It was our great fortune to make one more home visit in a village just outside Shangri-La. As we drove in, we passed two women carrying firewood to their houses. It turned out that one of them was our host.
Their house had a similar style to the Tibetan homes seen earlier. There are three stories…The ground level is primarily a stable area for livestock. This is especially important in the winter when it becomes a. necessity to bring them in from the cold. Most of the animals are yak and chickens.
The second floor makes up the living quarters for the family. Much of the space was open with a wood-burning stove for heat and cooking. There is always a shrine for worship and meditation. The third floor is like our attics, used for storage. This house had a satellite dish for tv, a refrigerator, and a washing machine. Everyone has a cellphone…with the same ringtones as our IPhones.
After being served yak-butter tea, which is drunk by first putting barley powder in your mouth ( kind of like salt and tequila), I was able to get a pic with the two women of the house. They were so gracious and nice to get to know. And a close look past the three of us shows the entrance to the stable. A great experience.
The Adventures of Barry Brink 