Friday, August 25, 2006

27-June-2006 * Chamdo

Am I dreaming, or are we really in Chamdo?! Here I crouch on our bed in the Jin Chuan Binguan (Golden River Hotel). Beside me Tessa is busy in her journal, while Tara channel-surfs Tibetan TV. Somehow we wound up here after spending last night in a clean little room next to the Chengdu Airport. This morning broke clear and fresh after an overnight rain. We hurriedly packed our stuff, grabbed some steamed buns, and made our way to the airport…wondering whether today's flight would be canceled like yesterday's.

But they let us board. And the plane took off. And before long we found ourselves sailing over cloud and snow-clad mountain ranges. I saw majestic Minyak Gangkar soaring above the rest, like a powerful sovereign, reigning over the entire region.

We made our descent from cruising altitude in less than 17 minutes because Bangda Airfiled is so high. The long white runway splits a broad treeless wind-swept valley. The thin air was a balmy 8° this June day, rather chilly after the muggy sweaty 30s we'd experienced for the past two weeks in Chengdu. But the eroded, cracked concrete and deserted mud dwellings near the terminal spoke of a bitter cold desolation that sweeps through this valley in winter.

Our adventure began when we stepped onto the bus. I got to sit in the back, which proved to be great fun as we bumped, twisted, and swerved our way down the 120 km road to Chamdo. From broad flower-strewn meadows with nomads tending herds of yak, sheep, and goats we descended through hairpin twists into a steep deep canyon decked in green and yellow terraces and ornamented with the cheery pine & rammed-earth dwellings of the canyon farmers. Lower still, we reached the Mekong River, red with silt and rushing through iron rocks and rusty earth. Bright green plots of barley and hot-house watermelon farms were interspersed with lovely green poplar groves, hydro power projects, army bases, small mining operations, and what appeared to be a concrete factory running full-bore.



We arrived in Chamdo, crossed the Dza Chu River and found ourselves dropped off on a street side. Then one of our fellow passengers stepped up to help us out. He helped us find a hotel and later, we shared a lunch of delicious yak mo-mos and potato crispers. Our friend is studying economics in college, but he wants to make movies. He commented that all the movies and music videos of Tibet show nothing but beautiful scenery and happy dancing people. They never show the other aspects of life here.

When we parted company, I made the wish to meet again…I really liked him and hope he finds excellent success in his search for fulfillment.

The streets of Chamdo are a blur of beeping taxis and staring Tibetans. Everywhere, they stare at me and Tessa in amazement, their fierce bright eyes wide in wonder. But our lungs and hearts are a bit stressed, so we're laying up in the hotel to chill our heels 'til tomorrow.

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