Summary of Silk Road
In the Silk Road summary, the author’s journey from the slopes of Ravu to Mt. Kailash is described. It was done to finish the kora. In this way, it tells us about the journey they take. Also, the main goal of the trip was mostly religious. We can tell that the author wants to make it to Mt. Kailash. So, in order to start this pilgrimage, he picks one that is hard. Also, the author hires Tsetan and brings Daniel with him as a friend to Darchen to watch over him. So, we find out about his journey and what he did along the Silk Road. He says that people who live in hilly places are very sensitive. The author then sees how beautiful Darchen and Lake Mansarovar are. Even though he faces a lot of problems, he is able to finish his pilgrimage because his faith doesn’t let him give up.
Silk Road Summary in English
In Silk Road, the story’s author, Nick Middleton, talks about his trip to Mount Kailash. The author wants to go to Mt. Kailash so he can finish his Kora. So, he hires Tsetan so that someone can take him up the mountain. As he was leaving Lhamo, he got a sheepskin coat with long sleeves. So that he has someone to talk to, the author brings Daniel with him to Darchen.
Tsetan takes a short cut to the south-west when they start their trip. He says that it is the quickest way to get to Mt. Kailash. They would have to cross the high mountain passes to get where they were going. But Tsetan tells them that it would be easy because there is no snow. On the way, they see a few gazelles, a group of wild asses, and shepherds taking care of their flocks.
When they get to the top of the hill, they see dark tents. They find out that the tents were the homes of nomads and see a Tibetan mastiff watching over the tents. When their car got close to the tents, the big-mouthed dogs ran after it. When they get to the valley, they see snow and ice on the mountains and rivers.
The ride up the hill starts to get rougher and more choppy. As they went up, the author could feel the pressure and looked at his watch to see that they were 5210 metres above sea level. After getting past the first snow-covered road, they were on their way. Because of the height and pressure, the author starts to feel uneasy. They stop for lunch around 2:00 in the afternoon.
In the late afternoon, they finally get to a small town called Hor. The author stopped for a break in Hor and had a cup of tea at a nearby café. During this time, Tsetan fixed the car, and Daniel went to Lhasa. The author didn’t care much for Hor. After getting back on the road, they spend the night in Darchen at a guest house. We can see that he has a stuffy nose because of the change in altitude and the cold weather. He goes to a Tibetan doctor and gets medicine to take for five days.
After that, he feels better and enjoys his time at Darchen, where he meets another pilgrim named Norbu. The author is relieved that Darchen didn’t have any pilgrims, so he decides to finish his pilgrimage with him. At last, they hire yaks to carry their bags, and Norbu gives up, falling over the table and laughing. Norbu’s family says he couldn’t do it, and he also has a big stomach.
Conclusion of Silk Road
In the Silk Road summary, we learn about the author’s journey along the silk road, as well as about the pilgrims’ determination and the hardships they face.
