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WORLDWIDE 2005/6ISSUE #07 $6.95

TRAVEL CULTURE>GST INCLUDED

“A GOOD HOLIDAY IS ONE THAT IS SPEN

T AMONG PEOPLE W

HOSE NOTIONS OF TIME ARE VAGUER TH

AN YOURS.” JB PRIESTLY |ASIAN SECRETS

|BELIZE|BOLIVIA

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|INDIA|NEW

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|WALES

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24hoursinlhasa

#20 get lost! ISSUE #07

text + images: juliet coombe

destination: tibet

get informed!

get in the know! The then 6-year old Panchen Lama was kidnapped by the Communists in 1995 and hasn’t been seen since.

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ISSUE #07 get lost! #21

Once a major centre of Buddhistculture, philosophical learningand home to the Dalai Lama, theancient Tibetan city of Lhasa nowstruggles under the continuingoccupation of Chinese forces and the strain of forced culturalassimilation. Amid the thinHimalayan atmosphere JulietCoombe contemplates the rapidmodernisation of a city in the sky.

DAWN: I JOIN TIBETAN PILGRIMS ON THEkora, a sacred path of worship aroundthe Barkor Bazaar, which surrounds the

most holy centre of Tibetan Buddhism, theJokhang Temple. Located in Lhasa’s town centre,it was built in the 7th century to receive a goldstatue of Buddha, a dowry of the Chinese PrincessWengcheng when she arrived in Lhasa to bemarried with the Tibetan King, Songtsen Gampo.

Today, from earliest dawn to last light, Tibetansarrive to make the circumambulation of theJokhang to earn religious merit, stopping every so often to light incense in one of five kilns or to prostrate at the front of the Jokhang.

The kora is also a residential area and market, theheart of Lhasa where Tibetans live, meet, socialiseand shop. Houses and stores squash betweensmaller temples, prayer poles and prayer wheels.

7.00am: After finishing the prayer circuit, I talk to some nuns over a cup of sweet yak milktea at the Ani Ts Ang Khung nunnery. A nun calledRongdon whispers a mantra as she cuts and rollshand printed prayers in the nunnery productionline for Buddha. Her favourite job is the cuttingout, as she doesn’t have to concentrate too hardand can focus on her mantras.

Not many tourists visit the nunnery soRongdon is quite happy to practice her Englishwhen foreigners drop by. She gives me a prayer,which had been wrapped in yellow cloth, rolled and glued into a tiny tablet. I thank her for theunique souvenir, which she explains undernormal circumstances would end up inside a Buddha after being blessed by a Lama in the Jokhang Temple.

CITY IN THE SKY

get in the know! The Panchen Lama, leader of the Yellow-Hat sect, is the 2nd highest incarnation in Tibetan Buddhism.

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8.10am: I take my hand printed prayers and with breakfast in mind head to the second-floor Pentoc restaurant on East Zang Yi Yuan Road in the heart of Old Lhasa, a two-minute walk from the Jokhang Temple & Barkor Bazaar.Despite being told Tibetan food is poor, I’mpleasantly surprised by the gourmet affair of sweet breads, cakes and fine coffees on offer alongside local favourites like Tsampaporridge or bobis (tortillas with sour cream and vegetables or meat). I’m served in what looks like a reincarnation of a Dali Lama’squarters, decorated as it is with traditional Tibetan handicrafts and fabrics.

9.30am: Dominating both the city andpostcard stands as it does, Potala Palace is amust-see in Lhasa. Even so, the one-time home of the exiled Dalai Lama is no spiritual Mecca.Instead of enlightenment I find a dark, cold and eerie building, with closed-circuit cameraswatching over every square inch of what was once the centre of yellow hat power. Then there are the uniformed soldiers of China’s PLA patrolling the corridors with suspicion in their eyes. I suppose the hordes of gold, silver,turquoise, silks and religious art are statetreasures deserving of such protection, but asmaterial symbols of occupation there are noneso poignant as these guarded relics which canno longer be accessed by many Tibetan monks.

