Excerpt
1. ‘Intense' is a word that applies to many aspects of Tibet. It applies to the amazing resilience of the Tibetan people in the face of extreme adversity. Their battle has been largely a pacifist one, of suffering and enduring - a game of ultimate patience and tolerance. 'Intense' captures the feel of the landscape. The intensity of colours at this elevation is extraordinary, with glacial-blue lakes, luminous-yellow fields of mustard, deep reds and browns of barren rock landscapes, and then, up on the horizon, looms an ethereal Himalayan snowcap, backed by piercing blue skies. The colours practically glow: when you show photographs of these landscapes to people who haven't been there, they question the unreal colours - what kind of filter did you use?
2. Tibet is a land of monks and mystery, of high adventure - and high controversy. The ‘land of snows boasts the worlds highest peaks and its deepest gorges. Despite Chinese incursions, you can experience the timeless rhythms of the ancient Tibetan civilisation, as nomads herd their yaks, pilgrims make their way around sacred Mount Kailash, and monks chant in prayer halls lit by yak-butter lamps.