China Closes Tibet To Travelers

by Kraig Becker on

Earlier this week China once again took steps to close off the borders of Tibet once again, as the region prepares for a new round of tensions as we approach the 50th anniversary of the exile of the Dalai Lama. The move mirrors similar steps that were taken last year, when protests by Buddhist monks turned violent.

British newspaper The Telegraph is reporting in this story published a few days back that tourist operators in Tibet have been told to cancel all upcoming trips for the foreseeable future, and most expect that it will be some time before normal travel resumes.

Tibet is a popular tourist spot with the backpacker and adventure travel crowd. Its proximity to the Himalaya and its Buddhist culture have long held an allure with visitors from the West, with many making the journey to see the ancient temples and to visit the famous Everest base camp on the North Side of the mountain. As such, tourism has become the most important aspect of the Tibetan economy, employing thousands of people, either directly or indirectly, but for a second year in a row, it looks as if those people will be scrambling to find another way to make a living during what is traditionally one of their busiest times of the year.

The travel restrictions on Tibet aren’t limited to just the tourists however, as foreign journalists have also been denied access. Many had hoped to come to cover the anniversary events, but now have been denied as well. It looks like for now, Tibet is once again closed off to the world.

Seeking Enlightenment in Kathmandu

by Kraig Becker on

Kathmandu is a vibrant, noisy, colorful city, whose name alone elicits thoughts of adventures in far flung places. It is the Gateway to the Himalaya, and the home of more than 700,000 people. For nearly 2000 years it has been a cradle of civilization in Nepal, and the spiritual center for many practitioners of Hinduism and Buddhism as well.

Although steeped in tradition, in many ways this ancient city has become a large, thriving metropolis with round the clock activity. It can be challenging to find some peace and quiet at times, but savvy travelers know that you can head to the eastern portion of Kathmandu to a place called Boudhanath, a Buddhist enclave that is a bit of the cam at the eye of a storm. That’s exactly what writer Seth Sherwood did in this story from the New York Times travel section.

Sherwood traveled to Boudhanath to wander amongst the bazaars and stupas to soak in the Buddhist culture there. The area is inhabited with many refugees from Tibet, who have fled the country over the course of the past 60 years looking to escape the Chinese rule there. The result is a slice of Tibetan culture on the outskirts of Kathmandu.

The author grabs a traditional meal in a local restaurant that offers better food than atmosphere and service, and then wanders the street interatcting with the people there, who are as colorful and unique as the city they inhabit. For visitors to Kathmandu, Boudhanath adds another experience in a city that is already legendary. With travel to Tibet still challenging, visiting this area may be as close as some can get in the near future.

A Travel Guide to Shangri-La

by Kraig Becker on

The mystical, mythical Shangri-La has held a special allure to travelers since the release of the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by James Hilton. In the book, the main character survives a plane crash in the Himalaya only to discover a hidden valley that is a paradise on Earth where the people live for hundreds of years without a care in the world. Since that time, many have searched for the possible location of Shangri-La, hoping to discover the place for themselves.

Now, author Michael Buckley has written a travel guide to the legendary place. The book, entitled Shangri-La: A Travel Guide To The Himalayan Dream, is an interesting mix of myth and reality, as it serves as a guidebook for such places as China, Tibet, Bhutan, and Nepal, while still focusing on Shangri-La, a place that doesn’t really exisit at all. The book weaves in local legends, with tales of the yeti and sacred Himalayan peaks, while still providing practical information on Himalayan culture, the best treks in the region, places to visit, and more. There is even a field guide to the wildlife you’ll encounter there.

World Hum has recently conducted an interview with Buckley in which he talks about the challenges of writing a travel guide for a mythical place and why that myth has become such an indelible part of western culuture. He also touches on his own experiences in the Himalaya, where he has spent more than 20 years immersed in the culture and landscapes there.

Shangri-La is one of those unique legendary places that often inspires travel. The mere mention of the place conjures up visions of far off, snowy mountain kingdoms. And while it may not exisit as a real place on a map, the mere thought of it is enough to send us off looking for it none the less.

Humorous round up of 2008 and 10 Gadling posts connected to this year’s news

by Jamie Rhein on

Here’s a humorous round-up of news stories that made it big in 2008. Uncle Jay, whoever he is, sings a medley of carols with the words changed to offer a unique twist in the explanation of some of this year’s major events. His cast of characters and happenings include Barack Obama, Sarah Palin, gas prices, the economy , the Olympics and more. While watching the video, I thought of Gadling posts that also made reference to the themes of these stories.

Here are 10 Gadling posts by 10 different bloggers that have related to the news. There are scads of other posts. This is merely a sampling.

Photo of the Day (12-10-08)

by Jamie Rhein on

As daylight is shrinking in the month of December, as we move forward to the winter solstice, candles come to mind. In Denmark, where I spent this last week, candles are salvation in a way. Everywhere I went candles turned rooms into soft glows of warmth.

This shot by flicts evokes memories of other places where candles are a prominent feature.This temple in Lhasa is reflective of every Buddhist temple I’ve stepped into where smells of incense and flames fill the air. Candles are such a universal element of hope. On a grey day in Columbus, a lit candle would work wonders. All I have to do is locate a match.

Along with the lovely angle that highlights the candles, this shot is also intriguing because flicts has included other artifacts that are significant to Buddhism. This is almost like a still-life painting meant to capture a moment.

If you have shots of captured moments, send them our way at Gadling’s Flickr photo pool. They may show up as a Photo of the Day.