Nako to Chango

From 3.600m it shall go down to 3.200m. But by my surprise, the next loops go up…. only later the route goes more down. Here a little snowfall… At one shortcut I come along a kind of temple building worked into the mountain, Tshulung Gompa. Some old couple sits in front and invite me. But where to enter…. I have to climb over a little wall….
Inside they have a surprise for me. There is a young restorator, Pema,  busy painting some 1000 year old statues from tibetian tradition new.

As often. The monasteries are situated over the village. Even though lots of restaurants, hotels and other houses on the way, I want to go there. It’s not to far but climbing. 2 very nice monks, Karmatsering and Palden, welcome me without hesitation. Here is everyone welcome. They have also a stupa, but it feels, no-one is using them. Around the temple I can clearly feel something good.

Next morning Karmatsering can’t wait to cook for me, but I just want potatoes with some oil. They offer me instead of oil ghee. Ghee is made from butter and is even used for candles. The butter needs to be cooked, after the water has left, the rest is then pure fat. Also in Hindu tradition is very well known and used to consume before some breathing technics as well as for healing. In tibetian terms ghee is also used in tea. The problem is, the mountain people don’t put ghee in the fridge, so it becomes for western not so tasty….. I smelled on it…. felt tolerable. … and used it for my potatoes…..
There was a way down from the monastery,  a short cut, but really really steep…. somehow I managed…..
After a while I felt really bad, felt like, the food wanted to come up again….. but it stayed…..
Because of this ugly feeling I developed again, as last year a herpes, same place, but this time I have also a 2nd explanation. Last year I also was above 3000m when it happened. I cured it with honey, what worked very good…. Already in Reckong Peo,  reaching 2.200m elevation I had suddenly a speaking problem. My voice lips were very dry. Every word was so exhausting. After some days it went. But the dryness of the area as well as the strong sun over 3000m helped the herpes to develop. Last year I used only over 4000m a breath protection, a fabric in front of the mouth, this year a bit earlier, the locals also do. This helps the mouth area not to dry out to quick,  keeps some humidity between fabric and mouth as well warms up the air, so that your lungs get not affected by the cold…. And sure, keeps the strong sun away from face and lips. Cappy and huddie I anyway wear all the time.

Meeting other alternative travellers on the way is always something special. Today, and first time this year, two French bicycle riders come noiseless from the back. A little sound from there tires I just noticed when Guenre and Olivier stopped beside me. They have been in Central Asia since last year, since January in India and in June the journey leads them to Central Africa….. But they have a little disturbing news for me….. For French people the Indian embassy does not give two Visas directly after each other, if you have been all the time in India….. uppps…. are the rules for Germans different? …. I don’t think so……
After the nice chat my mind starts to rotate….. my belly follows….. what does it mean for me?….. does this cross my plans?…. what could be the solution?….. how long has the gab to be?…. is this information true?…. (in the end of July my Indian Visa is finished – the plan was and is, after reaching Leh in Ladakh, northern India, to fly to Kathmandu/Nepal, get a new Visa and fly back, to continue the walk in he Himalayas…..) Anyway, for the moment the mind and the belly rotates, where is some calmness in me….. in my heart. … I went to my heart….. that calmness in my heart spreads to my mind and belly……

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