Heading Home

Well, yesterday was quite a day. We awoke to news that the San Diego fires were very close to home. Through the day our limited access to information provided quite a roller coaster. When we finally got internet access the signonsandiego web site showed the burn zone had rolled over the house. Kids and pets were OK. Then within minutes we recieved a call that mother, Barabar Pipp, passed away. We were busied with calls to loved ones and attempts to support others hit by the fire and to determine the fate of our own possessions. Long story short: we are ending our trip and heading back on the next flight out. We will be offering support to our family and others ravaged by the fires. Once settled we will post more here. As of now the house still stands, slightly singed. Once we are back we will start support for those less fortunate than us.

Mt Everest and Himalayas

Bhutan: Tiger's Nest Temple

The Tiger's Nest temple is the epitome of Buddhist temples for me. The story goes that a monk flew from the valley on the back of a tiger to the cliffs above the Paro Valley in Bhutan. There he meditated in a cave for years. Ellen and I rode horses up through the valley until even they were stopped due to the steepness of the cliffs. The monestary is at an elevation of 10,000 feet and the valley floor is at 7,000. Once we arrived at the top we were greeted by the head monk and given a ceremony that celebrated our love and offered blessings to my ailing mother. While walking though the temple I came across a door that lead to a cave!! Yes - I was able to do some caving in the middle of this 3,000 foot cliff.

Paro, Bhutan: Beauty and grace emaculate

Bhutan: What a gem! We flew from Kathmandu this morning and after a 45 minute flight by Mt. Everest and many other Himalayan peaks we landed in the Paro Valley. This is a unique and very special place. The people are all gracious, kind, warm and welcoming. The landscape is stunning: forested mountains, crystal clear river waters and green valleys that are a patchwork of rice patties and straw. In Bhutan it is illegal to hunt. All meats are farmed. That level of conservation is reflected in the unspoiled countryside. The houses are all reminiscent of Swiss chalets, each kept clean and manicured. You can feel the sense of respect these people offer their belongings and their land. This evening we had dinner with the Bhutan Rimpoche Datong Tulku: a reincarnate of the original Buddha. He is the spiritual leader of Bhutan. Ellen and I sat and shared stories and were delighted in his easy humor, and amazing mix of business savvy and religious acumen. He is in the process of rebuilding a temple and we spoke of having him visit USA.

Mongolia: Dinosaur bones and camel rides

From the urban bustle of Ulaanbaatar to the rural expanses of the Gobi Desert. We left from the northern part of Mongolia to the southern areas of the Gobi desert. Upon landing at the small airport in Dalanzadgad, Mongolia (where we were the only plane), we headed off for two hours on a dirt road to the Three Camel Lodge. The Three Camel Lodge is a collection of Mongolian round houses, called gers, or yurts, as the Russians call them. These are the traditional homes that Genghis Khan used when conquering the largest swath of land ever controlled by a single man.

From the Lodge we then did a side trip to the Flaming Cliffs where we will found some dinosaur bones that are 70 to 250 million years old. We also had some time to ride camels and take a small hike into the Gobi Desert Forest: a bunch of scrub brush a that stand out in this sea of grasslands and sand dunes.
Ellen, in her embrace of the planet, rolled down the sand dunes prior to our adventure on the Bhactrian Camels.

Factoid: Fossilized dinosaur bones stick to your wet tongue, rocks do not.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia: Gers/Yurts, Horseback riding and prayer

Today has been wonderful: temples, yurts, art history, horseback riding and more. Last night and this morning were cold. It actually was snowing while I strolled 'Ubi' last night at 11PM. Ulaanbaatar is like a gold rush town: lots of energy and growing fast. The Mongols are a nomadic people that are attempting to deal with urbanization. We started with a visit to the only remaining Buddhist temple in Mongolia. There were over 70 destroyed during the communist rule of this land. Countless monks were also killed during that purge. This lone remaining temple welcomed with a magical prayer where the locals all held ribbons of silk that the monks fed out to the group. After the chanting reached it's peak the monks drew the silk out of the hands of the locals and the locals circled the temple while the chanting continued. Each stopped by the alter to offer prayer, and then they backed out of the temple to the awaiting sub-freezing morning. From there we went to a local Mongolian house about 15 miles out of town. As we arrived they were herding horses back into the compound of yurts (gers). After a visit inside one of the gers, Ellen and I were fortunate enough to ride a Mongolian short horse. Following that we witnessed some long-pole lassoing and the traditional game where the Mongolians ride bareback and grab bags from the ground while hanging down off thier steed. Finally we went to some museums and to a cashmere factory.

