The first and most important thing is to take it easy. And then pay attention to the followings:

1. Avoid catching a cold before entering into Tibet;

2. Try to have a good sleep at the night before arriving in Tibet;

3. Don’t conduct many activities on the first day of arrival;

4. Walk slowly and drink extra fluids;

5. Light and high carbohydrate meals are recommended for more energy and don’t drink alcohol or smoke;

6. Climb up to high altitude slowly;

7. Avoid sedatives;

8. Prepare some medicines as per doctors’ suggestions.

Usually we will prepare the oxygen canisters/bags for your whole journey. Most of our tour guides and drivers are local Tibetans who know the local condition very well and with some of them having been well trained for the emergency.

For people who have diseases like tuberculosis, pneumonia, serious tracheitis, bronchitis and serious heart problems or catch a serious cold, it is usually not suggested to come to Tibet. If you are not sure about your health condition, you can consult your doctor before traveling.

And if there are kids’ travelling with you, you shall also first consult the doctor for some advices. My experience shows that some children are even better in high altitude acclimatization than adults…

Sherry Jia, experienced Tibet travel advisor from http://www.toursoftibet.com, a local travel agency based in Lhasa with an office in Chengdu China handling all on-line inquiries regarding a tour to Tibet and China. Please visit us for day-to-day itineraries of some popular tours in Tibet including that to Mt. Everest Base Camp, Mt. Kailash, etc. and also many trekking/hikking tours in Tibet.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sherry_Jia

Through it all Tibet has maintained its own way of life. It has held onto the traditions that have defined it as one of the most rural and peaceful counties in the world.

Some areas of Tibet are over 3000 metres above sea level. It is very difficult to grow crops at this height. The most important Tibetan crop is barley. Barley flour is used to make a dough called tsampa, which is their staple food. Tsampa can be rolled into noodles or made into dumplings that are steamed and called momos. Tibetan meat dishes consist of yak, goat and mutton and can be dried or cooked as a spicy stew. Mustard seeds feature a lot in Tibetan cuisine because it is one of the few spices to be cultivated there on a large scale. Yak milk is a versatile commodity featuring in yoghurt, butter and cheese. Well prepared yak yoghurt can be considered an item of prestige and luxury in Tibetan society.

Tibetan dress is still very conservative with most of the population choosing to wear traditional styles rather than western clothes. Women wear dark wrap dresses over a blouse. If a woman is married she will also wear a colourfully striped, woven wool apron. Long sleeves are worn throughout the year by both sexes regardless of the blazing summer months.

A khata is a traditional ceremonious scarf that serves as a versatile gift given on festive occasions. It is made of white silk, which symbolises the pure heat of the giver. The symbolism behind the gift promotes goodwill, auspiciousness and compassion. It is usually given at weddings, funerals, births, graduations, or to a host at the arrival or departure of guests. When it is presented it is accompanied by an acknowledgement of “Tashi Delek”, meaning “good luck”.

Tibet music is religious music before it is anything else, and reflects the influence of Tibetan Buddhism on the culture. The music also reflects the heritage of the trans-Himalayan region and all ethnic Tibetan groups that are found in India, Bhutan and Nepal. Chanting is an integral part of Tibetan music and is often accompanied by drums.

The Tibetan calendar is a lunisolar calendar, which means that a Tibetan year has either 12 or 13 lunar months in it. Each month begins and ends with a new moon. The 13th month is only added every three years, which makes an average Tibetan year equal to a solar year. Months are referred to by numbers and are not nominal. They associate each year with an animal and an element. The animals alternate in the following order: Hare, Dragon, Horse, Sheep, Ape, Bird, Dog, Pig, Mouse, Bull, and Tiger. The elements also alternate: Fire, Earth, Iron, Water, and Wood.

The Tibetans have a relatively complex system for numbering their years. Each element has 2 consecutive years. It has a male aspect followed by a female aspect: for example a male Earth-Dragon year would be followed by a female Earth-Snake year, which would be followed by a male Iron-Horse year. Tibetans often leave the sex out as the year can be inferred from the animal.

Tibetan festivals are also deeply rooted in religion. Some of the most important festivals are the Losar, Shoton and the Bathing Festival. The Bathing Festival requires that each person take part in it three times in the course of their lifetime: at birth, marriage and death. In Tibetan culture it is believed that bathing is not a casual endeavour, but should rather be saved for the most important occasions only. Festivals are high points in the social calendar and feature many entertaining activities such as yak racing, which suggests that perhaps the bathing should be saved for the conclusion of the festivities.

Recommended site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_culture

Sandra wrote this article for the online marketers Language and Culture News language and culture news one of the leading providers of news in the different languages and cultures to be found worldwide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandy_Cosser

The symbol of Tibet is the majestic Potala Palace perched on top of Marpo Ri Hill in the center of the city of Lhasa. It is the must-go of most visitors to Tibet. The Potala Palace is the religious and political center of Tibet and the former residence of the Dalai Lama. It is the most sacred place in Tibetans’ heart. Although place like Lhasa is definitely somewhere that tourists can not miss, this article is going tell you something about Tibet that is absolutely magnificent but out of the spot lights.

