Our Blog

Tag: shaman

2 Days in a Tibetan nomad camp-Road trip by Jeanette

10 January 2018

The month of July saw me travelling to Ladakh for the first time. Located in northern India, this place has long since topped my bucket list, and I was eager to experience firsthand, the glorious beauty I’d only ever seen in photos. My first glimpse of the land did not disappoint and playing the part of snap-happy tourist was how I made my first impressions in this place. My anticipation for exploring the streets of Leh and soaking up the atmosphere was not to be however, as a last-minute invitation had me repacking my bags for a 2-day sojourn to a Tibetan nomad camp in Samet. Among my travel companions; the Oracle of Nyenchen Tangla (Pachen). The purpose; to perform a day long shamanic puja that would bless the land for the coming year and clear the campground of negative spirits. The drive to Samet took approx. 4 Hours and we had set off in the post-morning sun; our original plans of leaving at daybreak thwarted by a last-minute request for an exorcism performed by Pachen (a prelude to the type of experience this weekend was to be). My time on the road was spent witnessing endless breathtaking views and discovering that spiritual mastery does not exempt a car full of males from making jokes that only men seem to find hilarious and well… typical male shenanigans. Pachen himself was born in a nomadic tribe in Tibet and for him this excursion hit close to home. One of the pit stops we had made was to White lake (called so because of the abundant salt deposits resembling sea foam). As Pachen knelt on the ground and dug his hands deep in the mud to pull out the salt treasures, we received an impromptu salt mining lesson that was laced with nostalgia as he recalled a life, long ago left behind. Playing the part of pilgrims, we stopped by a restaurant to ‘beg’ for food as tradition dictates that charitable offerings received on a pilgrimage are considered good luck for the task ahead. It was here I tasted my first sample of Tsampa- a traditional Tibetan staple made with barley, butter and water. The ‘mix-your-own’ process providing much amusement as my bowl looked more like sludge than dough and ended with Pachen’s yogi assistant taking pity on me and assuming the task. It tastes like cookie dough! This was then washed […]

Read more

Check out our latest
Articles, Videos, Events,
Recipes and more!

Scroll To Top