Shivering by the Big Blue

Trip Start Nov 25, 2006

Trip End Ongoing

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Flag of China Lake Manasarovar, China
Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Old Tingri and Saga proved uneventful, in fact Saga was nothing but a stinking hole full of Chinese army recruits and an unhealthy ratio of prostitutes roaming the phlegm covered streets. So it goes without saying that we quickly made our way towards Lake Manasarovar in western Tibet.
Manasarovar is seen as the most sacred lake in Tibet by both the Hindus and Buddhists. Hindu legend has it that the Lake is the manifestation of the mind of Brahma the creator, and as a result thousands of pilgrims make the journey over from India every year to bathe in the freezing cold waters. Alternatively you can drink the stuff to rid yourself of a hundred lifetimes of sin, or more likely your previous half-digested meal, which would undoubtedly be rice with eggs because there's absolutely nothing else you can get out here. The only difference between meals is the quantity of chili oil you cover your food with.
Facilities by the lake were also a bit on the limited side, but we did managed to spend most of the evening huddled together in a Tibetan family's front room/restaurant, warmed by the ever hungry yak-shit stove.
The family had two young boys, so we were curious as to how people give birth out here when the nearest hospital is about 2 days drive away. We thought there might be a doctor nearby, or at least one of the monks from the monastery on the hill who could help. It turns out that there's no-one to offer advice, you just have to get on with it and hope everything goes smoothly. Maybe I should stop whinging about the bad food.

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