| |
|
|
| To Zhada, Tibet, China |
 |
Week 129 September 18th 2013 |
| |
|
|
 |
|
A bit of up and over from our roadside campsite.
We are now headed a bit east.
Then a bit south.
And so on.
Tibet is bordered by the Kunlun Mountains to the north and the Himalayas to
the south.
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
A strange (to us) place to put an airport.
44km from town. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Sometimes the rivers flow on the surface.
Other times below ground.
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Another little bit of up and over, around a bluff. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Look.
No wires.
And significantly, no high fence around it.
How odd in a "sensitive area".
But whereas we camped beside comms towers with fences in some other
countries we wouldn't consider it here.
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Stones like these were regular along the side of the road.
Best we could come up with was that they were the local equivalent of
cats' eyes. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
And up again.
Our average height seems to be above 4,500m.
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
We've turned south west. To Zhadar.
Surely there must be something worth mining in all this colour. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
But too hard to try and figure it all out without some
analysis equipment. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Salt. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
And yet more colours. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Plus some more. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
And even some high level sheep.
About 5,000m. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Either Kamel or Nanda Devi is in the Himalayas, in Western
Nepal. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Part of the line of peaks in the far distance. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
And between us and the mountains is an earth forest.
Clay. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Honest, it really is between us and the mountains. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
And we have to drive through it. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Deeper and deeper. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
And deeper. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Until we reach Zhadar.
For food, registration, and a look at the solar kettles on the main
street. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Thence to the Guge Kingdom.
A 10th century origin formerly walled city.
We are at the top. A steady breathtaking (as in out of breath) climb.
The doorway leads down steps cut inside the clay. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Founded by a great grandson of the last monarch of the
Tibetan Empire. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
The first Guge King split the lands between three sons,
one of whom ruled Ladakh, another Puran (to the east). |
| |
|
|
 |
|
A Jesuit Minister arrived in 1624.
The land was wetter then than now.
He was allowed to establish a church. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Which was possibly the beginning of the end as some
dissidents invited Ladakh to invade. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
The fifth Dalai Lama, based in Lhasa and leading the
Central Tibet Government, conquered the remnants of Guge in 1679-80. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
There are three temples preserved on the site.
All contain Buddhist frescoes.
One was closed. Two didn't allow photos.
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
We decided to drive back through the earth forest, as the
sun lowered, and camp higher up, with a view. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Photos are always better with a low sun. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Aren't they? |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Camped with Rob and Clary again.
A room with a view. |
| |
|
|
| La Ang Cuo, Barga, Tibet, China |
|
Week 129 September 19th - 20th 2013 |
| |
|
|
| Comments | | Home |
|
| Ian & Jan | | Fri, 20 Sep 13 06:02:22 +1000 |
Hi Folks! By any chance did you get a copy of how that 'Solar Kettle' works please? I would like to try and replicate it for Morocco just in case the gas runs out or the inverter packs up! At least then we could make a cup of Tea, or even Berber Whisky!!
FABULOUS Pictures again, you are certainly having a superb time now, while we sit here in the rain getting very jealous! |
|
| Peter | | Fri, 20 Sep 13 09:59:44 +1000 |
| Great Trip Julian, but so remote, Great pictures, I like the Sola Kettle also, great invention perhaps they could use this idea elsewhere. |
|
