"Baling" Hay
Thursday, September 27, 2007
On the horse
There is a saying here "it's on the horse" meaning it's coming right away. If you go to a restaurant and ask for your dishes on the horse- they know not to waste any time. We've been delayed a few days waiting for a piece for our truck. It was not available in our town, or the next town (4 hours away), so we had it sent up from Xining- 17 hours drive away. Well, it was supposed to be put on a bus directly to our town, but it missed that bus so it got put onto a bus to the town 4 hours away. It was going to arrive at 8am, so we had to send a driver the night before, pay for his fuel and his hotel room so he'd be there to get the part. Now he's just got back and says that we may need another part- but we've sent him to the garage with it anyway and let them tell us if we need another part. So, I guess our repair is not "on the horse", but could be better described as "on the bus.... to the wrong town". Anyway, if they do manage to rig the piece in place (I think it was a bracket to attach a tie rod or other steering/suspension component to the front passenger wheel), we'll be setting off on about an hour and a half. If not... then we're still on the bus.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Hey... wait a second...
Hmmmm.... It was suggested that we put a strand or two of high-tensile electric around the top of our corrals to keep the wolves out... but if they're in mid air and not grounded to anything they won't get shocked at all! I guess it might teach them not to try to climb over....
A note on Bears and Farmers
Someone recently wrote me a note about the type of bears here. Until yesterday, I wasn't sure what kind of bears we have, and was picturing a smallish type bear easily forgiven for raiding a kitchen in search of sugar. However, these are Ursus arctos! Ursus arctos are known as Brown Bears, Alaskan Brown Bears, Grizzly Bears, Kodiak Bears, etc. depending on where they live. Some people used to call these Pika-Eating bears, because that's about 70% of their diet. I've found a bunch of different products online and through the park service that are grizzly -proof. Now I've got to figure out how to build them here cheaply enough that people can afford them, and large enough that they can store their things in them. I just found out that the bear raids do damage equivalent to more than a year's salary- so the containers have to be large enough to hold many of the families' belongings while they are away from their winter homes. Also, the winter homes that people live in are one-time, gov't provided housing that the families could never afford to build on their own. So when a bear raid destroys the roof, walls, doors, windows, and furniture- it is a long-term devastation.
The dedication of farmers/ranchers/herders everywhere....
On another note, I'm also trying to figure out how high a corral wall needs to be so that it's wolf proof (Canis lupus). We're probably going to put a strand of high tensile electric around the top, powered by solar cells. When you're raising sheep, goats, and yak in the middle of the world's second largest nature reserve full of grizzlies, wolves, and snow leopards and facing winter temperatures of 30 below and sparse grazing land- you've got to be pretty stinking dedicated! Like the old joke goes... There was a farmer in Virginia who won the jack-pot lotto- over 10 million dollars! A reporter from ABC channel 13 asked him what he was going to do now that he had all that money. The farmer thought awhile, looked out over his hay field, then turned back to the reporter and said "Well, I reckon I'll just keep farming till it's all gone".
The dedication of farmers/ranchers/herders everywhere....
On another note, I'm also trying to figure out how high a corral wall needs to be so that it's wolf proof (Canis lupus). We're probably going to put a strand of high tensile electric around the top, powered by solar cells. When you're raising sheep, goats, and yak in the middle of the world's second largest nature reserve full of grizzlies, wolves, and snow leopards and facing winter temperatures of 30 below and sparse grazing land- you've got to be pretty stinking dedicated! Like the old joke goes... There was a farmer in Virginia who won the jack-pot lotto- over 10 million dollars! A reporter from ABC channel 13 asked him what he was going to do now that he had all that money. The farmer thought awhile, looked out over his hay field, then turned back to the reporter and said "Well, I reckon I'll just keep farming till it's all gone".
Reflections
drive between Xining and Yushu.
Moonlight
I remember a number of nights when I ventured out on a full moon to
explore the countryside with Cody or Levi or Alex. One time in the
summer, we laid out in the street for hours chatting happily. Another
time in the winter, Cody and I followed the snowy banks of Acres Creek*
from Dobbins Dairy to the Brickhouse. But I never remember seeing a
moonlit night like this. Tonight when I stepped out of the office to
head to my little room in the neighbor's home, the light from the moon
was such that I could actually see in color! The orange bucket that I
use to get water for washing my clothes was still perfectly orange, the
adobe walls still warm brown, the grass green and yellow- even the sky
was a deep blue rather than black velvet hung about with diamonds.
Maybe there are many moonlit nights like this at home, but I've never
noticed them.
explore the countryside with Cody or Levi or Alex. One time in the
summer, we laid out in the street for hours chatting happily. Another
time in the winter, Cody and I followed the snowy banks of Acres Creek*
from Dobbins Dairy to the Brickhouse. But I never remember seeing a
moonlit night like this. Tonight when I stepped out of the office to
head to my little room in the neighbor's home, the light from the moon
was such that I could actually see in color! The orange bucket that I
use to get water for washing my clothes was still perfectly orange, the
adobe walls still warm brown, the grass green and yellow- even the sky
was a deep blue rather than black velvet hung about with diamonds.
Maybe there are many moonlit nights like this at home, but I've never
noticed them.
Back in my little room, not yet ready for bed I go about setting a fire
in the stove. It's not all that cold, but a crackling fire is a
friendly companion and, together with a candle on the sill beside my
bed and the constant chorus of dogs at varying distances throughout the
town- provides a sense of home. It is interesting what conveys
security, comfort, and the feelings of belonging in a person. Here and
now, away from my family and friends and usual accouterments of living-
a fire and a candle and barking dogs turn what would otherwise be a
cold, dirty, lonely room into home.