Among the snowy mountains and deep gorges between Tibet and Yunnan, there are some mysterious footpaths winding through the mountainsides, some are even carved into cliff face crossing one of the most dangerous terrain and uninhabitable area in the world. These footpaths have been called the ancient Tea-Horse Road. Hardly to be called a road it starts from Sichuan and Yunnan provinces in Southwest China, runs along the eastern foothills and deep canyons of several major rivers, than heads into Tibet spanning the two highest plateaus of China (i.e. the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau), and finally reaches India, south of the Himalayas. But why have these ancient footpaths been called the Tea-Horse Road, who discovered this ancient route into Tibet, and what is the role it plays in the history?

It can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Tibetan people liked drinking Pu-erh tea (i.e. post-fermented tea compressed in thick rectangular blocks, flat squares, discuses or other shapes) because they ate high calories food such as butter, Tsamba, beef, and lamb but consumed very little vegetables. Pu-erh tea not only helped them to digest the heavy food but also offered their Vitamin need. Tibetans did not drink the Pu-erh directly but mixed the tea with the yak butter creating a salty and rich tea which is still common today. However the environmental situation of Tibet did not allow for the growing of the tea. Luckily, the neighboring Yunnan was an ideal land for growing tea, and they made Pu-erh tea in great quality. Those who could manage to transfer the tea from Yunnan into Tibet were going to make good money. On the other hand, Chinese army needed strong warhorses desperately, comparatively Tibetans had a strong mounted army and they also had access to Middle Asia, where possessed the best military horses in the world.

However, it was almost a mission impossible to exchange goods between Tibet and Yunnan, because any possible land connection between the two regions was almost cut off by the harsh terrain. The natural border between Tibetan plateau and Yunnan is formed of endless snowy mountains and deep gorges with steep cliffs which is tough for any land animals to cross the area. Finally the irresistible temptation of making huge profit had given the merchants enough courage to make their way through cleverly however dangerously.

If the mountains could not be climbed they went around them on the mountainsides. By following the rivers they could take advantage of the narrow river banks under the cliffs. In continuous and collective efforts in many years, the trading link was established. Through this route, Yunnan merchants traded Pu-erh tea for strong military horses from Tibetan, and resold these horses to the rest of China. On the other hand, Tibetan merchants also made good money by selling the tea to India and middle Asia. This is why this trading route has been called the Tea-Horse Road.

Therefore, the ancient Tea-Horse Road plays a similar role as the Silk Road, and is a significant part of the international trade in the history. Besides a road of wealth, it was also a road of cultural exchange that created a cultural bond between Tibetans and Chinese in the history, and facilitated the spread of Buddhism in China. Even today, when people are trekking on this ancient route into Tibet, they can still sense the spirit, the courage, and the wisdom devoted to this road, and marvel at this great legacy of our ancient ancestors.

This article is one of China Odyssey Tours’ serial introductions about adventurous China. Other topics include the “Simatai Great Wall, a real adventure tour”, “Home of Giant Pandas – Chengdu”, “Tiger Leaping Gorge and ancient town Lijiang”, “The legend of Dragon Back and the fairy tale of Third Sister Liu”. You would find the adventurous routes cover the above topics though China Odyssey Tours, or custom design a dream route exclusive to you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mandy_Lee

First off, foreigners must join a tour group in order to visit Tibet. Second, Tibet itself seemed much more developed than the places we had just seen in Qinghai and Sichuan.

For example, the hotels were much better and the roads were nicely paved and not pockmarked with potholes. Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet, seemed clean and orderly and caters to tourists with its many restaurants, sites and souvenir vendors. The scenery also seemed much larger: brighter sun, bigger mountains, more snow capped peaks and skies that are clear and blue. Temperatures can be warm during the day and then cold at night. The Tibetans that live here are different from the Kham Tibetans we encountered in Qinghai and Sichuan; the attire and language are very different.

Here’ my rundown of the top ten sites in Tibet.

1. Potala Palace

Located in Lhasa, this was formerly the residence of the Dali Lama. It’s the centerpiece of the city and Tibetans from all over come to do the walk around the outside of the palace in prayer. The tour brought us inside and we learned about its history. We were required to walk up many many flights of stairs along the outside wall to reach the main buildings at the top (not an easy task if not yet acclimated to Lhasa’s elevation). The views from the top of the palace are also spectacular as you can see all of Lhasa below with the snow capped mountains in the background.

2. Qomolangma, aka Mount Everest

Our tour took us to the Qomolangma base camp where we camped in a tent. The amenities were basically an outhouse, a stove that burns yak dung, beds with wool blankets and boiled water provided by the hosts.

