Solo Mountaintop dance party (for my homies)
In Shegar things go on as I would guess they did hundreds of years ago, the local people use a horse and cart to get around.. The ponies are decorated with tassles and bells, a stiking resemblance to the owners themselves sometimes.
The men sit proudly with their hair braided with the dyed red yak wool and sheep horn that has been polished into a huge bead woven into their hair.
The children with painfully dirty faces and shy smiles sit with grandma in the cart, next to carcasses of Look-sha a freeze/air dried sheep cadaver(definatley an aquired taste.) and grain bags filled to the brim with yak chips for fuel.
Too many days of rushing here and there have taken a toll on my usual sunny dispostion, and a day in the mountains is always well appreciated, with a whole lovely day of not having to worry about how in the world we get to the next town before our deadline I am elated.
Do I see a Kora?!
YAY!
Slowly I make my way up the crevice of the mountain, pausing for breaths looking at the scenery unveiling itself as I climb higher. Carins on the right of the path to help find the way.
The path gets gnarlier and the breath gets shorter but the revealing montain tops with every step encourages me on the ascent.
At the top prayer flags are strewn between the peaks and the ancient Crystal palace looms above my head. I spend a while just looking at the valley and the tiny towns sprinkled throughout the horizon.
The kora leading down the mountain goes straight across a chilly mountain river and I am forced to go across with bare feet, December… Ice… Snow… Yikes! inviorgationg to say the least.
A lovely old woman in wellies helps take my hand as I fumble across, the other villagers look on amused as always, and with her help I am safely on the other side..
Later in the evening, I have a grand idea. The moon would be full and I climb to the top of a hill, high enough to overlook the city and have an unobrstucted view of the mountains,
As the sky begins to darken, the cold sets in and the stars begin to shine.
I sit shivering in the dusk.
But not for long, as the moons glow starts to light up the crystal palace and the hills behind me. I put on some music and start dancing to keep warm.
Hello solo-dance party.
My spirits are higher than they have been for days, a huge grin on my face awaiting the moon. I am thinking of my friends in London and Chicago, and looking around at the burningmanesque moonscape wishing they could be here with me dancing on this mountain.
The illuminatiion creeps in around me as I the only drum and bass track on my mp3player comes on and jump around like mad.. ps. adam please bring more drum and bass 🙂
A wild dog comes within a few meters of me, and sits down facing the ever lighiting mountians, no doubt awaiting the arrival of the moon..
Finally it happens. The moon appears as a sliver and then grows into a huge ball the man looking down at me.. He bathes me in a warm bluish light. My shadow becomes elongated against the peaks behind me, and I keep dancing until my battery runs out and I am forced to head down to town, full of smiles and warmth.
I am still thinking of all my friends, and indeed they were all with me dancing on this mountain, or soon they will be:)
Tags: shegar, tibet, Travel
jessica
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