*or is it Aker's?
View from my bedside window
My wall
65 Cents
In this town of adobe homes, dusty streets, and yak dung stoves, a man can buy a pack of cigarettes for about 65 cents. A boy could spend the same on 2 bottles of Coca-cola. This traveller chose to apply his pennies thusly: I put on my coat, grabbed my cap, walked directly into town and made good on a what I'd been threatening for days- a nice hot shower! Ahhhhh! The girl at the counter even provided two free packets of shampoo- perhaps a testament to my visible need of a proper cleansing.
I'd have taken advantage of this service much sooner had the showerhouse not opened at the inconvenient hour of 11:00am- quite inconvenient to my workday. I would assume that this is because daily life is dirty here and one needs a shower before bed more than upon rising.
I'd have taken advantage of this service much sooner had the showerhouse not opened at the inconvenient hour of 11:00am- quite inconvenient to my workday. I would assume that this is because daily life is dirty here and one needs a shower before bed more than upon rising.
Day 26: Zhiduo
Today I was supposed to have been on my way out for another field-trip, but the truck won't be repaired until tomorrow afternoon. So instead I'm working on one of the several other projects that are in process. Today's project is designing bear-proof food repositories that can be constructed cheaply and locally. Shouldn't be too much trouble- there are plenty of local welding shops, just need to find out how thick the metal needs to be and what hinges will work for the lid. Also considering using 40 gallon drums if they're available. I'm not sure if I mentioned this in an earlier post or not- but bear break-ins have shot through the roof in the past year (likely due to a killing-off of their primary food sources). Some family's homes were raided more than 5 times in the same season. The bears bust holes in the walls, break windows, tear down doors and smash the stoves, teapots, and furniture. They usually raid winter homes while the families are living in tents elsewhere, but because of their lack of food have been raiding occupied homes. They eat the barley flour and other foodstuffs, but are particularly keen on the sugar supplies!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Road Trip...er.... Off-road Trip
Homemade bricks
day 25 Zhiduo
We got back from the Yaqu (YAchoo) trip quicker than expected. We stayed at a village school that Plateau Perspectives supports. There were about 60 kids there- all boarders. Because communities on the grassland are so spread out- miles and miles between tents/houses- the kids all live at the school and go home for a few days each month. It's a continual challenge to get good teachers to teach at the village schools, but it's essential that the children be educated. Limited literacy and numeracy lead to disadvantages when taking agricultural products to market as well as significant barriers to higher educational achievement and societal engagement. There is a new requirement for 100% enrollment of children in primary education, which means that many families with no access to village schools have had to move to town or pay fines. We're currently working on grant proposals to greatly expand the village school program.
Tomorrow we will be going out to another village called Jiongqu (JONGchoo). There we will again work on the grazing study and take water samples. We have to be back by Sunday night because we will be conducting village doctor training next week Monday through Friday. Just like with teachers, it's quite difficult to train and retain skilled medical workers on the plateau. Many "doctors" have less than a year's formal training- most around 6 weeks. Fortunately, there has been a strong push for women's health care workers to be trained, so some women have 1 to 3 years health care training. Women's and children's health care is critical here, as our surveys indicate mother mortality rates much higher than the rest of the country, and 25% child mortality before age 5.
Besides the health risks of bearing children, women face unbelievably difficult lives on the plateau. In every home I've visited, the women of the house have risen as early as 4:00 AM (but always before daybreak) and worked on their feet until around 11:30 PM- or whenever the household has gone to bed. They milk the yak in the morning, gather the dung for drying, fetch water from streams, start the fires, make tea and breakfast, clean up, make yoghurt and butter, make tea and lunch, clean up, wash clothes, gather the dried yak dung, milk the yak again, gather the dung for drying, make tea and dinner, clean up, and go to bed. I'm sure I've missed many of their activities, and all are done while taking care of young children. I've rarely seen a woman sitting. When men are present, the women are constantly seeing that every tea cup is full. In contrast, the men wake up around dawn. They eat and drink tea. They take the yak out to graze after the milking has been done (though many times it's the children who do this). Then they come home for dinner with the yak (if the children didn't do this). After dinner they sit and talk for hours drinking tea and smoking. Men are very good at drinking tea, chatting, smoking, and riding around on their motorcycles. When agricultural goods are to be traded/sold- this is the men's work.
From some people I've heard that it's a terrible thing to want to change a culture. If I were a woman here, I would think that that's an ignorant position. From others I've heard negative comments about feminism. If the effects of feminism are equal rights, responsibilities, and burdens for men and women- I think that this is an excellent cause. I once saw a video interview with a woman from this area. She was very subdued and looked down and away from the camera as she whispered that of course if she had had a choice she would have been born a man, but this is her fate to be a woman and she must accept it.
He has shown thee, o man, what is good and what is required of you- to do justice, and to love mercy... It's often tricky to figure out how to bring about what we consider justice and mercy without being rejected by the culture (or powerholders in the culture) that we are trying to "help". Right now, we're training women healthcare workers, helping to plan, construct, and support schools that are educating young girls alongside young boys, and modeling gender equality through our own lives and work. I get many stares here as I get my own water, fetch my own fuel, start my own fires, do my own dishes, and wash my own clothes. I hope that the stares will turn into deep pondering and introspection and lead to a greater sense of responsibility among men here. I also hope that we will be able to comment more loudly and directly on the subject of gender equality/shared responsibility in the future.
On another note, I'm re-reading bits of Walden. Many of you may be familiar with the quote "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation"- however, it is the line directly preceding that I find more compelling and will close with today: "As if you could kill time without injuring eternity."
