Tibet > Having Tibetan butter tea

I slept very well last night. It was around five degrees, but deep inside my sleeping bag it was wonderfully warm. I packed my things and also prepared a lunch package during breakfast. Afterwards, we loaded our luggage onto the bus.

Tibet - Gonbo our guide invited us to his home for butter tea

In front of the monastery, a funeral ceremony was taking place. From a respectful distance, we watched the proceedings. A little later, the deceased was carried along the walking path to the top of the mountain. From below, we could already see the vultures circling in the sky. It’s a bizarre sight. Gonbo, our guide, invited us to his family home in the village near the monastery. As we drove down the mountain, we encountered a truck that had broken down. We helped push it until we realized that a coffin was in the back for the funeral. Luckily, the truck started again just in time. At Gonbo’s home, we were warmly welcomed — except for the dog. We were offered butter tea. I had read and heard a lot about Tibetan butter tea beforehand. Indeed, it doesn’t taste good. It reminded me of mushroom cream soup, and unfortunately, that’s pretty close to the flavor. Worse, the bowl was immediately refilled whenever I took a sip. Politely, I refused. Thankfully, a little later the tea was mixed with warm milk, which made it much more palatable. After saying goodbye to Gonbo’s family, we walked through the village and visited his former primary school. The principal allowed us to see a few classes, much to the children’s delight. However, the Chinese supervisor of the school was far less pleased and scolded Gonbo, questioning how he could bring tourists into a public building — something strictly forbidden.

Tibet - Visiting the elementary school where our guide studied

He threatened Gonbo with a hefty fine. Back on the bus, Gonbo seemed visibly affected by the incident, especially on his first guiding trip. According to the itinerary, we could have hiked to the hot springs, but the drivers insisted we couldn’t and drove straight there by bus. We weren’t satisfied with that and got off to walk the last five kilometers ourselves. The drivers didn’t understand why we wanted to walk when we could have reached the destination by bus. Along the way, we saw charming houses, beautiful rock formations, children eagerly greeting us, and yaks by the roadside. Slowly ascending, we reached the village of Tidrum. At the parking area, we claimed a small grassy patch for lunch. The spot wasn’t entirely free of trash, so it wasn’t the most cheerful place to eat, but we did have a pleasant view of Tidrum’s houses clinging to the mountainside. After lunch, we walked into the village toward the hot springs. Men and women bathe separately. Changing takes place right next to the baths, attracting considerable attention — especially since Tibetan people have no body hair on arms, legs, or chest. Some curious onlookers tried to see if it was real. Awkwardly, we entered the very hot water, smiling at the Tibetans as they smiled at us. One of them pointed out a small snake among the stones in the wall. Through gestures, we learned it wasn’t dangerous.

Tibet - The hot springs at Tidrum

More locals came to look from the sides. After about fifteen minutes, we’d had enough of the hot water and got dressed. We then walked through Tidrum and visited the nunnery. The monks’ chanting continued to captivate me, even though my attention to the temple itself was waning. It’s mainly the atmosphere of a temple that appeals to me. The hot bath had made us sleepy, especially during the bus ride back toward Ganden. The route was the same as yesterday. At that point, Gonbo put on a DVD about Tibet in the player, showing stunning scenes of places we had all visited. The sound situation was a bit awkward: at the front of the bus, it played in Chinese; at the back, in English (left and right channels). Whenever lesser-known locations appeared, I closed my eyes. By the turnoff to Ganden, everyone was awake again. From the valley at around 3,600 meters, the bus climbed via hairpin bends to Ganden Monastery at 4,500 meters. The higher we went, the more beautiful the view over the valley became, with the monastery perched against the mountainside. When we drove through the gate, it turned out that the guesthouse was full. Discussions with the resident monks suggested that maybe a new accommodation could be arranged, but the keyholder was absent. We decided to eat first. The menu was limited: essentially a choice of different types of noodles with hot water.

Tibet - The Ganden Monastery impressively built against the mountainside

After the meal, the keyholder arrived, and we could move into the complex — which technically hadn’t been officially opened yet. The shower still only had cold water, as the boiler was still in its cardboard box on the floor. In the evening, we took a walk around the complex. We climbed all the way to the top, from where we enjoyed a beautiful view across the valley on the other side of the mountain. As dusk fell, we walked along a narrow path around the mountain, returning to Ganden Monastery just before dark. In the evening, I showed Gonbo how to set up a website for the monastery he was helping restore. At ten o’clock, I went to bed.