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October
29, 1999
Hello, this
is Chanda Baggarly calling in for Team Around the World 1999. Today is
October 29 and we drove from the city of Xigaze to Shegar (which is also
known as New Tingri). It was a bumpy and dusty drive most of the way, as
the roads were made from very basic materials: dirt and rocks. Xigaze
(Shigatse), the second largest city in Tibet, is also an important trade
and commercial center and the home of the Panchen Lama, the second most
important leader in Tibetan Buddhism after the Dalai Lama. Today we drove
to our highest elevation yet. With an average elevation of more than 4000
m (12,000 ft), Tibet is the highest region on earth. For this reason, it
is sometimes called the Roof of the World. At the top of Padu Pass, which
also happened to be a Tibetan holy place, our GPS read 17,200 feet. This
was a triumphant moment for all of us, as deep down I know we all
secretly wondered if we could make it this far. However, our celebrating
was cut a little short as we all began to feel the breathless reminder Mother
Nature thrusts upon unconditioned bodies at high altitudes. The higher
the altitude, the thinner the air. So there we were huffing and puffing
asthmatically just to take a simple picture.
We ran into
a group of tourists doing the same huffing and puffing we were doing. A
moment later, a small tribe of nomadic Tibetans happened along showing us
how it should be done. This group of Tibetans consisted of three men,
three women and six children. They lived comfortably in the same area our
lungs had such a difficult time adjusting to.
The people
of the tribe wore layers of brightly colored wool clothing cinched
together with leather or wool belts. They all had hair that was so long,
it touched the ground even though it was braided. Their dark braids were
decorated with gold jewelry and colorful yarn, which further added to
their colorful appearance. The men wore tall fur hats, which made them
stand out among their group as leaders. This nomadic group, like other
nomadic Tibetan groups, herd sheep for a living. They spend their days
moving the sheep from pasture to water and water to pasture. At night
they warm up by fire light in a tent or cave.
Most
children of Tibetan nomadic families do not go to school. Their help is
needed with the chores of herding. And, because of political events that
came about this century, Tibetans (nomadic or not) are allowed no more
than 2-3 children per family or they suffer a financial penalty. In the
past, a typical Tibetan family equaled 7 or 8 per household, which made
the family business of herding operate more smoothly. Obviously, the life
of a nomadic Tibetan is not an easy one. They walk on the arid, rocky
terrain through the bitter cold every single day with no excuses. No
cars, malls, TVs, radios, microwave ovens -- only what they have on their
backs and the smiles on their faces. Although they don't seem to have
much in the way of materialistic goods, they have strong community and
big smiles. What more do we really need?
Until next
time, this is Chanda Baggarly signing off for Team Around the World 1999.
Safe journeys!
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