Сегодня я слегка в меланхоличном настроении. Одна из участниц нашей банды с задних сидений уехала. Хелена едет дальше отсюда в Непал. Сегодня она уехала вместе с парой из Малайзии, и теперь наша тургруппа сократилась до семи человек. Между мной и Хеленой установилась тесная связь. Мы сидели друг напротив друга в автобусе и с удовольствием вместе ходили в походы, ведя тихие беседы. Она милая, любит приключения и ищет своё место в мире. Она датчанка, а её отец венгерского происхождения. Когда разговор заходил о семье, она мало что говорила, и у меня сложилось впечатление, что она вовсе не близка со своим отцом. Наша связь развивалась через шутки, поддразнивания и взаимную заботу. Она расположила меня к себе, когда я подшучивал над её излишней поклажей, тем, что она теряла такие вещи, как солнцезащитные очки или шапка, над тем, что её сумка всё время падала в проход и натыкалась мне на ногу, и над её желанием найти удобную скамью (камень) во время походов. По мере того как связь крепла, мы решили, что я тот дедушка, который ей нужен, и она шутила, что я должен брать её в поездки, как своих внуков. Её мама — врач, поэтому она пришла с аптечкой, что помогло мне, так как она щедро делилась таблетками электролитов, за что я был очень благодарен. Глубина нашей связи стала особенно очевидна, когда мы стояли группой в коридоре отеля, направляясь к своим номерам, и поняли, что это были последние прощания. Мы крепко обнялись, со слезами на глазах и не в силах произнести что-либо кроме простого «я буду скучать по тебе». Любовь бывает разной. Она напоминает мне мою невестку Ханну, которую тоже было легко полюбить. Если бы мы жили рядом, мы бы поддерживали связь и наслаждались нашей семейной близостью и той любовью, которую разделяем. Но, как часто бывает, такой судьбы нам не суждено. Я так рад, что этот момент красоты прошёл через мой путь, и я всегда буду хранить эту память. Но сегодня утром я меланхоличен, и песня, которая играет у меня в голове, — «Calling All Angels» в исполнении k. d. Lange. Прощай, Хелена.
This afternoon, I returned to Lhasa. For this final day of travel, we chose a different route than the one we took to Mt. Kailash. The path to the mountain was very picturesque with several stops, but it was bumpy and slow. On the way back, there were no scenic interruptions, and the highway was relatively new, which resulted in a smoother ride, allowing us to travel faster. Upon our arrival, we bid farewell to our driver and guide, collected our additional checked luggage, checked into our rooms, and then I went out with Tony and Yelina to complete some souvenir shopping and grab a bite to eat. We walked about 30 minutes from the hotel to a street market, made our purchases, and ventured into a less touristy area. We were the only Westerners there, clearly in a local neighborhood. We found a local diner, ordered dumplings—always a popular choice—filled with yak meat. Tony selected a dish from a picture on the wall that looked intriguing, which turned out to be akin to a Shepherd's Pie, but made with yak meat and topped with a tortilla. That dish took quite a while to be prepared, and while waiting, a mother and her three daughters finished their meal at a nearby table. The girls greeted us with "Hello," their only English phrase, while continuing to smile and glance at us. I found it challenging to interact in such situations, as I felt like a novelty; I often smile and say hello but wished for deeper engagement. I asked Yelina if she could help facilitate communication and see if the girls would like to take a picture with me, which I also wanted. The mother agreed, and the girls eagerly arranged themselves for the photo. They were very sweet, and from their reactions, I believe this made their day, and they would share the experience with their friends. The meal was quite satisfying, and we left to explore a bit more but soon returned to the hotel. Tony, a rugby fan, noted that there are no sports bars here and hopes to watch the match on TV instead of his phone; it’s crucial for him to see this game.
Today, I find myself in a somewhat melancholy mood. One member of our Back of the Bus Gang has left. Helena is on her way to Nepal, having departed today with a couple from Malaysia, which means our tour group is now reduced to 7.
Documenting numerous personal, unpleasant specifics and certainly too much information. If you're squeamish, please exit now.
I realize I've discussed toilets quite a bit, but I think it deserves a separate post. The only Western-style toilets were found in hotels. In fact, the one in Chengdu was fully electronic; it had self-flushing, a heated seat, an integrated bidet, and a control panel on the wall that was too intricate to figure out during an overnight stay. Other hotels featured fairly typical flush toilets. After that, things took a turn for the worse.
It was relatively late in my life when I began seeking spiritual answers that were genuinely mine, rather than those imposed on me by society. The significant turning point occurred when I hiked the El Camino de Santiago from France through northern Spain. As I prepared for this journey, I resolved to use the time to explore my genuine feelings, regardless of whether they were right or wrong. I formulated five questions I needed to address, and by the end of the 31-day pilgrimage, I had answered them for myself and felt assured in my responses. This was truly "me," like it or not. Encouraged by that success, I approached the Kora with a similar mindset, bringing just one question to consider. A shorter pilgrimage meant a shorter question list, humorously speaking. My inquiry during this period was to ascertain whether I believed I existed for myself or for others. Knowing the answer to this is crucial for shaping how I spend the remainder of my life to realize my true purpose. Initially, the answer seemed quite straightforward, but it soon revealed itself to be a challenging question. Examining this question from different religious viewpoints yields completely different answers—take, for example, Buddhism versus Christianity. I identify as neither and do not adhere to organized religion, which means it's my responsibility and necessity to understand MY answer and pursue that purpose.
One aspect I didn't expect and that wasn't clearly outlined in the itinerary is the significant time we would spend traveling. Mt. Kailash is quite distant, the roads are extremely rough, and there isn't much to see along the way aside from stunning landscapes. Although the journey is worthwhile, it wasn't my favorite aspect.
Сегодня я в слегка меланхоличном настроении. Одна из нашей команды «Back of the Bus Gang» уехала. Хелена отправляется отсюда в Непал. Она уехала сегодня вместе с парой из Малайзии, и теперь в нашей тургруппе осталось семь человек.