Pureland Adventure
ITINERARY*
Day1-JFK-BEIJING-ZILING (XINING)
Xining is the capital city of Qinghai Provence. Qinghai is one of the poorest provinces in all of China, therefore Xining is not an impressive city, but it is interesting. It was a main point along the silk road, therefore it is a beautiful melting pot of China’s many minority groups! We will enjoy dinner at a traditional Muslim noodle house. Those who are interested may tour the colorful night market and take a peak into a night club to see how Tibetan culture is presented on stage to a Chinese audience. Our Tibetan translator will meet us in Xining and can provide insight about the city and his culture. We will stay the night at Yete Hotel .
Day2-ZILING TO JEYKUNDO(YUSHU)
Following a traditional Chinese breakfast, we will take jeeps to Jeykundo. This is a 12 hour drive. The roads are nicely paved, but very high! We will stop along the road for lunch at a Chinese restaurant. Jeyundo (Yushu) is considered Kham’s cultural heart and was the epicenter of the 2010 earthquake. The city is in the process of being rebuilt. Over dinner a family and some local teachers will speak to us about the earthquake and its affects. We will stay the night in Jeykundo in a hotel.
Day3-JEYKUNDO TO NANGCHEN (SHUNDA)
Following breakfast we will take a driving tour of Jeykundo, visiting the camps of those displaced by the disaster. The group can support the businesses who have been struggling since the earthquake and shop at the tents. We will conclude our tour with khora of JaNakMani, a sacred site that is decorated by hundreds of thousands hand carved mani stones. We will enjoy a Tibetan lunch at a traditional (newly rebuilt) Tibetan restaurant. We will then travel in our Jeeps the 4 hours to Nangchen, stopping along the way at the high passes and rock carvings. In Nangchen we will get settled in the Nangchen Hotel and be free to explore the 4 streets of the simple "wild west" town, perhaps walking an evening khora around the main monastery. Dinner will be served at a Chinese restaurant.
DAY 4- NANGCHEN TO GARGON
After a Chinese breakfast we will tour town to see the nomadic resettlement projects. We will set out for the 4 hour drive to GarGon in our jeeps. Depending on group interest we can stop a long the way. There is a sacred Yeshe Tsogyal and Guru Rinpoche site and also Garchen Rinpoche's birthplace to visit. We will arrive at camp by lunchtime where we will be welcomed by GarGon Villagers and students. The Camp will consist of many traditional Tibetan Summer tents and a couple traditional nomadic tents. We will be staying in the summer tents which have beds for 2-5 people inside. Private and indoor accommodation can also be arranged. Everyone will be free to become settled, take a hike or have tea with the villagers.
We will have the next 3 days of meals at the camp which will consist of traditional Tibetan nomadic food (Dzo(female yak) yogurt, Tsampa (barley flour) with butter, Local salt tea, dried local yak meat (for those who are non-veg), wild sweet potatos, momos (dumplings) and thunthuk (handmade noodle soup). Tibetan picnics usually consist of song, dance, storytelling, eating and drinking. The evenings spent at camp will be filled with entertainment.
DAY 5-GARGON CAMP
We will take a hike from the campsite to the Naynang nunnery and the cave temple.
DAY 8- GARGON to Nangchen
Pack up camp and hike to upper monastery (Yar Gon) have an audience with Lama Mingyur Rinpoche. Visit the new monastery, climb up to Yeshe Tsogyal’s (an 8th century yogini) cave and visit a retreat hut. Walk around the retreat monastery and the monastic university and end with the sky burial site. Lunch in the lower monastery. The jeeps will meet us and drive us back to nangchen. DAY 7-NANGCHEN TO ZILING
Leaving in the early morning we will drive to Jeykundo, have our breakfast there. Eat Lunch around Mato and have dinner when we reach Xining. Perhaps go for a massage and for dinner we may enjoy hotpot at a Sichuan restaurant.
DAY 8-ZILING TO LABRANG (XIA’HE)
Chinese breakfast at our Lete Hotel. 3 hour drive to labrang. Labrang is the largest and most famous monastery in Eastern Tibet. We can do khora and shop in this town which is accustomed to foreigners. Dinner at a Tibetan restaurant. Stay at Tara Guesthouse.
DAY 9-LABRANG TO XINING
Breakfast at Tara guesthouse. 3 hour drive back to Xining where we can have lunch, and explore the night market on our last evening.
DAY 10-DEPART XINING to BEIJING and ARRIVE JFK
Breakfast at Lete hotel café. Say goodbyes, depart hotel and take taxis to the airport. Xining to JFK flight.
Dates: Roughly scheduled for AUGUST 18TH -29TH 2010
Price: $2,000 discounts available for sponsors and families.
ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THE SCHOOL PROJECTS, I ACT AS A VOLUNTEER GUIDE.
TRIP COST INCLUDES:
- · Ground Transportation by 4WD jeeps between destinations
- · Accommodations in hotel in Xining, Jeykundo and Nangchen, and camp
- · Translator and Guide (A Tibetan from Amdo and myself)
- · Sightseeing Admission Fees
- · 3 meals a day provided at restaurants and camp
- · Guided meditation and yoga practice for 1-2hours every morning for those interested
TRIP COST DOES NOT INCLUDE:
- · Airfare (flight can be booked to Beijing”PEK”, to xining”XNN” to Yushu)
- · Chinese visa
- · Transportation to places not on itinerary
- · Extra drinks or meals outside of the 3 meals a day listed on itinerary
- · Tips for drivers and translator
- · Travel Insurance
I encourage you to do individual research.Being an informed traveler will help you contribute and gain more from this journey.
Here is some recommended websites:
books to read include:
about nangchen: Blazing Splendor
about beginning Buddhism: What the Buddha Taught
about Tibetan Buddhism: Intro to Tibetan Buddhism by John Powers
about Drikung Kagyu Lineage: Prayer Flags
*This itinerary may change as the group is formed. If more people are interested in flying to Yushu it will give us 2 more days explore Kham. We may also have a theme. We can visit our 3 schools, or we can visit Drikung Kagyu sacred sites or we can do more hiking and horseback riding. Please contact me and tell me what you are looking for and hopefully we can have a beautiful trip.
