Gujarat Board GSEB Class 11 English Textbook Solutions Hornbill Chapter 8 Silk Road Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers, Notes Pdf.

Gujarat Board Textbook Solutions Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 8 Silk Road

GSEB Class 11 English Silk Road Text Book Questions and Answers

Understanding the Text
Give reasons for the following statements:

Question 1.
The article has been titled ‘Silk Road’.
Answer:
The title of the article has been named on the historic silk road or routes. The network connected the Afro-Eurasian landmass. It established trade of Chinese silk, spices, teas and porcelain; Indian textiles, precious stones and pepper; and the Roman Empire’s gold, silver, fine glassware, wine, carpets and jewels. The road was named Silk Road largely because of the silk trade with China. In the chapter the author travels to Mount Kailash, exploring the Himalayan belt in Tibet. Since the author explored this region, the article is titled as ‘Silk Road’.

Question 2.
Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China’s imperial courts.
Answer:
Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China’s imperial courts as hunting dogs. They were brought along the Silk Road in ancient times as tribute from Tibet. They were huge black dogs used as watchdogs. They explode into action like bullets. They are furious and fearless.

Question 3.
The author’s experience at Hor was in stark contrast to earlier accounts of the place.
Answer:
Hor was a grim, miserable place. The dust and rocks were scattered everywhere in abundance; there was little vegetation. The place seemed unfortunate and dejected, though it sat on the shore of the Lake Manasarovar. The author was flabbergasted to realise the contrast in his experience to that of the earlier read accounts. A Japanese monk, Ekai Kawaguchi, who had arrived there in 1990, was so moved by the sanctity of the lake that he burst into tears.

The hallowed waters had a similar effect on Sven Hedin, a Swede who was not prone to sentimental outbursts. However, for the author, when he reached Hor, first he had to get two punctures mended. The only relaxation was the tea served by a Chinese youth in the only cafe in the town, which was constructed from badly painted concrete and had three broken windows. The good view of the lake through one of them helped to compensate however.

Question 4.
The author was disappointed with Darchen.
Answer:
The author was disappointed with Darchen. The high altitude was giving him health problems. He had a bad cold and was not able to sleep at night. Since he was one of the early arrivals there weren’t any pilgrims coming to the place. The place was dusty, partially derelict and punctuated by heaps of rubble and refuse.

Question 5.
The author thought that his positive thinking strategy worked well after all.
Answer:
The author was disappointed with Darchen. He also complained of bad health. Tsetan had left for Lhasa. He was feeling rather lonely with no pilgrims around. It was then he met Norbu, a Tibetan who too wanted to visit Kailash. They would be a good team as both of them were academicians who had, escaped from the library. The author started thinking positively and it gave him some delight and a new enthusiasm.

Briefly comment on:

Question 1.
The purpose of the author’s journey to Mount Kailash
Answer:
Nick Middleton is a Oxford professor as well as an adventurer. He follows the most difficult terrain through the Silk Road and reaches Mount Kailash. He visits the holy place to complete the kora going around the place.

Question 2.
The author’s physical condition in Darchen
Answer:
The author was not physically well when he reached Darchen., His sinuses were blocked due to the cold wind at Hor and he was not able to sleep well at night. The next day Tsetan took him to the Darchen medical college and the doctor there gave him some medicine that gave him some relief.

Question 3.
The author’s meeting with Norbu
Answer:
The author was feeling rather lonfly without Tsetan who had left for Lhasa. There weren’t any pilgrims at Darchen as he had reached the place much early in the season. It was then he met Norbu who was a Tibetan and also an academician. He too was there to visit Kailash and they decided to go there together.

Question 4.
Tsetan’s support to the author during the journey
Answer:
Tsetan was a good and efficient driver. He drove the car very carefully. During the journey, he spoke to the author giving information about the places they were visiting. He was very caring. At Darchen when he found that the author was not well, he took him to the medical college and got medicine for him. He was a good Buddhist.

Question 5.
“As a Buddhist, he told me, he knew that it didn’t really matter if I passed away, but he thought it would be bad for business”
Answer:
Tsetan was a good Buddhist and believed that death was not the end of life. Kailash being a holy place it would be better for him as it would take him to heaven. Then if the author would die there, it would be bad for his business as his credibility will be at stake in looking after the tourists and later he may not get any customers.

