info@absolutepanda.comIn search of Snow Leopard and other wildlife——Chapter I
AbsolutePanda just completed a wildlife safari in which we searched for the elusive Snow Leopard. This is our first endeavor to search for the mysterious Snow Leopard with a client. We successfully saw two Snow Leopards and quite number of other wildlife endemic to the Qinghai region of the Tibetan Plateau. I wrote this article help people who want to know more about this trip, which started in Jiegu Town of Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. To meet our client Remy, Philip drove two days from Chengdu all the way to Yushu. He arrived in Yushu on June 22nd. In this blog, we purposely omitted some important names of the sites for the protection of Snow Leopards.
---Philip He
Picking-up and Acclimatization
June 23 Cloudy and Raining
Today is my first working day, but my memory is still full of wonderful scenery I have seen on my drivie from Chengdu to Yushu. It is part of the Sichuan-Tibet Road and is known as one of the most beautiful roads in China. I woke up in the morning to find the morning sunlight has already arrived through my window. However, the morning sun does not stay long. Very soon the sky is covered by dark clouds. The rain is on the way and can come at any time. I am lying on bed, thinking of trip details. We need to camp in the wilderness for about one week. There are lots of logistical things to be considered and prepare for. I write down what I need to do today in my small notebook and then walk out to have late breakfast.
About 1 hour before flight arrival time, I drive to Yushu Airport to meet Remy. It is already raining. There are not much traffic on the way. The big rain drops fall on my windshield. I start worrying about the flight, praying that the flight lands safely. I haven’t met Remy before, as we only communicated a lot via mail and talked on the phone. After arriving at the airport, I drive my car to the very front of the parking lot so that Remy and I can walk to the car as soon as possible after meeting each other at the airport exit.
Luckily, the flight eventually lands safely with only some slight delay. I wait at the exit with a pickup sign. As soon as I see a amicable westerner walking out, I conclude it must be Remy. ‘Remy’ ‘Philip’ we almost call out each other’s name at the same time. Remy walks out the exit with a big backpack and a big picture roll. I take the backpack from Remy and we walk to my car. After loading the backpack and his precious picture roll, we are on the way.
While driving toward downtown Yushu, I give him some brief introduction about this city and our wildlife safari. Remy shows great interest about Tibetan culture and Buddhism. So I ask him whether he wants to visit the Wencheng Monastery. Wencheng is the first Han Chinese lady who came all the way from Xi’an to Tibet, married Tibetan King and brought Buddhism from Changan to Lhasa. After getting a very positive answer from Remy, I drive directly to the monastery. We have to use every minute available to address the individual needs of our clients so as to make their trip most memorable. Even this trip which is pretty long running from June 23 to July 5th,has a full itinerary full. We need to use every minute available. The monastery is located only about two kilometers from the main road, built on the foot of a mountain along a small stream. The mountain is now covered with prayer flags hung by local Tibetans to show their respect for Princess Wencheng. She built the first link between Han Chinese and Tibetan though marriage. We park our car in the open ground outside the monastery and walk in, showing great respect. It is very quite inside. The air is full of fragrance from burning cypress twigs. The color of the walls, statues and the thick black soot from burning cypress twig suggest the age of this monastery as being very old. The monks are very peaceful and friendly. After being told we can walk into the monastery, we take off our shoes at the gate and enter. A monk is standing in front of the statues with a kettle. I reach out my hand and the monk pours some water into my hand, I drink it. It is a Tibetan tradition. The tranquility, solemn atmosphere, exquisite art and the gigantic Buddha statues provides us with a strong feeling that we have stepped into a totally different world. We pray and make our donations, enjoying the great art works exhibited inside the monastery.
After the monastery, we see a sign giving direction to a hot spring somewhere near here. Remy tell me he is a hot spring fanatic, we ask locals and find out that the hot spring is only about three kilometers away. We drive to the hot spring site. It is indoor hot spring. We walk into and see lots of monks here. After paying to the lady at front desk, we walk into the locker room and change bathing suits. To our surprise, we find the water is just lukewarm. It is not hot at all. We try several pools and find they are all same. It is a nice spring but not hot. Actually, for us, it is quite cold in this elevation. Maybe it is good for monks to wash off the dirt from their bodies with this sacred water. We decide to go back to our hotel by the side of the world’s largest Mali pile. After a brief late lunch at a local restaurant, we go to our hotel and check in. We set a time for dinner, and then I start my shopping for our camping trip with my fiend Tsebtrim. And then we load the car and go to the hotel to pick up Remy for dinner.
