Jun 06

With Yangpei we went hiking today. All the mountains around Langmu Si, and it was unbelievable for me after the whole day hiking. Sitting down on the grassland, just watching the sunset, the red clouds before me, gorgeous!

Yangpei was an cool photographer and so he always took a bit longer time to get everything perfect.

I scared of dogs there, so I asked him to walk a longer way to avoid seeing any dog. But still saw two dogs, so I asked him again to take a break for a while waiting for them disappearing from my view.

He would leave tomorrow and go back to his home. Even he didn’t want me to get up so early tomorrow morning, I would still go to the bus station…

With Korean boy, we left at 6.40am from Xiahe to Hezuo. Arrived at Hezuo almost 9am, we bought tickets to Langmu Si leaving at 9.40am. He didn’t want to buy insurance, so I bought tickets every time.

I came back to Langmu Si and Yangpei came back to Langmu Si too.

Almost 4.30pm Yangpei called me when I fell into sleep. So glad to see him again.

We went out for a hiking. I was sure that he had a big dream he wanted to make true. And he told me that he knew there was a way and direction Buddhism showed him. Strong minded, I think.

He was good at philosophy and he tried to explain with his philosophy, that was cool, even sometimes he could not find out any word because of his poor mandarin and my poor Tibetan.

Rang’er was not here. Someone told me when I was waiting in front of his home in Langmu Si. I was told to find his uncle, who was also in this monastery. I was excited to get this news after feeling down. His uncle told me that he was in his hometown now because his papa was sick. I heard that he took the exams for Gansu Buddhism Institute and now he was waiting for the results.

It seemed that everyone was struggling for the better life.

6th Xiahe

I went cycling with another friend who also traveled here this morning to Sangke grassland. We stopped in front of the ticket office and went back.

On the way back, we tried to have chat with the local people and kids. To avoid one still under-building road, we went up to the small hill with our bicycles and crossed some village, and then went down to the muddy road again.

I could not draw my money out in Xiahe. There wasn’t any communication bank or construction bank, and it was impossible to get money from other banks because they had not connected. Terrible!

I borrowed some money from my friend, no other choice. Otherwise I had to walk to Hezuo and then to get money!

I met some other monk who studied in Gansu Buddhism Institute. He told me that one man asked him to leave together to Shanghai and then live there for 6 years and then make a world trip. But he refused, he said to me. Because he didn’t want to waste any time, he needed to study harder.

I asked him why he liked to be a monk, and his answer was just because he wanted.

He liked to be clean and after we took seats, he cleaned his face and hands by paper. He showed me his new clothes, the present his monk teacher gave him, and said to me that he would change into it after tonight shower.

I tried Tibetan-style yoghurt, sour, but for sure very tasty and yummy!!!

It was raining this morning, but I still got up at 6.30am because the heating pipes always made noise on time.

To visit Labrang Si, not the whole monastery, only six temples, it cost 40 yuan, but plus one free tour guide who was a monk, speaking mandarin or English.

I was completely attracted by the monks’ praying, sounding like music, so beautiful music. I watched their praying for the whole class which lasted more than two hours. When it finished, I felt very tired to keep standing with the heavier bag…

Felt so amazing and cool to be walking in the monk village, it seemed to be in another world, quiet and peaceful. Suddenly hearing someone singing behind me, I turned back and looked for who was singing, it was a monk.

The monastery was so amazing and mystic. I wanted to know more about it, maybe my friends they could tell me more about Tibetan Buddhism. However I remembered that it was hard to expect, because they didn’t speak good mandarin. Maybe I learn Tibetan and they learn mandarin.

I changed my mind that I would leave Xiahe and go back to Langmu Si again, so cool!!!

4th Langmu Si to Xiahe, transferred in Hezuo

Sunny day again!

I went to Hezuo with my monk friend, Rang’er. And it was very surprise to see the other monk friend, Yangpei, sitting on the same bus as we were. I hadn’t thought I would meet Yangpei again after yesterday’s picnic. So happy!

Rang’er bought me a meal and postponed his arrangement to tomorrow, and then he showed me around Hezuo, some modern town in China, I think. He asked the bus to Xiahe for me and found one seat, then put all of my stuffs onto the rack, said some words to me and then left. I did not remember what he said to me, only remember his smiling face and his leaving back shape.

I arrived in Xiahe at 4 pm.

Even at the first sight, I didn’t like this town, yes, it is a town similar to any other towns in China. I didn’t think I would like Xiahe. The one of the reasons was I missed Langmu Si already. Langmu Si, very small town with only one street, but it had the nice people there and the amazing sceneries there.