Talking about the Text
Discuss the following in groups of four:

Question 1.
The sensitive behaviour of hill-folk
Answer:
The hill-folk are quite unsophisticated and innocent. People like Tsetan are very religious and God-fearing. They are very much hospitable and take care of the visitors from outside.

Question 2.
The reasons why people willingly undergo the travails of difficult journeys
Answer:
The author was an academician, hence, he undertook the journey for the purpose of education. For him it was a learning experience. Secondly, people undertake such journeys because of the spirit of adventure. The areas covered by the author are some of the most difficult terrains in the world. The third can be a religious reason. People visit places like Mount Kailash as part of their pilgrimage.

Question 3.
The accounts of exotic places in legends and the reality
Answer:
There are many accounts of exotic places in legends and the reality. Places like Mount Kailash, Manasarovar occupy a prominent place in legends. There are many articles written about these places.

Thinking about Language

Question 1.
Notice the kind of English Tsetan uses while talking to the author. How do you think he picked it up?
Answer:
Tsetan must have picked up the kind of English though his interactions with tourists.

Question 2.
What do the following utterances indicate ?
(i) “I told her, through Daniel………….”
Answer:
She was not able to follow English but Daniel translated what he told in English in the Tibetan language to her.

(ii) “It’s a cold,” he said finally through Tsetan.
Answer:
The doctor spoke in Tibetan language, which Tsetan translated into English for the author.

Question 3.
Guess the meaning of the following words:
kora, drokba, Kyang
In which language are these words found?
Answer:
kora: Walk all the way round, circumambulate
drokba: shepherd
Kyang : It is a wild Tibetan ass.
These words are found in Tibetan Language.

Working with Words

Question 1.
The narrative has many phrases to describe the scenic beauty of the mountainside like:
‘A flawless half-moon floated in a perfect blue sky.’ ”
Scan the text to locate other such picturesque phrases.
Answer:
(1)……….. the river was wide and mostly clogged with ice, brilliant white and glinting in the sunshine.
(2) It was marked by a large cairn of rocks festooned with silk scarves and ragged prayer flags.

Question 2.
Explain the use of the adjectives in the following phrases:
(1) shaggy monsters
(2) brackish lakes
(3) rickety table
(4) hairpin bend
(5) rudimentary general stores
Answer:
(1) shaggy monsters: hairy, unkempt
(2) brackish lakes: salty
(3) rickety table: wobbly, shaky
(4) hairpin bend: very sharp bend
(5) rudimentary general stores: elementary

Noticing Form

Question 1.
The account has only a few passive voice sentences. Locate them. In what way does the use of active voice contribute to the style of the narrative.
Answer:
(1) Passive constructions in ‘Silk Road:
1. Hor’s only cafe which, like all other buildings in town, was constructed from badly painted concrete.
2. One of my nostrils was blocked again.
3. I wasn’t convinced that the other would provide me with sufficient oxygen.
4. I was simply not allowed to go to sleep.
5. I’d been told that at the height of the pilgrimage season.

(2) Generally, when there is a narrative, more clarity in writing is needed, hence Passive voice should be avoided. Active voice is used for most non-scientific writing. Using active voice for the majority of the sentences makes the meaning clear for readers, and keeps the sentences from becoming too complicated or wordy. Hence active voice contributes to the style of this narrative.

Question 2.
Notice this construction: Tsetan was eager to have them fixed. Write Jive sentences with a similar structure.
Answer:
(1) The professor had the work done by his lab assistant.
(2) The judge had the lawyer defend the suspect.
(3) Rakesh got the mechanic to check his brakes.
(4) Although she hates the dentist, she has had her teeth cleaned regularly.
(5) The police inspector made the criminal confess his crime.

Things to Do

“The plateau is pockmarked with salt flats and brackish lakes, vestiges of the Tethys Ocean which bordered Tibet before the continental collision that lifted it skyward.”

Given below is an extract from an account of the Tethys Ocean downloaded from the Internet. Go online, key in Tethys Ocean in Google search and ‘you will And exhaustive information on this geological event. You can also consult an encyclopedia.