Tomorrow we will be going out to another village called Jiongqu (JONGchoo). There we will again work on the grazing study and take water samples. We have to be back by Sunday night because we will be conducting village doctor training next week Monday through Friday. Just like with teachers, it's quite difficult to train and retain skilled medical workers on the plateau. Many "doctors" have less than a year's formal training- most around 6 weeks. Fortunately, there has been a strong push for women's health care workers to be trained, so some women have 1 to 3 years health care training. Women's and children's health care is critical here, as our surveys indicate mother mortality rates much higher than the rest of the country, and 25% child mortality before age 5.
Besides the health risks of bearing children, women face unbelievably difficult lives on the plateau. In every home I've visited, the women of the house have risen as early as 4:00 AM (but always before daybreak) and worked on their feet until around 11:30 PM- or whenever the household has gone to bed. They milk the yak in the morning, gather the dung for drying, fetch water from streams, start the fires, make tea and breakfast, clean up, make yoghurt and butter, make tea and lunch, clean up, wash clothes, gather the dried yak dung, milk the yak again, gather the dung for drying, make tea and dinner, clean up, and go to bed. I'm sure I've missed many of their activities, and all are done while taking care of young children. I've rarely seen a woman sitting. When men are present, the women are constantly seeing that every tea cup is full. In contrast, the men wake up around dawn. They eat and drink tea. They take the yak out to graze after the milking has been done (though many times it's the children who do this). Then they come home for dinner with the yak (if the children didn't do this). After dinner they sit and talk for hours drinking tea and smoking. Men are very good at drinking tea, chatting, smoking, and riding around on their motorcycles. When agricultural goods are to be traded/sold- this is the men's work.
From some people I've heard that it's a terrible thing to want to change a culture. If I were a woman here, I would think that that's an ignorant position. From others I've heard negative comments about feminism. If the effects of feminism are equal rights, responsibilities, and burdens for men and women- I think that this is an excellent cause. I once saw a video interview with a woman from this area. She was very subdued and looked down and away from the camera as she whispered that of course if she had had a choice she would have been born a man, but this is her fate to be a woman and she must accept it.
He has shown thee, o man, what is good and what is required of you- to do justice, and to love mercy... It's often tricky to figure out how to bring about what we consider justice and mercy without being rejected by the culture (or powerholders in the culture) that we are trying to "help". Right now, we're training women healthcare workers, helping to plan, construct, and support schools that are educating young girls alongside young boys, and modeling gender equality through our own lives and work. I get many stares here as I get my own water, fetch my own fuel, start my own fires, do my own dishes, and wash my own clothes. I hope that the stares will turn into deep pondering and introspection and lead to a greater sense of responsibility among men here. I also hope that we will be able to comment more loudly and directly on the subject of gender equality/shared responsibility in the future.
On another note, I'm re-reading bits of Walden. Many of you may be familiar with the quote "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation"- however, it is the line directly preceding that I find more compelling and will close with today: "As if you could kill time without injuring eternity."
Friday, September 21, 2007
Pictures
Two days of riding in a really bumpy vehicle over gravel roads or no roads at all. We got water samples, checked up on a village clinic, and surveyed people about snow leopard activity nearby. I ate lots of yak meat and yak yoghurt and yak milk tea- sometimes with a big chink of yak butter floating on top! The room where we slept even had a side of yak meat laying on the floor. I'm leaving on a 5 to 6 day trip tomorrow to work on a vegetation study.
A village clinic.
This is a house in the community where we were working for the past two days. In the foreground is a nomad's loom on which he weaves yak wool yarn into cloth for tents.
Here he is weaving.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
small coffee, one cream, one sugar. oh and one fly.
Day 18: Zhiduo
I'm getting used to being back in the countryside. I've regained my skill at lighting the yak-dung stoves (using just enough gasoline to ensure ignition and avoid explosion). I'm starting to find the outhouse a little more comfortable. I had my first bath in a bowl- though I was very happy to find a shower house in town that charges about 60 cents for piping hot, long-as-you-want showers. And even the guard dogs are not barking at me quite so much. Today I settled into my little mud room and unpacked my things for the first time since arriving in China.
It seems like a long time- 18 days to get to the office and get settled in to start work. In reality we've been working the whole way- sending e-mails, pricing and gathering equipment, repairing and maintaining vehicles, hiring new personnel, meeting with many different individuals from partnering organizations, setting up research plans, reading background material, etc. But the highlight is always the field work in the project area where we get to interact with the community, monitor ongoing projects, and work on first-hand research. The trip tomorrow should be very fruitful and I'm excited about getting back into water monitoring- something I've enjoyed since eleventh grade but haven't done much of since college.
I apologize for the long time between posts- the internet is quite spotty, so I can't update as often as I'd like.
It seems like a long time- 18 days to get to the office and get settled in to start work. In reality we've been working the whole way- sending e-mails, pricing and gathering equipment, repairing and maintaining vehicles, hiring new personnel, meeting with many different individuals from partnering organizations, setting up research plans, reading background material, etc. But the highlight is always the field work in the project area where we get to interact with the community, monitor ongoing projects, and work on first-hand research. The trip tomorrow should be very fruitful and I'm excited about getting back into water monitoring- something I've enjoyed since eleventh grade but haven't done much of since college.
I apologize for the long time between posts- the internet is quite spotty, so I can't update as often as I'd like.
Day 16: Zhiduo
We've finally arrived at the main PP office. On the way from Yushu, we crossed several more high passes- one at 4800 meters, another at 4600. As we rolled up to Zhiduo, we were greeted by snow-capped peaks. We're now settled at 4200 and will not be climbing again until we go into the project area at the end of the week. The day was sunny but breezy and a bit dusty. I went for a two hour walk along the river plain towards the Yangtze.
