how to be sick in afghanistan.

My first cold/tiredness/being sick of food/lack of fruit/leaving all the pills (I'm not sure which one is the reason, they might be combined) is in progress. Having self-help coded by being raised in Poland (you don't go to doctors there unless you're REALLY sick), I've started popping Vit C pills and sleeping 15 h a day. It's the third day now and I've decided to try the last resort - antibiotics (no need for prescription, blessings on Afghanistan's medicament policy). Cancelled helluvalot classes coz I simply couldn't get up and couldn't picture myself in the classroom bubbling for one hour.
As always in a situation like that, all I want is to go to a warm place where somebody will take care of me (in other words - neverland) or to die.
All the darkest thoughts are being created in this state of mind so I really hope it's just a common cold and it'll go away after another day or two.
The weather doesn't help, as it's been snowing for the last few days (in the mornings/nights only, but still) and it's freaking cold outside. Inside the stoves have been already installed although they are operating only at night or mornings, when the cold is the harshest. For instance, at the moment it's around 3 degrees outside and the night will be -12. The altitude (2800 m) adds to the dryness and cold. So staying in a warm room is not an option, either... 
From the more positive side; the local radio from the center of the province came to Lal come days ago and insisted on an interview with me, and my work here. Firstly, I refused (both, don't want to make this volunteering any big deal, and for safety reasons - don't reveal your identity or location to masses in Afghanistan), but then (being under slight pressure) agreed. The result was a lousy article with false statements (quite common in this field, however it was my first encounter with journalists and I didn't know somebody can lie that much), such as "the Farsi words I know are suicide and explosion (wtf?!)", "I've been in Ghor for 5 months", "I have brown eyes and green eyes" (lol, points for the vision of an eagle).
Above all, they have posted probably the worst photos of all the shooting (thanx!).
I'll post a link to it, although I don't recommend reading :P

Dari:
https://swn.af/Article.aspx?a=51033&fbclid=IwAR1Mp94bmcoPnM1RLpw5T96OfAE5XZDvEY1X3FCPHyixZRVp3hQEa5oiXy4

English:
https://swn.af/english/Article.aspx?a=51040

Don't you ever go there!

   

So, Lal is safe (though some people still feel uneasy after 6-7 pm), but the neighbouring district and the one after that - being the center of the province are a big NO-NO to go. Recently (say, 2 months ago) the is an intense Taliban activity. Fights with the army and checkpoints installed by the terrorists are common. The hook is that the road is the only road leading to the center of the province and also to the next one - Herat (though, a few choose to travel by road there; because of the danger as well as the length of the journey - from Lal it takes 2 days to reach Herat). 

    The district following Lal, called Dawlat Yar is the Taliban hub (according to the locals and this is the trickiest part of the journey to Chaghcharan - the capital of Ghor) and checkpoints are frequent there. The journey by falancoch (Toyota van accommodating about a dozen of passengers)  - the only available form of public transportation takes around 2 hours and another 1.5 h to the provincial capital.      

    It's a dirt road all until reaching the city of Chaghcharan but not as bad as one might expect, so the journey goes pretty smooth. 

Dawlat Yar is nothing but a small village, probably even smaller than Lal. The van doesn't stop there unless some passengers need to be dropped or picked up. 

Some people got got down along the way to a villages hidden between hills. Some people (as usual) happen to be speaking some English (there was even an English teacher from some remote village travelling in the van). 

    Going there was a crazy idea, I KNOW. Going there was potential asking for death or in the best case for big trouble. That's why I didn't tell anybody where I was going. Partially because I didn't want to make people worry and partially for what everyone says - safety reasons (don't inform everybody about your current location or where are you heading). 

    I was one of the 2 women in the car. When I started to put on my chodri/burqa (without covering the face) I was told not to do so until we reach Dawlat Yar (the teacher told me he would let me know when we reach the dangerous area - in the end, he never told me). On the way we saw 2 places of recent land mine explosions. Quite usual thing in the country. 

    In the meantime, I called a friend who had other friends in Ghor (that's how locals call Chaghcharan), and asked for accommodation. That's the beauty of Afghanistan. You can never be homeless. There is always somebody who knows somebody, and in the worst case, you can just stay in some tea house (cheap option) or a hotel. Actually, I was even invited to go to Herat province by the guys sitting in front of me and stay in their house. 10-20 min conversation is enough to become somebody's guest. I quickly found a place to stay (in the end it was 3 options) and got picked up by a friend of a friend while eating lunch with a guy whom I'd just met in the van. 

    Chaghcharan is not the city full of ancient attractions and sites. It's a regular Afghan city with some miserable remains of old fortress and Taliban infested village around the city (as the locals say). Some of the people on the streets must have been Taliban but during the day you can't tell who's who. There is a representative mosque, some statues (one being the small copy of famous Jam Minaret - UNESCO site in Ghor). Other things are just a regular city sites such as street markets, shops, houses, offices behind barbed wire and security checks, etc. 

    Long ago I stopped looking for a "beautiful" tourist attractions in the cities I visit, so the best way for me to spend the day was to walk around the streets, chat and joke (as much as my Dari and body language allowed) with vendors, and attract general attention of the people (in the peak moment there were around 30 people surrounding me, mostly kids who would walk behind and beside me). A few people demanded a photo with me, which I turned into getting a photo for myself (taken by my camera/phone). 

    The thing you want the least in Afghanistan is a crowd around you (if you are a foreigner, that is), so I was told to leave the place as soon as the number of people exceeded the “normal” amount. I also stopped caring about cultural “do’s” and “don’ts” (not the smartest move, I know, but let me be me), so I would stop every now and then and chat with different people (kids, street vendors, police officers), in most cases causing outbursts of laughter (thanks to trying to tell jokes in my Dari; which the people claim is good but I know they just want to flatter me).

   I got some unexpected souvenirs (key chain with an Afghan flag and map; 2 for 30 Afs), a passport cover saying “Passport of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan” (which I swear I will constantly use), tried probably the worst ice cream I’ve had so far in the country, saw a bunch of sheep/goats heads for sale (and tried asking where is the rest of the animal’s body, using my body language), bought a nice pair of winter pajama trousers (after around 20 min of bargaining and provoking another laughs) which I would later loose somewhere (the mystery remains unsolved), went to one of the “no-go” places around the village to see the remains of a “castle” (the place notorious for being a spot of killing somebody in the past, and a current location of hashish smokers and other gatherings), and even there I bumped into somebody who could speak fluent English (after 2.5 years in China I am still astonished by these kind of encounters), met the person responsible for women affairs in the city/district and got to know a lot of nasty stories/details of life of women in Afghanistan, especially in Chaghcharan.