The first day we were there we couldn’t even see the mountain due to cloud cover.

Miraculously, as we were leaving the next day the clouds cleared just enough to get some great photos of Qomolangma. The visit had its tough moments however. The base camp sits at 6000m elevation, and we hiked two km to the Rongphu Monastery which resides in a small village.

The monastery is known to be the highest monastery in terms of elevation. The hike was a little difficult for some of us due to the altitude. The night in the tent was also challenging because the strong gusts of wind and the cold temperatures. Our hosts had been diligently filling the stove with yak dung to keep the fire burning while we were awake. Unfortunately, nobody instructed us on how to keep the fire burning throughout the night, and it didn’t take long for the stove to burn out, the temperature going way down.

3. Jokhang Temple

Built in the fifth century AD, this temple in Lhasa houses Buddhist statues that were part of the dowries brought by the wives of Tibetan king Songsten Gampo.

Although many artifacts were damaged or destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, some of the oldest statues were hidden and therefore preserved.

Many Tibetans come to this temple to pray. People on the outside pray on the sidewalk. On the inside, Tibetans carry flasks of oil to help refill the burning oil candles. This temple is special to Tibetans and many come from very far to worship.

4. Barkhor Square

This is the centerpiece of the old city, and is adjacent to Jokham Temple. The square is full of vendors and shops selling traditional Tibetan clothes, jewelry and other goods.

We found it to be a good place to walk around and browse the many different things for sale. If you want to buy anything you must negotiate hard however.
The merchants can be aggressive and know how to get their price.

We also ate at a Nepalese restaurant here and found the food to be tasty and similar to Indian food.

5. Shigatse

Shigatse is Tibet’s second largest city. Tashilhunpo Monastery is in Shigatse and houses many statues of Buddhas and spirit towers. Spirit towers act as shrines and tombs for past lamas.

The monastery is traditionally the seat of the Panchen Lama who would rule over “back Tibet” or the western part of Tibet.

While at the monastery, we were lucky to get a rare glimpse of monks practicing a traditional spiritual dance. The dance is done to music from several long bugle-like horns.

6. Glaciers

During our many long drives around Tibet, we were able to see some spectacular scenery. Because we traveled through many mountainous areas, we were able to see many glaciers. Some even spanned several mountain tops.

One amazing glacier was at Milha mountain, where we stopped for a short break during one of our long rides. We were able to see the glacier up close. The place also must have been a very spiritual area given all the prayer flags.

I was surprised that even in a remote location, like near a glacier in a mountain pass, there would be beggars asking for money. The area must be well known for tourists stopping to take photos of the glacier. In any case, it helped that I had been carrying a bag of candy.

Whenever a child or elderly person approached, I simply handed out a piece of candy to each of them. Usually, they were happy to get something and went on their way. Always remember to hand out the pieces yourself. I made the mistake once of opening the bag and letting the kids pick a piece, only to have one boy nearly grab it all.

7. Gyantse

When we drove into Gyantse, something looked familiar. Along a mountain range that cuts through the city is a wall that slightly resembles the Great Wall.

Then, at the top of the mountain is a palace that seemed like a smaller version of Potala Palace. We didn’t get a chance to climb up to the palace, but instead visited the Pelkor Chode Monastery. Then we visited the Gyantse Kumbum Stupa, which is a six level tower with a golden dome on top.

The tower contains many rooms with old paintings. The name Kumbum means “100,000 images.” The view of the city from the very top floor is very impressive and above the doorway at the top is a painting of Buddha’s eyes. These eyes are symbolic and represent wisdom of Buddha.

8. Baji Cypress Reserve

One part of the tour took us to the southeast part of Tibet, known as the Nyingchi area. The landscape is much different from the rest of Tibet.

This area is lower in elevation and therefore is very green and full of trees. The Baji Cypress Reserve is a park that houses many 2000-plus year old trees with the oldest one about 2600 years old.

The trees are enormous, with trunks that are the size of houses. It reminded me of the giant sequoias in Yosemite except the trees here in Baji are cypress trees. Tibetans come to worship the trees, and there are many “hadas” (white silk sashes) that were hung in the tree branches. Apparently, the way to get them up there is to tie a rock to the hada and then toss it up into the branches.

9. Lakes and Rivers

Throughout the tour of Tibet, we’ve been amazed by the beauty and pureness of the lakes and rivers.

We visited Basomtso Lake in the Nyingchi area which had a beautiful blue-green hue. The lake has an island that has a temple built on it. Two bridges connect the banks of the lake to the island.

Another lake we visited was Yamdroktso Lake, which we passed after visiting Gyantse. The lake was equally beautiful, and some of the views of the lake from the hills made for great photos. The rivers of Tibet were also beautiful and many were rapidly flowing white water rivers such as Liyang river which we drove alongside on our way to the Nyingchi area.

