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Well, occassionally I ride up to China from Malaysia on my Kawasaki ZZR 1100 cc motorbike. Recently I shipped the bike to Sulawesi, to explore that fascinating island. I've posted a few pictures of Sulawesi elsewhere on this site from that last trip. I did Java once on my bike, loved it so much, and went back again to do Sumatra. On weekends we occassionaly ride up to Thailand or Laos or Cambodia. But one of the my longest and most interesting unconventional traveling was to drive the 22,000 km from Istanbul to Malaysia, retracing the route taken by those ancient traders along the Old Silk Road. We passed through Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Karakoram, Xinjiang Uyger, the Taklimakan and Gobi Deserts, China, Yunan and back to Malaysia through Laos and Thailand. 90 days of gruelling driving, camping, photography, fascination and visual enlightenment.
That's what I mean by unconventional travelling.
Last year however, I decided I had to see TIBET - not by flying to Lhasa as everyone does, but by driving to India from Malaysia, and exploring Tibet enroute. I drove a modified Toyota 4x4 Landcruiser in a convoy with a few like minded friends, covering the 14,000 km distance between Malaysia and India in about 60 days. We crossed Thailand and Laos again, and then China, the Himalayas, Tibet and Nepal, before reaching India, and shipping our vehicle back to Malaysia from Chennai. It was as memorable as my Old Silk Road expedition. We became the first people from Malaysia to do that trip, and I thought highlighting Tibet here will show you the type of pictures I like to shoot.
Tibet of course is the place that most of us promised ourselves that we will go to, before we finally go to our maker. Unfortunately, not many of us make it - to Tibet, I mean. ALL of us will get to see our maker one day . So here are a few pictures to encourage you to go to this fascinating country, in the rafters of the world, the land in the shadow of Everest, the highest mountain in the world. All my pictures of Tibet were shot with the humble Nikon Coolpix 995 and Coolpix 5700, proving perhaps that most times, the camera doesn't really matter so much, as the passion of the person behind the camera. The Tibet trip was before I spoiled myself with the Canon 10d and my present array of Canon EF L lenses. Since getting the sophisticated Canon 10d, I feel these days I'm perhaps a little more obsessed with equipment than with pictures.
Anyway, on to pictures from Tibet.
Tibetan landscapes are literally breathtaking. Breathing is difficult because most of the Tibetan Plateau is higher than 4000 meters and the air is very thin. Night time temperatures sometimes drops to minus 5 Celsius, even in summer. The higher parts are cold, arid and dusty, a high altitude desert, where moisture is often locked up in in ice and snow. There is little vegetation and very few trees.
My first picture is a Tibetan Pilgrim photographed outside the Jokhang Temple, in Lhasa. He had walked nearly 500 km from his village to come to the Jokhang Temple. I felt he deserves a place of honour here because through our interpreter, he told us a charming Tibetan legend about how Mt. Everest was formed. I was fascinated by this man and his story, and I think my fascination is reflected a little in my picture of him. I believe that when you shoot with passion, the picture is somehow a little different. In my eyes at least. That is why this is one of my personal favourites.
We all know that Mt Everest, the highest mountain in the world, was formed only 2 mil years ago, when the Indian sub-continent crashed against an unyielding Central Asian land mass. That is the geological reality. This pilgrim from Lhasa however, told me that Tibetans believe that Mt. Everest, their sacred Mt. Qomolangma, is the Snow Goddess, or the Third Fairy. He said that the Himalayas was once an unending stretch of lush forests on a beautiful sea-coast - a haven for all kinds of flowers, birds, and animals, living harmoniously with humans. This was the legendary Shangri-la.
Then suddenly an enormous Five Headed Demon came from the sea. It terrorized the tranquility of Shangri-la, and frightened away all the animals. Fortunately, in answer to the prayers of Tibetans, God created Five Fairies from Five Clouds which were floating over Tibet, and sent them down to subdue the Five Headed Demon. With the Demon vanquished, Tibet became Shangri-La once again.
