Tales from the Tibetan Plateau Part VI: Good ol Friday

Tales from the Tibetan Plateau Part VI: Good ol Friday
10.1.2010
10.2.2010
On our final Friday on the Tibetan Plateau we first head out to a market place where they sell everything, especially tourist souvenirs. I wander around a bit, examine what I want to buy and then bargain with the Han Chinese who sell sacred Tibetan gear. Markets always make me anxious.
Next, the group walks through the city streets and a sea of stares to China’s largest mosque. Outside of the sacred building our program director describes the place’s significance and how it is the fourth most important mosque in China—I don’t know what is more important. By the time she gets to the part about how the mosque was torn down during the cultural revolution a small army of curious Huar men and women join our group to listen in. They look on with curious stares as they cannot quite comprehend what she is saying. Soon more Muslims are listening to what’s going on then American tourists!
I love watching the Islam faithful heading to their place of worship. The men are very elegant in their suits and white caps and are respectful of everyone they come across. We wind up waiting for the bus in a Huar neighborhood where I snap shots of Huar businesses.
The bus takes us to lunch—Uyghur food. They feed us a giant stew of two whole chickens with potatoes and spicy sauce. Even after they fill the stew with noodles we are still hungry and our guide brings us more mutton grilled on a stick—some delicious stuff.
After lunch there is an optional trip to another monastery on the outskirts of the city. Most people in the group have had enough exploring through these religious sights and only about ten people make it. I feel that they are the ones missing out. The weather was perfect and brought out the colors in the Tibetan buildings perfectly. We go in and out of the holy buildings and we are joined with hundreds of other Chinese tourists and some Tibetan and Mongolian pilgrims. I can’t take pictures inside the monastery that is filled with giant Buddha’s, offerings and yak butter candles. One place had an exquisite sculpture of a religious text made out of yak butter wax. It smelled like rank milk but it was an extraordinary sight.
Outside the holy grounds the village is stocked with small shops selling touristy stuff with a faint whiff of religious significance. I nap on the bus and in the hotel room before I head to our farewell dinner at a fancy restaurant. I get stuffed on good food and after the thank-you section I leave. On my last night I tagged along with some friends as we head to a few Xining bars. We make it to two places that are overly smokey and have bad drinks. The second place we go to has a Tibetan interior design scheme and they serve us a traditional wine. After all that I head to Bill’s bar and enjoy my last night in the place where I spent so much time. I play cards and get my butt kicked in Texas Hold’em. Before heading out Bill blasts some American tunes on the loudspeaker and we enjoy our last hours in Tibet. This time the cops did actually come in and break up the party claiming it was too loud. Bill’s excuse: “This is what it looks like when Americans party Man!”
In the morning we pack the bus one last time and head to the airport. The morning goes by simply and all I want to do is get on the plane and sleep. When I finally do get on the plane I am treated to the most uncomfortable flight I have ever been on for all kinds of icky Chinese Airliner reasons. I am happy once I am back in Shanghai and I am very glad to be back in my apartment in a cozy corner at the top of a communist block building.