Friday, July 9, 1999
We started the day at 9 AM, anxious to get to our next
city. Our ride was to be six hours of
countryside. The six of us had become good company for each other. So these
long bus rides together were just as enjoyable at the sightseeing. An hour into
our trip, we found ourselves detained along the highway. The military police
pulled us and many other trucks over just as we were to enter the Freedom Highway.
No one knew why we had to wait but the Tibetans took it this inconvenience in
stride and seized the opportunity as a time to meet with one another. They sat
under their trucks to get out of the sun and under some cool shade. The yak
butter tea came out and strangers drank together. Some people played cards but
mostly they sat on or near each other and just enjoyed each others company.
We, American, sat on the bus and read our books in isolation.
Occasionally we would talk to each
other. But our interactions were sparse compared to the Asians. We were annoyed. They sang and we listened to
our music through our earphones. They shared their food and we ate our boxed
lunches. They took this as an opportunity to socialize. We napped.
One woman in a truck, took out all of her laundry and hung
up to dry along someone’s fence along the road. Beggars came out and looked for
potential the American tourists’ buses. It appeared as if our bus was the only
bus filled with Westerners. The “hello money” people found us rather quickly
and pounded on our windows to get out attention. We ignored them which did not
cause them to go away but rather to pound louder.
I went out looking for a private spot to relieve myself. I
had no luck at all. People followed me and Doma, our guide, told me that the
people were interested in seeing what I might eliminate. Michael came out with me
after my third attempt to find a private spot. But it just wasn’t going to
happen. We had no other choice but to
joined the crowd and relieved ourselves on the side of the road.
After three hours we were allowed back on the road. Michael
and I had to run get back to our bus as the other trucks quickly took off. We
were on the road again for about an hour when we pulled over yet again. This
time we were pulled off the road and told to stay together in this confined
area. Hundreds of trucks were pulled over this time. There was no water, no
phone service, no alternative roads, no medical services, no food and no option
to turn back. But this didn’t seem to matter to the Tibetans. The military
people were instructed to get everybody off the road and so we had no other
choice but to comply. No one protested. Again the Tibetan seem content and
compliant with this detention.
Meanwhile this imposed detention ate us up. We talked about
civil rights and injustices and alternative routes and using our perception of our
Western clout to get us through the Chinese government’s road block. We exaggerated our need to be on the road and
we reaffirmed each other’s statements of injustices. Lois and I approached one
of the soldiers and attempted to explain to him that it was imperative that he
make an exception and let us go as we had a pending flight and needed to be on
our way. He looked to be about 16 years
old and he held a very large rifle. As we tortured him with our whining, two
thoughts crossed my mind: (1) what audaciously to assume that this person could
understand our English and (2) at any moment, he could take that rifle and just
smash it into our faces. I humbled
myself and told Lois we had to leave him alone.
He was only doing his job. She
backed off and we went back to our bus to complain with our friends.
Rumors were rampant as to why were were all detained. Maybe
the Chinese president was coming or at least one of his dignitaries. They were looking for someone, a spy of some
sort. That’s why we couldn’t turn back. We were told we had to wait until 60
nuclear weapons were delivered to the nearby military base. After a few hours, we watched in full view as many
military trucks and large weapons drove right pass us and entered the base. It
was thought that these weapons were going to the Pakistan border because there
was conflict between Pakistan and India. At the conclusion of the weapons
brigade there were fireworks and a military ceremony. Then everything was over
but we still sat and waited.
After 5 1/2 hours we were free to go. The attempts to get
back on the road was far more civilized than I had anticipated. But there was
one truck that was not cooperating with the rest of us. He seemed to block us
on purpose. Bob took it upon himself to use his “crazy New York attitude” to
get us out of here. He rolled down his window, stuck his head out and yelled in
gibberish. People were stunned by this behavior. Several drivers got out of our
way and let us through. The rest of us howled laughing in our seats.
Most of our ride was now in the dark but again what we saw
was gorgeous. We arrived at our hotel around 10:30. We had anticipated arriving
around 3:30. It was a wasted day but it was a welcome relief to be in a pleasant
environment with food, water, toilets and other basic amenities that I so often
take for granted.
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