The animals and humans were very grateful to the Five Fairies, and asked them to stay on in Tibet. They agreed, and the Five Fairies became Mt.Lhotse, Mt.Makalu, Mt.Qomolangma, Mt.Qowowuyang and Mt.Shisha Pangma, five of the greatest peaks in the Himalayas. Mt. Qomolangma, or Mt. Everest to you and I, was the Third Goddess, the highest mountain in the world...
I have a picture of the North Face of Mt Everest shot at dawn, a truly mesmerizing sight. Unfortunately however, it was shot handheld, and therefore a bit soft. I'll try and post it once I've managed to clean it up a bit.
Here is a shot of the magnificent Potola Palace of Lhasa, which is quite close to the Jokhang Temple. The Potola Palace used to be the traditional home of the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual and temporal leader, until 1959 when the Dalai Lama fled to India following an abortive uprising against communist Chinese rule. In 1979 the Palace was opened to the public as a Museum. Construction of the Potola Palace first began in 700 A.D. With successive additions, today it has 13 floors and hundreds of rooms and Buddhist chapels in it. Standing on a red hill in the center of Lhasa, the Palace is the most imposing structure in the city. This picture was also shot with my humble Coolpix 995 with a wide angle adaptor attached.
And here is a close up shot of the roof structure of the Red part of the Potola Palace. A large part is made of wood and brightly painted.
Driving in the Himalayas, even in a highly modified 4x4, is not for the faint hearted. The tracks are a series of giant switchbacks. This is what they look like, just tiny scratches in the sides of huge mountains.
To cross the Himalayas, you need to pace your accent over several days in order to allow your body to acclimatize to the gradually thinning air. We brought two canisters of oxygen for emergencies, because AMS or Altitude sickness, is potentially fatal for the unprepared. Our Tibetan Guide made us drink lots of an awful concoction made from yak butter and tea, which is supposed to help in warding off the dreaded AMS. But the risk is worth it. Here is a typical view as we approach the permanent snowline at 4500 meters. Those vehicles belong to my friends who were with me on that adventure.
And here is another view looking down a switchback on our way to the 5800 m Lalung La Pass, which is one of the highest passes that we had to cross in order to get to Lhasa. Mind you, it is only a Pass, which means it is just a valley. To appreciate the altitude, you might not know that the highest point in Europe is Mt Elbrus at only 5643 m. The highest in Australia is Mt Kosciuszko, only a piece of rock at just at 2228 m. Mt Mckinley, the highest mountain in the USA is just over 6000 m, while the Vinson Massif in Antartica is 4897 m, and Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest in Africa, is only 5895 m. The vehicle is a Mitsubishi Pajero. The track first passes Nylam, and climbs up to the 5120 m Thongla Pass, before dropping down again and then rising steeply towards Lalung La, which is usually covered with snow. From the Lalung La pass, Mt Shisha Pangma, at 8012 m, and just 800 m shy of Everest, is majestically visible..
In many places in the Himalayas, there are no roads or tracks. Sometimes we had to drive along routes used only by donkeys and Tibetan yaks. Here is an icy shortcut that we drove through.
And here is a picture of a Tibetan woman with a butt as tough as a Yak's hide, traveling economy class on the side of a truck. I was trying to shoot the mountains behind her, but her truck came between me and the mountains as I tripped the shutter. I thought the picture was ruined, but was pleasantly surprised it came out quite nicely.
The Yak or Bull-like animal in the next picture, is vital for the Tibetan's survival. It is his truck and tractor. A beast of burden and a source of food and life's necessities in these rough terrain. The meat provides sustenance. Its milk makes cheese and butter which is believed to be good at preventing AMS. The hide is leather for tents, equipment and clothing. The horns and bones are transformed into useful utensils. The fur makes blankets and ropes. Even the Yak's droppings are dried and used as fuel for cooking. Acknowledging the importance of his yak for his survival, Tibetans will decorate their animals much like young people will decorate their cars.
In the lower reaches of the Himalayas, Tibetans also rear sheep. I saw this flock going home in the evenng :-
And to end this short portfolio on Tibet, here is a bit of fun and digital trickery. I wonder if anyone remembers this issue of Time magazine.
For more pictures, take a look at my web site.
I am the Bright,
Bearer of Sight,
For those who Might,
Not have seen the Light..
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