Summary of Silk Road by Nick Middleton?
The author chronicles the challenges and hardships he faced in
the Silk Road regions as they are now. The reader finds it
refreshing to traverse such vast tracts of physical geography,
expanses of the natural world that remain largely untamed.
As a trade route, the Silk Road has been less a single highway
and more a network 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.
Middleton's particular passion consists of exposing himself to
nature's vicissitudes like facing oxygen starvation in Tibet as he
climbs towards the "navel of the universe," and other hardships
during the journey.
The author is an adventurer, but at heart more a meticulous
academic than a daredevil. Researching the different forms of
altitude sickness, he is alarmed to discover it can lead to
swelling of the brain or to the lungs slowly filling with
fluid.
Having no religious inclinations himself, he begins to speculate
on Tibetan Buddhism as a prerequisite for survival at such an
altitude, yet makes the classic Western error of putting bodily
discipline before mental striving.
This account of the Silk Road, with its contrasts and exotic
detail, certainly describes the challenges and hardships Middleton
faced. However, if he had sacrificed some of the sense of his own
heroism, and introduced instead more of a sense of wonder or of the
absurd, the book would have proved a more entertaining read.
SUMMARY IN ENGLISH
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.
