GEOLOGY FIELD TRIP TO NEPAL AND TIBETThis trip was organized by Dr. Thomas Laudon, a retired professor of geology at

University of Wisconsin, at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. We arrived in Nepal on the 15 th of May, and left on the 3rd of June 2001. Dr, Laudon is on the far left. Atop the Patola.

NEPAL

The trip started in Nepal studying the Lesser Himalayas, and then continued in Tibet. We returned to Kathmandu, Nepal, for three days

before leaving for the trip back. The time in Nepal was divided into four episodes. First, two days of

sight seeing in Kathmandu, the capitol. Second, a one day trip to take in Bharatapur, an ancient capitol of the country some fifty-eight miles to the east. Third, a one day intense study of an area where different features of geology are seen about every three feet apart. Finally a

non-scheduled three day trek studying the lesser Himalayas. More about that later.

Some pictures deserve a bit of explanation; others are simple scenes.

Rev. James Lienert, MSF

A STREET CORNER SEVERAL BLOCKS FROM THE HOTEL

A rather rare Buddha statue. Nepal is predominantly Hindu.

Ceremonial Gurkha Guard

A teen age incarnate deity lives in the upper part, and for a small donation the shutters of the upper window will open and she will appear for several minutes.

Tibetan refugees drying dyed wool for rug making.

Tibetan refugee knotting a rug.

LACUSTRE

These are the layered sediments of an ancient fresh water lake

located on the outskirts of Kathmandu.

The material found in the layers of this sediment reveal a wealth

of information for the paleontologists.

Because this is calcareous and also ready to hand, all of it was being mined for construction.

A group interested in preserving this irreplaceable formation purchased a large section.

Royal Palace

• We returned from Tibet to Kathmandu Thursday, May 31- 2001 for boarding our flight to Singapore the next Sunday.

• The next night, June 1. occurred the massacre of the royal family by Crown Prince Dipendra. The royal palace is about three blocks from the hotel in which we were staying.

• The next morning all the guests of the hotel (most all were nationals) were advised not to go into the streets. But by noon, because all the city was calm, the caution was lifted. That evening the funeral procession to the burning Ghats passed several blocks from the hotel, and some of the group went to watch the procession.

• Our flight left the next day, Sunday, at noon. An hour or so later some demonstrations started taking place, and the airport was closed for several days.

BHARATPUROn the top of a hill there is a large Hindu religious center. The picture below

was taken from this vantage point,

A scene within the Hindu Shrine. Note the sacred monkeys.

STUPA

THIRTEENTH CENTURY BUILDING

This building is said to have been the home of a thirteenth century Christian family. At that time there was a modest number of Christians in Bharatpur. The building is now a upper class gift shop.

• I and a part of the group are in front of the building.

• In the shop of the previous slide there was found this hand carved wooden eight and a half inches tall statuette of the Immaculate Conception. This was the common form of representing the Immaculate Conception before the time of Lourdes: the Child Jesus piercing the head of serpent of Eden.

• The facial features of Mary and the Infant are clearly Nepalese.

• This statuette now has a place above my desk

THRESHING WHEAT - CORN PLANTING WAS STARTING

This is a Chinese tractor with magneto engine. It was meant for tilling, but it has been adapted to many other uses. The group of orange

coated men is a band of musicians accompanying a wedding party.

• The day after the visit to Bharatpur was the day of dense field geology. I think the altitude was somewhere around four thousand feet, and it was intended also to acquaint us to the even higher altitudes in Tibet. The flight to Lhasa was planned for the next day. But late in the afternoon came the news that a total ban was imposed on tours of any kind in Tibet. The story was that a group of German tourists had arrived, and one of them became so frustrated at the slow process of having their permits processed that he struck one of the Chinese officials. In retaliation, a total ban. Since it was not practical to continue on to Lhasa, it was decided to organize a three day trek through a National Park. Maybe in the meantime the ban would be lifted. The guide assigned for the trek had a fair command of English and a thorough knowledge of the geology, Also the Sherpa assistants were quite versed in English. As you will see from some of the pictures the terrain was very steep. On the second day we fell far behind schedule and limped into camp with flashlights an hour after dark.

The yellow material is wheat straw.

Camp site.

Camp Breakfast

An Orchid

Camp 2

• At the end of the trek, coming down from the high country, we followed a small stream fed by little springs. There was a system of impounding the water to be later released for a hydroelectric plant, This building was the living quarters for one of the men who maintained and operated the system.

The trek ended at a village where this vegetable market is found.

• About this time the Chinese ban on tours had been lifted and preparations were being made to fly to Lhasa.

• The original plan was for the group to travel in Tibet by motor vehicles and spend the nights camping in tents. This was now prohibited by the Chinese for the sake of supporting the lodging industry, I was pleased with this because I prefer a room to a tent and a bed in preference to a sleeping bag.