Today, India, Indonesia and the Indian Ocean cover the area once occupied by the Tethys Ocean. Turkey, Iraq, and Tibet sit on the land once known as Cimmeria. Most of the floor of the Tethys Ocean disappeared under Cimmeria and Laurasia. We only know that Tethys existed because geologists like Suess have found fossils of ocean creatures in rocks in the Himalayas. So, we know those rocks were underwater, before the Indian continental shelf began pushing upward as it smashed into Cimmeria. We can see similar geologic evidence in Europe, where the movement of Africa raised the Alps.
Answer:
The Tethys Ocean, Tethys Sea or Neothethys was an ocean during much of the Mesozoic Era located between the ancient continents of Gondwana and Laurasia, before the opening of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans during the Cretaceous period.

GSEB Class 12 English Silk Road Additional Important Questions and Answers

1. Questions – Answers (Textual)
Answer the following questions in four to five sentences each:

Question 1.
What was the farewell present given by Lhamo to the author when he told her that he was going to Mount Kailash?
Answer:
The farewell present given by Lhamo to the author when he told her that he was going to Mount Kailash was a long-sleeved sheepskin coats that normally shepherds wore.

Question 2.
What did Tsetan say would be the only hurdle while they were on their way to Mount Kailash?
Answer:
Their journey to Mount Kailash would involve crossing several high mountain passes. Tsetan knew the way very well; but the only problem would be snow. He could not say anything for sure until they reached there.

Question 3.
While crossing the rocky wilderness whom did they see and what was their reaction?
Answer:
While crossing the rocky wilderness they saw solitary drokbas – both men and women well- wrapped in sheepskin coats – who were tending their flocks. They would pause and stare at their car, sometimes waving as they passed.

Question 4.
How did the Tibetan mastiff react when they approached?
Answer:
The dogs would cock their great big heads when they became aware of their approach and would fix them in their sights. As they drew nearer, they would explode into action, speeding directly towards them, like a bullet from a gun and nearly as fast.

Question 5.
How did the river appear as they entered the valley?
Answer:
As the river entered the valley, it became wide and mostly clogged with ice. It appeared brilliant white and glinting in the sunshine.

Question 6.
How did the author feel when they were at about 5400 metres up the sea level?
Answer:
When they were up about 5400 metres from the sea level, the mountain was covered with snow and the author felt his head throbbing horribly. He took some water from the bottle, which was to help a rapid ascent.

Question 7.
Why is it that on the top of the mountain there is a plateau pockmarked with salt flats?
Answer:
These salt flats are the vestiges of the Tethys Ocean, which bordered Tibet before the great continental collision that lifted skyward, millions of years ago.

Question 8.
What acitivity was going on in the area where there were flats of salt?
Answer:
This area was a hive of activity. Men were working with pickaxes and shovels trudging back and forth in their long sheepskin coats and salt-encrusted boots.

Question 9.
Describe the appearance of Hor.
Answer:
Hor was a miserable place. There was no vegetation whatsoever, just dust and rocks, liberally scattered with years of accumulated refuse.

Question 10.
What troubled the author at Darchen?
Answer:
A bad cold troubled the author at Darchen. He was unable to go to sleep at night as his nostrils were blocked. As he dozed off, he woke up suddenly. He felt his chest going very heavy, as he was not able to breathe «4n enough oxygen.

Question 11.
How did the Darchen medical college appear ?
Answer:
The Darchen medical college was new and looked like monastery from the outside with a very solid door that led into a large courtyard. The consulting room was dark and cold.

Question 12.
What according to the doctor was the problem the author suffered from?
Answer:
According to the doctor, the author suffered from a bad cold as well as the effects of the altitude. His sinus was blocked and he was not able to sleep at night.

Question 13.
What did the author notice in Darchen?
Answer:
In Darchen, the author noticed that the people were very relaxed and unhurried, but there was a significant drawback. There were no pilgrims in Darchen.

Question 14.
Who was Norbu?
Answer:
Norbu was a Tibetan but worked in Beijing at the Chinese Academy of Social Science, in the Institute of Ethnic Literature.