11.00am: After being closely followed by both guards and cameras within the palace, I decide to walk around its imposing exterior. From

any viewpoint, Potala perfectly compliments thenatural landscape in abidance with all the rules of both Chinese and Tibetan traditions. Waters of the holy Yarlung River are to the fore,mountains protect the rear, and havingbeen constructed upon small hill facingsouth, the palace is one of the first places to receive the morning sun.

Midday: Hailing a rickshaw I look backat the palace’s striking kidney and cream-coloured walls backed by the ruggedmountain range and cobalt blue skies. At its foot and flowing along its stairs is an ocean of pilgrims spinning prayerwheels. I wonder when, if ever, the DalaiLama in exile will be allowed to return.The Tibetan pilgrims and dedicatedBuddhist monks, with their fervent faith, seem to think it will happen sometime. If not in theircurrent life, then in their next, which seems morelikely given the Chinese Government has bannedall images of the Dalai Lama under the threat ofarrest and imprisonment.

Lunch: Back in the old quarter I discover Tashi 1 on the corner of Beijing Dong Lu and MentsikhangLu. A well-known haunt for hungry tourists, thecheesecake and cream cheese vegetable bobi areboth as delicious as promised in the guide books.

1.15pm: I climb to the rooftopof Jokhang for another perspective of the Potala palace. The afternoon sun casts a golden glow over a not so pure land and I contemplate the tragedy that since invasion, over 6,000monasteries have been destroyed. Today, less than forty remain.

2.48pm: I head off Norbalinka, which means the ‘Jewel Park’. For me it is the mostaffecting place in all Lhasa. This was once thesummer palace of the Dalai Lama (the Potalabeing the winter time seat of the monasticgovernment). Lawns and flower gardens,fountains, lakes and even a zoo all tell of

happier times, and although displaying the

’’

’’Dominating both the city and postcard stands as it does,

Potala Palace is a must-see in Lhasa. Even so, the one-timehome of the exiled Dalai Lama is no spiritual Mecca.

#22 get lost! ISSUE #07 get in the know! Tibet is nearly the size of western Europe.


effects of obvious neglect, they still speak much of the period when the Dalai Lama and his fellowTibetans enjoyed peace and religious freedom.There is a real sense of the Dalai Lama havingonly stepped out for a moment, but then neverreturning. It was of course from Norbalinka thatthe 14th Dalai Lama fled the Chinese invasion of1949-59, hot-footing it over the Himalayas toIndia disguised as a Tibetan soldier. The ensuingviolent crackdown on the Tibetan community wasbrutal. To this day the Dalai Lama has not been ableto return and Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, now 13 andrecognised as the eleventh reincarnation of thePanchen Lama, remains the world’s youngestpolitical prisoner.

A modern 1950s tiled bathroom with westerntoilet, a wireless, and the dismantled chassis of two cars – gifts carried on the backs of porters to a road-less Lhasa in the 1940’s – are allreminders of a young Dalai Lama adjusting to amodern world. It was a world which descendedonly too suddenly upon him in the form ofChina’s invasion.

Dinner: With such weight on my mind, I take another contemplative walk on the kora,and realise that while the Tibetan’s struggle forself-determination remains, so does their will to remain true to their Buddhist roots. Walkingalongside me, they smile broadly and laugh,their strength of spirit shining through as brightly as their hand woven clothing,underneath which and at great risk some still carry a small image of the Dali Lama.

Lifted by such a sense of defiant hope, I venture off to dinner. With its view overBarkhor Square, Makye Amye restaurant is the best place to sit and watch Lhasa enter the crisp night while sipping tea and dining

on a rich but inexpensive mix of Italian, Nepali and Tibetan cuisine.

9.07pm: After dinner I check out GleckesFresh Beer Bar a watering hole located in the westof town which shows that Chinese isn’t the onlyinvading culture in Lhasa. It’s open from 10am until midnight and charges around Y10-12 (AUD 20 cents) a glass of Lhasa beer. The Last Bus is another place for trendy traveller typeswho enjoy bottled beer in a funky atmosphere.Look out for the bus poking out from the wall.

