How long has it been since you saw the stars?
How long has it been since you saw the stars? Yesterday, I arrived in Shanxi and took a walk with my mother and sister at night. The breeze was blowing freely. I raised my eyes and looked at the sky. It was so dark that I couldn't see any stars.
Xingkong, I still remember the same situation more than ten years ago. Every summer when the house was too hot, there would always be a bed in the yard. We children would lie next to our mother and look up at the sky full of stars. The starry sky at that time was so beautiful.
I also remember that in the third grade of elementary school, I went to morning self-study, and the huge stars lit my way to school. That day, there were still shooting stars, and one star after another disappeared. My sister and I counted the stars along the way. When the stars finished falling, we arrived at school.
Many years have passed and I can no longer see the stars. I don’t know when, when I returned to the previous village, the starry sky disappeared. I rarely see the blue sky again, and I hate looking up even more, knowing that it must be all gray.
Just a few days ago, I was still in Tibet, and I found the familiar taste again.
My trip did not include Tibet. A few friends I met in Lijiang said, "Sister, do you know, I saw the Milky Way?" The Milky Way, my mind was completely confused at that moment. . The Milky Way, can we still see it now? In just a few minutes, I booked a flight to Lhasa. I knew I really wanted to go there and see the Milky Way, which I had not seen for a long time.
The appearance in memory always attracts us to keep looking for it. And in Namtso, I think I found her.
Namtso, I still think of you
On July 5, in the last few days in Lhasa, Xiaoxi, Ajian and I have been thinking about whether to go to Namtso. Measures? Namtso is 4,800 meters above sea level and will pass through 5,200 meters on the way. Will there be severe altitude sickness? But we have already arrived in Lhasa. It would be a pity not to go to Namtso. That's what travel is like, you want to get close to every place you've never been to and see what it looks like.
"I'm going, no matter what, I'm going! I brought a tripod just to take pictures of the Milky Way." Ajian was very determined.
“Take a photo of the Milky Way.” Half of the time I came here was for the starry sky. How could I not go? After making up my mind to go to Namtso, I went to the youth hostel owner to sign up. Tour fee:
Two days and one night, departing from the Potala Palace at 12 noon on July 6th, sleeping at night, returning at 8am on July 7th, price ticket + round trip fare 280 [Note: The price we quoted is still a bit high, 240 per group member], you are responsible for your own accommodation and meals.
Namtso Lake, located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, about 250 kilometers away from Lhasa, is the second largest lake in Tibet and the third largest saltwater lake in China. In Namtso, the lake is more than 4,700 meters above sea level. If there is altitude sickness in Lhasa, you should proceed with caution. "Namtso" means "Heavenly Lake" in Tibetan. It is also a famous Buddhist holy place. Every year, countless believers come to pay homage. [Note: I don’t know if it was the wrong time, but I didn’t meet any pilgrims]
Here, I would like to remind you that if you are a student, you must bring your ID. Many tourist attractions in Tibet are available at half price.
At 12 noon on July 6, we gathered in the parking lot of the Potala Palace. 15 people packed a minivan and set off under the noon sun. The group of 15 people broke up and was led by a Tibetan driver. It was just for fun.
The altitude will gradually rise along the way. The driver took the Qinghai-Tibet line, which is easy to walk and not too dizzy. Along the way, you will pass Nyenchen Tanglha Mountain, and you will also see the extremely bright snow-capped mountains illuminated by the sky, which is very vast and beautiful. There is no Xiaojiabiyu from the south here, but only grassland all over the mountains and plains. What's even more surprising is that you will see many yaks. They are so clumsy that they just eat grass. Some yaks walk on the road, not afraid at all, but slowly.
We slowed down several times along the way, not because of traffic jams, but because we encountered slow yaks. As soon as the driver blew his whistle, the yak was still walking slowly, and our car slowed down. After the yak passed by, the car started smoothly again. The Tibetans and convoys here respect all living creatures, and I have never heard of a car hitting a yak.
The snow-capped mountains of Nyenchen Tanglha Mountain in the distance
At four o'clock in the afternoon, after more than three hours, we finally arrived at Namtso National Park. While the driver was going through the formalities, a few traveling friends and I ran to the road to take pictures.
