Silk Road

2 marks
Why did the author take the shortcut in spite of high mountain passes?
The author took the shortcut because Tsetan knew a route that would take them south-
west, almost directly towards Mount Kailash. As long as there was no snow, there
would not be any problem for them.

Why did the author complain of headache? How did he get relief?
The author complained of headache because he was not used to high altitude climbing.
He complained of headache after they ascended 5400 metres. He got relief when he
gulped water from his bottle. As they moved down to the other side of the pass, his
headache got cleared.

Give a description of the top of the pass as given by the author.

The pass was 5515 metres above sea level. It was marked by a pile of stones which
were decorated with white silk scarves and ragged prayer flags. The author and his
friends took a turn around the cairn in a clockwise direction as it was a Buddhist
tradition.

What is the importance of Hor? How did the author feel there?
Hor was a small town on the main east west highway that followed the old trade route
from Lhasa to Kashmir. The town was on the shore of the Lake Manasarovar. The
author was not impressed by it. He found Hor a grim and miserable place. It had no
vegetation but only dust and rocks. There were heaps of garbage all around.

Why is Lake Manasarovar considered Tibet’s most venerated stretch of water?

Lake Manasarovar is considered to be the source of four great Indian rivers. The rivers
include the Indus, the Ganges, the Sutlej and the Brahmaputra. It is only the Sutlej that
actually flows from the lake. The head waters of the others rise nearby on the flanks of
Mount Kailash. Being the source of great rivers, Lake Manasarovar is considered as
Tibet’s most venerated stretch of water.

What opinion did the author form about Darchen?

The author found Darchen horrible at first. It was dusty, partially abandoned with heaps
of rubble and rubbish lying here and there. It had some general stores. A brook babbled
down past his guesthouse. After a good night’s sleep, he left Darchen – relaxed and
unhurried. The only drawback was that there were no pilgrims.

Why did the author’s initial relief at meeting Norbu become diluted later on?
Norbu could talk in English. He was going to Mount Kailash to do the Kora
(pilgrimage). But he was almost as ill-equipped to do the Kora as was the author. He
was very fat and found and walking on high altitudes was tiresome for him. Moreover,
he wasn’t really a practising Buddhist. All these factors diluted the author’s initial
relief.

Did the author stick to his original plan to make the trek?
The author did not stick to his original plan. He had originally planned to do the trek in
the company of the holy and devout believers. Norbu wasn’t a practising Buddhist but
he was enthusiastic. The author, after careful thought, decided that Norbu would prove
to be an ideal companion.
What qualities of Norbu do you think made him an ideal companion for the
author?
Norbu was educated and could converse in English. He was a Tibetan who was very
enthusiastic. He knew the importance of Kailash Kora. He was practical and suggested
hiring yaks to carry their luggage. He had a good sense of humour and could laugh at
his own shortcomings.

What did the author notice in the vast open plains after leaving Ravu?
The author noticed a few gazelles nibbling the arid pastures. Further on, where the
plains became stonier, he noticed a great herd of wild ass.