Living conditions are quite a bit different here: every room has a yak dung stove that we have to burn for warmth. Every meal has to be cooked on the same style stove. Water is drawn by hand from a well and must be boiled or filtered before consumption. There is an outhouse with no roof and no door- but with a lovely view of the snow-capped peaks! The main office and living quarters are in a concrete block house with tiled floors. However, I am staying in a rented room at the neighbor's house- an adobe home with mud walls and floors. Luckily there is electricity this time of year (later the canal that drives the hydropower will freeze over) and there is also high-speed internet- though it's a bit spotty. I'm hoping to find a shower house in town, but if I can't I'll be doing what everyone else does: heating a kettle on the stove and spot washing from a basin.
The town is home to about 4,000 residents and is a wild-west outpost built along one main street packed full of nomads, animal hides, motorcycles, and wind driven billows of gritty dust!
We're planning to go out Wednesday to check up on one of our clinics to see how effectively they are serving the community and how safely they are disposing of needles and bio-hazards. We will also be taking water samples for contamination testing. Then- if all goes well- we will be leaving Thursday for an extended trip through another part of the project area to check on the rest of the clinics, take water samples, and take grass clippings for a grazing study.
It's much lonelier out here and I have great respect for those who are coming from comfortable backgrounds to live and work and raise families under such conditions.
Living conditions are quite a bit different here: every room has a yak dung stove that we have to burn for warmth. Every meal has to be cooked on the same style stove. Water is drawn by hand from a well and must be boiled or filtered before consumption. There is an outhouse with no roof and no door- but with a lovely view of the snow-capped peaks! The main office and living quarters are in a concrete block house with tiled floors. However, I am staying in a rented room at the neighbor's house- an adobe home with mud walls and floors. Luckily there is electricity this time of year (later the canal that drives the hydropower will freeze over) and there is also high-speed internet- though it's a bit spotty. I'm hoping to find a shower house in town, but if I can't I'll be doing what everyone else does: heating a kettle on the stove and spot washing from a basin.
The town is home to about 4,000 residents and is a wild-west outpost built along one main street packed full of nomads, animal hides, motorcycles, and wind driven billows of gritty dust!
We're planning to go out Wednesday to check up on one of our clinics to see how effectively they are serving the community and how safely they are disposing of needles and bio-hazards. We will also be taking water samples for contamination testing. Then- if all goes well- we will be leaving Thursday for an extended trip through another part of the project area to check on the rest of the clinics, take water samples, and take grass clippings for a grazing study.
It's much lonelier out here and I have great respect for those who are coming from comfortable backgrounds to live and work and raise families under such conditions.
Day 15: Yushu
Marc and the two guys from the UK came through town last night. They stayed at the same hotel as us. We had dinner together and then saw them off this morning at 6:30- they were heading down to Xining. After they left, I slept in til after 9:00. I've got a sore throat and am fighting off a cold. When I finally got up I ate some crackers and headed out to meet some folks from another organization that are in town. We both receive funding from a common source, and that funding source sent a photographer to get some images of the projects that their funds are supporting. We met with them to plan for the coming week so that the photographer will be able to see the most possible work while he's here. After that we ate a big lunch- pork stew, chicken legs, stir fried potatoes and rice- YUM! Then I went for a hike up one of the tallest peaks near town. Unfortunately a storm rolled in when I was about 2/3s up. I picked a spot to wait it out, but when lightning started licking at the slopes just to the north of me, I skeedaddled down again! It was rough going- a lot of sliding down gravel slopes. Pretty soon I was getting blown off balance by strong winds and then pelted with sleet mixed with snow and driving rain. That eased off a bit but I kept hustling down with the thunder rumbling behind me. I slid under a couple of fences and was down to the last third when I hit a slope that was too steep and loose to control my slide. I ended up down by the western canal right where it runs into the hydro-turbine- not where I wanted to be in the thunder storm! I managed to pick my way back up the slope and cut across to stable ground just as the rain started in earnest. My legs were wobbly and tired as I wandered back into town. Much to my chagrin- the storm passed within an hour and left a beautiful sunny afternoon in its place. I was hoping that it would be an all-nighter so that I wouldn't feel bad about deciding to come down- but it was a quick pass and left the upper slopes beautifully dusted with snow! Oh-well, there's something to come back for on the next trip down to Yushu.
I did a few pushups, then peeled off my smelly, dirty, wet clothes and took a hot bath! Then I packed all of my stuff up for tomorrow's drive. Just when I was finishing up and sitting down to journal, Peter came back from his meeting. Now we're both sitting here tap-tapping on our computers and getting closer to going to bed. Tomorrow we'll be heading up to Zhiduo.
I did a few pushups, then peeled off my smelly, dirty, wet clothes and took a hot bath! Then I packed all of my stuff up for tomorrow's drive. Just when I was finishing up and sitting down to journal, Peter came back from his meeting. Now we're both sitting here tap-tapping on our computers and getting closer to going to bed. Tomorrow we'll be heading up to Zhiduo.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Day 13 and 14. Road to Yushu and Yushu.
In the "Manhattan" burger joint. Yes- Yushu now has a burger joint. The fries aren't bad, the coffee is good- instant but good. Nearly all the food on the menu is sold out except for some grilled meat on skewers that is being cooked outside. Actually- I don't think that's even on the menu. So it's more the shell of a burger joint that sells some local kabobs.