10.35pm: I move onto the Music Kitchen, nearthe Lhasa Hotel. It plays some of the best westernmusic on offer and it’s where you will see all theyoung, affluent Chinese teenagers out partying.

Midnight: I end my night by sampling aKaraoke club, a strange warehouse-like venuewhere, along with the rather stilted efforts oflocals, I sing along to tunes I last heard in theeighties but which have obviously only justmade it to Lhasa. And while the Chinese patronsembrace a culture very different to their own as it blares harshly from oversized loudspeakers, I wonder why their government won’t extend thesame courtesy to the Tibetans.

ISSUE #07 get lost! #23

Best Entry:By air or bus from within China. Australian visitors toTibet must obtain a Chinese tourist visa from theChinese Embassy in Australia. Visas can be obtainedfor stays of 30, 60 or 90 days, but when applying it’snot a good idea to mention that you’re planning to visitTibet. Once in China, travellers must apply for a grouppermit from the Tibet Tourism Bureau of the T.A.R.(Tibet Autonomous Region) government. But don’tdespair if you’re travelling alone, a ‘group’ can consistof only one traveller. You can also access Tibet fromKathmandu, Nepal, however the trip is long, arduous,dangerous and often cancelled due to landslides and

atrocious weather. Only for the hardy.

Best Trip: Intrepid Travel offers trips throughout Tibet exploringLhasa where you will visit palaces, temples,monasteries and pilgrims. Visit www.intrepidtravel.comor ph: 1300 360 667 for a free Intrepid brochure.

Best Time: Half of Tibet’s yearly rainfall is usually felt between themonths of July and August and there is the possibilityof dust storms between May and June. Despite this,Lhasa is known for having the mildest weather in Tibetbetween the months of May and November and it isrecommended to visit during this time.

Best Read:For a comprehensive journey through the ruggedmountain landscapes, temples and history of thisamazing country, read Tibet (5th Ed) by BradleyMayhew, Monique Choy, John Bellezza and TonyWheeler available from all good book stores. For more a political overview, check out Freedom in Exile, theautobiography of the Dalai Lama or In Exile from theLand of Snows: The Definitive Account of the DalaiLama and Tibet Since the Chinese Conquest by John F. Avedon.On the web, try the Australian Tibet Council at www.atc.org.au

Best Viewing: See the film Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion, an excellentdocumentary on the truth behind the tragedy that is the illegal and violent colonisation of Tibet. A powerfully moving expose.

CITY IN THE SKY

get in the know! The word sadhu in Tibetan means 'chestnut'. In Nepalese, a sadhu is a wandering holy man.


get tested!

#54 get lost! ISSUE #07 get in the know! Jaisalmer is actually falling down. Its foundations are collapsing and it is in need of urgent renovation.

IF CAMELS ARE THE SHIPS OF THE DESERT then I must be on the Titanic. Rolling,lurching and pitching – not to mention the

belching and farting. I wonder how I’m going to put up with this for three days.

I’m longing to see an iceberg made of beer: it’shot, far too hot and it’s only a couple of hours afterbreakfast. It will, I’m assured, get much hotter.

I was introduced to my camel this morningwhen I started this safari, but its name soundedonomatopoeic, an echo of the less salubriousnoises it has been making ever since. I wasconvinced that I was being taught rude words in Hindi. Besides, I’ve already forgotten it, so Titanic it is.

I’m in the great Thar Desert of Rajasthan thatstretches all the way to Pakistan. This morning I left the town of Jaisalmer on a three day camelsafari with ‘Mr Desert’, a local celebrity and themost Rajasthani looking Rajasthani I have evermet. A great bear of a man with a bushy beardand mischievous pale grey eyes, I have knownhim for years but never have I taken one of hisfamed safaris until now.

After just a few hours in the saddle my arseknows why. I ache in places I never knew existed. I feel like I’ve passed out face-down and a mardigras party is parading over me. At the beginningof the day I was so into the idea of spending threedays on a camel. A couple of days in Jaisalmer

text + images: steve davey

destination: rajasthan, india

does that to you. You start off a backpacker and finish up an extra in Arabian Nights.