---Philip He
Picking-up and Acclimatization
June 23 Cloudy and Raining
Today is my first working day, but my memory is still full of wonderful scenery I have seen on my drivie from Chengdu to Yushu. It is part of the Sichuan-Tibet Road and is known as one of the most beautiful roads in China. I woke up in the morning to find the morning sunlight has already arrived through my window. However, the morning sun does not stay long. Very soon the sky is covered by dark clouds. The rain is on the way and can come at any time. I am lying on bed, thinking of trip details. We need to camp in the wilderness for about one week. There are lots of logistical things to be considered and prepare for. I write down what I need to do today in my small notebook and then walk out to have late breakfast.
About 1 hour before flight arrival time, I drive to Yushu Airport to meet Remy. It is already raining. There are not much traffic on the way. The big rain drops fall on my windshield. I start worrying about the flight, praying that the flight lands safely. I haven’t met Remy before, as we only communicated a lot via mail and talked on the phone. After arriving at the airport, I drive my car to the very front of the parking lot so that Remy and I can walk to the car as soon as possible after meeting each other at the airport exit.
Luckily, the flight eventually lands safely with only some slight delay. I wait at the exit with a pickup sign. As soon as I see a amicable westerner walking out, I conclude it must be Remy. ‘Remy’ ‘Philip’ we almost call out each other’s name at the same time. Remy walks out the exit with a big backpack and a big picture roll. I take the backpack from Remy and we walk to my car. After loading the backpack and his precious picture roll, we are on the way.
While driving toward downtown Yushu, I give him some brief introduction about this city and our wildlife safari. Remy shows great interest about Tibetan culture and Buddhism. So I ask him whether he wants to visit the Wencheng Monastery. Wencheng is the first Han Chinese lady who came all the way from Xi’an to Tibet, married Tibetan King and brought Buddhism from Changan to Lhasa. After getting a very positive answer from Remy, I drive directly to the monastery. We have to use every minute available to address the individual needs of our clients so as to make their trip most memorable. Even this trip which is pretty long running from June 23 to July 5th,has a full itinerary full. We need to use every minute available. The monastery is located only about two kilometers from the main road, built on the foot of a mountain along a small stream. The mountain is now covered with prayer flags hung by local Tibetans to show their respect for Princess Wencheng. She built the first link between Han Chinese and Tibetan though marriage. We park our car in the open ground outside the monastery and walk in, showing great respect. It is very quite inside. The air is full of fragrance from burning cypress twigs. The color of the walls, statues and the thick black soot from burning cypress twig suggest the age of this monastery as being very old. The monks are very peaceful and friendly. After being told we can walk into the monastery, we take off our shoes at the gate and enter. A monk is standing in front of the statues with a kettle. I reach out my hand and the monk pours some water into my hand, I drink it. It is a Tibetan tradition. The tranquility, solemn atmosphere, exquisite art and the gigantic Buddha statues provides us with a strong feeling that we have stepped into a totally different world. We pray and make our donations, enjoying the great art works exhibited inside the monastery.
After the monastery, we see a sign giving direction to a hot spring somewhere near here. Remy tell me he is a hot spring fanatic, we ask locals and find out that the hot spring is only about three kilometers away. We drive to the hot spring site. It is indoor hot spring. We walk into and see lots of monks here. After paying to the lady at front desk, we walk into the locker room and change bathing suits. To our surprise, we find the water is just lukewarm. It is not hot at all. We try several pools and find they are all same. It is a nice spring but not hot. Actually, for us, it is quite cold in this elevation. Maybe it is good for monks to wash off the dirt from their bodies with this sacred water. We decide to go back to our hotel by the side of the world’s largest Mali pile. After a brief late lunch at a local restaurant, we go to our hotel and check in. We set a time for dinner, and then I start my shopping for our camping trip with my fiend Tsebtrim. And then we load the car and go to the hotel to pick up Remy for dinner.
