Long Morning Walk to Tibet

My long morning walk to Tibet was a kind of symbolic pilgrimage.

When I set off, for what turned out be an eight-month trip around the world, in September 1970, my primary interest was Asia and within that, the ‘Confucian’ influenced countries…China, Korea, Vietnam and, to a lesser extent, Japan.

A month was devoted to Japan, two weeks Korea, 10 days Taiwan and I went to the China border in the New Territories of Hong Kong.

Visiting mainland Communist China, which Canada had, days before I got to Taiwan, just recognized as the de facto government of the country was complicated. While I suffered no negative treatment in Taiwan, being a Canadian in the county raised eyebrows with authorities.

Also judiciously out of bounds, at that time, because of the war, were Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, but I skipped joyously and safely through Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon,. How times have changed.

I basically skirted China visiting surrounding countries, now in India and more than five months into the trip. I hadn’t booked Nepal into my around-the-world air ticket, but I was allowed to change the route and add and subtract air stops as I wanted.

I am not sure why Nepal was not in the original ticket, but I suspect it wasn’t “historical” enough for my mission. Now long cured of…