   

Despite the city having not much to offer, my initial plan to stay one day got changed into 2 day long visit. Somehow the governor of the city found out I was around, and because it was a Teachers’ Day in Afghanistan I was spontaneously invited to a ceremony in one of the public high schools (dozens of photos and TV cameras on a full blast – not good for me, but again, I don’t mind/care). I had to pretend to be a foreign professional coming to support Afghan Education System (the latter one is kinda true actually).

    I was constantly with somebody beside me (not my choice of course, I’d do things differently if I was on my own, but on the other hand I didn’t know the city so it saw smarter to be around some locals), but still enjoyed the time. The guy with me was super chilled any many times was standing somewhere on a side while I was chatting or buying stuff. 

    1.5 days in the city was a time spent with different people (“new” friends and people on the streets), listening to (not always nice) stories and visiting a place considered a cave of lions. Honestly I haven’t noticed much difference between Chaghcharan and other places I’ve seen in Afghanistan. People wouldn’t pay too much attention to me (I’d say they were rather surprised to see a whitey on the streets, but having a local dude beside definitely helped in being left in peace).

    The way back was also arranged by the same transport company I used to get to the city. I was wearing burqa when entering the van (just coz I didn’t know who was travelling there), and didn’t remove it until we passed Dawlat Yar. Nobody talked to me, although I had a guy sitting next to me (got ignored by him, too). Only when I removed the burqa, the avalanche of questions fell.

   

Revealing the real trip destination caused a stir among my co-workers and “boss”. Every smile was hiding the anger inside. Yet another time I (potentially) risked my life or (IMO) I showed that positive thinking causes “miracles”. Call it being naïve and careless. J     

Bamiyan, Buddhas and all.

   

   

    Bamyan is the place of magnificent cliffs, with loads of caves and niches, which surround the town, lots of beautiful natural locations, green fields, waterfalls, and canyons. One can go hiking and camping there. The activities which are definitely not very popular among locals nor foreign tourists.      The biggest attraction that makes foreigners and locals come there are the niches which used to be the place of one of the world’s biggest Buddha statues. Unfortunately, they were tragically destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban who used explosives and rocket launchers to destroy this ancient Buddhist architectural treasures.

   

Two massive holes are all what’s left of those statues, yet still they attract thousands. They are locally called “Buddhas”, even though nothing is left of the real creation.

Bamiyan town, as well as the entire province under the same name, is considered safe and free of terrorist threats. Foreigners are very common there, hence no surprising looks from locals, who can even communicate in fairly good English (shopkeepers and people related to tourism; don’t count on it on the local bazaar J ).

    The town is small, yet equipped in all the more-than-basic-commodities such as running water and constant electricity (unlike for example Lal). Local bazaar is full of seasonal fruit and vegetables (in summer), restaurants offer local food and ice-cream (unfortunately Mazari sheer-yakh cannot be found there), and various hostels and tea houses accommodate travellers. Starting from around $10 per night for a proper hotel room to a few dollars for a place in a common room in a tea house/local restaurant which at nights transforms into a dormitory (in fact, you only pay for the food you order there, sleeping is free; one of the places like this is located in the van station area).

   

Bamiyan can be reached by 30 minutes flights from Kabul ($99, run by Kam Air company); 3 times a week, or by car (shared taxi or a van). The second option will never be recommended by any local as even they themselves are always stressed about the trip. From the two existing roads – through Parwan and Wardak provinces, the better option is the former one that is considered “safer”. Wardak is a literally full of Taliban checkpoints, on which they usually look for government officials, army members, etc. Recently Samad Amiri, the head of independent human rights organization was kidnapped and later killed in that area.

   

To get from Kabul to Bamiyan you can find shared taxis (up to 5 people inside) in the Kote Sanghi area of Kabul (they leave in the morning, so better be there around 6-7 am), the cost is 600 Afs per person and it takes around 5-6 hours to come to the town. Alternatively you can choose to go in a van (locally known as falancoch) through Wardak, which obviously is not recommended at all.

Though I personally haven’t visited surroundings of Bamiyan, there are many places of interest, both natural and historical. The one, definitely must-see (that one I did visit) is located 80 km from the city – called Band-e-Amir. It is the first National Park of Afghanistan where magnificent lakes and water pools are located. With crystal blue water, waterfalls and surrounding cliffs the place is breathtaking.      You can go there from Bamiyan by taxi and pay 200 Afs an entry fee to the park. There are facilities to eat and stay for a night, too. Though the place looks perfect for swimming (the water is the bluest blue), a few decide to do so stating that it’s very dangerous and deep (saying “I can’t swim” in the other words?). Instead you can hire boats or water bicycles to roam around the lake.

    I and my friend are working on a website about tourism in Afghanistan. Though it’s still under construction you can already find more objective point of view about the country and travelling in here, than my writings on this blog (as most of the things I do/did are not very recommendable).

http://authenticafghanistan.com

  

behind the atomic curtain.

    It probably is the most isolated and closed country of the world. The place, where in 21^st century there is no public access to the Internet, TV sets and mobile phones are still not very common. The time has stopped there around 30 years ago. On the other hand, it is one of the safest place for tourists, because as being one you will not be left alone for a lone stroll in the city and moving around the country is often accompanied by soldiers. Individual travel is impossible. It doesn’t stop thousands of tourists from various countries (mostly China) who every year visit this hermetic and the most controlled country on Earth – North Korea.

    When you think about Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), you probably think “nuclear missiles, extreme regime and poverty”. It’s definitely not the most common tourist destination but at the same time DPRK is not listed as one of the least visited places in the world. In mid-50’ the first Korean tour agency was established, which until today arrange trips for Chinese and other tourists. Entering the country is very much possible (some people think it’s not; the problematic nationalities are American and South Korean), and easy.   

    Currently there are many agencies which arrange trips to North Korea. They have a variety of options: from one day trip across the Chinese border, to two weeks tour which allows exploration of the majority of the country. No need to mention those trips are not meant to be cheap holiday. The most popular is 4 day long trip which costs around $750 for non-Chinese tourist (they have it cheaper). The price includes pretty much everything in pretty much the best places in the country – representative hotels and restaurants, visiting showroom-supermarkets (everywhere you and your travel mates will be the only people present). Going to North Korea you will only see what the government what you to see – the most beautiful and attractive places. All the rest (the real life, that is), is carefully hidden from the sight.

