A Kora in a Ring - Blogabond

In the morning we ventured out to have a look around town. It was actually much nicer than my first impressions had been. And the people were apparently very nice as well: after buying some painkillers for Joanne, who wasn't feeling very well, the shop owner ran out of the shop after me to point out that I have a hole in my back pocket so large that my wallet was about to escape. I think that makes the fourth time I have nearly lost my wallet.

Monk passing an ornate door

Later Joanne and I took a walk into the real Tibetan end of town to look for the start of the outer kora, a Buddhist pilgrim path around the monastery. We couldn't find the start of the walk, which takes you along the ridge high above the town. We weren't too bothered though, as the walk around the Tibetan end of town had been lovely, and Joanne didn't really feel up to the hike anyway. We took a break, during which we spent a bit more time online planning the New Zealand leg of our trip.

Ornate door

Tibetan family

Monks getting out of class

In the afternoon we decided just to walk around the inner kora which is three kilometres long and passes 1174 prayer wheels. Many of the inhabitants make this journey at least once a day, spinning each prayer wheel as they pass. The wheels are each painted with the same ornate design and it's fascinating to watch so many Buddhists, ranging from monks to very Westernised-looking people, all going through this same ritual. We followed the path all the way around the monastery and monks' quarters to just above the town, from where we could look down on some of those buildings, while above us on the hillside were little meditation huts.

Small part of the kora

Prayer wheels along the kora

Monk spinning a big corner prayer wheel

View down the prayer wheels

View other way down the prayer wheels

Fortress-like Tibetan architecture

Mani stone carved in the hillside

The top part of the kora, passed the mediation huts

The monks querters around the monastery

Last part of the kora

Just coming to the end of our circuit, we bumped into Reitse, who told us that he had heard that, although the town was open to Westerners, it was only supposed to be people in tour groups who were allowed. This explained all the hassle we had getting there.

Doing the kora

Reitse from Freisland

written by

The Happy Couple on August 8, 2009 from Xiàhé, China

from the travel blog: Michael's Round-the-World honeymoon

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