September 4, 1987: Yushu to Surmang, part I

It will be like going back 500 years in time.
Tai Situ Rinpoche’s advice before I left.

Don’t get lost in history
Kobun Chino’s advice before I left.

The day before I left, Gozi Along told me he was issuing a travel permit to Surmang Dutsi-til monastery, the seat of my late teacher Chogyam Trungpa. Of course I was grateful, but in a way it was expected, or I should say I had, from the beginning, unshakeable confidence that I would get there.

“Just one more thing,” I said as I received the permit, “I want that map.” I was pointing to a large Chinese classified military map of Yushu Prefecture, which clearly showed the road to the monastery. Along took a puff of his cigarette, winced and made a motion that meant, “take it.”

23 years later I still have the map.

The road was very funky and laden with muddy ruts. The valley east past Benchen was surrounded by snow peaked mountains, the grass green and studded with grazing horses, yaks and sheep. Then there were the yak caravans bearing barley, led by whistling Khampas on horseback. It was as if I’d entered a time machine. At the end of this valley the road swung south, beginning the ascent of 16,000 ft Ge-la, the mountain that defines the northern boundary of the Surmang region.

The road had no bridges and so instead of crossing over a stream, we had to cross the stream itself. I don’t remember how many times we did this, but I think it was at least 6. The one crossing I remember most was the worst of all. The water in the middle of the stream was so deep that it covered the exhaust pipe and stalled the engine.

Tenzin, my driver, stripped down to his shorts to disconnect the exhaust manifold from the exhaust pipe, so the exhaust would come somewhat directly out of the engine, and above the water line. He came back about 5 minutes later totally hypothermic. I covered him in a Tibetan blanket and when he warmed up we were able to restart the car and get out of that river.