Somewhere North of Tibet, April 22nd, 2007 Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727) couldn’t have said it better, when he noted: “If I saw further, it was because I stood on the shoulders of giants.” The early morning bus ride from Lhasa was nothing short of spectacular, as we took in the magnificent mountainous landscape of Tibet.  If anything, 4 hours sure flew by as we noted the Moving Dragon Ranges (Xing Long) that bedecked the view outside our coach, before it finally negotiated the edge of a water formation known as `Sui Long Shui’ (Following the Dragon Water) that is usually found together with a main `Gan Long’ (Trunk Dragon).  This trail led us to a stunning Chastity (Lian Zhen) Star, which was expectedly located next to a `Heaven Pool Water’ (Tian Chi Shui).

We’d arrived at our destination - Tibet’s highest peak, which is also home to Namucuo Lake, the world’s highest saltwater lake.  At 5,100m above sea level, temperatures were way beyond chilly…plus, it was snowing!  Undeterred, we saddled our backpacks and promptly proceeded to track up the Chastity Star, to assess its source Dragon and the pertinent formation vis-à-vis the Tian Chi Shui feature.

That done, our next stop was Namucuo Lake; a 40-minute ride from the peak, although its visibility from our previous destination belied its actual distance.  A literal ride, because we got there on the backs of hired mountain horses and Tibetan yaks (many had never seen – let alone ridden on – a yak prior to this Excursion)…yeehaw!  Feeling pretty much like Colorado cowboys (and cowgirls), there was minimal conversation as we journeyed to Namucuo, what with everyone struck silent by the breathtaking panorama that greeted him or her along the way. 

Ice and snow covered the surface of Namucuo Lake on that day, as we dismounted and started taking directions and measurements of the surrounding area.  Gathering around Joey afterwards, he drew our attention to the various main dragon veins, and how those converged upon the vicinity to give it its special Feng Shui formation.  These very same Dragon Veins are equally responsible for making Tibet the `spiritual’ place it is.  Joey also told us to note the color of the soil there…a Chastity Star red that conformed to the classical text Ru Di Yan’s description of Star soil colors.  In a nutshell, all the clues reeked of spiritualism and religious pursuits!

A late lunch followed suit, before we boarded our bus for another picturesque trip return-journey to Lhasa.  Back at the hotel, we had our final lecture and discussion for the Excursion, where Joey summarized the findings of all our audits, clarified doubts and replied to questions we posed.  It was truly a `get-up-and-smell-the-coffee’ experience, having him quote from classics such as Yu Shui Jing (Jade Essence) and Yu Che Jing (Jade Ruler) and relating their contents to the formations of places such as the Potala Palace, Sera Monastery and Namucuo Lake…when even the most experienced amongst us only knew of these classics in theory, as opposed to practice! 

Our final classroom session concluded, we trudged up to our rooms to refresh ourselves, before making our way downstairs for the last dinner (kinda morbidly sounds like `The Last Supper’, eh?.  Jokes and lighthearted banter were exchanged, as students swapped contact details and promised to keep in touch after leaving Tibet for their respective home countries.  Some even took the opportunity to register for next year’s Excursion, even though its details have yet to be planned!

Well, what else is there to be said?  As Julius Caesar once remarked: Veni, Vedi, Vinci (I came, I saw, I conquered)!  Time always flies when you’re kept occupied bustling here, there and everywhere.  All in all, it had been a mind-boggling and humbling experience for everyone.  Nothing quite compares and educates as experience…and of that, we had plenty during the course of our 2-week Excursions in China and Tibet (for those who tagged along for both Excursions).

Now that all’s said and done, nothing’s left to be said except: THANK YOU Joey, and we’ll always cherish this experience (who knows, we might get to narrate it to our grandkids one day?).  See you NEXT TIME!