Hiking 318 | Walking to Tibet DAY42: Songzong Town-Bomi County

2021.05.07

Today’s destination is Bomi County, a total distance of 42 kilometers.

In Songzong Town, I saw a big stone with an introduction to Bomi County written on it. It said: Bomi, called "Bowo" in Tibetan, is the birthplace of the first Tibetan king Nie Tri Zampu and is known as the "Land of Glaciers". , the hometown of the King of Tibet, Tibetan Switzerland, and the snow-covered south of the Yangtze River”. No wonder after entering Bomi County, you can see snow-capped mountains whenever you look up.

The land of glaciers, the hometown of Zao

Tibetan Switzerland, snowy Jiangnan

This morning I was amazed by a snow-capped mountain called Armor Mountain. When we first set out in the morning, this snow-capped mountain didn’t look much different except for the wrinkled texture of the rock formations on the top of the mountain and the layered snow that looked like armor. After walking forward for about 40 minutes, the sun peeked out from behind the mountain and peeled away the clouds in the sky. When I looked back at Armor Mountain again, the white clouds quietly presented it with a white hada. At this time, The Armor Mountain is like a general returning from victory, sitting on the high hall, majestic.

mountain of armor

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The most interesting thing on the way today was meeting two pilgrims kneeling alone to Lhasa.

The first one is the eldest brother from Shangri-La, Yunnan, who is older than me. The silly dog ​​saw him from a distance and said to us: "Let's go quickly. There is a worshiper in front of us."

It was raining when we met him, and my eldest brother was sitting under a pine tree on the roadside to rest. When we approached him, he warmly invited us to come over and sit down to rest and hide from the rain.

The eldest brother said that he drove here to worship alone. He first drove the car to a convenient parking place, then got out of the car and walked back, then bowed and walked to the parking place. It has been more than two months since I started.

Yunnan big brother’s car

I asked my elder brother, what is the purpose and significance of the pilgrimage to Lhasa?

The elder brother said: You should have a wish along the way, and then take it to the Jokhang Temple and the Potala Palace to make this wish to the Buddha. This wish should be big, not too small. Small wishes are too easy to be realized in this life, but if larger wishes cannot be realized in this life, they will continue and echo in reincarnation.

I asked my elder brother, does every Tibetan have to kneel down and go to Lhasa once?

The elder brother said: It depends on personal practice. Some people can go two or three times, or even more times. And some people who don’t practice enough can never go there even once.

I asked my elder brother, and people often asked me along the way, why are you hiking? I can't answer this question either. Do you think our kind of hiking is tourism? Or does it have other meanings?

The eldest brother said: Put down the busyness in life, put down some things that you usually can't put down, and walk slowly in nature, looking at the snow-capped mountains, rivers, and woods. I can see some karma and think of some cause and effect. For those who believe in Buddhism, it is a kind of practice.

I asked again, do you know Kailash? Is it better to go to Mount Kailash? What's the special significance?

The eldest brother said: Kailash is far away, but if you don’t have a good (good) wish in your heart, your trip will be in vain.

I feel like I understand something, but I'm not sure I really understand it.

When I said goodbye for the last time, I asked my eldest brother: As long as you have a good wish in your heart and take it to Lhasa to tell the Buddha, the journey you take will be considered a good (meaningful) one?

The eldest brother said: Yes.

People who kneel down and go on pilgrimage walk very slowly. After bidding farewell to our eldest brother, we take a step forward and continue in the direction of Bomi. The scenery gradually changed from snow-capped mountains and river valleys to forests. On a road surrounded by dense forests, we saw another pilgrim, a young monk who looked no older than a silly dog.

Shagou said that he had always wanted to take a video of pilgrims kneeling and walking. After getting the consent of the little master, Shagou finally got what he wanted, and finally took a photo with the little master excitedly.

Silly dog ​​with a stiff expression🐶

The little master took three steps and bowed once. After being interrupted by us, he walked back a little way and bowed again. Seeing how focused the little master was, we were too embarrassed to disturb him any more, so we said goodbye to him.

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Altitude changes:

3055-2724

Transportation:

42 kilometers on foot

Accommodation recommendations:

Longteng Hotel

Dining locally:

"Breakfast" Chuanjiao Restaurant-Braised Beef Noodles

"Lunch" road meal-biscuits+ham sausage+bread+shaqima

"Late" Firewood Earthen Stove House - Firewood Turkey - Recommended👍

Generate garbage:

Cigarette butts*3, ham sausage packaging*1, bun packaging*3, Shaqima packaging*4, bear cake packaging*1, pulsating bottle*1, beer bottle*1, candy wrapper*2, plastic bag*1