    We go in 5 people group – surprisingly small. Usually one group consists of dozen or more people, but since it’s winter, less people are interested. 4 Chinese and me. The plan is 4 days and 3 nights in North Korea, which in reality are limited to 2 and a half days of sightseeing and 1 and a half day of travel. We take a train from Chinese border town of Dandong to the Korean capital – Pyongyang. Before boarding the train travel agent gives us the passports (with individual visas inside; very unusual sight as most of the tourist in big groups get one group visa on a separated paper)  and gives crucial hints what to do and what not to do in the country. Forbidden is taking photos of soldiers and army buildings, pointing at pictures of Korean leaders and taking photos where the leaders are not fully exposed. There is a total prohibition of making jokes and laughing at anything coming from Korea. Best option is to not ask any uncomfortable questions.

   

There are many North Koreans in the train we board from China but nobody gives us the second look, which is as a bit odd for being a foreigner in such place and not attract any attention. In just about 10 minutes after we leave China and cross the bridge over Yalu River we arrive to the Korean side where for some reason 2 hour long stop is needed. We all expect detailed luggage, phones and cameras check (there are many items and photos which cannot be taken into the country), but finally the control turns out to be very brief check of bags and signing immigration documents. In the evening we arrive to Pyongyang where we are greeted by two tour guides – one for Chinese tourists, one English speaking for me.

    After arrival we don’t have much time to waste so we directly go for a diner to one of the most luxurious restaurants in the capital. It can easily capacitate dozens of people but, as in many other places visited by us, we are the only guests. Out 47-floor hotel has all the modern commodities (swimming pool, conference hall, and the possibility of sending emails ) for its guests. There are no people, though, to use them. Those kind of places are unreachable for a regular citizen, who doesn’t even have enough money to buy basic food (if there is any available at all). Only the elite people, government officials, can enjoy the delicious food there or night life activities.

   

The second day of the trip the plan starts early in the morning. At 7:30 am we leave the hotel and we get the first day light glimpses of the city. Typical social realism architecture – massive concrete buildings, unbelievably wide streets. From time to time we pass huge statues of national heroes and other praise the revolution, the Party and the leaders. Always present elements of the city are propaganda quotations of Kim Ir Sen and those encouraging the citizens too fight with western imperialism. The lands out of Pyongyang are never-ending crop fields, and not so common, located for from the main road, villages.    

    After the breakfast we go to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) – the dispute border between North and South Korea. According to the tour guide’s words it is the most dangerous place in the world. During 3 hour long journey we got passed by just a few busses and almost none private car. There are more cars in Pyongyang but it’s still a far cry from the regular traffic of other countries. Most of the people use bikes or walk. In the capital there is a metro system and other public transportation means such as trolleybus and bus. The latter seems to be lacking basing on the long queues on the bus stops.  

    The citizens strongly limited when it comes to travelling. In the capital only the selected, elite people can live. The rest – 85% of the population live in towns and villages. There are many checkpoint on the roads to control the validity of travel permits for those who want to go to another town. Those who can’t afford the bus need to hitchhike, use a bike or simply walk dozens of kilometers. 

    In the city taking photos is generally allowed (respecting those few previously mentioned rules), in the DMZ you can use your camera only in a selected spots. In the zone there are more propaganda shops with souvenirs and snacks from Korea. Being in those kind of shops is one of a very few chances to shop in the country since the regular stores are unavailable for foreigners, who can’t even use the local currency. Most of the stores and restaurants we can see from the street have covered windows. In some of them you can see only the very basic products but there is almost nobody shopping there. In a few tourist shops you can buy exactly the same products: Korean postal stamps, country leaders’ biographies, flags, North Korean maps – with a territory including the South Korean one. Everybody in the country “knows” that there is only one Korea and the current division is American’s –their biggest enemy - fault.

   

During the visit in DMZ we are accompanied by two soldiers who are tour guides at the same time. They explain the history of the Korean War (1950 – 1953) and the final agreement. It seems like the history presented by the guides is “slightly” different to the one from history books found outside the country. We hear about terrible Americans who attacked North Korea in 1950 and about a heroic defense by the country’s citizens and finally, the first in the history, defeating American army. In fact, it was North Korea which first attacked the south and the treaty was signed partially because of the death of Joseph Stalin, the change of American president and cessation of hostilities on both fronts.

   

Every North Korean citizen from since childhood is told to hate the USA. It’s USA which is responsible for DPRK’s poverty (which is partially correct, because of the economic sanctions), always present political unrest, war threats, and the wish to control the world. Every Korean citizen has no doubt in the strength and power of their country which, in case of war, would easily defeat the USA and its allies. Watching local North Korean TV, we hear the news from other countries which always show the wars, poverty, destruction and other negativities. The information comes from Middle Easter and Asian countries. The only footages from Europe, Canada or USA are an old documents about scientific inventions (from ’90) or programs to study English (shown in a form of instruction of operating machinery, full of technical vocabulary, not necessarily useful in daily life). On the other hand propaganda films show happy and peaceful life in North Korea, shops full of products and prosperous factories and companies.

    After coming back from DMZ we visit the city of Kaesong, which is one of the UNESCO sites in Korea (for example former Confucius Academy Songgyungwan, which currently is transformed into a museum). The other place to visit by out group is the birth place of the President of Korea – Kim Ir Sen. It’s a village house in untouched condition. Probably because you can only visit/see them for the outside, without touching anything.

    For the end of the day we got a new attraction – a subway ride. Among dozens of functioning stations, tourists an only stop at two, which are the most representative and definitely not the deepest ones. Korean metro system is famous for being the deepest in the world because it also serves as an atomic bomb shelter. From the other source I am told that only these two station are available for tourists because they are the most beautiful and lightened (the tour guide claims that every single station is decorated in different mosaics representing core values of Korean citizens).

    Near many of the houses we can see solar panels, which, according to the tour guide are the part of Korean policy of self-dependence (North Korea doesn’t need to establish economical connections with other countries as it produces everything what’s needed). In fact, the solar energy for many is the only way to lighten their homes due to very common power shortcuts in the city. There is a famous satellite photos showing North Korea as a dark spot surrounded with brightly lighted South Korea and China. Pyongyang at night looks like partially abandoned city. Sporadic light comes from governmental buildings, lights for the statues of the leaders – Kim Ir Sen and Kim Jong Il or the flats of those who can afford the others ways of getting power. Villages often lack even the electric lines.

