Northern U Province, Tibet
Travelogue entry from September 25-30, 2003
We just got back from our 6 day trip through the northern part of U Province in Tibet. This is the same province that Lhasa is found in and consequently does not require a permit to visit, unlike the rest of Tibet.
We met our driver and his white 1991 Landcruiser in the courtyard of our hotel. There were five of us and Lopsa, our driver. He is a good man. At times he drove shockingly slow, but his sense of humor and buddhist faith made up for the lack of speed. Each drive started with the blessing of a few grains of rice which were then tossed across the dashboard. The next 30 minutes would then be filled with the low and rapid recitation of mantras. One time we gave a lift to a nun for a few kilometers, and the droning mantras of the two of them silenced the rest of us in the car.
Getting out of Lhasa made us see how very poor Tibet is. The Chinese have built some wonderful new roads and all the kids now get an education, but besides this, little has changed. Nomads still wall their black wool tents with fences of dried bush and horses still seemed to be the most common form of transportation.
We spent our first two nights at the Tidrum nunnery, a small town built around the nunnery in a narrow gorge. Prayer flags are strung across the gorge wherever possible, purifying the air.
