Trivia---3

Pilgrims

Lhasa, Tibet is a mecca for Buddhist pilgrims. It is a common sight to see them walking the streets twirling a prayer wheel in their right hand and fingering a 108-bead rosary with their left hand while muttering a mantra. At the Jokharg Temple people were prostrating themselves at the temple as well as around the temple square. People paid them no mind. It was also common to see monks clad in their traditional robes all around the city.

A Gorgeous U S Embassy

Canberra, Australia’s capital, is a one company town. The government owns all the land. One exception to land ownership is the ten acres the US embassy sits on. Australia deeded this land to the US for its help in World War II. The Embassy sits on the highest knoll. All of the red brick in the colonial building was imported from the United States. I’ve seen some really ugly embassies around the world. This one is a delight!

Didn’t Understand a Word

In Moscow we were trying to find a store to buy bottled water. We thought we were following the directions given to us, but to no avail. We asked a young man on the street for clarity. He decided to show us and all the way down the street he carried on constant chatter in Russian, none of which we understood. We kept shaking our head and at the end told him thank you. We did find the store and made our purchase, and fondly remember that kind man.

Magnificent Tapestry

In the great hall of the parliament building in Canberra, Australia hangs one of the world’s largest tapestries. Measuring 20 x 9 meters, it weighs 400 kilos, uses 360 colors and took 2 ½ years to complete. From a distance, it appears to be an oil painting. Only on close inspection is it evident that it is truly a tapestry—a really magnificent one!

Bosnia’s Friendship Bridge

The 1556 stone bridge, spanning the Nevetva River replaced the original wooden bridge. Serbs destroyed the bridge during the recent 1990s war. The stone for the replacement bridge came from the same quarry as the original stone.

Croats live on the west side of the river and Muslims on the east side. The city is internationally known for its Old Town Bridge. It is a symbol of reconciliation, cooperation, and coexistence of diverse cultural, religious, and ethnic communities. It was nice to see the bridge replaced looking exactly as the ancient one had.

Warwick Castle

Of all the castles, forts, and palaces I’ve visited Warwick Castle in Warwick, England was one of the loveliest. A few years ago Madam Tussand bought the castle. Her life-like wax figures made the castle come alive. I actually did a double take when I saw the maid drawing her lady’s bath. Her bending over the tub and the running water looked so real.

TIBET

                                                          Lhasa, Tibet

 

      Most of Tibet is too arid and cold to support human life. Geographically the country is about the size of France. The huge plateau has an altitude between 1000-5000 meters (3900-15400’). The Qamdo region in the eastern plateau is at a lower elevation and is drained by the headwaters of the Salween, Mekong, and Yangtze Rivers. The Lhasa area has a greater rainfall than the rest of Tibet, the climate is less severe, and most of the population lives here. Semi-nomadic shepherds who tend herds of sheep, yak, and horses live on the uplands surrounding the valleys. The towering Himalayas, surrounding the Tibetan plateau on three sides, made it an insurmountable obstacle to travelers and invaders.

     The country has existed since the 7^th century as a remote mountain theocracy based on the mystical tenets of Lamaism. Here feudal Lamas, whose spiritual authority was matched by their complete control of internal affairs, ruled the population. Some reigns were benevolent, others were ruthless. After the 9^th century the monasteries became increasingly more political, and in 1641 the Yellow Hats crushed their rivals, the Red Hats. The Yellow Hats adopted the title of Dalai Lama (Ocean of Wisdom).

     The autonomy of the lamas waxed and waned during various Chinese dynasties, with almost complete independence enjoyed during the Republican era, 1912-1949. The revolution brought changes. China invaded Tibet in 1950, and in 1951 military action and pressured negotiation reestablished China’s sovereignty. After years of increasing suppression, a revolt broke out and the Dalai Lama escaped disguised as a scholar walking over the Himalayas to India, where he remains today. Known as the Living Prince of Peace, the Dalai Lama is now elderly.. After 9/11 he called President Bush to express his condolences.

     Widespread persecution of the Tibetan people continued, reaching a peak during the Cultural Revolution. Between 1950-’70, over a million Tibetans were killed, 100,000 were exiled, and most of Tibet’s cultural heritage destroyed. Thousands of monks and nuns were sent to labor camps. Hundreds of ancient monasteries were destroyed. Arbitrary agricultural reforms such as imposed planting of unfamiliar crops, and the collectivization of yak and goat herds undermined traditional Tibetan culture. The population further destabilized when the Chinese government encouraged non-Tibetan Chinese to settle in Tibet. In spite of such hardships the Tibetan culture has continued to thrive under the stewardship of the exiled Dalai Lama, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.     

