TIBET

June 2009Rev. James Lienert, MSF

GEOLOGY FIELD TRIP TO NEPAL AND TIBETThis trip was organized by Dr. Thomas Laudon, a retired professor of geology atUniversity of Wisconsin, at Oshkosh, Wisconsin.Dr. Laudon is on the far left.

Atop the Potala. Lhasa, Tibet

We arrived in Lhasa (Tibet) the 2nd of May and returned to Katmandu (Nepal) on June 1st

Flight from Kathmandu to LhasaNote the Himalaya peaks poking through the clouds.

• When we arrived in Lhasa arrangements for the trip were in disarray. First of all, since camping had been banned, hotel rooms had to be reserved for along the route. Next, the tour specifications called for an English speaking guide with a degree in geology to accompany the group. We waited for four days, but none was to be found. Time was being lost. Dr. Laudon already had a geology guide book, and the corresponding places of interest were well marked with a sign along the route. So we settled for an interpreter who was fluent in English. We had used the intervening time to see some of the city.

TRILOBITE 0GYGOPSIS - CAMBRIAN

• The streets of Lhasa teem with insistent peddlers and tiny sidewalk shops. One shop was offering fossils. This one, almost exact sixe as the picture, caught my eye. “How much?” “500 yuan.” - “Too much.” - “400” - “No.” - “300” - “No” - “Then, what would you give me for it?” - “100” - “I would lose money at that price.” I start to walk away. “Yours for 100 yuan.” The only souvenir of Tibet that I have kept. Dr. Laudon said he was quite sure it was a ogygopisis.

The Potala, the Winter palace of the Dalai Lama

Dr. Laudon and I

Roof of a Buddhist Monastery

Inside a Buddhist shrine

Party in Lhasa for 76th birthday

Along the Way: returning to Kathmandu

Sheets of wind-driven sand on the mountain slopes.

The group studying geology.

About the highest altitude on the trip: 5220 m = 17,126 feet.

Yak and young rider.

A shepherd spinning thread while tending his sheep.

An eating place in a remote village. In such a place I saw a jar of genuine Mexican Nescafé. (instant coffee) Hardly believable!The stove is a clever way to use all the heat from rare fuel.

One of the places where we stayed for the night. On about the second night out as we unloaded our duffel bags, Dr Laudon saw aman coming in with a geologist’s pick. He approached the man who spoke brokenEnglish. It happened to be the very same geologist who wrote the guide Dr. Laudon was using! A friendship ensued, and Dr.Laudon hired the geologist to accompanyour group for the rest of the tour. For Dr.Laudon it was a tremendous opportunityto learn so much more about the geology of the Himalayas which is very complex.Evidence of every geological Period is found here including the Cambrian. See myfossil. Even pieces of the Mantel. Note inThe pictures the wide variety of rocks. .

Dr. Laudon and the geologist studying.

A common sight.

Drying cakes of yak dung and straw for fueling the stove. In places wood is very scarce.

A BROKEN SYNCLINE

A GLACIER

QOMOLANGMA – MOUNT EVEREST

We arrived here at Rongbuk, a Buddhist monastery near to which islocated the Tibetan base camp for Mt.Everest. Qomolangma was shrouded in clouds; it was only when we were already in the shadow in a valley when for brief moments the clouds allowed us a glimpse of the peakjust to right of center in the picture.Actually this made for a spectacular picture. The road leads to the base camp which is about a quarter of a mile farther on. We stayed in the monastery guest house where the toilet was the <squatand aim> version. The morning temperature was still abovefreezing. Breakfast was in the kitchen of the guest house.

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Picture taken later from the courtyard of Buddhist guest house.

The next morning, leaving Rongbuk for Tingri. The night had been warm and there had been more snow and glacier melt. Other vehicles came later and crossed just a few yards to this side of ours. Our drivers had miscalculated.

Later on a large truck came from the opposite direction. A tow line was attached and pulled us out. My duffle bag was in the blue Bronco and part of

the contents was lost . Later in the day the brakes of the tan Bronco failed, and it was several hours before they were repaired. The drivers never used the

motor for braking because transmissions are much more expensive to repair.

Tibetan women loading rock onto a truck for road construction.There was no way to pass them.

Tingri, where we spent the last night in Tibet

This scene is only a few miles west of Tingri. It is the point of dramatic transition between a cold and stark landscape and the warmer and

lush. The road from Tibet to Nepal is down that canyon to the right of the center.

Note the road clinging to the side of the canyon. We were now in a bus going down, and so on the outside lane. Many times we had to stop to let another vehicle pass. We were so close to the edge that we could not see the road

below on the right. Of course there is not any guard rail. The door was on the right, and so it was not possible to alight and take some dramatic pictures.

LIPING Border crossing between Nepal (left) and Tibet (right).

Picture taken from a small eating place. It was late afternoon and we had not eaten since breakfast in Tingri.

TIBET

June 2009Rev. James Lienert, MSF

♫ Thais ♫