Jaisalmer is one of those fairytale places. A massive fort set on a hill in the middle of thedesert, it’s a warren of tiny alleys steeped inmystery and romance. In places streets are sonarrow that the ornate stone balconies of opposingbuildings nearly touch, and if you meet one of themany sacred cows that seem to claim the place as their own, it will be you who has to give way.

There is only one way into the fort, up a steepand twisting road that leads through a number ofhuge gates, complete with spikes set at the rightheight to stop elephants from pushing them down.Dating back some 850 years, the fort was built at

Steve Davey gets lumped on a camel safari in

the Thar Desert of Rajasthan in India.

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get in the know! A camel’s hump is actually used for storing fat, not water. ISSUE #07 get lost! #55

DESERT RIDER

It’s mandatory to feel isolatedout here. That is until an IndianAirforce jet screams overhead.

’’’’

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text + images: ben callery

destination: brithdir mawr, wales

get on location!

M.Night Shymalan’s movie The Village uncovered the foibles of communities who shun the world in preference for their ownalternative, often strange ways of living. But just how many ‘Villages’ exist in real life? Ben Callery visits Brithdir Mawr, an‘alternative’ village in Wales.

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WALES OFA TIME

get in the know! Brithdir Mawr means ‘Great Speckled Land’ in Welsh. ISSUE #07 get lost! #25

potential as cosmic spiritual beings.” I just had to see for myself how and why they live such an intriguing lifestyle.

Before arriving, I map out a course to hikethrough the national park. Given the village’senergy efficient, frontier nature, on foot seemsthe appropriate way to arrive. Unfortunatelyreactive arthritis contracted after a bout of foodpoisoning from a shanty village in India makeswearing shoes unbearably painful. Bare feetwould undoubtedly give me hippie credibility, but walking the 80km to get there sans shoes is impossible. Reluctantly, I hire a car.

As I cruise through the rolling green hills betweenquaint towns on the Pembrokeshire coast I wonderwhat to expect. Will the village be a colourful oasisof friendly activity, like DiCaprio’s first visions in The Beach or a utopia-gone-wrong dictatorship astranspires in Alex Garland’s book? Would it be anold-world insular society rejecting the outside world like Shyamalan’s The Village? With theseuncertainties I am quite nervous about how I will be received.

ACOUPLE OF YEARS AGO A PLANE FLYING over south-west Wales reported astrange flicker of light coming from a

small forest below. It was a routine flight for a British planning authority plane, checking up on the state of the Pembrokeshire NationalPark (PNP) below, but what they found uponinvestigation was far from routine.

In the patch of forest surrounded by fieldsscattered with ancient stone circles, a smallcommunity of people were living under the trees,seemingly disconnected from the outside world.The flicker of light was the sun’s reflection off asolar panel – the community’s main energy source.

As an architect with a special interest insustainable building, I’d researched and seenplenty of ‘green communities’ around the world.From hippie beachside ti-pee villages to five stareco-retreats; the ones where you trade in the pin-stripes for a sarong and sip organic, fair trade, GM free, skinny cappuccinos - good for the planetbut not for the wallet. This seemed different. This seemed like the real deal.

The so called Tir Ysbrydol community live on a 165 acre patch of land known as Brithdir Mawr.The property is run as an eco-villageencompassing several sustainable living projects.One of the more interesting is the Tir Ysbrydol(meaning ‘spiritual’) Trust. While others onBrithdir Mawr live organically in original farmbuildings, these guys take it a step further, living in mud and wood-built homes in ways that resonate a lot closer with nature than most.

As the community puts it, they are “a very low impact embryonic community dedicated todeveloping our relationship with the earth andnature spirits, and each other, to fully realise our

’’

’’Up ahead, twin girls wearing matching clothes play

in a garden. They walk on all fours with backs archedbackwards, so their bellies face the sky.



