My Journey to Lhasa (1927)

A remarkable journey, by an extraordinary woman who led an epic life - for all of 100 years. The rigours, hardships and danger of travel in Tibet, towards the forbidden city of Lhasa, by Alexandra David-Neel and her adopted son, disguised as poor pilgrims is a fascinating read. The language and descriptions - with all credit to the anonymous translator, are vivid yet nuanced. ( )

I bought this book at a small book store on the main street in Leh, Ladakh, India after completing a wintertime camping trip in the foothills of the Himalayas. I couldn't resist reading about a white woman's efforts to walk to the forbidden city of Lhasa in the 1920's. I read it on the flight home, and it really felt true to my experiences. The mountains, frozen rivers, passes, and desert conditions were harsh but gorgeous. Her running river crossings on what were basically zip lines were terrifying to read about, as were her encounters with bandits. She was always sturggling to avoid her disguise being penetrated, as well as to just survive in harsh conditions. She'd studied Tibetan, was a Buddist, and had a semi local travelling companion, but she had to think on her feet and do some personally distasteful things in order to throw off suspicion. I'm hoping to dig up some of her other books about her time as a hermit in the mountains, her writing is evocative and spirited and very readable. ( )

Expérience intéressante de découverte d'une terre "inconnue" à l'époque par une véritable aventurière. Le style est tout de même très empesé et peut nuire à la lecture. Typiquement 19ème. ( )