monastery. I gravitate to a cave at the back of the monastery [...]

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May 22 — The Kora begins

We start off with first light, about 8 am. We follow a river stream up a wide valley. Initially, it is a very gradual ascent. We walk silently. I settle into my steps and my body. I call to mind individual people in my life, in my family, in the Still Water community, old friends, [...]

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May 21 — Darchen (Great Flag)

After 8 hours of driving we arrive in the village of Darchen (altitude of 15, 100 feet), the starting and ending point for the Mt. Kailash Kora (circumambulation). The town is pretty bleak: two or three wide unpaved streets and trash strewn everywhere.  There are Tibetan guest houses, a few “supermarkets” selling general supplies, and [...]

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May 19, 20 — The Guge Kingdom

With an early start, we drive Northwest for about 140 miles. Aside from the workers on the road (it seems all the roads we travel on are being rebuilt), we see few people, settlements, or other vehicles. It is a rocky road through seemingly desolate landscapes.  We pass over an almost 17,000 foot pass and [...]

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May 18 — to Tirthapuri

I wake up feeling better and after breakfast climb with others to Chiu (Little Bird) Monastery. The monastery clings to a pinnacle that reminds me of the Chapel of St. Michel in Le Puy En Velay, France. Chiu Monastery on the hill From near the Monastery, one has magnificent views of Lake Manasavorar and the [...]

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May 17 — Trugo Monastery to Chiu Monastery

We travel by Land Cruiser further along Lake Manasarovar. Unfortunately, much of the day is a blur to me. I wake up with an upset stomach and hot and cold flashes. It may have been something we ate as at least three people in the group have similar symptoms. We all throw up in the [...]

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May 16 — Cranes on the shore

We have a day without driving or a program. Again I am drawn to the lake and spend several hours walking along the shore. There are many large water birds, including ducks, geese, and a bird that looks like a sea gull, plus a magnificent pair of cranes. All the birds are skittish. I take [...]

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May 15 — Seralung to Trugo Monastery

The day is warmer, less overcast. In the morning I walk for an hour along the shoreline, much of it in the company of Tibetan pilgrims who are intermittently collecting seaweed. (There are many fewer pilgrims now than there will be in several weeks, after Saga Dawa, the celebration of Buddha’s birthday.) We continue our [...]

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May 14 — The Ocean of Peace

While others in our group walk over a hill to see some hot springs, I take a solitary walk along Lake Manasarovar, The Ocean of Peace. When I start at about 10 am it is overcast and quite cold — about 20 degrees Farenheit — with a wind off the lake. I am totally alone [...]

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