Wednesday, February 21, 2007

China - Tibet

Saturday, Feb 17, after 12 days in China and Tibet I find my self ordering dinner in a Tibetan restaurant in Jongdien , the Chinese new years eve , and I am here alone.
12 days since the moment we started our mission to look for a missing woman who disappear in China three months ago.
We didn't find her yet , we barely found any new clues, as if the earth had opened and she drown into the unknown.
In the last four days I spent almost 10 hours a day riding a car to and from Tibet (Deqin to Mlcam and back) and in China (Deqin – Shangri-La – Tiger leaping goerge- Shangri-La ) with part of the team while the rest of the team was trekking in Deqin area.
In these 12 days I met a team of people who left their regular (volunteering) life to help the family of Ada Geshovitz looking for her, or as one of the guys said , well we got a free ticket to china so we went……….:)
Where should I star telling this story, is it from the moment I got the phone call from my dear friend and commander in the Israeli army asking me: how is your knee? Bad , I answered, I haven't got over the surgery I made. Do you have any plans to fly in the near future? I do, I am taking Tali (my wife) to Rome for her birthday in a week from now , I answered. So cancel all , you are coming to China with me………..
Or should I start from the moment we met Ada's daughters in a very very cold day in Jongdien , after more than a month looking for their Mom with no past experience, but only with great common sense and care for her.
Its been a journey, its part of the journey I am going throw for the last few years. It’s a sad one since we didn't find Ada yet, but there is also happiness , to see such wonderful people around me who volunteer in no-time to leave everything behind, to meet strong girls that don't give up their hope to find their mother, to find good people out there in far China who help with no rewards, to see the this beautiful world we are living in and most of all to see woman who fulfill her dreams and in the age of 62 traveled like young people , even though it sometimes can hurt her family as it is now.
I would also like to share with you one of the most amazing places I've been in during my travels, Shangri-la area. Its an area that started from Shangri-La (Jongdien) and stretched to the north of Yunnang province, till it reach Tibet.
Tomorrow (Feb 18) is my last day here and I am heading (Feb 19) in a long journey back home to Israel (three flights total of more than 24 hours on the ride).i am not sure I would be able to publish it to my blog before I reach Israel but I will sure write a lot on all the issues I mentioned above.
Just quick advise to those of you who travel alone, pls do it carefully , and when you go to remote places ple join others and don't go alone and if you do it, leave enough information behind so you can be found easily if you get lost.
Love
lior

you can also read my partner remarks:
http://vcinjerusalem.typepad.com/vcinjerusalem/2007/02/my_partner_is_i.html