    Chinese built factories and infrastructure, so don’t understand the Tibetan ingratitude. The Chinese honestly believe that they saved the Tibetans from feudalism and that their continued occupation is a mission of mercy. For a long time the Tibetans saw the situation very differently as they found it hard to forgive the destruction of their monasteries or the assault on their religion and culture.

     One afternoon six of us went to visit the Sera Monastery, an active temple where monks are in training. Founded in 1419, Sera means stone hill. It also is the name of a ‘roseberry bush’. At one time every family sought to send a son to become a monk and the monastery accommodated 5000-6000 monks. But like other religions fewer people are choosing the celibate life. Many monks were persecuted or killed during the revolution. Today there are about 700 monks at the Sera Monastery. Upon entering the temple we saw a monk sitting on the floor printing. He was fast and it was fascinating to watch him. The pages were about 4 X 15 inches and he printed 100 copies of the page before going on to the next page. Pressing prayers onto cloth was the first form of printing.

    As we circled the temple we saw a few pilgrims moving clockwise with their prayer wheels and beads. The really intriguing thing here was the philosophical debates taking place in the shaded courtyard.

    At 3 o’clock a monk on the roof banged a gong to alert everyone that the two-hour debates were about to begin. The monks work in pairs, with the older monk asking a newer one a question. If answered correctly the older monk slapped his hands, palms together. If the answer was wrong he slapped his open palm with the back side of his right hand. If he pulls the prayer beads up his arm to the elbow it means that he will teach the newer monk the correct answer. It was extremely noisy in the courtyard and I wondered how anyone could even hear a question, much less answer it. It was an interesting visit.

    There are 500 million Buddhists in the world who believe that time on earth is temporary. Out of death and destruction comes life. Buddhist art is not self-expressive, each part has a meaning and artists do not sign their work.

    Each morning we opened our drapes and curtains wide to allow the sun to shine through and warm up the room. It was effective. We had clear , warm, sunny days all the time we were in Tibet. It stayed light until after 9:00 PM but did not get light in the morning until 7ish.

   Tibet has an interesting culture. It was a fantastic visit.

You may want to check posts: Jochang Temple 8-25-11, Tibet & Yak 6-13-10, Potala Palace 2-9-14

INTERESTING FLIGHT ARRIVALS

Expect the Unexpected.

Flying into Lhasa, Tibet is not an easy thing to do. Flights in and out of the city are often canceled because of sand storms and or wind shear. You fly through a narrow cut ---I believe a natural one—in the mountains. I’m sure the cut is wider than my perception, but it seemed as if I could have touched the mountain on either side if I’d been sitting on the wing tip.  It is best not to be looking out the window, but then again how can you not?

Flying into Cusco, Peru afforded a fantastic view of the Andes mountains below. The many Inca trails were easily visible, and they seemed to zig zag all over the mountains. From the perspective of an airplane they looked pretty flat, but I was to learn a few days later that  they were anything but! We off loaded the uneventful flight and per usual started to hustle into the terminal. All of a sudden, like a curtain had been dropped in front of us, everyone suddenly slowed to nearly a snail’s pace. One and all was gasping for every breath.

The smart terminal people obviously were used to this common altitude effect, because  as we entered the terminal building we found a small band playing lovely Peruvian music. We stood around while our breathing slowed and waited for our luggage to arrive. The music was a nice distraction!

Arrivals into South America always seem to be in the evening, which means one usually arrives in the dark. In Lima, Peru it was highly recommended that one secure a cab from inside the airport. Although a bit more expensive than securing a cab outside it was deemed safer.

Driving in Lima is like playing chicken. Honking horns was a constant, no one paid any attention to the few traffic lights or stop signs. Thank goodness the cab had good brakes and the driver quick reflexes!

On the edge of the city we drove through barrios where disheveled people, mostly men, were standing on the street corners smoking and drinking. I said a silent prayer for no accident, flat tire or mishap. It was a relief to leave the barrio,  but then we were on a two-lane winding, very dark road that seemed to be following a body of water. There were no lights or buildings. Were we on the right road? Would we be robbed or worse? Maybe left on the road in a country where we did not speak the language?

Suddenly the lights of Miraflores, a Lima suburb, appeared. The neat homes and well kept yards were a welcome site. A sigh of relief escaped my lips when I spotted our hotel. In retrospect it was probably a very pretty ride in daylight, but in total darkness it was scary indeed!