10. People

One of the amazing things about the Tibetan people is how spiritual they are.

Every morning, hundreds of people will rise early to do the walk around Potala palace.

On the seven-hour drive back to Lhasa from the Nyingchi area we passed a family on a pilgrimage to Lhasa. It was a family of three, with one male pulling a cart with the family’s camping supplies.

The other two were performing the six-point prayer,where you start with hands together at your chest then move the hands to your head, back to the chest, kneel down, place hands on ground, extend body flat while lying face down, back to kneeling position and then stand up. One step is then taken and then prayer is repeated. Imagine how long it would take to reach Lhasa at that rate!

We had a great time in Tibet and saw so many beautiful and interesting things. The trip, however, was not without hardship. Luckily we were prepared for the altitude sickness, the cold evenings and minor inconveniences in this wild frontier. Although we had experienced Tibetan culture from our travels through Qinhai and western Sichuan, I definitely believe that visiting Tibet was well worth it.

Author: Greg Han – China hotels

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greg_Han

They do? I feel I have prepared well for our hitch-hiking trip by packing winter clothes and by reading the section on Tibet in my road map book of China: “Avoid discussing politics, religion and other sensitive subjects. Bring sunglasses and -cream.” Besides, pick a location, pack and go has always been our travelling style.

But yes, I can see now that it’s certainly going to take more than two days two get from Lhasa to Kunming overland, and that we should have believed the German guy with the frost-bitten lips who’d just driven from Shanghai to Lhasa on a motorbike. He said hitch-hiking in Tibet was impossible and the roads very, very bad: Snowy, rock-strewn and treacherous. This man, we decide in our insane optimism based on the road map, must be lying. .

For political reasons I’ve always been reluctant to go to Tibet, but when I start seeing photos from the new train thundering across the grasslands of Qinghai and northern Tibet, I cave in.
Of course those pictures were taken in summer or early autumn, not in April. In April it’s pretty much: Can’t see a thing because of blizzards.
On the train we meet a Chinese cook eager to educate us about Tibetan history, and learn that before the Chinese liberated Tibet, Lhasa was just a swamp. Also: Potala Palace was built by a Chinese king.

Ah, yes, the Potala Palace, object of a hundred documentaries and scourge of Michael Palin. As usual with world famous monuments it looks much smaller than in the pictures and, it turns out, isn’t the real tourist attraction in liberated Lhasa.

No, what all the red baseball cap-wearing hordes with their shrieking guides have come to see is in fact Potala Square; a veritable Tiananmen in miniature and home of a gigantic phallic monument celebrating the everlasting friendship between Tibetans and Chinese. Around it stand statues of rifle-thrusting workers and peasants, all staring grimly and with much clenching of eyebrows at the Chinese flag in the middle of the square.

In the morning, thousands of Tibetans shuffle round and round Potala Palace in prayer, many prostrating themselves for hours in front of the holy site. In their Tibetan garb and long braids intertwined with red cloth they look startlingly out of place as they lie face down on the wide, Parisian boulevard-style pavement while Han Chinese sporting the latest fashions saunter forth. Shiny cars with black windows zip by on the four-lane highway dominating the square, built to celebrate twenty years of successful liberation.

When the new Qinghai – Lhasa railway was built, many people were concerned about increased masses of mainland and foreign tourists further destroying the Tibetan culture. These people should worry no more – there’s not much left to destroy. At least not architectonically. Apart from some traditional buildings and piss-stinking old winding streets around another site for much prostrating, the Jokhang Temple, Lhasa looks like any Chinese city with green glass-tiled monster houses, badly built apartment blocks and total absence of connection with the past. It seems to be Han Chinese running most businesses. We ask ten or 12 shop keepers how to say “hello” in Tibetan, but nobody knows.

When we discover by leafing through a bunch of old postcards that Potala Palace used to be mirrored by a large, smiling lake lined with weeping willows and traditional Tibetan houses, it all gets too depressing, and in a hurling blizzard we start our hitch-hiking trip back to Hong Kong. The driver is a man we met in a bar the night before and he is a professional. Effortlessly he thunders down the road at 140 km/h in the grey weather while wearing sunglasses, talking on his mobile and watching a movie on the little TV monitor thoughtfully placed on the inside of the windshield.

I have to say I feel some pangs of nervousness several times on that journey as we hurtle through the yak-dotted scenery, and have to laugh in retrospect. Nervous – nothing! That road was paved, and wider than the car! But it is certainly a cause for concern that after an eight hour drive we are just a few millimeters out of Lhasa, according to the map.

The next morning we are immediately picked up, by an official in charge of bringing Guangdong technology to the hinterland. To accommodate him and other investors, a spanking new city, Zhilin, has been plonked down, last week it seems, in the middle of the mountains. I suppose “downtown Shenzhen” doesn’t look more incongruous among these towering snowy ranges than “Tiananmen Square, Shenzhen” does in the middle of Lhasa.

