Jim Yardley had a really interesting piece in the New York Times recently about rural nomads in Tibet using motorcycles as a replacement for traveling by yak-back. What's next, a roving band of bikers called the
Naraka's Angels? Snip:
At the Doulong Store, the musty shelves are stocked with the necessities for Tibetan nomads. There are kettles for yak butter tea and bolts of colorful fabric for traditional robes and clothing. A nomad affluent enough to use a light bulb in his tent can buy an electric generator.
But an unexpected necessity here in the immense grasslands of the Tibetan plateau are the six motorcycles on display, including the Asiahero Alt 150-7 bought by a nomad named Trashi Dorjay. He had traveled almost 320 kilometers, or 200 miles, to the store from his tent because he wanted a bike to herd his sheep and yaks.
"I used to ride a horse," he explained. "A motorcycle is faster."
Link. Image: www.photoglobe.info,
via Dvorak's blog.
2 Comments:
Since these guys must *really know their bikes* - imagine a breakdown in torturing, primitive, mountainous terrain 100km from a part source - what kind of bikes do most prefer?
generally, there is no such things as 'yak-butter'. yak's are male. dri's are female.
fwiw. :)
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