Question 15.
Why had Norbu come to Kailash?
Answer:
Norbu had been writing academic papers about the Kailash kora and its importance in various works of Buddhist literature for many years, but he had never actually done it for himself. Hence, he too was there to do kora.

Question 16.
How did Norbu become an ideal companion for the author?
Answer:
Norbu was an ideal companion for the author as both were academics who had escaped from the library. Both were not devout believers and they did not intend to prostrate all round the mountain.

Reading Comprehension (Textual)
Read the following passages and select the most appropriate options as answers to the questions given below them:

Question 1.
As hills started to push up once more from the rocky wilderness, we passed solitary drokbas tending their flocks. Sometimes men, sometimes women, these well-wrapped figures would pause and stare at our car, occasionally waving as we passed. When the track took us close to their animals, the sheep would take evasive action, veering away from the speeding vehicle.

We passed nomads’ dark tents pitched in splendid isolation, usually with a huge black dog, a Tibetan mastiff, standing guard. These beasts would cock their great big heads when they became aware of our approach and fix us in their sights. As we continued to draw closer, they would explode into action, speeding directly towards us, like a bullet from a gun and nearly as fast.

These shaggy monsters, blacker, than the darkest night, usually wore bright red collars and barked furiously with massive jaws. They were completely fearless of our vehicle, shooting straight into our path, causing Tsetan to brake and swerve. The dog would make chase for a hundred metres or so before easing off, having seen us off the property. It wasn’t difficult to understand why ferocious Tibetan mastiffs became popular in China’s imperial courts as hunting dogs, brought along the Silk Road in ancient times as tribute from Tibet.

Questions:
1. The sheep would take evasive action’ means ………….
A. ‘The sheep bleated.’
B. ‘The sheep moved away from the place.’
C. ‘The sheep started grazing.’
D. ‘The sheep followed one another.’
Answer:
B. ‘The sheep moved away from the place.’

2. ‘These beasts would cock their great big heads’ means ……………
A. They bent down their heads.
B. They raised their big heads for attacking.
C. They bleated raising their heads.
D. Both ‘A’ and ‘B’
Answer:
B. They raised their big heads for attacking.

3. The words ‘shaggy monsters’ are used for …………..
A. sheep
B. dogs
C. nomads
D.drokbas
Answer:
B. dogs

4. The meaning of the word ‘imperial’ is …………..
A. Royal
B. Political
C. Social
D. Patriotic
Answer:
A. Royal

Question 2.
My headache soon cleared as we careered down the other side of the pass. It was two o’clock by the time we stopped for lunch. We ate hot noodles inside a long canvas tent, part of a workcamp erected beside a dry salt lake. The plateau is pockmarked with salt flats and brackish lakes, vestiges of the Tethys Ocean which bordered Tibet before the great continental collision that lifted it skyward. This one was a hive of activity, men with pickaxes and shovels trudging back and forth in their long sheepskin coats and salt-encrusted boots. All wore sunglasses against the glare as a steady stream of blue trucks emerged from the blindingly white lake laden with piles of salt.

By late afternoon we had reached the small town of Hor, back on the main east-west highway that followed the old trade route from Lhasa to Kashmir. Daniel, who was returning to Lhasa, found a ride in a truck so Tsetan and I bade him farewell outside a tyre-repair shop. We had suffered two punctures in quick succession on the drive down from the salt lake and Tsetan was eager to have them fixed since they left him with no spares. Besides, the second tyre he’d changed had been replaced by one that was as smooth as my bald head.

Questions:
1. In this extract, the word ‘vestiges’ indicates …………….
A. ‘symbols.’
B. ‘relics.’
C. ‘highland.’
D. ‘wastage.’
Answer:
B. ‘relics.’

2. All men wore sunglasses to ………………..
A. watch distant places.
B. watch piles of salt.
C. protect their eyes against the glare emerging from ithe blindingly white lake.
D. watch a steady stream of blue trucks.
Answer:
C. protect their eyes against the glare emerging from ithe blindingly white lake.

3. Daniel got a life for …………….
A. Lhasa
B. Kashmir
C. Hor
D. None of these three
Answer:
A. Lhasa

4. Tsetan was eager to fix the tyre-puncture at that tyre-repair shop because ………………
A. without that they could not move forward.
B. they did not have any spare-wheel if in case they needed it in their further journey.
C. there was no other tyre-repair shop if they missed it there.
D. None of these three
Answer:
B. they did not have any spare-wheel if in case they needed it in their further journey.

