Tibet Favorite Tips by tiganeasca

Beautiful, curious children...

Fondest memory: As with many other children I would see, she was a beautiful child, terribly curious about foreigners who would park by the side of the road near her home in the middle of an otherwise empty horizon. She had earrings of both turquoise and coral and wore a heavy dark green jacket held together with a huge safety pin over blue corduroy pants.

During our entire encounter of five minutes, she said not a word; she was most interested in just looking at us, at what we were wearing, at our Land Cruiser--she was curious about everything. Unlike children who saw foreigners more frequently and so were sometimes quite vocal about demanding tribute, she asked for nothing, not even in return for the photographs we took of her. We were able to share some small gifts with her but nothing we did could provoke so much as a smile.

Are you expert in Tibetan Buddhism? Don't worry!

Favorite thing: Like many visitors, I brought little real knowledge of the country with me to Tibet. I had read portions of my several guidebooks but found much of what I read difficult to assimilate while sitting in Chicago.

For instance, although I knew Tibet is a Buddhist country, my knowledge of Buddhism was minimal. I had always thought of Buddhism as a religion but Buddhists tend to consider it more of a philosophy or even a way of life. Unless you come well-prepared and well-versed in Tibetan Buddhism, the statues, murals, and almost infinite decorations are nearly too much to comprehend.

Nearly every day I encountered dozens of figures in Tibetan history--Tibetan and Buddhist history are indescribably intertwined--and I learned but a tiny fraction of the stories, myths, and legends of the Buddha and his followers. Images, whether painted, sculpted, or drawn, were everywhere.

But one lesson I brought back is that precise identification may be less important than it seems. There is a great deal to be said for just plunging ahead. Don't concentrate on the words or on individual images. Let the atmosphere wash over you. The sensory experience is of greater moment than the details.

Of course, knowing more will undoubtedly make your trip that much more meaningful. Still, you cannot help but learn and be impressed by the faith and devotion of the people--impressions that will be overwhelming, I think, whether you are an expert or a newcomer.

Fondest memory: The people. In all my travels, I have never, ever met people so willing and eager to laugh. Although there are, of course, exceptions and of course people who have little to laugh about, the vast majority of people we met--whether beggars or children, lamas or shopkeepers--were almost always on the verge of a smile, if not a grin. Laughter seems to come easily to these people and the influence such a "small" thing can have on your day and your experience is absolutely enormous.

You've never seen so many road crews in your life

Favorite thing: Road construction and maintenance is a regular feature of modern Tibetan life. There are an extraordinary number of people--children as well as women and men-- engaged in road work. For the most part, the crews fill holes with gravel, build up soft shoulders, or level badly worn roads.

But the numbers are astonishing. Tibet must have a higher rate of road crews per kilometer of road than any other nation on earth. Except on paved roads, we might pass as many as five or six crews a day, ranging in size from a few people to as many as several dozen. Formal road grading or paving equipment was virtually non-existent. The most technologically advanced tool that the crews possessed was a shovel.