Trekking to Tibet: Saga Dawa at Mt Kailash

The Tarboche flagpole ceremony

Saga Dawa is the most auspicious day of the Tibetan calendar and for centuries pilgrims have travelled from all over Tibet and Asia to circumnambulate Mt Kailash on this sacred day. It's the reason we've all travelled so far...

From the journal (expletives not deleted):

cold

flagpole raised

deals done

monks sung

smoke stung

video crews

chinese machine pistols

prostrating pilgrims

prayer flags

prayer notes

juniper and sage

God, I'm such a wanker! All this intellectual shit I say doesn't mean a thing before the power of my emotional mind...

...The 2 night, 3 day kora (pilgrimage) is to begin tomorrow. It was apparently bullshit trail talk about people dying - although conditions are pretty tough. Whether or not I do it is now in the lap of the gods. I think my diarrhoea is passing, although I'm still pretty weak.

Paul is pretty ill with a flu type thing and says he won't make it if he's not better tomorrow. If he ain't, then I'll go with him to the Chiu Monastery guest house (and hot spring!) at Lake Manasarovar, where we'll wait while the others do it. If everyone is OK, then I'll screw up my somewhat weakened resolve and do it too.

Shit! it's just started raining and I definitely don't wanna do any more rain trekking - it's just too fucking dangerous and tiring.

The Tarboche Flagpole Ceremony

Prior to beginning the Kailash kora, pilgrims gather at Tarboche, where the flag-bedecked pole is raised anew each year. While pilgrims walk in clockwise circles around the pole, ceremonies are performed under the direction of the oracle. The raising of the pole is breathlessly awaited as the pole's final position portends Tibet's fortunes for the coming year...

the dedication of prostration...

and always, the watchers...

and watchers with guns...

the oracle checks preparations to raise the pole

while a watcher watches me

clouds of hurled flour announce a vertical pole: the best omen

windhorses on paper everywhere...

...and an hour later... everybody's gone!

From the journal:

Just found out at dinner that people did die a few days ago: Whoa!

The Tibetan guides have said that if it's still raining in the morning, nobody's going.

Stuff it - I'm not going anywhere now.

What I did last night was harder than any kora.

I think I've learned the lesson this trip was for...

...Just before I sleep, I step outside...

I see the moon...

Do you see it too, and think of me?