Page 2 - SILK ROAD-LN

• Unlike the past, the place no longer appeared holy.

Reaching Darchen:

• By 10.30 p.m., they reached a guesthouse in Darchen.

• The author had a very troubled night. His sinus were blocked and he was not
able to get enough oxygen and found it difficult to sleep.

• Next day Tsetan took him to the Darchen Medical College.

• Doctor told him it was just cold and the altitude giving him troubles. He gave

him some medicine and that night he was able to sleep well.

• Tsetan left the author in Darchen and went away.

Dry Darchen:

• Like Hor, Darchen was dusty and heaps of refuse could be seen all around.

• There were not many shops in Darchen. The town appeared to be sparsely

populated.

• He felt lonely, as there were no pilgrims. He had reached there very early in the
season.

Meeting Norbu:

• Author wanted to reach Mount Kailash to do kora. But he didn't want to do it

alone.

• He was looking for someone who could speak or understand English. One day
he was sitting in a cafe. When Norbu saw him reading an English book he came
and introduced himself to the author.

• He was a Tibetan but worked in Beijing at the Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences.

• He too was there to do kora. But he was not a religious person. Both of them
decided to climb Mount Kailash.

• Norbu turned out to be the ideal companion for author.