Summary
Leaving Ravu: The author left Ravu in the company of Daniel and Tsetan. Before
leaving the place, Lhamo gave him a gift. She gave him a long-sleeved sheepskin coat.
Their next destination was Mount Kailash and Tsetan knew a short cut. He said the
journey would be smooth if there was no snow.
The sight of Drokbas: As they passed by the hills, they could see the lonely drokbas
tending their flocks. There were men and women, well wrapped. They would pause and
stare at their car, occasionally waving as they passed.
The Tibetan Mastiff: As they passed the nomad’s tents there were the Tibetan
mastiffs. They would explode into action as they neared the tents. They barked
furiously and completely fearless. They would chase the car for some distance and
would then go back.
Ice blocking their way: The turns became sharper and bumpier. The sudden and
unexpected fall of snow started blocking their way. Both the author and Daniel got out
of the car for Tsetan to drive it safely, taking sharp bends. They were at 5210 meters
above the sea level. The icy top layer of the snow was very dangerous; the car could
slip off the road. The snow continued blocking their way. As they reached 5515 meters
above the sea level, the atmospheric pressure became very low and Tsetan opened the
lid of the petrol tank to release the evaporated fuel. The author experienced severe
headache.
The town of Hor: By late afternoon, they had reached the small town of Hor. Daniel
returned Lhasa and Tsetan repaired the flat tyre of the car. Hor was grim, miserable
place. There was no vegetation whatsoever, just dust and rocks. There was the
accumulated refuse everywhere. Unlike the past, the place no longer appeared holy.
Reaching Darchen: By 10.30 p.m., they reached a guesthouse in Darchen. The author
had a very troubled night. His sinus were blocked and he was not able to get enough
oxygen and finding it difficult to sleep. Most of the night he sat up and was not able to
sleep.
Visiting the Medical College: The next day Tsetan took him to the Darchen Medical
College. The doctor told him it was just cold and the altitude giving him troubles. He
gave him some medicine and that night he was able to sleep well.
Tsetan leaving for Lhasa: Tsetan left the author in Darchen and went away. He did
not mind if the author would die in Darchen. He was a good Buddhist and believed in
life after death. However, he was worried it could affect his business, as he may not get
more tourists to be accompanied.
Dry Darchen: Like Hor Darchen was dusty and heaps of refuse could be seen all
around. There were not many shops in Darchen. The town appeared to be sparsely
populated. He felt lonely, as they were not any pilgrims. He had reached there very
early in the season.
Meeting Norbu: The author wanted to reach Mount Kailash to do kora. But he didn’t
want to do it alone. He was looking for someone who could speak or understand
English. One day he was sitting in a café. When Norbu saw him reading an English
book he came and introduced him to the author. He was a Tibetan, but worked in
Beijing at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He too was there to do kora. But he
was not a religious person. Both of them decided to climb Mount Kailash.

UNDERSTANDING THE LESSON THROUGH KEY SENTENCES:

1. The author left Ravu for Mount Kailash in the company of Daniel and Tsetan.
2. Before leaving the place Lhamo gave him a long-sleeved sheepskin coat.
3. The journey would be smooth if there were no snow.
4. As they passed by the hills, they could see the lonely drokbas tending their flocks.
5. As they passed the Tibetan mastiffs would explode into action.
6. They barked furiously and completely fearless. They would chase the car for some
distance and would then go back.
7. The turns became sharper and bumpier.
8. The sudden and unexpected fall of snow started blocking their way.
9. By late afternoon, they had reached the small town of Hor.
10. Hor was grim, miserable place. There was no vegetation whatsoever, just dust and
rocks.
11. There was the accumulated refuse everywhere. Unlike the past, the place no longer
appeared holy.
12. By 10.30 p.m., they reached a guesthouse in Darchen.
13. The author had a very troubled night because of cold.
14. The next day Tsetan took him to the Darchen Medical College.
15. The doctor told him it was just cold and the altitude giving him troubles.
16. He gave him some medicine and that night he was able to sleep well.
17. Tsetan left the author in Darchen and went away.
18. Like Hor Darchen was dusty and heaps of refuse could be seen all around.
19. There were not many shops in Darchen.
20. He felt lonely, as they were not any pilgrims.
21. He had reached there very early in the season.
22. The author wanted to reach Mount Kailash to do kora.
23. He was looking for someone who could speak or understand English.
24. Later he met a Tibetan Norbu who too was thee to do kora at Mount Kailash.
25. Both of them decided to climb Mount Kailash.

TEXT BOOK QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
I. Give reasons for the following statements.

