Lamas of the Western Havens

I bought this book because I'd met some Tibetan monks and was curious to know more about their history, and also, because I have a weakness for Folio Society books and  this one was on the shelf in a  National Trust second hand bookshop and caught my eye.

This book is the first hand account of two French Catholic monks who set off from China in 1844 on a long and arduous journey to Tibet.  Their journey was as missionaries, trying to reach a forbidden country, but the description of their journey and the detail provide a real sense of the hazards of the route.  

In these days when we can fly from A to B in no time at all, it's hard to grasp the sheer difficulty of travelling on foot and horseback over mountains, of the dangers of brigands, snow, starvation or of simply  losing one's footing on a high narrow path.  

Many travellers didn't make it.

Father Huc describes the journey and the people in great detail.  The 'inns' fascinated me, with their communal raised platforms for travellers to sleep on.  Under the platform was smouldering dung, to provide a little heat for the travellers during the night.

We learn of the small number of converts they made, but also of the Buddhists they met.  Of the squabbles between lamas, of the long and bloody conflicts between China and Tibet and the chancy politics between the two.

The engraved illustrations add the to text and give a good feel for the costumes of the era.

 

It's well worth reading, both as a travelling and also as a reminder that other cultures are far more complex than we assume.

 

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet: by Becky Chambers

 A book that is far more about character than plot.  Take eight people of various personalities, races, genders, etc., place them on board a space ship on a long journey and get to know them.

By the end of the book, the crew of the Wayfarer feel like old friends. You could sit down at a table with them  to eat a delicious meal cooked by Dr Chef (using ingredients from an alien marketplace), your surroundings cheerfully decorated by Kizzy from whatever she had to hand.  There would be laughs, grumbles from Corbin, an empty seat for Orhan  (who never eats communally, but still has a place in case they ever change their mind), and conversation that will cover everything from navigation issues to bad jokes.

There's a plot, though it's more a series of encounters that help us learn more about the crew, but also about what it means to be human, or indeed to be a sapient being of any kind.

 

Definitely looking forward to reading the next one!