Mt Kailash 2014 - Chapter 3 - Zhangmu to Saga

This was a journey that made my cells vibrate!! So much awe and gratitude was filled in me just observing the beauty of Nature.

Before we get there, we drove to Zhangmu (2300m) on the 21/08/2014. During the dinner meeting of the group, we were informed that Sadhguru had left Kailash region and was on his way to Lhasa. My heart broke and tears ran and I didn't want to believe it. I couldn't take it and I left for a solo walk to just cry it all out. Zhangmu, with it tall buildings and shiny shops felt oppressive and loud and uncaring compared to the welcoming serenity of Kodari.

Everyone was disappointed but Mt. Kailash was the goal.

Day 10 - 22/08/2014. We started at 9:00am in buses with only 20 occupants each including the driver and an armed Chinese guard. We climbed high into the misty dense green mountains, and then suddenly we reached another wide plane. It felt like another dimension. The journey below covers 2 hours of ever changing terrain.

I had come to terms with the fact that I will not be seeing Sadhguru in this trip but I was ever so grateful for being on this journey to Mansarovar and Kailash. We were advised not to sleep in the bus as it can cause altitude sickness, Padam and I were made incharge of our bus to keep everyone awake.

The scenery itself took away all worries and pains and my eyes did not want to close. Clicking, Chatting, Chanting, eating, singing, learning, each moment was precious and is embeded within.

The magnificence of vast lands with extreme diversity of terrain. How you do you explain big black snow covered peaks that look like cloud generators, popping out behind waves of smaller mountains of green? The phenomenons were mind boggling.

We stopped for lunch at 1:00pm at Shi Shapangma Scenic Area. 8,027 m (26,335 ft) We soaked in the beauty of the mountains and Mother Earth. We also soaked in the Sun through the nape of our neck exposed, as advised by Swami Prabodha. I captured him in his happy element posing on a makeshift vehicle called Jugarh in Hindi. The food served to us was basic but yummy and always served fresh and hot. How and when the volunteers and service team organised this was unknown to us.

We were being taken in such comfort and care that it made me think of the seekers/yogis and sages who walked barefeet in loincloths with a stick and kamandal (pot for water). I could envision them walking through the valleys and meadows, refreshing themselves with the rivers and streams and sitting still covered in snow. But what did they eat? And how many have walked that path for the same path to be tarred today and sprawled with sparse settlements that keep it alive. My heart was filled with gratitude to all the known and unknown Gurus and way-showers of the past all over the world. I was humbled to be fortunate enough to make this journey through the Roof of the World.

We started for the onward journey at 1:30pm and 10 minutes later we saw even Larger peaks of snow and cloud. And soon on the other side we had the view of a brilliant blue lake. And the clouds hung only a few feet above us. The play of shadow and light, it was all just so overwhelming and exciting.

We reached Saga (3700m) around 5:00pm. The journey had been most exquisite and divine.

We had stopped to take in the views at Peiku-tso Lake and then at the sacred Brahmaputra [Tsanpo] river close to Saga.

We were given shared rooms in a multi-story hotel. Inspite of the fatigue of the eight hour drive, i did not sleep that night. Sometime around 11pm there were footsteps and voices outside in the corridor, the T20 team had reached back from Mansarovar and were settling in. Then there was a knock on the door and Rajesh called out to Urmi. She went and opened the door and was talking to Rajesh. He shared his experience briefly and confirmed that they met Sadhguru and he left. Urmi told us and we all felt happy but I wondered if Shashi had been able to give the bag to Sadhguru. !? We were all excited to meet them in the morning.