The kind official doesn’t really get our explanation about hitch hiking in Tibet but with unfailing Chinese hospitality he drives us to the next village, immediately turning back the way we’ve come. We catch another lift with some Tibetans who also turn back after dropping us – and that’s the end of private cars in Tibet. We have no choice but to start walking… and continue walking. Not only aren’t there any private cars; there are no vehicles at all.

According to our plans we should be making the descent into Kunming by now; instead here we are with a bottle of water between us, three hours’ walk from the nearest town. Adventurous! We are very happy to pay the next driver 100 yuan each to take us across the next mountain range, scarily high and covered in snow. From then on we realise we are basically travelling across Tibet by taxi.

The road soon becomes a narrow gravelly track hacked out of the vertical mountain face. One centimeter too far to the right and we will plunge scenically into the gully several hundred meters below. Far above there’s a movement, a furious flapping of wings: Vultures. A sky burial! The map book warns against unauthorised visits to these too. But when we pass the feather-flying spot on our way up and forever up, we see they are only feasting on a dead yak.

Our driver on this, what turns out to be a 17 hour, non-stop drive, has just popped out in the morning to get some fags when we shanghai him. He is wearing slippers and a thin jacket. That’s why Lee and I with our superior footwear and clothes have to get out again and again to push the car out of snowdrifts every time it gets stuck, which is often.
When it starts getting dark and we’re pushing the car, waterless and foodless, across yet another endless expanse of snow, we start thinking that distrusting the words of Germans isn’t always a good idea. And neither is trusting the words of certain locals: The next town turns out to have no cash point although everybody said it does. After paying the driver and the hotel we thus have 100 yuan for the journey to Kunming, still well over two days away.

This is what real adventure is all about. Not your boring, predictable “Hitch-hiking through Tibet in a couple of days” but real, concrete fear of death, first from plunging, then from exposure and finally from starvation.

Back in Hong Kong I now have a Zen-like indifference to the minor irritations in life such as being burgled and being told I will soon lose my house. What’s that compared to tumbling down a ravine, broke and really, really hungry?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cecilie_Gamst_Berg

In 1992, Brandon and his wife Cheryl travelled 40 days from early October to the end of November in 1992 over 1000 kilometers travelling along the ancient pilgrimage route across Tibet. Evidently, they were one of the first Western couples to trek this ancient route alongside, by the way, a horse they named Sadhu.

Good day Brandon and thank you for accepting our invitation to be interviewed.

Norm: Brandon, could you tell our readers something about yourself and your wife Cheryl, and why did you want to trek across Tibet and did you ever had any fears prior to your journey?

Brandon: Tashi delek, Norm! We had been travelling for years as budget travelers, traveling light, with only a backpack to sustain us for months on end. In the process, we’d made our requisite trip around the world for a year and had seen many of civilization’s greatest achievements. We’d also traveled overland across Africa for nine months (which is the subject of my book to be released in 2005, Dead Men Don’t Leave Tips.) So, we were ready for a more intense experience something more in line with that of the great explorers.

Our decision to attempt to trek from Lhasa, Tibet to Kathmandu, Nepal sprung from the notion that this was the ultimate adventure. Everyone grew up with the legend of a Shangri-La, that fanciful place from James Hilton’s Lost Horizon. The more that I read about Tibet, the more I was fascinated by its remoteness, inaccessibility, and its exotic reputation.

Then, as luck would have it, we were told several times that this trek had never been done by a Western couple and that it was “impossible!” That ultimately sealed our fate.

As far as “fears” prior to the journey, first, I had real concerns that we wouldn’t be allowed into Tibet as independent travelers, since the border had been closed to them for many years. A Chinese organized group tour was simply out of the question for us.

Then, although we were assured the trip was “impossible” due to lack of food, water, accommodations, and maps, personally I was more worried about the weather. Knowing the severity of weather conditions in the Himalayas, would we be able to reach the lower altitudes of Nepal in time before the roads closed, stranding us until May’s thaw?

Finally, I must admit that I was also wary about the reaction of Uzi-toting Chinese soldiers along the way, as well as the various cadres of bureaucrats unused to dealing with outsiders. Guess I’d prefer to deal with nature any day, rather than the vagaries of human nature.

Norm: What were the most harrowing experiences you encountered during your journey?

Brandon: It’s a toss-up. This entire journey was chock-full of uncertainty. The spectre of running out of food and water was a daily concern. Where would we stay? Would our bodies be able to physically able to make 1000 kilometers at 12-17,000 foot altitude for 40 days?

But I’d have to say that the most singularly harrowing experience we had was being shot at by Chinese soldiers as we overlooked Mt. Everest from a hilltop in Tingri. What do you do?

As second runner-up, I’d nominate that morning where we awoke to a blinding blizzard and realized that we still needed to press on.

Norm: What impressed you most of all about the trip?