Question 3.
When the time came for me to tell him what brought me to Darchen, his eyes lit up. “We could be a team,” he said excitedly. “Two academics who have escaped from the library.” Perhaps my positive thinking strategy was working after all.

My initial relief at meeting Norbu, who was also staying in the guesthouse, was tempered by the realisation that he was almost as ill-equipped as I was for the pilgrimage. He kept telling me how fat he was and how hard it was going to be. “Very high up,” he kept reminding me, “so tiresome to walk.” He wasn’t really a practising Buddhist, it transpired, but he had enthusiasm and he was, of course, Tibetan.

Although I’d originally envisaged making the trek in the company of devout believers, on reflection I decided that perhaps Norbu would turn out to be the ideal companion. He suggested we hire some yaks to carry our luggage, which I interpreted as a good sign, and he had no intention of prostrating himself all round the mountain. “Not possible,” he cried, collapsing across the table in hysterical laughter. It wasn’t his style, and anyway his tummy was too big.

Questions:
1. The meaning of the phrase ‘his eyes lit up’ is ………………
A. ‘he was surprised.’
B. ‘he got excited.’
C. ‘he was shocked.’
D. ‘he became serious.’
Answer:
B. ‘he got excited.’

2. The meaning of the word ‘transpired’ is …………….
A. ‘was disclosed.’
B. ‘was forgotten.’
C. ‘was decided.’
D. ‘was ignored.’
Answer:
A. ‘was disclosed.’

3. Norbu was ……………. to accompany the writer for the pilgrimage.
A. greatly excited
B. very much determined
C. quite unwilling
D. all prepared
Answer:
C. quite unwilling

4. What was identical about Norbu’s body ?
A. He laughed a lot.
B. His figure was short.
C. He was very fat.
D. His stomach was very big.
Answer:
D. His stomach was very big.

Grammar

Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks choosing the correct words given in the brackets and write the answers only:

Question 1.
(approach, isolation, explode, continued, pitched, speeding, cock, standing)
We passed nomads’ dark tents ………….1…………. in splendid ………….2…………. , usually with a huge black
dog, a Tibetan mastiff, …………….3………….. guard. These beasts would …………..4………….. their great big heads when they became aware of our ………….5………….. and fix us in their sights. As we …………..6………… to draw closer, they would .…………7……….. into action, …………….8…………….. directly towards us, like a bullet from a gun and nearly as fast.
Answer:
1. pitched
2. isolation
3. standing
4. cock
5. approach
6. continued
7. explode
8. speeding

Question 2.
(pockmarked, stopped, shovels, bordered, careered, vestiges, erected, collision)
My headache soon cleared as we …………….1…………… down the other side of the pass. It was two o’clock by the time we ………….2……….. for lunch. We ate hot noodles inside a long canvas tent, part of a work camp …………..3 ……….. beside a dry salt lake. The plateau is ………….4………….. with salt flats and brackish lakes, …………..5…………… of the Tethys Ocean which …………6………… Tibet before the great continental …………..7…………. that lifted it skyward. This one was a hive of activity, men with pickaxes and …………..8…………… trudging back and forth in their long sheepskin coats and salt-encrusted boots.
Answer:
1. careered
2. stopped
3. erected
4. pockmarked
5. vestiges
6. bordered
7. collision
8. shovels

Rectification of Errors
Rectify the errors in the following passages:

Question 1.
I walked out of the medical college clutch a brown envelope. I had a five-day course of medicine which I start right away. I opened a package and find it contained a brown powder. The bedtime packages were less identified. They contained small sphere brown pellets. They looked suspicious like dung.
Answer:

Question 2.
The walls were wreathe in plastic sheets that is made into volume shopping bags sold in China. The cafe have a single window beside which I’d took position I’d also bring a novel with me to passing time.
Answer:

Question 3.
I had been telling at the height of the pilgrim season the town was bustle with visitors. Many bring their own tents enlarge the settlement. I’d timed my arrive at the beginning of the season
Answer:

