Yak, Yak, Yak, Yak, TIBET!
Yak-Steaks, Yak-Burger, Yak-Butter, Yak-Butchers literally on the sidewalks of Lhasa! These large furry beasts are EVERYWHERE! At first, the smell stuck me as being a bit unusual, but every day I linger I grow sicker of the overwhelming odor of raw yak meat…. although it does taste excellent after being cooked. There are many more unique attributes of Tibet, but it’s hard to ignore the over-abundance and reliance on this cow like creature.
After such a short time, I’m still at a loss to describe the people and their culture thoroughly. They are as mysterious and exotic as they are friendly and inviting. I sensed a strong feeling of the Native American influence in both the people and the landscape. Some of the Tibetans with black braided hair are tan in complexion from the sun at these 4000m+ altitudes, and their very jewelry and clothing resemble what I’ve seen of South American indigenous cultures. Even the barren brown desert plains and mountains surrounding simple white adobe looking structures reminds me a bit of the southwest USA scenery. The whole situation forces images of the European assimilation of the Americas over the last few hundred years.
That is one issue that has been creeping into my heart every day that I am here; the influx of Chinese culture appears to be deteriorating this unique Himalayan civilization. Although the invasion and occupation fifty years ago has brought a few necessary improvements and modern comforts to a desperate feudal serfdom bound populace, it has also had its surplus of negative effects on the population as well. I am not Tibetan, Chinese, educated on the subject or qualified enough to comment any more accurately, but being here is enough to feel the conflict of interest and witness a slow dissolution of what formerly was Tibet.
These facts wouldn’t be as obvious to a foreigner if it weren’t for the Chinese government flaunting its authority so blatantly. The political sensitivity of the region becomes clear when you see armies of police stationed through the city, especially in the religious pilgrim attractions. Seeing how an entire culture and society can evolve so drastically within a person’s lifetime is enough to illustrate the power of change and adaptation. Although the traditional Tibetan customs and lifestyle are still there, they are faded and will only exist in a mutated form alongside the Chinese occupation.
The situation even leaks over into the tourist industry. It takes more time to arrange the permits and necessary tour groups that there is little time left for sightseeing and cultural activities. There is an unnecessary amount of bureaucratic red tape involved in achieving all but the simplest exploration. It is something of the Chinese government’s oppression and restrained society that I witnessed glimpses of in the mainland, but here it just smacks you in the face like a brick!
Independent travel almost disappears here due to the proportion of tourists and the reliance on sticking together to make anything significant happen. Group travel never seems to accomplish anything very fast, so it only adds to the molasses like feeling of moving around Tibet. Unfortunately, the only things discussed between these large groups of travelers are the difficulties arranging permits, assailing the current political situation, contending with the bureaucracy and the pondering the elusive AMS: Acute Mountain Sickness. The big problem with ascending to these high altitudes is supposed to be severe life-threatening headaches, but nobody seems to suffer anything but a shortness of breath from the thin atmosphere and unusually excessive flatulence.
The odd thing is that as much as I can rant about the problems here, there are enough things to love about this unique place and culture. It is just unfortunate that the Tibetans and travelers alike are forced to endure these problems caused by a careless government oppressor. Yak, yak, yak, yak… etc.
Tags: - Reflection, Asia, China, China: Tibet, Politics, Tibet
Adam Shane
yak is the semi wid animal of the northrn areas of pakistan & very fruitful anima of the word.