After a few nights in Lhasa we headed out into the highlands again. Our first stop after five hours’ drive was Nam Tso, at around 4,700 metres one of the highest salt lakes in the world. On the way, along the newly built Tibet railway and past several seven-thousanders, we kept stopping for photos.
Sunset and portraits at Nam Tso
In the afternoon we reached the guesthouse and went down to the lake for sunset. There we watched pilgrims circling rocks covered in prayer flags until deep into the night. At last a few portraits came about too. Looking back, I was a little disappointed not to have come home with more portraits. We had many nice conversations in those three weeks, but as soon as I asked after a few minutes whether I might take a photo as a keepsake, most people walked away. Given the situation with China and the frequent checks, that’s understandable – presumably even the video and audio camera in the car recorded our broad Swabian in vain.
A laugh on the lakeshore
Shortly after sunset I took my favourite portrait of the trip. I had just photographed a nice married couple when a young woman came running up, washed her face in the cold salt water and stood in front of me laughing, her face wet. I asked her to dry her face, and when I saw the photo on the camera display for the first time, I was overjoyed. At night, at probably minus 20 degrees, we ventured out once more to photograph the clear starry sky. Afterwards, in the unheated room, we were very grateful for a working electric blanket.
Steep brown rock walls – out of Lhasa and back into the highlands.A suspension bridge full of prayer flags spans the river.Greenish water beneath the bridge, bare mountains behind.Across the bridge, nothing but prayer flags left and right.A snowy peak flashes between brown slopes – past several seven-thousanders.Snowy peaks above rolling brown mountains.A chain of snow and ice above the wide plain.Snow on the crests of the brown hills.A tent of prayer flags on the meadow, the glaciers behind.A stone farmstead, a tractor, the snowy slope behind.A herd like dark dots on the pale hill.A jagged rocky ridge with patches of snow.Prayer flags in the wind before the pale rock.A small group on the wide plain, otherwise only sky.A long-haired yak outside the shop – a stop on a five-hour drive.Twisted horns, a steady gaze.An orange dump truck on the gravel.A woman on a motorbike stops on the plain.The Nam Tso as a narrow band before the snowy range – at about 4,700 metres one of the highest salt lakes in the world.A pale animal in the pasture, the snowy mountains behind.A shop with prayer flags right on the shore.Prayer wheels and rock towers against the afternoon light.The sun between two rock towers on the shore.Pilgrims at the rock covered in prayer flags – they circle it late into the night.A rock tower in shadow against a deep blue sky.The lake before the snowy mountains, prayer flags blurred in front.A chain of prayer flags links two boulders.Prayer flags on the rock above the dark shore.A man in a brown coat on the stony shore, in the last light.The sun has gone, a bright strip remains on the horizon.A thin crescent moon above the lake.Dusk, a snowy peak beneath a dark blue sky.A friendly couple, laughing on the rock by the shore – finally a few portraits.A broad laugh above the fur collar.Silver coins on the belt above the striped apron.Turquoise scarf, coral necklace, a smile – just after sunset.A single point of light in the fading evening sky.The moon above two animals on the horizon.The guesthouse glows in the night.Out once more at probably minus 20 degrees: the Milky Way between two rocks.The Milky Way above the rock and a pale house.Prayer flags beneath the starry sky – afterwards the electric blanket was worth its weight in gold.