Replacing Phrases – Idioms
Choose the correct meanings of the phrases/idioms and rewrite the sentences:

1. The political party sized up the ticket – aspirant, (rejected, welcomed, checked out)
2. The workers of the factory resigned en masse. (in opposition, together, willingly)
3. The fighting which started in the night had petered out by morning, (gradually stopped, became worse, turned violent)
4. They drove its length even if the distance was too much, (drove with great speed, rode till the destination, rode casually)
5. Rakesh was prone to depressions even as a teenager, (iended to suffer, immuned to, resistant to)
Answer:
1. The political party checked out the ticket – aspirant.
2. The workers of the factory resigned together.
3. The fighting which started in the night had gradually stopped by morning.
4. They rode till the destination even if the distance was too much.
5. Rakesh was tended to suffer depressions even as a teenager.

Punctuations
Punctuate the following passage:

Tsetan sized me up as we clambered into his car ah yes he declared drokba sir we took a short cut to get off changtang.
Answer:
Tsetan sized me up as we clambered into his car. “Ah, yes,” he declared, “drokba, sir.” We took a short cut to get off changtang.

Indirect Narration
Turn the following dialogues into Indirect form of narration:

Question 1.
Sandhya: Why is your voice so changed?
Why are you behaving like this ? Did bibiji say anything?
Nardev: Yes she did.
Sandhya: What ?
Nardev: How does that concern you ?
Sandhya : What are you saying ? Tell me, what happened.
Answer:
Sandhya asked Nardev why his voice was so changed. She further asked why he was behaving like that and added if bibiji had said anything to him. Nardev informed her that she had said. Sandhya asked him what she had said. Nardev counter questioned her how that did concern her. Sandhya asked him what he was saying. She asked him to tell her, what had happened.

Question 2.
Kanhaiya Kaka: Bahu, Deepak went away so early in the morning today.
Sandhya: Where ?
Kanhaiya Kaka: You know where ? I saw him carrying an attache case!
Sandhya: Carrying an attache case !
Answer:
Addressing Sandhya as Bahu Kanhaiya Kaka told her that Deepak had gone away very early in the morning that day. Sandhya asked him where had Deepak gone. Kanhaiya Kaka expressed his surprise and commented that she knew where he went and informed her that he had seen him carrying an attache case. Being surprised Sandhya said to herself that could he’ be carrying an attache case.

Question 3.
Nurse: I’m sorry, but we can’t use your blood.
Lady: Why not ?
Nurse: The doctor will explain. Take this to your doctor. He will explain everything to you.
Answer:
The nurse expressed her regret to the lady that she couldn’t use her blood. The lady asked why she could not do so. The nurse told her that the doctor would explain. The nurse asked the lady politely to take it (the report) to her doctor and added that he would explain everything to her.

Transformation of Sentences
Rewrite the following sentences as directed:

Question 1.
One evening I had told her through Daniel that I was heading towards Mount Kailash.
(Make simple.)
Answer:
One evening I had told her through Daniel about my heading towards Mount Kailash.

Question 2.
After ducking back into her tent, she emerged carrying one of the long-sleeved sheepskin coats. (Make complex.)
Answer:
After she ducked back into her. tent, she emerged carrying one of the long-sleeved sheepskin coats).

Question 3.
As hills started) to push up once more, we passed the solitary drokbas. (Use No sooner… than)
Answer:
No sooner did the hills start to push up once more, than we passed the solitary drokbas.

Question 4.
When I explained my sleepless symptoms he shot a few questions at me. (Change voice.)
Answer:
When my sleepless symptoms were explained to him he shot a few questions at me.

Question 5.
We found a consulting room which was dark and cold. (Make compound.)
Answer:
We found a consulting room and this room i was dark and cold.

Question 6.
I tried propping myself upright but now ! I couldn’t manage to relax. (Begin with ‘though’.)
Answer:
Though I tried to propping myself upright I couldn’t manage to relax now.

Question 7.
Tired and hungry, I started breathing through my mouth. (Begin with being’.)
Answer:
Being tired and hungry I started breathing through the mouth.

