So I was a little hesitant when my new friends suggested we venture even further off the beaten path to spend a night at a rural Tibetan village near the town of Danba. The village was a 6 hour bus trip off the tourist path through bumpy, narrow, mountainous paths. There would be no proper hotels, we would have to bargain for accommodation at the home of a local Tibetan family. There would certainly be no internet connection. The bathroom would almost assuredly be an unspeakable horror.
Danba is small mountain town located at the base of a gorge along the Dadu River. 7km further up the mountain path, there is village called Jiaju Zangzhai where about 150 Tibetan families call home. After an uncomfortable 6 hour drive, the distinctive stone houses of the village set against the picturesque mountain landscape were a welcome sight to behold.
Our "hotel" would be a makeshift guesthouse with 5 beds crammed into one room. The "bathroom" would be a dimly lit shack outside.
We asked our porter, a 6 year old Tibetan boy, about the local recreational activities in Jiaju Zangzhai. He told us that he could take us to a nearby mountain, at the top of which were lots and lots of flags. Seeing as though we didn't have HBO in our room, we decided to go along for the hike.
He took us on a winding path through streams and hills and past a number of cows, goats, insects, and rather large snake. We arrived at a small shrine perched atop a hilltop adorned with Tibetan prayer flags.
After the hike, we went back to the village for a homecooked meal and I practiced my Mandarin with the locals (though their native tongue is actually one of a number of Tibetan dialects) until sundown. After nightfall, the stars were as bright and clear as I have ever seen.
When the next day rolled around and we were on board the bus out of town, it scarcely occurred to me that I hadn't been able to check yesterday's stock prices or emails.
No comments:
Post a Comment