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Robert Moore |
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The
world's highest living tribe |
The Sherpa
tribe of Nepal live at a higher altitude than any other people
in the world, often above 4000m. Their home is in the Everest
region of the Himalaya mountains.
Tengboche
is one of the most important monasteries in the Khumbu. It is
situated in a
dramatic location that offers a spectacular view of
Mount Everest and other giant Himalayan
peaks.
The
Sherpas'
skill as mountaineers
has been well known since 1953. It
was in this year that Sherpa Tenzing Norgay went with Edmund
Hillary of New Zealand to the
summit of Everest.
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They were the first people in the world
to climb the mountain, known as
Sargamatha to the Sherpas, which is the highest in the world.
Sherpas came originally from Tibet, to the
north of Nepal's Himalayan
border. Their
trade brought them
south many years ago. Even today Tibetans come to the famous
Saturday market in the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar.
The Sherpas are Buddhists in a Hindu land and in the large
monasteries
monks read scriptures and recite prayers throughout
the year. |
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In the summer months farmers take their
cattle, called
yaks,
to
graze at heights of around 5000m. The melted spring snows reveal
lush grass here. In the winter the farmers and their yaks retreat,
as the snow advances, to lower altitudes. Although Dhal Bhaat -
lentil rice - is the traditional Nepalese dish, rice grows poorly
at high altitude so potatoes are the main crop. Sherpas also enjoy
the strongly alcoholic drinks Chang and Raksi.
Tourists who wish to brave the three week trek into the region can
only do so during spring and autumn. The rest of the year the
trekking paths are closed. In summer
monsoon rains flood the
paths. In winter snow makes them impassable.
Before 1965, trekking was the only way to reach the Sherpas. Since
then an
airstrip at Lukla has provided an important gateway to the
region. Tiny aircraft fly
perilously close to the spectacular
mountain scenery, giving passengers a frightening start to their
visit.
Although some Sherpas have moved to the Nepalese capital
Kathmandu, those that have stayed are now
wealthy in a poor area
of the world. Some have bought tea houses to provide cheap
accommodation and refreshment for grateful trekkers. But
despite
the many tourists and their more modern comfortable lifestyle, the
Sherpas
retain a great sense of identity and tradition. They are a
hospitable and loyal people in one of the wildest and most
inhospitable places on earth.
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Source: New English Digest |
GLOSSARY |
tribe:
a social division of people (tribu)
dramatic:
sensational (espectacular)
peaks:
summits (picos montañosos)
skill:
ability (habilidad)
has been well known: has become famous (se hizo famosa,
se popularizó)
summit: peak; top point of a mountain (cima)
to climb/climbed/climbed/climbing: to go up (escalar, subir)
border: boundary line (límite geográfico)
trade: commercial exchange (intercambio comercial)
monk: a male religious devoting himself to contemplation and prayer
(monje)
cattle: domesticated bovine animals (ganado) |
yak:
large long-haired wild ox of Tibet often domesticated (bueyes
tibetanos)
to graze/grazed/grazed: to let animals feed in a field or pasture
(pastorear)
lush: exuberant (exhuberante, abundante)
lentil rice: Eurasian annual herb grown for its flattened seeds
(lentejas)
monsoon rains: seasonal rains in South Asia during summer
due to winds (lluvias monzónicas)
airstrip: an airfield without normal airport facilities (pista
de aterrizaje provisoria)
perilously: dangerously (peligrosamente)
wealthy: rich (ricos)
retain: keep (mantienen)
despite: in spite of (a pesar de) |
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