The town is a noisy, bustling place. There are townsfolk, nomads in from the grassland, and monks everywhere. We got in about 9:30 last night after 13 and a half hours on the road. Peter and I were both exhausted and had been affected by the altitude for the worse. The five mountain passes had taken their toll- the final one at over 4800 meters left me with an aching skull and nausea. The long, slow descent in the dark towards Yushu relieved some of our symptoms, a dinner of fried pork and bean sprouts relieved some more, and a long night's sleep the rest. Hot showers and coffee in the morning sealed our recovery and we met the day quite refreshed.
Our morning search for a cafe in which to read turned up nothing suitable. And though we did have a nice breakfast of fried dough sticks, rice porridge, and soy milk- the only cafe-like setting was the Yushu Hotel restaurant where coffee costs 4 to 7 dollars a cup. We politely declined and went our ways for the day- Peter to the hotel to read and I to explore the area.
Eleven o'clock found me walking along the canal that runs parallel to the Yushu river on its eastern bank. This river flows from south to north and its valley holds the southern thrust of Yushu Town. I passed the flatland between the river and the canal where three shepardwomen watched their flocks. I passed the shrubland where teens and twenty-somethings come to hang out with their friends and drink beer. I was looking for a point to cross or ford the canal so I that I could start climbing the hills that rise steeply from the river valley. I passed by a young boy and a monk- himself also a young boy- just getting dressed after swimming in the canal. They asked if I was going to swim, too. I smiled and said maybe, but thoughts of swimming quickly disappeared when I spotted a crossing just beyond their swimming spot. The crossing was a pair of sluice gates controlling the flow of water into the canal from the eastern fork of the Yushu river. Both the canal and the Yushu river join another river at the center of town. The other river flows from west to east and its valley holds the western thrust of town. Together, they all continue to the east where they join the Yangtze about a half-hour's drive from Yushu.
Having found my way to the eastern bank of the canal, I continued on a ways past two adobe homes and a sleeping Tibetan mastiff (ferocious guard dog) and then began to climb. The first several hundred feet are nearly vertical and the climber is quickly rewarded with a wonderful view of Yushu. Along the river was the evidence of an industrializing town: several brick works and concrete block works lined the western shore. A loader and a back-hoe worked on a new bridge to bring development to the east bank. Another canal ran along the foot of the western slopes to a hydropower station. The sounds of foremen's shouts and truck engines rose above the sounds of the river, along with the sounds of a Tibetan family working on their home- one of the few on the east bank. After a bit more climbing, another bridge came into view- for which I was grateful. I had no idea how I was going to get back to the hotel in time to meet Peter- but the swinging foot bridge that was hidden behind some adobe buildings would provide a quick route back to the western shore quite nearby the hotel (whose name is The Northwest Yak). Walking back along the route I'd come would've taken a long time, but with this exit now available, I was free to explore the mountain.
So I continued climbing until the rocky, near-vertical ascent broke into a grassy alpine meadow. This shoulder slope continued rolling gently upwards to a high ridge that again climbed steeply to a peak far above the town. Up on the rolling meadow the chirps of flitting birds, calls of songbirds, and cries of soaring birds replaced all remnants of the urban noise below. Tiny blue and yellow flowers dotted the grassland and one little herb gave off a smell something between eucalyptus and queen anne's lace. A herd of yak grazed on the slopes of an adjoining ridge.
I climbed on to where the rolling shoulder broke back into an ascent to the ridgeline. From there I picked a downward route towards a rocky gash in the shoulder slope along which several yak were grazing. As I descended the rocky side of the ravine, I was delighted to hear the laughing gurgle of a mountain stream below. I picked my way down until I was along an icy brook falling out of the mountain, playing over rocks, and sparkling where it caught the light until it reached the river valley below. I followed the water as far as I could, but it dropped away through a rocky passage that I could not safely navigate. I climbed up the bank along a rock outcrop until there was a slope with enough footing to descend. Below me the brook disappeared under ground leaving a gravel fan in its place. There, several workers sifted shovels full of gravel and soil through a sieve to separate out the different components for construction purposes.
Along the descent, I began to hear a tink-tink-tink noise nearby that was not rising from the builders working on a house below, nor from the workers sifting soil. Coming round a small rise I was met by a dark and wrinkled little woman hammering at something that sounded like stone. As my path curved back closer to where she worked, she looked up, grinned, and greeted me in Tibetan, then went back to chiseling scriptures into the stone outcrop. As I dropped away below her, she began to sing in the nomad manner that is like nothing else on Earth.
I left the mount at just the place where the girls were sifting stone and sand. They stared as I passed. I quickly found my way to the swinging bridge covered in prayer flags and stepped across- back into the loud, dusty, rude life of town.
The town is a noisy, bustling place. There are townsfolk, nomads in from the grassland, and monks everywhere. We got in about 9:30 last night after 13 and a half hours on the road. Peter and I were both exhausted and had been affected by the altitude for the worse. The five mountain passes had taken their toll- the final one at over 4800 meters left me with an aching skull and nausea. The long, slow descent in the dark towards Yushu relieved some of our symptoms, a dinner of fried pork and bean sprouts relieved some more, and a long night's sleep the rest. Hot showers and coffee in the morning sealed our recovery and we met the day quite refreshed.
Our morning search for a cafe in which to read turned up nothing suitable. And though we did have a nice breakfast of fried dough sticks, rice porridge, and soy milk- the only cafe-like setting was the Yushu Hotel restaurant where coffee costs 4 to 7 dollars a cup. We politely declined and went our ways for the day- Peter to the hotel to read and I to explore the area.