Factoid: Over 50% of the 2.8 million population of Mongolia still lives in gers today.

more on life on Mongolian Plains - Gers, Horses

Rand and I both rode the longhaired horses owned by the family whose Ger we visited. (That's Rand in the blue jacket).

We learned that the 70 year old woman (the beautiful lady in Green) who lived in the Ger had inherited it from her parents and that it was 90 years old. She hopes to leave it to her children.

The Ger is heated by a small stove - dried cow dung is the fuel. It has a waterproof felt roof with a round hole at the top covered by clear plastic. The poles that hold up the roof are decoratively painted.

Being nomadic, the family moves when the grazing land for its horses, cows, camels and goats is bare. The heaviest part of the Ger to move is the felt, so they are sure to wait until 3-4 weeks after any rain because any moisture makes the felt much heavier.

Mongolian Performing Artists

Tea cup dancer (who dances with tea cups on her head) and the Throat Singer (see Rand's video of his unique style of singing from his throat)

the full orchestra of traditional Mongolian instruments

Most Amazing 11 yr old Contortionist

We had a great treat tonight, having a full display of local Mongolian performing arts during dinner. Here was the amazing 11 year old "contortionist". Aminiaa was trained from the age of 6 for the last 5 years and she never stopped smiling! We also were treated with the national champion throat singer. This gentleman was capable of creating both the highest highs and lowest lows with only his voice. The highs were generated with so much purity and the lows had a vibrato that pulsated the whole room.

Zhengzhou, China: Kung Fu at the Shoalin Temple

Awoke at 3:50 AM and rolled out of bed quietly to the PC to file pictures and get caught up on email. It has been almost a week without email access and there was much to do. Ellen has been good at getting postings to the blog over the last several days so I have not been electronically tethered. Today we are off to Mongolia after a stop at the famous Shoalin Temples known for as the birth place of Kung Fu. While there we are entertained by a group of Kung Fu Masters that literally through a needle through a plate glass window and pop a ballon. I have it on film: amazing.

Xi'an, China: Buddha's Finger and a Mini-me TerraCotta Warriors

Another full day. Today is our last day in Xi’an and we are off to play at the Famen Temple and the Yangling tombs. The Famen Temple is where a finger bone of Buddha is kept. The Yangling tombs is a mini-me version of the Terra Cotta Warriors. Tomorrow we are off to Mongolia after a stop at the Shaolin Temple where we will be checking out the Kung Fu. As Ellen has already covered the Famen Temple, I will focus on the Yangling Temple. This is the burial site for Emperor Qi and his Empress Wang. The main chambers are 31 meters under the ground and then on top of that another 31 meters of earth has been mounded in pyramid form. Buried around the pyramid are thousands of figures that include all forms of animals, people and their tools. This is a quarter scale version of the Terra Cotta Warriors that have jointed arms and legs.

Xi'an, China: Famen Temple

This morning, we drove far outside Xian to the Famen Temple, which is renowned for having the finger bone of the Sakyamuni Buddha. I'm not drawn to religious relics, but the drive was worth it to visit this serene Temple where, for once, we were the only non-Asians in sight (a clear sign that we'd ventured off the beaten path!)

We had lunch at the Temple, and because it was served on premises of the Temple, the only choice was a non-alcoholic, completely vegetarian meal. It was a nice break from the huge meals we've been served everywhere.

Coming back to Xian, the highway turned into a parking lot because there was an accident ahead of us where a truck jack-knifed across the median. It was interesting to observe how Chinese drivers dealt with it - much like in the US - they drove on the shoulder until the police stopped them, got out of their cars and trucks to gawk and commiserate.