We traveled in a caravan of five Toyota SUV cars throughout our overland trip.  We were turned around at the beginning at a police check point, and we had to improvise our trip a little.  We camped for a few nights on various mountain passes and next to a beautiful lake.  Each night we had a fire, and at one point we had a fire made entirely of dried yak dung.  We visited two monasteries and stayed one night in Litang.  Our group then did a six day pilgrimage around three sacred snow mountains and on the seventh day we went to an oracle lake.  I enjoyed everyone’s company on the overland trip very much, and couldn’t imagine going on the trek without the help of our lovely drivers and cook.  We were extremely blessed to be surrounded by such capable and kind people on our trip. 

We tried to find nomads, but they were not staying where we thought they would be.  At that site we had a free day.  I took a long day hike by myself up to the top of a massive mountain ridge.  I sat at the top and had a 360 degree view all around me of Snow Mountains and plains.  It was one of the most overwhelming and inspiring moments of my life.  I sat and meditated on the ridge for a long time and eventually made my way down to the camp around the lake. 

We visited a monastery in the city of Litang, and another monastery on our way to Yadin.  Both were very intricate and had a great deal of character and strong history.  The monastery in Litang had been destroyed in the Cultural Revolution and has been rebuilt, and still seems to be under construction.  We saw and got to talk to a group of monks who were going about their daily practice, which was really fascinating to witness.  I found the inner temple of the monastery in Litang to be very spiritually moving, through the lighting and the depictions of various bodhisattvas and Buddhas along the walls.   We also visited a Karma Kagyu monastery.  Practically all of the other monasteries we have visited were the Gelukpa sect so it was interesting to see a different kind of sect of practice manifested through the monastery.  I felt very meditative while walking around and spinning the prayer wheels at one monastery.  All thoughts past from my mind, and I just focused on walking and spinning the wheels with my hands. 

Our group did a six day pilgrimage around three bodhisattva snow mountains; the bodhisattvas of wisdom, power, and compassion.  I really enjoyed the pilgrimage and all of the hiking we had to go through.  It was extremely tiring at times, but overall it was very fulfilling.  I was challenged by the altitude and experienced some headache symptoms.  We were blessed with beautiful weather for the most part, until it started snowing at the very end.  I felt prepared for the hike and the weather and as the days progressed I felt stronger and more capable in my hiking abilities.  We camped every night and helped with cooking and cleaning with meals in four groups.  We had horses carrying our bigger bags and other supplies like tents and cooking supplies.  We hiked through a few snow passes and experienced some fairly steep passes on our journey.  Also the last two days it snowed and it was very epic to hike through the snow.  I did a lot of contemplation while hiking and found myself falling into a sort of meditative state while hiking by myself.  I found the experience to be very peaceful and calming, even though the physical aspect of the movement was difficult.  I enjoyed that the last mountain we came to was the bodhisattva of compassion, and the mountains snow embankment looked like a giant heart.  

We visited the inner part of the three mountains where an oracle lake is located.  I sat by the lake for a very long time and saw a vision of an open door with warm light flooding out of it in the water.  It was an image from a children’s book I have read many times.  The image reminded me of my childhood and made me extremely nostalgic.  There were also a few other symbols that pertained to the open door as well that I contemplated. 

I found myself experiencing a great deal of de ja vu.  I felt as if I had been in some places before.  It occurred mostly when I was hiking and seeing certain mountain scenes, and also when we were driving around in the cars.  These feelings have also been occurring throughout the entire trip, yet the seemed the strongest during the last few weeks of the semester.  These feelings make me think that I was ment to come here or that I have dreamt of some of these places or recognize pieces of my past in the places we have visited in China.