1. The article has been titled ‘Silk Road’

The ‘Silk Road’ refers to a net work of overland routes linking Europe with Asia. This
has been the trade route followed by the Europeans since ancient times, who had a
passion for silk, horses and exotic fauna and flora of the east. Just about every
transaction imaginable has occurred along its many trails over the centuries. Travelling
the Silk Road is the most resonant journey on Earth. It is a thread that links East and
West, a network of veins that pumped new lifeblood into mighty empires, a fabled route
trodden by innumerable adventurers through the ages. The author Nick Middleton in his
travelogue follows the footsteps of Alexander the Great and Marco Polo overland from
China to the edge of Europe. Hence, it titled as ‘Silk Road’. The reader finds it
refreshing to traverse such vast tracts of physical geography, expanses of the natural
world that remain largely untamed.

2. Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China’s imperial courts.

Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China’s imperial courts as hunting dogs. They were
brought along the Silk Road in ancient times as tribute from Tibet. They were huge
black dogs used as watchdogs. They explode into action like bullets. They are furious
and fearless.

3. The author’s experience at Hor was in stark contrast to earlier accounts of the
place.
According to the earlier accounts, the place abounds in natural beauty. A Japanese
monk who had arrived there in 1900 was so moved by the sanctity of the lake that he
burst into tears. A couple of years later, the hallowed waters had a similar effect on
another traveller. However, now it is a grim miserable place. There is no vegetation
whatsoever, just dust and rocks, liberally scattered with years of accumulated refuse.

4. The author was disappointed with Darchen.

The author was disappointed with Darchen. The high altitude was giving him health
problems. He had a bad cold and was not able to sleep at night. Since he was one of the
early arrivals there weren’t any pilgrims coming to the place. The place was dusty,
partially derelict and punctuated by heaps of rubble and refuse.

5. The author thought that his positive thinking strategy worked well after all.
The author was disappointed with Darchen. He also complained of bad health. Tsetan
had left for Lhasa. He was feeling rather lonely with no pilgrims around. It was then he
met Norbu, a Tibetan who too wanted to visit Kailash. They would be a good team as
both of them were academicians who had escaped from the library. The author started
thinking positively and it gave him some delight and a new enthusiasm.

II. Briefly comment on:

1. The purpose of the author’s journey to Mount Kailash
Nick Middleton is an Oxford Professor as well as an adventurer. He follows the most
difficult terrain through the Silk Road and reaches mount Kailash. He visits the holy
place to complete the kora- going around the place.

2. The author’s physical condition in Darchen

The author was not physically well when he reached Darchen. His sinuses were blocked
due to the cold wind at Hor and he was not able to sleep well at night. The next day
Tsetan took him to the Darchen Medical College and the doctor there gave him some
medicine that gave him some relief.

3. The author’s meeting with Norbu

The author was feeling rather lonely without Tsetan who had left for Lhasa. There
weren’t any pilgrims at Darchen as he had reached the place much early in the season.
It was then he Norbu who was a Tibetan and also an academician. He too was there to
visit Kailash and they decided to go there together.

4. Tsetan’s support to the author during the journey

Tsetan was a good and efficient driver. He drove the car very carefully. During the
journey, he spoke to the author giving information about the places they were visiting.
He was very caring. At Darchen when he found that the author was not well, he took
him to the medical college and got medicine for him. He was a good Buddhist.

5. “As a Buddhist, he told me, he knew that it didn’t really matter if I passed
away, but he thought it would be bad for business.”
Tsetan was a good Buddhist and believed that death was not the end of life. Kailash
being a holy place it would be better for him as it would take him to heaven. Then if the
author would die there, it would be bad for his business as his credibility will be at
stake in looking after the tourists and later he may not get any customers.

TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT

Discuss in groups of four:

1. The sensitive behaviour of hill-folk
The hill-folk are quite unsophisticated and innocent. People like Tsetan very religious
and God-fearing. They are very much hospitable and take care of the visitors from out
side.

2. The reasons why people undergo the travails of difficult journeys

The author was an academician; hence, he undertook the journey for the purpose of
education. For him it was a learning experience. Secondly, people undertake such
journeys because of the spirit of adventure. The areas covered by the author are some of
the most difficult terrains in the world. The third can be a religious reason. People visit
places like Mount Kailash as part of their pilgrimage.

