Chapter 15-Lhasa is a smelly city with rotting rubbish and a decomposing dog on a road connecting Happiness Street with Construction Street. The author visits the Foreign Affairs Office to inquire about an exit visa, which is granted by the Public Security Bureau. They meet Mr. Hoisnt, who has returned with a baby from Sichuan. They eat a delicious stew at a guest house and plan to visit the temple of Ramache, the Gandian Monastery, and the towns of Gyangtse and Shigatse. Ramache is a smaller temple than the great Jokhang and is a reminder of the devastation of the late 19th century. The author decides not to visit Gandian, as it is saddened by the destruction. They meet a haggard couple, Giancarlo and Beatrix, who have traveled by the same route. Tomas, a Swedish student, also arrives from the Nepalese border and is eager to return to Chengdu and Beijing. Tomas is knowledgeable about art and opera, both Chinese and Tibetan.
Tomas and the author are searching for a lift to Chamdo and Shigatse and Nilamu. They try various options, but are unsuccessful. Tomas suggests bypassing the lingdao and trying directly at the truck loading place. The bus depot has not cancelled its bus to Chamdo, and Tomas is short of cash. The author buys a ticket and assumes a lift will come through tomorrow. On their way back, they meet Sui, who is leaving for Liuyuan in a couple of days. Sui mentions his wife’s fishing expedition and they bid farewell.
Chapter 16- On Monday morning, Tomas and the narrator visit a bus station and find a truck-loading station. The manager offers a ticket for the narrator to travel in their truck, which costs 35 yuan. The narrator is asked for money and is allowed to stop to take photographs. They walk through the lively city of Lhasa, passing by the Foreign Affairs Office, Ramache, and the old town. At the bank, they exchange receipts and reconvert most of their remaining yuan into dollars. The narrator visits Norbu again, who wishes the narrator a good journey. The next morning, the narrator is ready with luggage and ticket. The truck is delayed, and they arrive at the truck departure station in ten minutes. The narrator is introduced to Wu, the driver, who is irritable and has a continuous patter of grumbling. The narrator and the narrator drive along a narrow ledge above the Lhasa river and briefly along the Brahmaputra. They climb to a high pass, Kamba La, which overlooks a calm lake and beautiful weather.
Tomas and the author descend towards Yamdrok Lake, where they encounter a snow-white peak. They climb through rain, sleet, and glaciers, while Wu threatens them. They arrive in Shigatse, where Wu announces he will return to Lhasa tomorrow due to floods. The author insists on leaving China in three days, as his documents expire. Wu insists on honoring a ticket issued by his unit, but the author refuses. The author goes to the police station to extend his residence permit but is unsuccessful. An officer helps the author find an alternative ride to Nilamu, and the ticket obliges the driver to take the ticketed person to the destination. The author and the officer eventually prevail, and Wu becomes less resentful towards the author. They continue to unload the truck and explore Shigatse until lunchtime.
Shigatse, the second largest town in Tibet, was once the seat of the Panchen Lama. The dzong, destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, is now a surviving area of the Zashilumpo monastery. The monastery features impressive sutra rooms, meditation halls, tankas, and cymbal-drums. The author and a soldier travel to Nilamu, crossing the Himalayas and witnessing the stunning sunset at Shishapangma.
Chapter 17- Climate zones are arranged in latitudinal bands, making north-south journeys more varied than east-west journeys. In western China, topographical features are also latitudinal, enhancing the variety of a longitudinal journey. The author describes a rapid southward descent to the warm foothills of the Indian subcontinent, from the Thong La pass to Nilamu and Zhangmu. The valley drains southwards towards the Ganges and is surrounded by tall peaks. The Bhotakoshi river, which drains southwards towards the Ganges, has eaten deeply into the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, surrounded by tall peaks. The river’s tributaries, when not actually waterfalls, rush down its angled gradient with terrifying impetus. The flood that struck the valley has destroyed a small bridge on one stream, cutting Nilamu off from Zhangmu. The author plans to be in Zhangmu before nightfall and enjoys the beauty of eight waterfalls. Water, the most unifying element, ties land, sea, and air in one living ring, accepting all three states in nature. The author explores the universal element of water, its local excellences, and its impact on various creatures. It questions why we fixate on water, despite its diverse nature, as it moves while the land is static.
Chapter 18- Zhangmu is a small settlement on a hillside above the river, with a road leading down to Nepal. The author is a Sherpa and is introduced to Tenzingtomang, a barefooted Sherpa who charges a daily rate for carrying part of the author’s luggage. They travel through hills, forests, fields, and along the river to Bahrbise, where they cross the river on a bridge to Lamasangu and take a bus to Kathmandu. They encounter several people waiting for customs, including a 26-year-old woman who has come back to Tibet after being sent out of Tibet by her parents. They also meet a shopkeeper named Jigme, who speaks Tibetan, Nepali, and English fluently.
The author and Tenzing walk through a country of bamboo, iris, and rhododendron, crossing streams and stepping into shallows to cool their feet. They stop at a small millet-growing settlement, where they buy yogurt and eat parched rice and sugar. They traverse a dangerously narrow path, encountering leeches and a man who asks about their luggage. The author reveals they crossed the border, unaware of the border.
The author is stopped by a customs officer who checks his luggage, revealing that he smokes cigarettes. The officer helps him repack his belongings, including a packet of Zhonghua, which he brings back home for his brother. They continue their journey through fields, hamlets, and uninhabited tracts, eventually reaching the Bhotakoshi, a muddy, white-brown river. They encounter signs of destruction, including flooded crops, uprooted trees, and broken walls. They halt at Chaku, a resting place, and spend the night there. The mosquitoes, mites, fleas, lice, and bloodsuckers infest the area, making sleep impossible. He is woken by Jigme’s furious cries and is left to ponder his love for his shirt, which he bought and brought with him.
The author describes his journey through Nepal, describing the familiar landscapes of terraced rice fields, banana trees, and flame-of-the-forest. He mentions the bright colors of the streets and the landslides that occur along the way. The author also mentions the similarities to other valleys in the Himalayan foothills, such as Dehradun. The author enjoys the bright clothes and familiar features of the people, as well as the characteristic snorting and coughing of the bus on its journey to Kathmandu.
Chapter 19- The author visits two sacred temples in Kathmandu, Pashupatinath and Baudhnath stupa. Pashupatinath is filled with confusion and chaos, with many worshippers and tourists. Baudhnath, the Buddhist shrine, is quiet and peaceful, with small shops and Tibetan immigrants selling goods. The author luxuriates in their tiredness, allowing sight to follow sight and thought to follow thought. Kathmandu is mercenary and religious, with small shrines, fruit sellers, flutesellers, and hawkers selling Western cosmetics and Nepalese antiques. The author feels dislocated and homesick, considering different routes back home.
Upon returning home, the author notices a fluteseller in a square, playing bansuris and recording them. Flute music is universal and particular, drawing the author into the commonalty of all mankind. The gradualness of their journey and the simultaneous impact of family, country, and climate on the mind make the significance of small details more apparent. The author’s experience in Kathmandu is a testament to the importance of a balanced and fulfilling life.
The author recounts his journey to Kathmandu, Nepal, where he spends the last two months with his family. He recalls the names of places he would like to travel to, but cannot imagine returning once he is no longer a student. The author reflects on the lack of contact between India and China, despite their contiguity, and the fact that they are both part of the same landmass. He believes that understanding another great culture enriches one’s life, helps one to understand one’s own country better, and indirectly contributes to a reservoir of individual goodwill that may help temper the cynical use of national power.
One Reply to “Vikram Seth From Heaven Lake Summary (Chapter 15-19)”