   

For the third day of the trip to Hyangsan mountains is planned. It’s a famous tourist attraction. We see one of the most representative Buddhist temples or the place where all the gifts for North Korean government are kept. It’s a highly secured monumental building which houses more than 160 rooms full of presents from all three leaders of North Korea. Swords, vases, sculptures, paitings, plants and animals (kept in botanic and zoological gardens), and even an automatic weapons and a laptop – are all gifts from almost every world country. The gifts from Poland are crystal vases presented by Wojciech Jaruzelski and Edward Gierek. 

    After we get back to Pyongyang we visit one of the public schools, where we participate in a student’s art performance and have a chance to ask some questions. Some as for many other parts of the trip, you are not really sure, if what you see is authentic or yet another arranged actors show. On the Internet, there are many examples (videos, hidden camera footages) of “actors” on the streets who play roles of pedestrians, citizens or even doctors in fake hospitals.

    The last day of our trip is a quick visit to the main city square and passing by the monumental statues of Kim Ir Sen and Kim Jong Il. In the city we can see people preparing for the 70^th anniversary of the creation of Korean army (8^th February). Attendance in speeches and celebrations is obligatory. Who doesn’t show up is immediately considered an enemy of the Party and most likely sent to a labour camp. Similar punishment is implemented on everyone who shows any sort of dissatisfaction about the country. In the DPRK there is a law known as guilt by association (by being a family member of the criminal). It mean that not only the actual person who breaks the law gets punished but also his family; offspring up to the 3^rd generation. This kind of law successfully discourages from any sort of law breaking as it could mean death of the family of the victim.

    Before the noon we board the same train which goes back to Dandong, China. Next 8 hours spent inside and nervous waiting for the border control of photos and things brought back from the country. Yet, once again we are don’t get any serious treatment and after filling up the exit form we are ready to come back to China.

     After leaving the train station in Dandong everything which was unavailable in North Korea is there. Bright neons, lights, loads of cars, people in different coloured clothes, shops and supermarkets, food stalls. Something, which is taken for granted in China, in almost impossible to get for North Koreans. The latter ones still lack the basic things like running water, electricity and food.

    What is also quite significant in North Korea is the fact that despite tragic situation in the country, people from the elite lead totally normal lives there. Fun parks, children playgrounds, museums, libraries and cinemas. There is even newly built ski resort and aqua park. Luxurious cars rarely seen on the streets of Pyongyang also belong to those from the elite.

    Every year the number of defectors from North Korea increases. They take a huge risk crossing the border river and getting to China and then to the Embassy of South Korea in Thailand where they can apply for the refugee status. Then they got help to start a new life in the country. Thanks to those people we can find out all of is impossible to see in North Korea by an outsider; all of what the North Korean government tries to hide. On the other hand, increasing number of smuggled western and South Korean films, TV shows and stories of those who have been out of the country start to slowly open eyes of the North Koreans and make them question the reliability and power of the Party. The knowledge is the strongest weapon. Hopefully the time when North Koreans will have to strength and opportunity to use it…  

7 dni w Tybecie.

    Od zawsze Tybet był mistyczną krainą wzbudzającą zainteresowanie ludzi z zachodu i wschodu. Europejczyków ciekawiła kultura i życie na tym niedostępnym i trudnym terenie. Azjaci żądni byli zdobycia obszaru będącego strategicznym punktem pomiędzy Chinami a Indiami. Przez wiele lat tybetańska armia oraz niedostępność geograficzna skutecznie broniły dostepnu do swojego kraju. Co więcej, to właśnie Tybetanczycy zagarniali okoliczne tereny, przyłączając je do swojego imperium, które sięgało daleko wgłąb obecnych Chin na północy i na tereny dzisiejszego Bangladeszu na południu. Przez brak źródeł pisanych, ten okres historyczny jest nam bardzo mało znany i dzisiaj pozostają tylko domysły, jak wyglądało wtedy życie na Dachu Świata.

    W VII wieku Tybetańczycy postanowili zawrzeć pakt z Chinami przeciwko innemu zagrażającemu obu krajom królestwu. Jego przypieczętowaniem stało się małżeństwo pomiędzy tybetańskim władcą, a córką chińskiego cesarza, która powrzechnie uważana jest za odpowiedzialną sprowadzenia do Tybetu Buddzymu, który z biegiem lat w większości wyparł oryginalną dla Tybetu religię Bon.Transformacja z walecznego w pokojowy sakralny naród nastąpiła jednak dopiero kilka stuleci później, wzmocniona przez nawiązanie kontaktów z Imperium Mongoliskim. Stąd aż do dziś daje się zauważyć podobieństwo pomiędzy tymi dwiema nacjami. To z mongolskiego języka pochodzi słynny tytuł Dalaj, tłumaczony jako “ocean” (w znaczeniu nieograniczonej wiedzy).

    Do początków XX w Tybet był praktycznie nieznany Europejczykom. Pierwsi pojawili się tam misjonarze, a następnie delegacje Brytyjczyków reprezentujących Kompanię Wschodnioindyjską (dzisiejsze tereny Indii). Konflikt rozpoczął się w 1903 roku, gdzy Brytyjczyny zaczęli podejrzewać Tybetańczykow o kontakty z Impreium Rosyjskim, z którym ci pierwszi rywalizowali o wpływy w Azji. Liczne pakty zawarte pomiędzy spornymi stronami uchroniły od konfliktów zbrojnych oraz ostatecznie przyczyniły się do uznania przez Rosjan i Brytyjczyków zwierzchności Chin nad Tybetem.

    Pomimo, że niepodległość Tybetu nie była oficjalnie rozpoznawana na arenie międzynarodowej, po upadku ostatniej chińskiej dynastii Qing w 1913 roku, teren stał się niezależny. Tybetański rząd zaczął nawet produkcję własnych znaczków pocztowych.

Sytuacja społeczna w tym okresie, może dziś wzbudzać kontrowersje – panował bardzo silny system kastowy, z góry ustalający życie danej jednostki. Mieszkańcy często odciętych od świata wiosek żyli niemalże jak w Średniowieczu. Często brakowało jedzenia, warunki mieszkalne były bardzo prymitywne, brak opieki zdrowotnej był źródłem wysokiej śmiertelności kobiet w ciąży i noworodków. W tym samym czasie dostojnicy i przyboczni Dalaj Lamy, należący do kasty rządzącej, mieszkali w pozłacanych pokojach pałacu Potala i jedli najwykwintniejsze dania.