Brandon: First, we were impressed by the unexpected generosity of the Tibetan people. Originally we packed a tent, stove and fuel for the trek, expecting to be totally on our own along the way. However, after our first night spent camping in a potato patch, we were taken-in by local villagers who shared their meager possessions, including yak butter tea and a warm spot around their fire. We really grew to look forward to these human exchanges, even though we had to rely on clumsy sign-language and a limited phrasebook to communicate. Fortunately, we started to run into former monks who’d received training in Nepal and still spoke limited English.

Through talking to them, we became better informed about the hardships of living in Tibet today under the Chinese Communist occupation. We learned that Tibetans are prevented from making pilgrimages along the same route that we trekked into Nepal, as they’ve done for centuries.

So the trip for us became more than just an “adventure” trek. It became a political statement. If we could make their trek as pilgrims, we’d show to the Chinese that it could be done, even by Westerners, without disrupting the geo-political balance of power.

In fact, on the trek’s conclusion, we presented a set of prayer flags to the king of Nepal’s personal representative at the palace with the hope that the king would fly them as a symbol of solidarity with the Tibetan Buddhists.

Finally, we were impressed by the unwavering faith shown by many of the Tibetans. At night, in the dark stillness of their homes, we shared photos of His Holiness the Dalai Lama with them that we had secreted into the country. Gingerly holding the photo, they touched it to the foreheads of the members of their family, blessing them. Then drawing back several layers of curtains, they reverently placed it in their private altar beside other statues and holy instruments.

After over 40 years of oppression and death, could we still be so patient or retain so much faith?

Norm: If you had to do it all over again in 2004, would you still jump at the opportunity? As a follow up, would you advise anyone else to follow in your footsteps and what are the possible dangers they may encounter today?

Brandon: Frankly, no. This trek is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. From what I’ve read since then, and I receive Tibetan news every day now, the country has vastly changed especially Lhasa. As inundated as it was then with Chinese settlers, solders and foreign culture, it is even more so today. Now, they’re in the process of completing a railroad line into Lhasa from western China, so the transformation will be accelerating, the assimilation complete. The world saw the same effect in Inner Mongolia and Manchuria with the arrival of the railroad.

With that said, I’d love to return, perhaps to the more remote Mustang region this time, far removed from the propaganda tours. Of course this is assuming I would be granted a visa. Writing this book has certainly made that possibility more remote&

However, I would advise readers to explore any part of the world that interests them by walking. There is nothing so satisfying as discovering a culture one-step-at-a-time. This is a traditional way of exploration which creates total immersion in a culture: its food, history, art, architecture, people, language and nature. I like to think of it as a walking meditation, too. You place your body on “auto-pilot” and travel outside, while traveling within.

If readers are interested in this rewarding mode of travel, they can check out several options on my WEB SITE where I have free “how-to” articles about walking some of Europe’s most spectacular pilgrimage routes, along with web links for more information.

Walking across Tibet was the beginning of this, my latest passion.

Norm: How would you describe the relationship with your wife after the trip? Reading the book, I noticed there were some tense moments between you both during the adventure.

Brandon: I really admire Cheryl’s courage and willingness to take a chance. Traveling with daily hardship, uncertainty, and often life-threatening situations, will put any relationship to the test. Fortunately ours survived and this experience provided an even stronger foundation. If we could survive that, why, we could survive anything.

Norm: Did you keep a daily journal while you were travelling?

Brandon: Of course. It was sometimes hard to find the energy or time at the end of one of these 14-hours days to sit down and write. But I wanted this account of our journey to be real, raw, and authenticnot some romanticized notion of adventure travel. To capture that essence (while the blisters were still fresh) was vital. Time heals all wounds, as they say, and if you wait to write about it all later you lose much of the minutiae of the moment until it becomes merely a Disney version of your memorywithout the dancing hippos, of course.

Norm: After you returned home, did you write any magazine articles about your adventure or did you lecture anywhere about it?

Brandon: I wrote magazine and newspaper articles about the experience, and would have liked to lecture about the journey and situation in Tibet. Living in Hawaii, there’s always a logistical problem and cost of traveling outside the islands.

Now that the book is published, if there’s great enough interest throughout North America, I would welcome the chance to talk to groups about this life-changing experience and about the Tibet we grew to appreciate.

Norm: Why did you choose the title Yak Butter Blues for your book?

Brandon: Well, as a global citizen, I was so disturbed by seeing the destruction of this ancient culture; the dismantling of temples, the corruption of monastic life; the re-education of a population where the children are prevented from learning Tibetan in schools; the removal of Tibetan food and clothing from the stores, plus the mass settlement of Han Chinese into Tibet causing Tibetans to become a minority in their country.

It is reaching the point where yak butter tea, that nourishing food that has traditionally fed and sustained a people throughout the centuries will soon be all that remains of an enlightened culture, while all the world looks away. These are the “Yak Butter Blues.”