3. The accounts of exotic places in legends and the reality

There are many accounts of exotic places in legends and the reality. Places like Mount
Kailash, Manasarovar occupy a prominent place in legends. There are many articles
written about these places.

THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE:

1. Notice the kind of English Tsetan uses while talking to the author. How do you
think he picked it up?
He must have picked up English through his interactions with tourists.

2. What do the following utterances indicate?

i. “I told her, through Daniel…”
She was not able to follow English but Daniel translated what he told in English in the
Tibetan language to her.
ii. “It’s a cold,” he said finally through Tsetan.
The doctor spoke in Tibetan language, which Tsetan translated into English for the
author.

3. Guess the meaning of the following words:

Kora = Walk all the way round, circumambulate
Droka = shepherd

WORKING WITH WORDS:

1. The narrative has many phrases to describe the scenic beauty of the
mountainside like:

A flawless half-moon floated in a perfect blue sky.

Scan the text to locate other such picturesque phrases.

i. ……….the river was wide and mostly clogged with ice, brilliant white and glinting in
the sunshine.

ii. It was marked by a large cairn of rocks festooned with silk scarves and ragged prayer
flags.
2. Explain the use of the adjectives in the following phrases
i. shaggy monsters = hairy, unkempt
ii. Brackish lakes = salty
iii. Rickety table = wobbly, shaky
iv. Hairpin bend = very sharp bend
v. rudimentary general stores = elementary.

ADDITIONAL SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1. What was the farewell present given by Lhamo to the author when he told her
that he was going to Mount Kailash?
The farewell present given by Lhamo to the author when he told her that he was going
to Mount Kailash was a long-sleeved sheepskin coats that normally shepherds wore.

2. What did Tsetan say would be the only hurdle while they were on their way to
Mount Kailash?
Their journey to Mount Kailash would involve crossing several high mountain passes.
Tsetan knew the way very well; but the only problem would be snow. He could not say
anything for sure until they reached there.

3. While crossing the rocky wilderness whom did they see and what was their
reaction?
While crossing the rocky wilderness they saw solitary dorkbas- both men and women
well wrapped in sheepskin coats- who were tending their flocks. They would pause and
stare at their car, sometimes waving as they passed.

4. How did the Tibetan mastiff react when they approached?

The dogs would cock their great big heads when they became aware of their approach
and would fix them in their sights. As they drew nearer, they would explode into action,
speeding directly towards them, like a bullet from a gun and nearly as fast.

5. How did the river appear as they entered the valley?

As they entered the valley, the river became wide and mostly clogged with ice. It
appeared brilliant white and glinting in the sunshine.

6. How did the author feel when they were at about 5400 meters up the sea level?
When they were up about 5400 meters from the sea level, the mountain was covered
with snow and the author felt his head throbbing horribly. He took some water from the
bottle, which was to help a rapid ascent.

7. Why is it that on the top of the mountain there is a plateau pockmarked with
salt flats?
These salt flats are the vestiges of the Tethys Ocean, which bordered Tibet before the
great continental collision that lifted skyward, millions of years ago.

8. What activity was going on in the area where there were flats of salt?
This place was a hive of activity. Men were working with pickaxes and shovels
trudging back and forth in their long sheepskin coats and salt-encrusted boots.

9. Describe the appearance of Hor.

Hor was a miserable place. There was no vegetation whatsoever, just dust and rocks,
liberally scattered with years of accumulated refuse.

10. What troubled the author at Darchen?

A bad cold troubled the author at Darchen. He was unable to go to sleep at night as his
nostrils were blocked. As he dozed off, he woke up suddenly. He felt his chest going
very heavy, as he was not able to breathe in enough oxygen.

11. How did the Darchen medical college appear?

The Darchen medical college was new and looked like monastery from the outside with
a very solid door that led into a large courtyard. The consulting room was dark and
cold.