After all, it is above 4,700 meters above sea level, so the weather is a bit cold. There are some people renting clothes at the entrance of Namtso National Park, but I personally don’t think it is necessary. If you bring a jacket, you should be able to keep out the cold. A reminder here is that the best season to go to Namtso is July to September. If you go in other seasons, you may see snow. A friend of mine went to Namtso in June and saw the snow falling in June. Fortunately, he rented a down jacket.
After entering Namtso National Park, it takes about an hour to walk to the Tashi Peninsula. The current accommodations are all on the Tashi Peninsula, and the scenery is very beautiful. On the way, you will pass the highest point, 5199 meters above sea level. Standing on the cliff mountain, you can just overlook Namtso Lake. Accommodation
The accommodation in Namtso is mainly on the Tashi Peninsula. At five o'clock in the afternoon, after five hours, we finally approached Namtso.
Most of the accommodations here are run by Tibetans and are simple houses. The price is not very expensive, the shared room we stayed in cost 40 per night. When we come out to play, everyone will just make do with it. You still need to keep warm at night. After all, it’s really cold sleeping at an altitude of over 4,700 meters.
The toilets in Namtso are public toilets, mainly "dry toilets". Personally, I don't think you should pay attention to them. After all, you are really here to see the scenery. Food
I have to sigh that Sichuan cuisine is really open all over the streets and alleys of China. In Namtso, the most popular food is not Zang cuisine, but various types of Sichuan restaurants. The price is not generally high, but you can get a discount from the store, otherwise it is really expensive.
When we first arrived in Namtso, the altitude was still a bit high, so some of us were slightly dizzy. After eating, taking some repairs with me, I couldn't wait to climb to a higher place to see the lake view. The sunset in Namtso is at nine o'clock in the evening. It's really cost-effective to sleep there all night. You can also wander around for several hours, look at the stars at night, and if you're lucky, you can also see the sunrise. [Note: Many friends choose to take a one-day trip to Namtso. It is really not worth it. The price is not bad compared to two days and one night, but you have to return in a few hours and time is wasted on the road. ]
Climbing a mountain at an altitude of more than 4,700 meters is really putting yourself at risk. Panting all kinds of times, the climb was extremely slow. The five of us mostly climbed dozens of meters before resting. We stopped countless times along the way. It's worth it, the scenery here is so beautiful.
Looking at where we live from a height
The lake in Namtso is very calm. Just looking at the lake surface, the breeze cannot make any waves. "The blue sky, the clear lake water, the green grassland, and a few yaks climbing to high altitudes on the mountains in the distance." I suddenly thought of "Paradise" sung by Tengger, and this may be the paradise in our hearts.
A few of us joked that it would be in vain if we were in a fairyland. The lake is so quiet, the sky is so blue, and there are shining snow-capped mountains in the distance. This is naturally "a place where gods live."
We stopped and walked along the way, and finally climbed to the highest point, and saw the sunset before the sun went down. At the highest point, we met a group of Sichuan people. They were very sunny, facing the lake in the distance, and doing radio gymnastics among the blue sky and white clouds. Many of them were over fifty, and they formed their own groups to go out to play. Seeing their laughter, I felt that life was really beautiful.
What are we living for? Looking at the scenery that I have never seen before, in this sacred place, my heart has felt comfortable. In fact, happiness is the most important thing in life. Where are there any worries?
As it approached nine o'clock in the evening, the weather became increasingly cold. We started our return trip and got so close to the lake for the first time. I have never seen such clear lake water. Just looking at it is beautiful, mixed with the sunset in the distance calmly dissipating little by little.
The five of us squatted by the lake and floated in the water. A Jian and I were even more naughty and wanted to test whether the lake water was salty. We tasted it and found it was not salty, but it was actually a bit delicious. We were always annoyed that we didn’t bring a cup with us, otherwise we could have brought back a cup of “holy water”. Of course, we were just joking.
On July 6, Ajian, Xiaoxi, Yan and Chaoyun and I were wandering around Namtso Lake. The sky and the water are the same, and you forget who you are. Real life is like a quagmire, which will always make people sink deeper and deeper without knowing it. I am afraid of this kind of following the rules, and at the same time I am eager to travel far and want to find my appearance while walking.
I know that my heart will be very comfortable at that moment, when I see the lake and sky, when I see the sky full of stars.
