The Chiru of High Tibet

I have lost a few days in this return from the Chang Tang. But perhaps it's to be expected that the present will keep interfering. Yesterday I had to go on a picnic with friends to a patch of native Iowa prairie, that is still virgin prairie because it was designated as a cemetery in the middle of the nineteenth … [Read more...] about Journeying

Sometimes the present just plops itself down in all its going-to-the playground, holding-new-baby, joyful busy-ness - even during this journey into the past. But now we are home - and ready to leave the Chang Tang again. Day 20 - June 6 @ 5:30 p.m. Beijing time Well, this is the day we left the Chang Tang. We … [Read more...] about Getting Back to Leaving the Chang Tang

We are visiting family in Brooklyn. Lots of play. But here's time to start to catch up... - Jacqueline Day 18 - June 4, 2006 Last big walk. Today I walked the most I have walked on this trip--4 hours--with no headache or otherwise ill effects so far. This morning I went toward AruTso with my binoculars … [Read more...] about Catching Up

Day 17 - June 3, 2006 @ 3:55 p.m. Beijing time This morning we packed our gear and left our campsite at the northern end of Aru Tso, sort of across from our first campsite. We are backed up against glaciers and a glacial stream runs right next to where we are camped. On the way here we passed an abandoned nomad … [Read more...] about The Gift of the Chiru

Day 15 - June 2, 2006 @ 4:27 p.m. Beijing time It snowed in the night and continued this morning. We didn't move our camp to Memar Tso. Everything was just too wet to pack up. Heinrich and I sat in the cook tent and visited while it snowed. This trip has been all he hoped for, and more I think, a voyage of science. For … [Read more...] about Road Excursion on a Snowy Day

Day 15 - June 1, 2006 @ 1:30 p.m. Beijing time This morning I went for a walk toward the hills behind our campsite. I was sitting on a grassy area, feeling lonely, head down. When I lifted my head to look at the hills I saw 15 chiru walking across the sidehill. It was as if they were saying, "You came here to see … [Read more...] about Waiting for Chiru, in the Quiet