12. What according to the doctor was the problem the author suffered from?
According to the doctor, the author suffered from a bad cold as well as the effects of the
altitude. His sinus was blocked and he was not able to sleep at night.

13. What did the author notice in Darchen?

In Darchen, the author noticed that the people were very relaxed and unhurried, but
there was a significant drawback. There were no pilgrims in Darchen.

14. Who was Norbu?

Norbu was a Tibetan but worked in Beijing at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences,
in the Institute of Ethnic Literature.

15. Why had Norbu come to Kailash?

Norbu had been writing academic papers about the Kailash Kora and its importance in
various works of Buddhist literature for many years, but he had actually done it for
himself. Hence, he too was there to do Kora.

16. How did Norbu become an ideal companion for the author?
Norbu was an ideal companion for the author as both were academics who had escaped
from the library. Both were not devout believers and they did not intend to prostrate all
round the mountain.

ADDITIONAL LONG QUESTIONS

1. Justify the title ‘Silk Road’

The ‘Silk Road’ is not single highway, but a net work of overland routes linking Europe
with Asia, making trade possible between those with a passion for silk, horses and
exotic fauna and flora. Just about every transaction imaginable has occurred along its
many trails over the centuries. Travelling the Silk Road is the most resonant journey on
Earth. It’s a thread that links East and West, a network of veins that pumped new
lifeblood into mighty empires, a fabled route trodden by innumerable adventurers
through the ages. Yet underlying this romantic trail is one of the most extraordinary
tracts of land on this planet, a vast region separating China from the Mediterranean
world that rates as one of the least hospitable on Earth. It was the difficulty of crossing
such unforgiving territory that kept East and West apart for so long, allowing them to
develop in their own distinct ways.
The author chronicles the challenges and hardships he faced in the Silk Road regions as
they are now. Nick Middleton follows in the footsteps of Alexander the Great and
Marco Polo overland from China to the edge of Europe. The reader finds it refreshing
to traverse such vast tracts of physical geography, expanses of the natural world that
remain largely untamed.

2. Describe the author’s experiences at Darchen.

Both the author and Tsetan reached Darchen at night. He had serious sleep problems at
night as he was suffering from cold. The next day Tsetan took him to the Darchen
medical college and got some medicine for him. Tsetan left him to return to Lhasa. At
Darchen, he found people very relaxed and unhurried, but he could not find pilgrims
there as he had reached there very early. He then met Norbu who was a Tibetan, but a
Chinese academician who too had come for Kora. They decided to climb Kailash
together, as both were not devout pilgrims and had no desire to prostrate all round the
mountain.

3. How was his experience of Hor a stark contrast to the accounts he had read of
the earlier travelers?
Hor is a small town placed in the back on the main east-west highway that followed the
old trade route from Lhasa to Kashmir. The author found the place very grim and
miserable. There was no vegetation whatsoever, just dust and rocks, liberally scattered
with years of accumulated refuse. The town sat on the shore of lake Manasarovar,
Tibet’s most venerated stretch of water. His experience in Hor came as a stark contrast
to accounts he had read of earlier travellers’ first encounters with Lake Manasarovar.
They were so moved by the sanctity of the lake that they became very emotional. Now
he could find open-air dump in the town.

4. “He's an adventurer, but at heart more a meticulous academic than a

daredevil”. Explain the truth of the statement based on your reading of the
travelogue ‘Silk Road’ by Nick Middleton.
Oxford professor, travel writer, Nick Middleton is truly an adventurer, but at heart more
a meticulous academic than a daredevil. He is an environmental consultant who has
written many articles in journals, magazines and newspapers, and 16 books. Nick
Middleton teaches geography at Oxford University and is a fellow of St Anne's College.
His main research interest is in the nature and human use of deserts and their margins.
After reaching Hor what attracts him is not the natural beauty of the place but the litter
all around. He was disappointed to see the open-air litter all around. He gives a graphic
detail of the mountain terrain, the snow covered mountains and the calm and relaxed
people he met there. He strongly believes that travel broadens our mind.