(Besides, I liked the kind of Kerouac-ian ring to it!)

Norm: Did you ever hear any news about your horse Sadhu you left behind?

Brandon: The Internet is an amazing tool. Although we wrote to his new owner, the fellow who ran the Kathmandu guesthouse, shortly after our return home, we never heard back from him. Just recently, I “Googled” the hostel and was able to reach his brother.

Sadly, Sadhu, our old friend, passed away a couple of years ago at a very ripe old age. He spent his last years in a luxury resort, but will always be remembered by us as the only Tibetan we could bring to freedom.

Norm: Have you kept in contact with anyone you may have met during your trip?

Brandon: Unfortunately not. We sent copies of some of the photos we took along the journey to families we’d met, as our way of thanking them. That’s all.

Norm: How long did it take you to write the book?

Brandon: The first draft of the book was written in a few months. After that, it was revised through several drafts. Then I added the most current news on Tibet I could find, sorted through photos, and incorporated some of the simple truths which were initially planted in the mountains of Tibet and blossomed along more recent pilgrimage treks.

Norm: How are you going to market the book?

Brandon: Ah, the ultimate question! I consider this, in many ways, an extention of the journey. Perhaps, in retrospect, it is just as difficult with over 100,000 books released each year.

We’re reaching out to supporters of a free Tibet, colleges and universities, libraries, adventure travelers, trekking and outdoor organizations, newspapers, international adventure magazines, Buddhist and dharma groups, Indians & Nepalese, and independent bookstores to help get the word out. Much of this has been started and we use the Internet a lot to let people know about our web site.

The national reviews so far have been excellent and I’m awaiting others from abroad. Yak Butter Blues is currently listed on Internet bookseller sites from Europe to North America to Japan and Australia/New Zealand.

I’m also writing and sending articles to related sites and creating links, especially to the vast, displaced Tibetan community, as it is their story as much as our own.

Since book promotion these days ultimately rests with the author, I’m participating in book signings and interviews to further develop interest. As I said, if I find there’s a great enough interest in presentations, I might be tempted to put together some sort of North American tour. Whatja think?

Finally, after all those small moments along the trail where we felt like we owed our survival to some mysterious force, we have learned to “have faith,” to trust that we were meant to have this journey and that I was meant to write this book.

I can only trust that once again we will be blessed and that our audience will find us along life’s trail.

Meanwhile, if readers would like a first-hand look at our journey, complete with a sample chapter, maps, photos, Tibetan music and Tibet/Trekking/Peace links, please drop into my WEB SITE. Then take a moment to sign our guest book, email me, tell your friends, or post a review at Amazon.com. Namaste!

Thanks Brandon and I wish you good luck in all of your future endeavours. _________________________________________________________________

Norm Goldman is editor of bookpleasures.com and sketchandtravel.com. Norm is also a regular contributor to many book reviewing sites and travel sites.

Norm and his artist wife, Lily are a unique couple in that they meld words with art focusing on romantic and wedding destinations. You can learn more about them from their site http://www.sketchandtravel.com.

Norm and Lily are always open to receive invitations to write and paint about romantic destinations in the New England states, New York state and Florida.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Norm_Goldman

Tibet is also known as the ‘Roof of the world’ as even the lower areas of Tibet are higher than mountain peaks in other regions of the world. Himalayas in Tibet is the source of some of the biggest snow fed rivers of the world. Yangtze, Indus, Ganges, Salween and Yellow river are some of the rivers which originate from Tibet Himalayas.

Himalayas in Tibet has got attractive landscape. It is home to the world’s highest glaciers which are found on the Northern slope of Himalayas and still remain unexplored by human being.

Climate of Tibet Himalayas

Himalayas in Tibet has the harsh climate. In summers it remains cool but in the winter season it becomes freezingly cold. The period of summers is very short and winters start from the month of October. The months of July and August are best to visit Tibet.

Flora and Fauna of Tibet Himalayas

Himalayas in Tibet are a habitat to various species of flora and fauna. The region boasts of around 790 species of vertebrates, 2000 species of plants, around 1000 herbal plants and 488 species of birds, 125 species of rare animal species and more than 2000 kinds of insects.

Bear, leopard, wild sheep, wild deer, Bengal tiger, wild yak, snub nosed monkey and wild ass are some of the species which are found in the forests of Tibet Himalayas.

Attractions in Himalayan region of Tibet

There are a number of tourist attraction destinations in Tibet. The plateau is a home to a number of beautifully decorated Buddhist monasteries, snow fed streams, lakes and hilly terrains.

Lhasa

Lhasa is the capital city of Tibet, located in the Central Southern part. It is also nicknamed as ‘Sunlight City’ and is situated at an elevation of 3,658 m above sea level. A number of Buddhist monuments can be seen in the capital city which was once the home of His Holiness Dalai Lama before exile. Lhasa is flocked by the nature lovers from different parts of the world to catch the glimpses of nature’s magnificent creation and to know about the Buddhist culture of the region.