Question 8.
The rudimentary stores sold Chinese cigarettes and usual strings of prayer flags.
(Use ‘not only but also’.)
Answer:
The rudimentary stores sold not only the usual strings of prayer flags but also Chinese cigarettes.

Question 9.
Norbti asked me if he could sit opposite me. (Use ’permission’.)
Answer:
Norbu asked my permission to allow him to sit opposite to me.

Question 10.
One afternoon I sat pondering over my options. (Use ‘and’)
Answer:
One afternoon I sat and pondered over my actions.

Silk Road Summary in English

Silk Road Introduction:
Nick Middleton (born 1960) is a physical geographer and supernumerary fellow of St. Anne’s College, Oxford. He specialises in desertification. As a geographer he has travelled to more than 50 countries. The television programme ‘Going to Extremes’ he experiences life in the hostile conditions other cultures must endure. He has also appeared on BBC 2’s ‘Through the Keyhole’. ‘Atlas of the World Issue’, Desertification’, ‘The Global Casino’ are some books written by him. He is also the winner of ‘A Royal Geographical Society Award’.

‘Silk Road’ is a network of Trade connecting China to the far East, Middle East and Europe. The silk routes remained in trade until 1453 A.D. These trade routes had lasting impact on commerce, culture and history.

Silk Road Summary:
The author left Ravu along with Tsetan and Daniel. They were heading for Mount Kailash with the intention of completing the kora. The author had informed Lhamo that they were leaving for Mt. Kailash. She presented him with a long-sleeved sheepskin coat to protect him from cold. Tsetan was a good driver. He knew the route that would take them to Mount Kailash. On their way they came across gazelles nibbling grass. Later they came across herds of animals.

They passed drokbas, who were taking care of their flocks. There were tents of nomads. They were accompanied by their huge dogs who guarded them. These dogs were ferocious. They could now see the snow-capped mountains. The turns on the roads became sharper. Now that they were gaining heights the author felt pressure building up in his ears.

They were 5,210 metres above the sea level. The road was snow covered. They were afraid that their car could turn over. Both Daniel and the author flung handful of dirt across the frozen surface. They could then continue their journey. By now they were 5,400 metres above the sea level as they continued their climb. They stopped the car and opened the lid of the petrol tank to let out gas which had accumulated as a result of low atmospheric pressure which expanded the fuel.

They were now crossing a pass. After some time they came to the other side of the pass. At two o’clock they stopped for lunch and ate hot noodles inside a long canvas tent. A work camp was erected beside a dry salt lake. The plateau is covered with salt flats and small parts of the Tethys Ocean, which bordered Tibet. This was place full of activities. The workmen here wore sunglasses to avoid glare. Trucks were emerging laden with piles of salt.

By late afternoon they reached the town of Hor. They were back on the main east-west highway that followed the old trade route from Lhasa to Kashmir. At this point Daniel returned to Lhasa. The author and Tsetan got two tyres repaired. Hor ‘ was a grim, miserable place. There was no vegetation, just dust and rocks and accumulated refuse. The town was on the shore of Lake Manasarovar, an ancient Hindu and Buddhist pinpoints. It is also a source of four great rivers: the Ganges, the Sutlej, the Indus and the Brahmaputra. Only Sutlej flows from the lake, the other three rise on the flanks of Mt. Kailash. The author had tea in the only cafe in Hor. Later they drove on to Mt. Kailash.

After 10:30 pm they drove on to Darchen. They were 4760 metres above sea level. One of his nostrils was blocked. He began to breathe through his mouth. But when he sat up the movement cleared his nostril. But he could not sleep.

Tsetan took the author to the Darchen medical college next morning. A Tibetan doctor treated him. He said it was the effect of cold and the altitude. On asking the doctor told him he would be able to do the kora. He came out of the hospital with a packet containing 15 days medicine. That night the author slept well.

Later Tsetan returned to Lhasa. Darchen gave him a clear view of the Himalayas. But there were no pilgrims. The author had come all the way to complete Kora, a Tibetan pilgrimage and a type of meditative practice. Sitting in the cafe the author came across Norbu. They became friends. Norbu was a Tibetan working for Chinese Academy of Social Science in Beijing. He also had come to do kora. He was happy to meet the author as both were academicians. Norbu suggested that they should hire yaks to carry their luggage