Outside Ganzi

Outside Ganzi

I woke up early that morning, to benefit the beautiful morning light, and started walking, past the bridge, in the fields outside Ganzi.

After a few hours of walking i started to realize that i hadn't had any breakfast and i was now starving and quite far away from the village. (who said "stupid tourist"?)

Yet moutains are like this; you can't go back until you go see what's behind that next hill!
So i did.. "last one" i thought, "and then i return".

Behind the next hill was a smaller village, where i met this woman working in a field.. closeby, her baby kid came running.
Her older son was very excited to meet a foreigner and he insisted to show me his house. I couldn't dream of a better treatment. He offered me my first tibetan breakfast, "tsampi" (or something like that, if i remember): wheat flour mixed with tea and yack butter. He also added some delicious yack whipped cream that his mother had recently made.
I tasted again later in a different condition and it's quite bitter, but that day, it was truly delicious!.. and nutritious too. I didn't have to return anymore and it kept me walking for the rest of the day!

Walking back to the village

Ganzi - the bridge

Leg stretching break on the road to Ganzi

Leaving Sertar..

In the bus, a monk shows me with great respect the photo of his buddhist master.

Sertar 26/07/2006

Sertar 26/07/2006

Sertar 26/07/2006

Sertar 26/07/2006

Sertar - 26/07/2006

Sertar - 26/07/2006

I'm so far behind now, i thought i should remind the actual dates these photos were taken.

Tibetan youth in Sertar..

nearing Maerkang..

Maerkang

Like in most of western China, the contrast between the modern chinese settlers towns and the traditional, culturaly tibetan, nearby villages is striking..

Maerkang is as ugly and unwelcoming as the area and nearing villages are beautiful.

Maerkang

Birthday cakes?

These traditional houses are typical of the region of Maerkang.. the white "icing" and cutout terrace make them look like giant birthday cakes with one slice already gone!

Tibetan roads...

We're not in official tibet yet.. but getting closer..
I was only starting to experience the mountain roads; every now and then we had to get off the bus and walk a bit, so the lighter empty bus could manage accross mud..

At the retaurant

Jamming

Over the valley

Cyber monks

Langmusi

Langmusi

Langmusi nomads

I was hiking in the valley near Langmusi when i met this family of sheperds. They instantly welcomed me into their tent and offered tea. I have no clue how we managed to communicate but we did somehow. They had a small guitar-like instrument so i tried to play something. Then i asked if i could take some photos.
They lived there, two brothers (i guess) and their wives, and a kid, in these tiny tents, with no floor, sleeping on mats laid directly on the humid ground. I felt cold.
The moment was magic.. they were so nice i didn't want to leave. But soon the difficulties of communication made it awkward for me to stay any longer.
They wanted me to send them the photos but they couldn't write their address and neither could I..

Langmusi