my journey to lhasa alexandra david neel

They take on the role completely, and beg for food and shelter along their way in the manner of other pilgrims.

Despite several close calls when her identity as a foreigner is nearly discovered, the pair manages to reach Lhasa after several months of dangerous travel.Īlthough they travel armed with revolvers and carry some modern objects such as spoons and a compass, the pair dare not reveal these item to anyone because they would ruin their disguise as poor native pilgrims. David-Neel darkens her face with charcoal and cocoa and poses as Yongden's aged mother. Here foreigners are allowed to travel, but as they cross into territory controlled by the Tibetan government, they assume the identities of religious pilgrims. The book begins as David-Neel and Lama Yongden enter from China into part of Tibet still under control of the Chinese after a Tibetan uprising. It is partly with a sense of revenge, she writes, that she develops the plan to cross into central Tibet to the largest city, Lhasa, located in the heart of the country. Disguised as a Tibetan pilgrim and traveling with her adopted son, a native Tibetan, she succeeds in eluding the Tibetan authorities during eight months of travel and two months living in Lhasa.ĭavid-Neel is a student of Tibetan culture and religion and has previously spent many years in learning and observing, including a period living in western Tibet where she was the guest of the Tashi Lama, an important religious figure, until her presence was discovered and she was forced to leave the country. 'My Journey to Lhasa' is the true account of Alexandra David-Neel's visit to the city of Lhasa, Tibet in 1924 at a time when foreigners are forbidden to enter.

My journey to lhasa alexandra david neel