Family Portrait
We stared from the Lang with the aim todo about90-95 km today and camped by the riverside. River was again full of rapids as it is now losing graditent constantly running down towards India. As we get closer and closer to our destination of Tibet leg of our expedition, nature seems to be getting into celebration mode. There are brightest of yellow, rust and reds around on the hill side and at places among the emerald clad mountains sometimes there appeared sand dunes of gigantic proportions in total contrast to the general landscape.
Just as our boats reached the proposed camping site, Dawa, our chief guide, broke the news that we can’t camp in this area and must push on another 40 km to reach Mailing. Reason…. We were told that while our permits allow us to run the river in this area, it does not say that you can camp around this area. Our request that at this endpoint of our Tibet leg, we would rather camp then staying hotels fell on deaf ears. It was interesting to note that only those are picked up guard the sensitive areas that are not very sensitive. Helpless, we pushed on another 40 km towards Mailing. Enroute the wind picked up and soon kicked up quite a sand storm. With the river rising, with ocean like waves. While for photography these special effects were quite exciting, the same cannot be said for those steering the boats. Flying sand has a way of finding openings in human exposed to elements and got in there in huge quantities.
Finally when we did reach near we left our boats and drove into the town, where we were unceremoniously ushered into a fancy hotel called Namche Barwa and told to stay confined to its premises. River beyond this point was not open for us to travel. Such are the security parameters that adventures like ours are finally obliged to comply with. Hot shower in the hotel was very welcome and everybody scrubbed off the sand to their heart delight before settling down to an elaborate meal.
