ChinaUS EUROPEASIA 中文双语Français
Travel\Popular Destinations

Living like a nomad

By Erik Nilsson | China Daily | Updated: 2017-09-25 08:03

Living like a nomad

American journalist Erik Nilsson herds sheep with a slingshot while living with nomads in Yushu Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Qinghai province. [Photo by Erik Nilsson and Tseringbum/China Daily]

American journalist Erik Nilsson milks yaks, collects dung and herds sheep with slingshots to discover firsthand what it's like to survive on the frosty Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Erik Nilsson Yaks buck. I learned this when I mounted one year ago while camping with a nomad beneath a glacier in Yushu Tibetan autonomous prefecture's Qumarleb county.

I clutched the creature's wool and held on for dear life.

Yaks also buck when you try to milk them.

I learned this when I returned to the region in Qinghai province this summer to not only live with but also like the herders who survive by grazing livestock on the frosty plateau.

I also learned I'm not good at milking yaks.

Steaming streams hissed into the bucket when my 46-year-old host Gyayang Tsomao massaged their udders.

When I tried, a few drops dripped into the container.

"Plunk. Plunk. Plunk."

It was like the sluggish staccato of a clock's tick-tock.

And that was only after several minutes of nothing.

Then, the yak tried to kick the pail over.

Previous Page 1 2 3 4 5 Next Page

BACK TO THE TOP
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US