We were lucky enough to see the Milky Way
We came to Namtso for the starry sky. The weather that day was not very good. A few of us returned to our accommodation and wanted to give up. . Xixi was even more straightforward, climbed into bed and began to "sleep deeply".
On July 6, approaching ten o'clock in the evening, the weather became colder and colder. The altitude of Namtso is too high, and it is too cold at night. It should only be about ten degrees Celsius. It is still a bit chilly to wear cold-proof clothes. A buddy who lived in the same room suddenly felt uncomfortable. It was a severe case of high altitude sickness. As soon as this buddy flew to Lhasa, he signed up for a group trip to Namtso, which was almost 4,700 meters above sea level. He couldn't bear it. Several friends looked for medicine for him. This guy also bought a tank of oxygen, but it basically had no effect.
Before coming to Namtso, you must adapt to Lhasa for a few days, otherwise you will have a severe headache due to high altitude sickness. At eleven o'clock in the evening, Ajian rushed in and shouted: "Hey, do you guys want to go out? There is a sky full of stars." After saying that, Ajian went out with a tripod.
Xixi fell asleep. Yan, Chaoyun and I put on our thickest clothes and got up to take a look at the beautiful starry sky.
As soon as I walked out of the room, I was happy. The stars in the sky were blinking, and with the sky as the background, it became even brighter. There was no moon that night, so the stars were even more prominent. We looked up at the stars in the sky from time to time, and soon our necks became a little stiff, "How long has it been since you saw the stars?" We raised our heads and asked the sky and the earth, as well as our inner selves.
"Did you see it? That's the Milky Way?"
Following the direction of A Jian's finger, we really saw the Milky Way. It was actually visible with the naked eye. In the vast starry sky, the Milky Way is clearly visible, surveying the earth.
After a while, layers of clouds blew over again, blocking some stars. A Jian, Yan, Chaoyun and I started looking for the galaxy with flashlights. Travel friend A Jian is a photographer, an amateur, and out of interest, he worked hard to study this thing.
There is an APP called Starry Sky, which allows you to look at the sky and find various stars, which is very clever. The wind was a bit strong that night, so the four of us walked towards the lakeside carrying our tripods. It really felt like we were dreaming about chasing fireflies or butterflies all night or all afternoon in our childhood.
Many of us today are immersed in this world. How long has it been since we ran around like children? As we become more mature, we blindly let ourselves lose our innocence, but it turns out that these are really far away from us.
The picture above is the starry sky captured by Ajian with a SLR, and you can still vaguely see the shadow of the Milky Way. The clouds were very thick that night, so taking photos of the Milky Way required careful attention to the right time, location and angle. It was approaching 12 o'clock in the evening. Yan, Chaoyun and I started to return because the cold was a bit unbearable.
Under the vast starry sky, only Ajian looks like a lonely gold digger, holding a camera and watching quietly, waiting for the best starry sky to be photographed.
I remember Van Gogh’s work "Starry Night", one whirlpool after another, and your spirit was instantly happy. That night, it was as if I understood Van Gogh. The wind was turning, the starry sky was turning, whirlpools were pouring towards you, and your brain was turning with it. The whole scene, with your eyes as the center, the nature is so wonderful, and the starry sky is so shocking.
That night, A Jian, who loves the starry sky, took pictures until two or three in the morning before returning. We are the tiny stars in the universe, with a childlike innocence, chasing the wonderful scenery.
Zhuangzi said: There is a fish in the North Ming Dynasty, and its name is Kun. The Kun is so big that I don't know how many thousands of miles it is. It turned into a bird, and its name was Peng. I don't know how many thousands of miles the Peng has on his back; when it flies in anger, its wings are like clouds hanging down from the sky. In everyone's heart, there is such a dream-seeking escape.
What is the starry sky that I have never seen?
I am very afraid that one day, my child will pull my clothes and ask, "Mom, what are stars?" I looked at his huge eyes, which were shining with stars, and asked me what stars are. What?
And I stared blankly at the dark sky, unable to say anything. What are stars? In a child's most innocent and imaginative childhood, he may never see the starry sky as it is. I am very familiar with it, but I have never seen it before. Maybe everything will eventually lose its original appearance.
And how long has it been since you saw the starry sky?
? A thoughtful housewife.
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