Mount Kailash

Mount Kailash is the holy pilgrimage of Hindus and is known by the name of Khang Rinpoche. It is located in Tibet Himalayas in Western part of the country. Every year a large number of Hindu pilgrims from India visit Mount Kailash, which they consider as abode of Lord Shiva. With an altitude of 6.675 meters above sea level, Mount Kailash has remained a place of pilgrim from the past hundred of years. The beautiful Mansarovar lake is also located in Mount Kailash, which is also considered holy by both Buddhists and Hindus.

Shigatse or Xigatse

Shigatse is one of the major towns of Tibet Himalayas located in South-West at an altitude of 12,600 feet, where Yarlung Tsangpo river is joined by Nyangchu River. It is the main centre for distribution of animal husbandry and agriculture products. It is also famous because of the location of one of the age old beautiful Buddhist monasteries. One can purchase Tibetan handicrafts, corals, turquoise, daggers, Yak butter and Chinese porcelain from the local market.

Zhangmu

With an altitude of 7,000 feet above sea level, Zhangmu is also known as Khasa by local Tibetans. The hilly terrains of Zhangmu are heavily wooded by different species of high altitude trees and a number of gushing waterfalls make this Himalayan region in Tibet one of the most enchanting places to visit. It witnesses heavy snowfall in the months of winter.

For more information on Himalayas and Tibettan Culture visit: http://www.travel-himalayas.com/ and http://www.ladakh-kashmir.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sanjeev_Verma

The Tibetan Buddhism is the distinguished form of Vajrayan and finds similarity with the Shingon Buddhist tradition practiced in Japan with distinctive ceremonial rituals and sacred gestures and words. The capital city Lhasa is considered to be the most sacred city of Tibet. The Potala Palace in Lhasa has traditionally been the seat of secretarial and political power administered and executed by the His Holiness Dalai Lamas and his regents till its occupation by the People’s Republic of China in 1959. Currently Tibet has been accorded the status of an autonomous region within the fold of China mainland.

In 1624 Portuguese were the first among foreigners to have come to Tibet and built a church. They were most welcome until the mass influx of the Jesuits in the region causing the wrath of the otherwise peaceful lamas and were expelled by mid-18th century. Potato crop was introduced in Tibet by George Boggle, a Scottish man who came to the Shigatse region to explore possibilities of trade with the British owned East India Company. Shigatse is the second largest city and is situated west of Lhasa. Tibet from mid eighteenth century to mid nineteenth century was wrapped amid expansionist tendencies of the British in India and tsars in Russia. This made the government authorities of Tibet to shut its doors to all foreigners by 1855. Surveyor spies such as Nain Singh backed by the British Government in India clandestinely mapped the altitude, longitude and latitude of the Lhasa city and traced the route of the mighty river Tsangpo which enters the Indian mainland as River Brahmaputra.

Places of interest in Tibet include the historical monasteries such as the great Ramoche and Jokhang Temples. The Potala Palace has rightly been assigned a place of honor amongst the list of World Heritage Sites for its grandeur; splendor and magnificent architecture build on the lines of the traditional Buddhist art. Norbulingka is the summer abode of the much revered Dalai Lama is a delight to the eyes.

The colorful thangka paintings and mandalams, The Buddhist wheel with two dragons in fury mirror the meaningful Buddhist approach. It can vividly be seen infused in the architecture of the land. Chanting of the religious mantras in Tibetan or Sanskrit is well integrated into the spiritual way of living that religion inspires to the Tibetans. The air of Tibet has a tone of magic and mystique in it and is currently blending with the winds of modernization.

The Central government in China has done much to push the tourism sector in Tibet by way of infusing in much development. Qinghai-Tibet Railway which is the highest located rail line in the world connects Tibet with the eastern provinces of China and has become functional since July 2006. The serpentine passage of the train amidst the majestic mountains laden with awe-inspiring pictorial panorama and rejoicing of ones spirit in the reverberence of the cool, mystical air is a journey worth remembering for long times to come.

Traditional items of the Tibetan origin primarily the handicrafts such as the typical colorful Tibetan Buddhist murals, paintings, rugs, carpets, quilts, jewellary, fabrics, wooden items, precious stones, hats are very much in demand from the tourists generating returns in terms of the much desired foreign currency. Other items of tourists’ interest include the copper teapots, rosaries, turquoise, precious and semi-precious gems, Buddha figures, masks and costumes. The incoming of the tourism has brought about economic and social revaluation in the otherwise hard-up Tibet. However many view these progressive efforts as the killer of the religious culture distinctive of Tibetan culture. Tourists can avail the services of the experienced local tour operators to take them for the trek in the mesmerizing wilderness and lush greens in the deep interiors of the forest.

Rosy Vohra works for online books India

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