Today's big excursion was a yak ride! To get there, the group took taxis
about an hour and a half up 7000 feet in elevation. The views were stunning;
clouds sunk between the mountains, which seemed to fold into each other.
Everyone in my car agreed that we felt so insignificant in the face of
it.
The yak rides were very different than expected. To start, all the yaks were smaller than I had imagined (smaller than cows for comparison!). They also seemed to be absent-mindedly staring at the ground and barely moving. There were thick silver rings through their noses, which were tied to a rope so that they could be easily controlled. Finally, my yak and the yak ahead had fallen on the steps, leading me to think that they were either very fatigued or that the steps were difficult to ascend. In total, the treatment and disposition of the animals was alarming and I ended up feeling guilty about supporting the industry.
We also got to walk around Tsomgo Lake a bit. There were tall prayer flags flapping in the wind and many people who wanted pictures with the white Americans.
With our excursion complete, we headed back to Gangtok and shopped for awhile, then the routine of fire chatting, dinner, and bed!
Seeing the mountains today had a really profound effect. It is amazing to me how people decided to colonize the Indian jungle and risk their lives building roads to take them to the summit. Why do humans have such a desire to go further? To see and do more than anyone before? Seeing the buildings, the thin road snaking across the mountain face, and the insect sized vans traversing them makes our effect seem insignificant. Yet the books we are reading point out the tremendous effect humans have had on the chemical and biological composition of the earth.
It has also been interesting seeing such a strong military presence. When we walked into Rumtek, men with assault rifles guarded the entry. They were present throughout the monastery, as well. I wonder what type of psychological effects seeing armed militia has on civilians, when they seem to be nearly always present. While The Circle of Karma supposedly takes place in the 1990s, there is no mention of military men anywhere in the novel. Is this because they weren't there, or because it is so unremarkable to someone from the region?
The yak rides were very different than expected. To start, all the yaks were smaller than I had imagined (smaller than cows for comparison!). They also seemed to be absent-mindedly staring at the ground and barely moving. There were thick silver rings through their noses, which were tied to a rope so that they could be easily controlled. Finally, my yak and the yak ahead had fallen on the steps, leading me to think that they were either very fatigued or that the steps were difficult to ascend. In total, the treatment and disposition of the animals was alarming and I ended up feeling guilty about supporting the industry.
We also got to walk around Tsomgo Lake a bit. There were tall prayer flags flapping in the wind and many people who wanted pictures with the white Americans.
With our excursion complete, we headed back to Gangtok and shopped for awhile, then the routine of fire chatting, dinner, and bed!
Seeing the mountains today had a really profound effect. It is amazing to me how people decided to colonize the Indian jungle and risk their lives building roads to take them to the summit. Why do humans have such a desire to go further? To see and do more than anyone before? Seeing the buildings, the thin road snaking across the mountain face, and the insect sized vans traversing them makes our effect seem insignificant. Yet the books we are reading point out the tremendous effect humans have had on the chemical and biological composition of the earth.
It has also been interesting seeing such a strong military presence. When we walked into Rumtek, men with assault rifles guarded the entry. They were present throughout the monastery, as well. I wonder what type of psychological effects seeing armed militia has on civilians, when they seem to be nearly always present. While The Circle of Karma supposedly takes place in the 1990s, there is no mention of military men anywhere in the novel. Is this because they weren't there, or because it is so unremarkable to someone from the region?
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