    Wszystko zmieniło się wraz z początkiem Chińskiej Republiki Ludowej, 1 października 1949 roku. Polityczny lider – Mao Zedong oraz jego ministrowie wprowadzili bezwzględne rządy  mające na celu przede wszystkim podporządkowanie się Partii oraz wprowadzenie całkowicie komunistycznego stylu życia. Oczywiście jakakolwiek odrębność kulturowo-polityczna nie była mile widziana. Rok później Chińska Armia Ludowo-Wyzwoleńcza wkroczyła na Wyżynę Tybetańską pod propagandowym hasłem “ochrony od imperialistycznego (tj. zachodniego) ucisku”. O ile do końca lat 50 przywódcy w Lasie – stolicy Tybetu, mieli jako taką autonomię, o tyle 1959 sytuacja stała się tak napięta, że polityczno – duchowy lider Tybetańczykow Dalaj Lama zdecydował się na ucieczkę z ojczystej ziemi i założenie rządu na uchodźstwie w indyjskim miasteczku – Daramshala.

    Dziś można dwojako postrzegać “przyłączenie” Tybetu do Chin i narzucone przez komunistów zmiany. Z jednej strony to oczywiste pozbawienie niepodległości lokalnej społeczności i ograniczenie ich praw; często też próba wykorzenienia kultury i religii, zniszczenie ogromnej ilości zabytków i historycznych zbiorów. Z drugiej strony, nie można pomijać faktu, że ingerencja Chińczyków przyczyniła się do znacznej poprawy sytuacji materialnej Tybetanczykow. Zniesiono system kastowy, wprowadzono obowiązek nauki w szkole (wcześniej większość ludzi była niepiśmienna), poprawiono warunki sanitarne (np. śmiertelność noworodków  zmniejszyła się z 45% w 1959 do 0.3% obecnie). 

    Wraz z otwieraniem się Chin na świat pod koniec lat 70, Tybet stał się dostępny dla zachodnich podróżników oraz himalaistów. Być może koniem napędowym stała się między innymi książka Heinrich’a Harrer’a “Siedem lat w Tybiecie” oraz film pod tym samym tytułem, które ukazują Tybet jaką romantyczną krainę z przepięknymi widokami i intrygującymi ludźmi. Kolorowe stroje, tradycyjna zabudowa, tajemnicze obrzędy, zapierające dech w piersiach widoki wyżyn i gór. Nic dziwnego, że Tybet stał się marzeniem wielu backpackerow, hippisów, poszukiwaczy przygód i zdobywców najwyższych szczytów świata.

    Możliwość eksploracji Wyżyny Tybetańskiej, podpartywania życia lokalnych ludzi oraz obcowania z jedyną w swoim rodzaju naturą, zostały nagle znacznie ograniczone. Z powodu narastającego napięcia politycznego, licznych protestów Tybetańczykow i coraz częściej dających o sobie znać organizacji walki o niepodległość, w 2008 komunistyczny rząd chiński ograniczył wjazd do utworzonej w 1965 roku Autonomi Tybetańskiej dla obcokrajowców oraz samych Tybetańczykow mieszkających poza tym obszarem.

    Od tego czasu, aż do dziś dla wszystkich nieposiadających chińskiego dowodu osobistego jedyną opcją odwiedzenia Tybetu jest zapisanie się na zorganizowaną przez oficjalne biuro podróży wycieczkę z przewodnikiem i kierowcą. “Grupę” może stanowić nawet jedna osoba, ale przeważnie dla zmiejszenia kosztów – które nie należą do najmniejszych – turyści tworzą kilku lub kilkunastoosobowe ekipy. Bogate oferty bardzo licznych agencji i biur podróży są dostosowane do praktycznie każdych wymagań gości. Od weekendowych do kilku tygodnowych wypraw. Zwiedzanie tylko stolicy, lub objazdowy “tour” po mniej popularnych częściach Tybetu i możliwość zobaczenia najwyższej góry świata – Mount Everestu, zwanego tutaj Czomolungma (którego szczyt przebiega dokładnie pomiędzy Nepalem z Chinami).

    Dla niezależnych podróżników, taki wyjazd może wydawać się nudny i schematyczny, jednak nawet na dość ograniczonym polu manewru da się sprawić, aby pozornie szablonowy wyjazd różnił się od pozostałych. Tym razem kluczem nie jest wyjazd “off the beaten track” (w miejsca nie będące popularnymi turystycznymi atrakcjami) lecz “off the beaten time” (poza sezonem).  Tybet zimą ma zupełnie inne oblicze, niż to, które widzą turyści odwiedzający go w szczycie sezonu, czyli latem.

Zdjęcia agencji podróży promujące Dach Świata, filmy o nim kręcone, książkowe opisy, czy romantyczne wizje mistycznej krainy to zdecydowanie nie miejsce, które zobaczy podróżnik wybierający się tam latem. Zatłoczone drogi, potrzeba rezerwacji w każdej restauracji, ograniczony czas zwiedzania zabytków, kolejki do zrobienia sobie zdjęcia, częste zachmurzenie, to tylko niektóre aspekty codzienności w szczycie sezonu. Nawet samych Tybetańczykow czasami ciężko wypatrzeć (nie licząc oczywiście tych zajmujących się różnymi dziedzinami turystyki). Normalnym widokiem są za to tłumy zachodnich i chińskich turystów obecne w praktycznie każdym popularnym miejscu.

Tymczasem zima to czas, który odstrasza dużą cześć turystów, przeważnie obawiających się zimna nie do zniesienia. Faktycznie, średnia wyskość w okolicach 4000 metrów może sugerować bardzo niskie tempetarury, ale daleko im do syberyjskich mrozów. Śnieg można zobaczyć praktycznie tylko na wysokich szczytach górskich. Przeciętne zimowe ubrania całkowicie wystarczą na spokojne poruszanie się za dnia, a noce spędzane są z reguły w bardzo dobrze ogrzewanych hotelach (tylko w hotelach o wyższym standardzie mogą zatrzymywać się obcokrajowcy). Turystyka podobnie jak infrastruktura są w Tybecie bardzo dobrze rozwinięte; nic dziwnego, że do tybetańskiego obozu bazowego  Mount Everestu prowadzi asfaltowa droga!