Eleven o'clock found me walking along the canal that runs parallel to the Yushu river on its eastern bank. This river flows from south to north and its valley holds the southern thrust of Yushu Town. I passed the flatland between the river and the canal where three shepardwomen watched their flocks. I passed the shrubland where teens and twenty-somethings come to hang out with their friends and drink beer. I was looking for a point to cross or ford the canal so I that I could start climbing the hills that rise steeply from the river valley. I passed by a young boy and a monk- himself also a young boy- just getting dressed after swimming in the canal. They asked if I was going to swim, too. I smiled and said maybe, but thoughts of swimming quickly disappeared when I spotted a crossing just beyond their swimming spot. The crossing was a pair of sluice gates controlling the flow of water into the canal from the eastern fork of the Yushu river. Both the canal and the Yushu river join another river at the center of town. The other river flows from west to east and its valley holds the western thrust of town. Together, they all continue to the east where they join the Yangtze about a half-hour's drive from Yushu.
Having found my way to the eastern bank of the canal, I continued on a ways past two adobe homes and a sleeping Tibetan mastiff (ferocious guard dog) and then began to climb. The first several hundred feet are nearly vertical and the climber is quickly rewarded with a wonderful view of Yushu. Along the river was the evidence of an industrializing town: several brick works and concrete block works lined the western shore. A loader and a back-hoe worked on a new bridge to bring development to the east bank. Another canal ran along the foot of the western slopes to a hydropower station. The sounds of foremen's shouts and truck engines rose above the sounds of the river, along with the sounds of a Tibetan family working on their home- one of the few on the east bank. After a bit more climbing, another bridge came into view- for which I was grateful. I had no idea how I was going to get back to the hotel in time to meet Peter- but the swinging foot bridge that was hidden behind some adobe buildings would provide a quick route back to the western shore quite nearby the hotel (whose name is The Northwest Yak). Walking back along the route I'd come would've taken a long time, but with this exit now available, I was free to explore the mountain.
So I continued climbing until the rocky, near-vertical ascent broke into a grassy alpine meadow. This shoulder slope continued rolling gently upwards to a high ridge that again climbed steeply to a peak far above the town. Up on the rolling meadow the chirps of flitting birds, calls of songbirds, and cries of soaring birds replaced all remnants of the urban noise below. Tiny blue and yellow flowers dotted the grassland and one little herb gave off a smell something between eucalyptus and queen anne's lace. A herd of yak grazed on the slopes of an adjoining ridge.
I climbed on to where the rolling shoulder broke back into an ascent to the ridgeline. From there I picked a downward route towards a rocky gash in the shoulder slope along which several yak were grazing. As I descended the rocky side of the ravine, I was delighted to hear the laughing gurgle of a mountain stream below. I picked my way down until I was along an icy brook falling out of the mountain, playing over rocks, and sparkling where it caught the light until it reached the river valley below. I followed the water as far as I could, but it dropped away through a rocky passage that I could not safely navigate. I climbed up the bank along a rock outcrop until there was a slope with enough footing to descend. Below me the brook disappeared under ground leaving a gravel fan in its place. There, several workers sifted shovels full of gravel and soil through a sieve to separate out the different components for construction purposes.
Along the descent, I began to hear a tink-tink-tink noise nearby that was not rising from the builders working on a house below, nor from the workers sifting soil. Coming round a small rise I was met by a dark and wrinkled little woman hammering at something that sounded like stone. As my path curved back closer to where she worked, she looked up, grinned, and greeted me in Tibetan, then went back to chiseling scriptures into the stone outcrop. As I dropped away below her, she began to sing in the nomad manner that is like nothing else on Earth.
I left the mount at just the place where the girls were sifting stone and sand. They stared as I passed. I quickly found my way to the swinging bridge covered in prayer flags and stepped across- back into the loud, dusty, rude life of town.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Hitting the road
We've got a 12 hour drive ahead of us tomorrow, will be crossing mountain passes ~14,000 ft in elevation. Most of the road is paved now, only a short stretch over one of the passes is still gravel. Weather forecast at our destination: High 50, low 33. I hope I brought warm enough clothes! (Thanks for the Carhart jacket Uncle George! Wish I had brought my insulated bibs to go with it).
How bout those LSU Tigers? Somebody give a call down to Blacksburg and tell 'em to get on the ball- I don't want to hear anymore bad news!
How bout those LSU Tigers? Somebody give a call down to Blacksburg and tell 'em to get on the ball- I don't want to hear anymore bad news!
Day 12. Still in Xining.
The day started off rainy, but the last bit of drizzle finally petered out around noon and the sun broke through. We're hoping to leave for the grassland tomorrow. The truck is fixed: had to get the automatic 4x4 hubs changed out for manual ones- that's right- the ones you have to get out of the truck to lock in! Peter was not so happy about this inconvenience- but I'm all for the trouble of getting out to lock hubs that work rather than staying comfortable and stuck when the automatic ones fail- again. Besides that, we stocked up on coffee, butter, cheese, peanut butter and jam- which are unavailable outside Xining. The best available coffee here is Nescafe instant, which is why I always bring a couple of pounds of beans with me when I visit. Coffee and chocolate are great gifts if you ever visit friends in China- but if you're visiting Chinese businessmen, they'd probably prefer American cigarettes and liquor.
I had another foot race with a truck climbing the ridge north of town this afternoon. This time we stayed neck and neck until the incline broke out to the final flat stretch and he pulled away.
I had another foot race with a truck climbing the ridge north of town this afternoon. This time we stayed neck and neck until the incline broke out to the final flat stretch and he pulled away.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Jogging
I've started jogging in the mornings, and today was particularly satisfying. I tried a route north of town, heading up one of the ridges that climbs away from the river. About a quarter way up, a blue truck went by chuga-chugging at about the cadence I was pacing. Every time I thought I was cresting the ridge, it kept going up. I wasn't sure how far I'd make it, but then as i came over one rise I saw that had started gaining on the blue truck! That spurred me on, so I picked up the pace and gave them a big grin as I passed. That's the first time I've ever been running faster than traffic.
