Big day on my feet

I had a bad night sleep due to altitude last night; the half sleeping pill I took didn’t help much. Max recommended that I wake around 0800 because they start breakfast around 0830. It’s too cold to get going before that.

I set off around 0930 up to the viewpoint, then headed to the big monastery about 2h away. There was still frost on the ground where the sunlight hadn’t yet struck. After following the fence from the viewpoint and crossing the bridge, I walked through the grassland to get there.

I explored the monastery briefly. It was a modern building and there wasn’t much activity. I wandered into the empty prayer hall.

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As I had been told the Gyargo Anni Gompa nunnery nearby was more interesting, I made that my next destination.

It was downhill then up to the entire village which appeared to be home to countless nuns. I asked here I could get some lunch (as other had suggested to me). They all pointed uphill, unfortunately, so I headed that way. Then I realised there was a lot more to the village.

I went past the main prayer hall, a row of huts where slate inscriptions were being carved, and buildings big and small. Asking about lunch again, I was directed to a couple of tents from Chinese aid organisations.

Asking for momo, I was shown some white flat bread (resembling the super-hard ones in Xian which is broken into lamb soup). Something didn’t quite make sense, so I opted for the thukpa.

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I had had enough of walking and had to allow for the same time/distance back. Leaving the nunnery village I saw large birds circling beyond the village. I had been told that sky burial is still being practiced here but not commonly; that’s the Tibetan practice of cutting up the dead to feed the vultures.

Going uphill towards the grasslands, motorised transport would have been useful. Of course, now that I wanted it, no one stopped to ask. So I crossed into the grassland back to Tagong.

I kept looking back at the scenery of the mountains behind me and of the big monastery. It’s a much brighter day than yesterday. It was so quiet I could hear the bird above me flapping its wings. It was a slightly faster journey back with 2h walking time. I got back at 1530, a total of 6h walking less 20 mins for lunch.

During my walks in town today, I noticed a couple of people washing their hair in basins on the street, in the warmth of the sun.  Houses (including our guesthouse) are unheated and I think some people don’t have decent bathrooms.

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Before sunset, Max took two Swiss guests who were civil engineers (Jeremy & Mathias) to see his new project. Jeremy’s wife Benedicta was sick. This was the completion of half-built hotel within the golden temple. There was plenty of potential and Max had the idea of having a raised platform adjoining the outer wall so that diners can enjoy the view of the mountain range.

The two engineers gave plenty of advice and identified some risks for Max. In particular, the uncertainty of water supply from underground and the risk of water supply pipes/pumps freezing over during winter.

I chatted with them over dinner as we’d be travelling together tomorrow to Kangding and thereafter to Chengdu. It was another night of bad sleep in altitude.

Incidentally, the fingerprint reader on my newish phone had become really unreliable these few days.  I wonder if the altitude or rather the cold dry weather means that my fingerprints are less sweaty and less readable.  Or perhaps the dryness means the skin flakes off more and the impression is less like the one originally captured.