My directions take me to a farmhouse where I park and wander towards an eerily-whizzingwindmill in the distance. Up ahead, twin girlswearing matching clothes play in a garden. Theywalk on all fours with backs arched backwards, sotheir bellies face the sky. Their mother appears andintroduces herself. With a sigh of relief, I instantlyrelaxed on her greeting. No-one has two heads, no-one is sitting on porches in rocking chairs pointingdouble-barrelled shotguns at me. The girls are notgenetic mutations, rather they jump back to theirfeet as we wander past and prove to be especiallybright kids.

The posse of mother and daughters guides medownhill through dense forest. We reach a clearingwhere the path stops atop a mound, in the centre of which is a small glass dome. To the side, stepslead down revealing a door to an earth-boundhouse reminiscent of Tolkein’s Hobbit houses built into the hills of The Shire, albeit lacking theHollywood-budget touch.

It’s one of a series of houses on the property.Constructed of wood sourced from the site andcovered with earth and straw from the ground, they are as close to nature as a building can getwithout being a cave. Inside, thick earth walls and a domed roof permeate a sedative effect.

One of the most productive farms in the area overmany centuries, Brithdir Mawr declined from the1970's. Its main house slowly became derelict, thefarm buildings falling to ruin. The farm was thensold in 1993 and restoration began with the aim ofsetting up a project in sustainable land use, basedaround a community of adults and children. Theaim was to “use materials only from the land andlocality, to be harmonious with the environment; to use the power of wind, water and sun forelectricity, and look after the land.”

Beside each house sits a solar panel, the energysource fuelling the communities’ independentexistence. Electricity is also provided by thewindmill and a small hydro turbine on a creek, thetrickle of power enough to feed the communities’

appetite for a few of the more traditional suburbancomforts: lights, radio, TV, remote internetconnections and even a small recording studio.Despite initial appearances, the community isn’t ascut off from the outside world as one might expectgiven their isolation and ethos of sustainable living.

Perhaps this is why the community isn’t associally splintered as I feared, the most unusualarrangement being a penchant for nudity enjoyedby some of the senior members - a brave choicegiven Wales’ unflatteringly cold climate.

The Tsyr Tyrol community was started by a groupof people wanting to live in harmony with nature.Since settling in, the World Wildlife Foundation hascertified that their ‘ecological footprint’ is only 1.9 hectare per person, a third of the average for Wales and an officially ‘sustainable’ level.

They are however in the midst of a legal battle with the planning authorities over their‘inappropriate’ use of farm land for housing.

While many are kept busy tending crops andhouses, some members also work in the outsidecommunity.The population of 12-20 fluctuates over the seasons as residents move between the Welsh location in summer and sistercommunities in Greece and Spain in winter.

Visitors are encouraged to join the community as volunteers and to help celebrate the changingseasons. As part of the cycle of life the people of Tir Ysbrydol find it “nourishing” to celebrateequinoxes, solstices and cross-quarter days,marking them with simple ceremonies that helpthem “focus on the greater world around us andaffirm our place within that world.”

Tir Ysbrydol is not ‘The Shire’, and it’s definitelynot Hollywood; it’s real. It’s not everyone’s cup ofEarl Grey but nevertheless is an admirable way oflife. Cruising through the rolling green hills of Walesafter leaving both the Tsyr Tyrol and Brithdir Mawrcommunities behind, I’m inspired by the thoughtthat if the plane had not spotted the busy littlecommunity below, I wouldn’t have known aboutthem. I can’t help but wonder how many othercommunities are out there that haven’t beenunearthed by a wayward flight path. Villages that are still to be discovered. All you need is a full tank of politically incorrect petrol. Or shoes.

The Brithdir Mawr community can be seen atwww.brithdirmawr.com where there is also a link to the Tir Ysbrydol community. Visitors are welcome as are volunteers.

There are many farms similar to Brithdir Mawr aroundthe world offering travellers the opportunity to getinvolved in WWOOFing – World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. Many offer free food andaccommodation in exchange for work, which varies from 4-8 hours a day. www.wwoof.org.

get in the know! Sigourney Weaver had nightmares for two weeks after reading the script for The Village.


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