We had a forester visiting with us yesterday and today. Quite nice to have company. He's from the UK and worked on community resource management in Nepal for nine years and is now working on a project in Yunan, not far from us.
The parts came in for our truck, so it's in the shop now and we should be heading up (in elevation) to the grasslands on Wednesday- if all goes well at the garage.
We had a forester visiting with us yesterday and today. Quite nice to have company. He's from the UK and worked on community resource management in Nepal for nine years and is now working on a project in Yunan, not far from us.
The parts came in for our truck, so it's in the shop now and we should be heading up (in elevation) to the grasslands on Wednesday- if all goes well at the garage.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Still in Xining
Saturday, September 8th.
I woke up this morning aching to go for a jog- so I did. Now I'm sitting down to work a bit more on the snow leopard research. Snow leopards are a rare/endangered large cat that are native to the Himalayan region and up into Mongolia and Russia. Snow leopard are at the top of the food chain and are therefore an indicator of the overall health of an ecosystem. Studying them and raising awareness of their plight helps to build support for broader conservation efforts affecting all of the plant and animal species downstream of them on the food chain.
Besides the snow leopard research, I'm also working on planning for a research and extension field station. The station would be for conducting environmental research, agricultural extension services, veterinary services, and medical services- all of which are critical to the health of the communities on the plateau.
While I'm working on those projects, Peter is working on a proposal to build several schools over the coming years and also on managing the Yak to School program.
----
After a few days in the city, I'm ready to head to the countryside- I take back anything I said to the contrary! However, we're waiting on a part for the pickup, so Peter and I will be in the city until late next week.
I woke up this morning aching to go for a jog- so I did. Now I'm sitting down to work a bit more on the snow leopard research. Snow leopards are a rare/endangered large cat that are native to the Himalayan region and up into Mongolia and Russia. Snow leopard are at the top of the food chain and are therefore an indicator of the overall health of an ecosystem. Studying them and raising awareness of their plight helps to build support for broader conservation efforts affecting all of the plant and animal species downstream of them on the food chain.
Besides the snow leopard research, I'm also working on planning for a research and extension field station. The station would be for conducting environmental research, agricultural extension services, veterinary services, and medical services- all of which are critical to the health of the communities on the plateau.
While I'm working on those projects, Peter is working on a proposal to build several schools over the coming years and also on managing the Yak to School program.
----
After a few days in the city, I'm ready to head to the countryside- I take back anything I said to the contrary! However, we're waiting on a part for the pickup, so Peter and I will be in the city until late next week.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Round Midnight
Xining 2:59 AM. I'm still not over the jet lag. It's dark and rainy outside, sounds just like a nice soft spring rain back on the farm. Wednesday was another busy day. One of the highlights was visiting the specimen collection at the academy of science. Among the collection was an awesome wild yak- just a huge animal much like a Bison. But the real attraction was a 20 x 12 model of the Tibetan Plateau that filled the center of the room. It was amazing! Seeing the topography, water bodies, and deserts explains so much about the transportation and trade routes, patterns of human developments, species distributions, etc. After studying the model and collection for some time, we met with several of the scientists from the research institute. It's a biological research institute under the academy of science and every researcher is engaged in very interesting work from molecular biology of endemic plant species of the grassland to adaptive mechanisms of small birds to environmental change to you name it. We finished off our morning at the academy talking with a scientist with whom we will be collaborating on a snow leopard study.
After lunch we had another three meetings scheduled, but I was reassigned to start creating a project timeline and preliminary field survey for the snow leopard study. I was just finishing up with the survey and the first draft of the timeline when the two visiting scholars from the UK arrived to watch a film on the project area. (You can look for it at home under the name "Mountain Brigade" or "Kekexili"). I made it through until about 9:30 before I begged off to sleep.
Later this morning, Marc and the visitors from the UK and another researcher will be heading up to our normal office some 1000 km southwest and 7000 ft up in elevation from here. (Xining is already at about 7000 ft). After a staged ascent, they will go on a field trip into one of the project areas. Peter and I will be staying behind for a few days while the other vehicle is being repaired, but we should be following along by next Tuesday. I've gotten so used to the big city over the last couple of years that I'm actually a tiny but reluctant to leave Xining. HA! I guess my brother was right when he said the north was making me soft.
Well, I guess I should probably try to get back to sleep. Goodnight everybody.
After lunch we had another three meetings scheduled, but I was reassigned to start creating a project timeline and preliminary field survey for the snow leopard study. I was just finishing up with the survey and the first draft of the timeline when the two visiting scholars from the UK arrived to watch a film on the project area. (You can look for it at home under the name "Mountain Brigade" or "Kekexili"). I made it through until about 9:30 before I begged off to sleep.
Later this morning, Marc and the visitors from the UK and another researcher will be heading up to our normal office some 1000 km southwest and 7000 ft up in elevation from here. (Xining is already at about 7000 ft). After a staged ascent, they will go on a field trip into one of the project areas. Peter and I will be staying behind for a few days while the other vehicle is being repaired, but we should be following along by next Tuesday. I've gotten so used to the big city over the last couple of years that I'm actually a tiny but reluctant to leave Xining. HA! I guess my brother was right when he said the north was making me soft.
Well, I guess I should probably try to get back to sleep. Goodnight everybody.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
9/05 Xining morning
It's chilly in the mornings and evenings, very warm during the day, zero humidity. I sat on the rooftop balcony reading early this morning. There's construction going on everywhere, high-rises and cranes all around. Along with the jack hammers, heavy equipment, and traffic noise- music drifts up from a nearby school where the children are doing morning exercises. It's a bit smoggy/dusty/foggy today. A lot of that will burn off by mid-morning, but early on it's a very grey atmosphere.