    Okazjonalny zimowy wiatr jest sprzymierzeńcem rozwiewającym chmury i śnieg że szczytów gór, gwarantując spektakularne i niczym niezasłonięte widoki himalajskich masywów. Jak na dłoni widoczne są najwyszcze szczyty takie jak: Lhotse, Makalu, czy Cho Oyu . Tybetańska przewodniczka sama zachwyca się utrzymującą się podczas całego naszego siedmiodniowego pobytu piękną pogodą, której bardzo często brak w sezonie letnim.

    Skazana na dołączenie do grupy, szukałam jak najbardziej niszowej agencji, która jednocześnie oferuje taki sam program jak te z pierwszych wyszukanych rezultatów Google. Ostatecznie dołączam do grupy liczącej 3 osoby ze mną włącznie! Dla porównania letnie wyjazdy to przeważnie kilkunasto, choć zdarzają się również kilkudziesiecioosobowe grupy. Mniejsza ilość towarzyszy to przede wszystkim większe pole manewru, elestyczność i wydłużony czas na odwiedzanie zaplanowanych zabytków. Niezależnie od wielkości grupy, nie zmienia się jedna zasada: w Tybecie nie pyta się o żadne sprawy polityczne dotyczące relacji z rządem komunistycznym. Rozmowy takie mogą skończyć się bardzo nieprzyjemnie. Nigdy nie wiadomo, kto z mijanych ludzi współpracuje z Partią i nas obserwuje.

    Sam plan wyjazdu nie jest zbyt napięty. Spokojnie przemieszczamy się pomiędzy 2-3 wybranymi na każdy dzień miejscami w stolicy, a po 3 dniach w niej spędzonych odwiedzamy inne miasteczka i atrakcje Tybetu. Większość z nich to buddyjskie świątynie i monastery, te zachowane oraz odbudowane po Rewolucji Kulturowej z lat 1966-1976, w czasie której zniszczono około 6000 sakralnych budowli na terenie Tybetu. Obecnie Tybetańczycy pod pewnymi warunkami (np. panuje zakaz posiadania i upubliczniania wizerunku Dalaj Lamy) mogą otwarcie praktykować Buddyzm.

Ponieważ większość mieszkańców Autonomii zajmuje się uprawą roli, zima to jedyny czas, kiedy mogą pielgrzymować do najbardziej świętych mieść w Tybecie – miasta Lasa i góry Kailash. Pielgrzymki te często odbywają się dosłownie na kolanach, poprzez upadanie co kilka kroków, podnoszenie się i powtarzanie tej samej czynności. Dotarcie do celu w ten sposób trwa niekiedy całe lata.

    Częstym widokiem na całym terytorium Tybetu są buddyjscy mnisi ubrani w ciemno czerowne szaty, studiujący religijne teksty, odprawiający rytuały, lub przechadzający się po uliczkach miasta z smartfonem w ręku i adidasach na nogach. Zderzenie różnych kultur to nieodłączny element globalizacji i bardzo szybko zmieniającego się życia.

Dla zachodniego gościa Tybet to przede wszystkim kolorowe, przesiąknięte zapachem kadzideł i świec z masła świątynie, w których odbywają się najróżniejsze rytuały, często nie do końca znane i rozumianie nawet przez samych Tybetańczykow. Każdy element świątyni ma swoje znaczenie i spełnia określone zadanie. Ściany są pokryte setkami obrazów z najdrobniejszymi detalami.             Odwiedzający swiatynie ludzie proszą nie tylko o zdrowie, pomyślność czy szczęście w miłości, ale również o pokój na świecie dla wszystkich ludzi. Składanie drobnych ofiar w świątyniach ma też na celu poprawę “karmy” – dobrych uczynków, które decydują o reinkarnacji – wędrówki duszy do nowego ciała po śmierci tego doczesnego.

    Zimą na ulicach Lhasy 90 procent ludzi to Tybetańczycy. Dla wielu jest to pierwsza wizyta w stolicy. Często to dla nich jedyna okazja zobaczenia na własne oczy obcokrajowców, więc liczne prośby o zdjęcia z turystami są na porządku dziennym. Setki ludzi wykonuje wokół Potali tzw korę, czyli okrążanie pałacu przy okazji nieustannie powtarzając najsłynniejszą tybetanskia mantrę “Om mani padme hum” i kręcąc młynkami symbolizującymi modlitwy. Inne miejsce kory to historyczne centrym miasta, w środku którego znajduje się świątynia Dżokhang ze statuą Buddy Siakjamuniego, która według legendy została poświęcona przez niego samego.

    Wzgórza na obrzeżach miast pokryte są niezliczonymi kolorowymi flagami modlitewnymi, które zawieszają pielgrzymi. Powiewające na wietrze mają nieść prośby do bogów.

Ponieważ Tybet dzieli się na siedem regionów, każdy z nich wyróżnia się innym strojem oraz językiem. Bywa, że Tybetańczycy z różnych stron są zmuszeni porozumiewać się w języku      Mandaryńskim, ponieważ lokalne dialekty są dla nich niezrozumiałe.

    O każdej porze dnia w licznych kawiarniach i restauracjach zbierają się ludzie, przeważnie mężczyźni, aby grać w karty lub lokalne gry planszowe. Popijają przy tym tybetańską herbatę – słodką, robioną na mleku z cukrem, lub słoną z dodatkiem masła z mleka z jaka, będącego tu jednym z głównych zwierząt hodowlanych. Pomimo, że obecnie w Lasie można zjeść hamburgera w KFC, lokalni mieszkańcy preferują tradycyjne tybetańskie potrawy takie jak tsampa – mieszankę prażonej jęczmiennej mąki z maślaną lub słodką herbatą, różnorodne wypiekane chleby oraz sery i jogurty z jaczego mleka.

    Zbliżając się do południa Tybetu, gdzie po raz pierwszy możemy z daleka dostrzec Mount Everest, dosłownie brakuje tchu. O ile dla niektórych 3600 m n.p.m w Lasie nie stanowi probemu, tutaj wysokość zdecydowanie daje się we znaki. Przekraczamy przełęcze położone powyżej 5200 m n.p.m, gdzie nawet zwykły szybszy marsz może przyprawić o zawroty głowy. To miejsce trudne do życia zarówno dla ludzi, zwierząt jak i roślin. Brak zalesienia stoków gór dodaje im potęgi i niedostępności. Ogołocone skały pokryte na szczytach śniegiem i lodem to marzenie wielu himalaistów. Do 1950 roku Nepalskie władze zakazywały obcokrajowcom wstępu do ich kraju, przez co wszystkie ekspedycje na Mount Everest (począwszy od 1921 roku) prowadziły przez Tybet. W tymże roku to Chiny zamknęły swoje granice, a Nepal zezwolił na zagraniczne wyprawy. Pierwsze zdobycie szczytu w 1953 nastąpiło więc właśnie z nepalskiej strony.

