We were farewelled from Mundon/Mongdong mid morning by all the
four families of the hamlet, many of them dressed up especially in their finest
Tibetan clothes. We posed for a few portraits, and then it was time to depart.
Again I tried walking up the trail, but even a short stroll up the relatively
easy slope left me breathless. I remembered we were close to 4500 metres high.
“Qi ma!” urged the horse handlers, and I quickly complied.
“Without horses you’d have no chance of getting to here,” said Zago. And as
Rock had noted: “Merely walking or climbing over a steep trail at heights of
16,000 feet is difficult enough, without carrying 80-100 pounds on one’s back.
This feat was performed by the Hsifan peasants through fear of our lama, who
represented the Muli king ...”
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