Yesterday morning for breakfast we stepped out for dumplings: a towering platter fed three of us for about 60 cents- yum! Today I opted for a quick bowl of homemade granola and a liter of water. I was hoping to sneak in some language review before getting down to business, but we've got a meeting in 45 minutes with the academy of science, so that will have to wait.
Yesterday morning for breakfast we stepped out for dumplings: a towering platter fed three of us for about 60 cents- yum! Today I opted for a quick bowl of homemade granola and a liter of water. I was hoping to sneak in some language review before getting down to business, but we've got a meeting in 45 minutes with the academy of science, so that will have to wait.
DAY FOUR: Xining
Wow! Xining has grown to about 1 million people. Last night I had a fantastic steak dinner and tonight a wood-fired gourmet pizza. There are coffee bars with wireless internet and free refills- amazing! The food is far better than anything available in my hometown!
Yesterday and today we've been going over the multiple projects that have been running and/or proposed over the last three years. We've got two visiting PhDs from the UK here now checking out the options for another project/funding stream. Tomorrow we'll be meeting with some folks from the academy of science with whom we partner on some ecological/environmental studies and may potentially partner with on another development project. Lots of exciting work going on- there will be no dull days.
Yesterday and today we've been going over the multiple projects that have been running and/or proposed over the last three years. We've got two visiting PhDs from the UK here now checking out the options for another project/funding stream. Tomorrow we'll be meeting with some folks from the academy of science with whom we partner on some ecological/environmental studies and may potentially partner with on another development project. Lots of exciting work going on- there will be no dull days.
Monday, September 3, 2007
DAY THREE: Beijing - Xining
9/03 12:17 PM. In the air over China.
One notable observation: Every single head in view is covered in black hair, save two. At least when viewed above the shoulders from behind I fit in!
If anyone is interested in seeing what the weather is like, I recommend wunderground.com. Xining is the capital city of Qinghai province. A few days a month, I'll be working from our office there. Our main office is in a small town 1000 km to the west at 4200 m above sea level (~13,700 ft). The nearest weather station is in the town of Yushu. Yushu is several thousand feet lower in elevation and somewhat protected in a river valley- so it doesn't get hit by the winds off of the Tibetan Plateau. Thus, the temperatures reported at Yushu will always be higher than where we are.
One notable observation: Every single head in view is covered in black hair, save two. At least when viewed above the shoulders from behind I fit in!
If anyone is interested in seeing what the weather is like, I recommend wunderground.com. Xining is the capital city of Qinghai province. A few days a month, I'll be working from our office there. Our main office is in a small town 1000 km to the west at 4200 m above sea level (~13,700 ft). The nearest weather station is in the town of Yushu. Yushu is several thousand feet lower in elevation and somewhat protected in a river valley- so it doesn't get hit by the winds off of the Tibetan Plateau. Thus, the temperatures reported at Yushu will always be higher than where we are.
DAY THREE: Beijing
9/03 10:21 AM. Beijing Airport.
Well, it was good to have a shower in Tokyo last night and another one this morning. However, the checked baggage was not available, so I'm still in the same sticky clothes I've been in since Saturday morning. Shinay told me not to travel in Dickies and boots, but those are the only clothes that I'm used to being dirty and sweaty in and still be telling people what to do. (Just kidding- if you know me you know I'm not into ordering people around, but it does bring back good memories of running the demolition crew and slaving for Morris).
There should be a couple of doctors on this last flight to Xining who will be visiting and/or working with us. Dr Foggin (Sr) will also be flying in today from Chengdu and Dr Foggin (Jr) will be meeting us at the airport. From there it's a three day trip up to the office- so depending on how long we spend in Xining I should be settling into my new home late this week.
It's good to be back in China. I feel like a completely different person since last time I was here. This is the first time I've flown within China. On my previous two trips, I crossed the country by way of trains- once by first class sleeper, once by second class sleeper, and once by second class hard seat.
Well, it was good to have a shower in Tokyo last night and another one this morning. However, the checked baggage was not available, so I'm still in the same sticky clothes I've been in since Saturday morning. Shinay told me not to travel in Dickies and boots, but those are the only clothes that I'm used to being dirty and sweaty in and still be telling people what to do. (Just kidding- if you know me you know I'm not into ordering people around, but it does bring back good memories of running the demolition crew and slaving for Morris).
There should be a couple of doctors on this last flight to Xining who will be visiting and/or working with us. Dr Foggin (Sr) will also be flying in today from Chengdu and Dr Foggin (Jr) will be meeting us at the airport. From there it's a three day trip up to the office- so depending on how long we spend in Xining I should be settling into my new home late this week.
It's good to be back in China. I feel like a completely different person since last time I was here. This is the first time I've flown within China. On my previous two trips, I crossed the country by way of trains- once by first class sleeper, once by second class sleeper, and once by second class hard seat.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
DAY THREE: Tokyo
500 AM in the Tokyo airport. The hotel was great and they treated us to a JPY 40,000 dinner- very nice! I made a friend from Alaska, slept a couple of hours, took a shower, and am back on my way to Qinghai. We should be boarding in a few minutes.
DAY TWO
Stuck in Tokyo for a little while. My flight to Beijing was cancelled,
so I'll be getting a hotel here and flying on in the morning.
so I'll be getting a hotel here and flying on in the morning.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
...and I'm off....
I leave in a few hours to begin my 90 day trip. Leaving from IAD, I will arrive in Xining about 48 hours later.