    Z najwyższego na świecie monasteru Rongbuk (4980 m n.p.m.) rozpościera się niesamowity, niczym niezasłonięty widok na Chomolungmę. To właśnie tu powstają jedne z najpiękniejszych zdjęć tej góry. W drodze powrotnej do stolicy zatrzymujemy się jeszcze aby podziwiać Lodowiec Kharola, przy którym zbierają się również tybetańskie wycieczki. Wszyscy są zawsze chętni i ciekawi rozmów z obcokrajowcami. Panuje powszechna opinia, że Tybetańczycy bardzo lubią turystów z zachodu i cieszą się z ich odwiedzin. Pytają o to, jak postrzegany jest Tybet w innych krajach. Zawsze zachwalają też przyrodę swojej ziemi, gościnność i uczynność swoich ludzi.

    Bez wątpienia Tybetańczycy to jeden z najbardziej przyjazych (choć nierzadko awanturniczych) narodów, o fascynującej historii i kulturze, która pomimo licznych opresji przetrwała do dziś. Choć od “odkrycia” Tybetu minęło już wiele dziesięcioleci, ta kraina wciąż zachwyca i czaruje. Zobaczyć Dach Świata na własne oczy, spróbować herbaty z jaczym mlekiem i pozdrawiać wszystkich tybetańskim “Tashi Delek” to jedyne w swoim rodzaju doświadczenie, przygoda pamiętana do końca życia.

7 days in Tibet.

    Tibet has always been a mysterious land for people from both West and East. Europeans were intrigued by the culture and life in this inhospitable and difficult terrain. Asian wished to conquer the region which was a buffer zone?? Between China and India. For many years Tibetan army as well as natural predispositions.

Successfully defended the access to their homeland. What’s more, it was actually Tibetans who would annex neighbouring lands to create an empire with its northern borders in present day China and southern in present day Bangladesh. Lack of written documents leaves a blank spot on this period of Tibetan history and we can only imagine how the life on the Roof of the World was back then. 

    In 7^th century Tibetans decided to sign a treaty with China to defend themselves from the mutual enemy. To seal it, Tibetan leader married a daughter of Chinese emperor. She’s the one who is believed to bring Buddhist religion to Tibet. The religion which will later dominate over original Tibetan Bon believes. A few centuries later the nation transformed from aggressive to peaceful one, supported by contacts with Mongol Empire. Hence even today there are many similarities between the two nations. It’s a Mongolian word Dalai which became the title of the highest religious leader of Buddhists (Dalai means “ocean”; as an unfinished knowledge) – Dalai Lama.

    Since the beginning of 20^th century Tibet was practically unknown to Europeans. The first of them to arrive where missionaries and then British delegates being East India Company (present day India) representatives. The first conflict has started in 1903 when British delegates accused Tibetans of Cooperation with Russian Empire, which was a British enemy. Various treaties between the parties eventually guaranteed peace and made Russians and British accept Chinese control over Tibet.    

Even though Tibetan independence was not internationally recognized, after the end of the last Chinese dynasty (Qing, in 1913), the land became independent. Tibetan government has even started to issue its own postal stamps. 

    Social life of Tibetans in that period could be quite controversial for a modern reader. The cast system – popular as well in India, was common. It determined life of an individual, his career and life opportunities. Many people lived in villages often resembling the ones from the Middle Ages. Food was scarce, housing was very primitive, lack of hygiene and health care caused high mortality rate. At the same time the ones who resided in the Dalai Lama’s palace had all the modern facilities and commodities.    

    It was all changed when Chinese People’s Republic was established on October 1 1949. The political leader Mao Zedong, and his advisers tried their best to turn China into a role model communist country. Any cultural or ethnic diversity wasn’t welcomed. In 1950 Chinese Liberation Army arrived to Tibetan Plateau under the propaganda of liberation from imperialistic/western domination. Until the end of 1950’ the leaders in Lhasa – Tibet’s capital were guaranteed autonomy, but in 1959 the rising tensions between locals and Chinese forced the Tibetan leader – Dalai Lama to escape from his homeland and create the government in exile in an Indian town of Daramshala.

The dispute if annexing Tibet to Chinese territory was a right decision is still going on. On the one hand it has limited Tibetan people’s independence and rights, suppressed their culture and religion and caused uncountable amount of historical relicts to perish. On the other hand, we cannot ignore the fact that Chinese people’s activities in the Tibetan territory has highly improved lives of a regular citizens of the region. The cast system was abolished, education became compulsory (prior to that the majority of people were illiterate), the hygiene and sanitation have improved (the infant mortality rate decreased from 45% in 1959 to 0.3% in 2019).

    Along with the new Chinese policies to open up to the outside world in the end of 1970’, Tibet became a place of interest for many travelers and mountain climbers. The famous book by Heinrich Harrer “Seven years in Tibet” and the film with the same title became the spark for many people to visit the land shown in the book as a romantic and mesmerizing place, with intriguing People and breath taking views. Colourful clothes, traditional infrastructure, mysterious rituals and magnificent Himalaya Mountains. All of this made Tibet a place to be in that period of time.  

    Unrestricted travelling in the region was suddenly stopped. Constantly rising political tension and more and more protests of desperate Tibetan independence and freedom fighters caused strict limitation on visiting the region by foreign travelers. Ever since 2008 Tibetan Autonomous Region (created in 1965) became a restricted part of China not only for outsiders but for Tibetans living in other provinces of China, too. 

    Ever since for all those who don’t have Chinese ID the only way to visit Tibet is to sign up for an organized tour where you will be accompanied by a guide and a driver. A single person can go too, however usually a few people go together to share the costs, which are not from the lower shelf. Searching for Tibet trip you can find practically every possible option and flexible itineraries. From a weekend runaway, to a few week long journeys. Sightseeing Tibet’s capital - Lhasa in a few days or a road trip to a little less beaten tracks and the option to see the world’s highest mountain – Mount Everest (called here Qomolangma), which peak is divided between Nepal and China.

    For independent travelers this kind of trip might seems boring but even in these limited circumstances you can make the journey a little bit different than the typical one. The key is to not go “off the beaten track” but rather “off the beaten time” (avoid summer – the high season). Tibet in winter is a totally different place than the one which is seen by the crowds of tourists who come there in summer. 

    Travel agencies’ photos promoting The Roof of the World, films showing its beauty, books’ descriptions and romantic visions of the mystic land is definitely not the place which a person who goes there is summer will see. Traffic jams, the need to book every restaurant limited time for entering some places of interest, lining up to take photos, common cloudy weather. It’s just a part of reality in the high season time. Even Tibetan people are hard to be spotted (except for those who are engaged in different forms of tourism). The normal view is a mass of western and Chinese tourists in almost every part of TAR (Tibetan Autonomous Region).

    On the other hand winter is the time which scares off the majority of tourists, who are afraid of unbearable temperatures. The truth is that the average elevation of 4000 meters above the sea level may suggest very low temperatures, but it’s still a far cry from a Siberian winters. The big snow can be practically only seen on the highest mountain peaks. Regular winter clothes are enough to be out during the day and nights are normally spent in warm hotels (international tourists/travellers are accommodated in the high standard hotels). Tourism as well as infrastructure are very developed. It doesn’t surprise then that to the Tibetan Everest Base Camp one can get by the paved road. 

    Occasional winter breeze helps to move away the clouds from the perfectly blue sky and sweep off the snow from the mountain peaks. That guarantees breath taking views on the Himalayas. All the most famous peaks such as Lhotse, Makalu or Cho Oyu are perfectly visible. Even our tour guide was surprised by the weather, during out 7 day trip, which is quite uncommon in the summer season. 

    Forced to join the group, I was trying to find the least commercial agency, which at the same time offers the same program. Eventually I was a part of 3 people group (me included), compared to summer time groups of dozen or more people. Less companions allows more flexibility, more time for sightseeing. One thing doesn’t change despite the size of the group – in Tibet you don’t ask about politics. Such conversations may end up very unpleasantly. You never know who of the people you see or meet on the streets collaborates with the Communist Party and spies on outsiders. 

    The tour itinerary is not very tight. There is no rush to visit 2-3 attractions in Lhasa chosen for each day in the city. After 3 days spent there we hit the road and go to other cities and towns of Tibet. Most of the visited attractions are Buddhist temples and monasteries; original as well as those reconstructed after the Cultural Revolution (1966 – 1976) during which more than 6000 sacred buildings from the Tibetan region were destroyed. In the present day Tibetans under certain conditions (for example: they cannot possess or publish Dalai Lama’s portrait) can openly practice Buddhism. 

    Because most of the people living in TAR are farmers, winter is the only time when they can make a pilgrimage to the most sacred places in their land – the city of Lahasa and Mount Kailash. Pilgrimaged often last for years as the people move by constant prostrations.

Common view in the whole Tibetan territory are Buddhist monks wearing dark red clothes, studying religious scripts, making rituals or wandering around city with a smartphone in their hand. The clash of two cultures in an inevitable part of globalization and a sign of quickly changing life.

    For the western guest Tibet is mostly colourful, soaked with incense smells and butter lamps temples, where various rituals take place. Often even Tibetans don’t fully understand its meaning. Every part and element of the temple has its meaning and role. The walls are covered with hundreds of detailed paintings. The visitors of the temples ask for health, happiness and love, but also for the world peace. Small offerings in the temples help to “boost up” your Karma – deeds which decide about your reincarnation – being reborn in a new body (human or animal, depending on the current life deeds).

    In winter 90% of the people in Lhasa are Tibetans. For many it’s the first trip to their capital and the first and only chance to see foreigners, hence locals asking for selfies with tourists are quite common there. Hundreds of people do “kora” – circumambulating around the Potala Palace accompanied by constant repetition of famous mantra – “Om mani padme hum” and turning the prayer wheels. The other place to do kora is the historical city center with Jorkang Temple located in its middle. According to the legend the Buddha statue inside the temple was blessed by the Buddha himself. The only of its kind in the world.     

    The hills surrounding the Tibetan cities are covered with colourful prayer flags, installed there by pilgrims. They are believed to be passing the messages to the gods.

Tibet is divided into seven regions. Each of them has different national clothes and language/dialect. It’s common that Tibetans from different parts of the country need to use Mandarin language (which is not taught in schools from the early stage) to communicate with each other.

    Any time of the day, in the numerous tea houses and restaurants people, usually men, gather to play card games or local board games. They drink Tibetan tea – sweet, made of milk with sugar, or salty – with yak’s butter, the animal which is the most commonly kept as farm animals in Tibet. Even though in the present day Lhasa you can eat a burger in KFC, locals prefer traditional Tibetan meals such as tsampa – roasted barley flour mixed with sweet or salty tea, various types of bread or cheese and yoghurts made of yak’s milk.  

    Coming closer to the southern Tibet, when for the first time we can catch the glimpse of Mount Everest, we are left literally breathless. 3600 meters above the sea level in Lhasa may not be such a problem for a lot of people, but here the altitude hits. We cross passes located over 5200 meters, where even a slightly faster walk causes dizziness (because of the lack of oxygen). This is an inhospitable place for all, people, flora and fauna. Snowy mountain peaks are dreams of many climbers. Until 1950 Nepali government forbid foreigners to enter their country, hence all the climbing expeditions to Mount Everest (starting from 1921) would be led through Tibet (through so called North Face). In 1950 it was China who closed its borders and Nepal opened them. So the first man on the top of Mount Everest got there through Nepali South Face of the mountain.

    From the world highest monastery Rongbuk (4980 meters above the sea level) there is undisturbed view over Qomolangma. It is the place where most of the famous and breath taking photos of the mountain are taken. On the way back to Lhasa we stop near Kharola Glacier which also attracts Tibetan tourists. Everyone is always eager to chat with foreigners. Tibetans are believed to be fond of foreigners and are happy when they see them on the Roof of the World. Locals ask about opinion of Tibet abroad. They always praise Tibetan nature, hospitality and friendliness of the local people.  

    Unquestionably Tibetan people are one of the friendliest (however, having spitfire attitude is not uncommon) nations of the world, with a fascinating history and culture. Despite many problems and conflicts their culture survived till this day. Even though many years have passed since the “discovery” of Tibet, the land still mesmerizes and overwhelms. To see the Roof of the World with your own eyes, try yak’s milk tea and greet everyone with Tibetan “Tashi Delek” is an experience one of a kind, an adventure for a lifetime.