You are cruising on a shiny highway in Tibet and you see the road stretch out into the horizon and beyond. It reminds you of a time when curtains were slowly raised as your favorite performer entered the stage. Your heart races in anticipation. Just then, like the showman, the mountains make a grand entry. Not a spot of cloud in the sky, the mountains appear before you in their full grandeur, and you say to yourself, “What else do I need in life?”
Standing in front of Kathmandu Handle Bar in Baluwatar, Rabi Thapa points towards a row of Royal Enfield bikes and says, “This is what we do.” He leads me to his office decked with miniature versions of Enfield motorbikes and decorated with certificates and posters.
“Why Tibet, why Tibet so many times over?” people ask him. His answer is the same everytime, “You are cruising …. As you approach Thong La pass from the west, the road meets the horizon. Just then Cho Oyu, the highest mountain in Tibet rises from the ground. That view alone makes the trip worth it!”
“I have been going to Tibet at least once a year since 1997/98,” he says, “And no two trips are the same. The weather is different, the clouds are different and the travel companions are different. The memories crafted are unique every single time.”
This time around, the trip to Lhasa was different for another reason. It was the first time that he made it to the ‘roof of the world’ on four wheels rather than two. Five cars (two Mahindra Thars, two Mahindra XUVs and a SsangYong Rextong), 12 people and six days -- this is what took to make the journey from Nepal’s capital to the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, China.
Tibet’s deep connection with Guru Rimpoche (Padmasambhava) is also a major pull for Thapa. “In ancient times, demons threatened the local population. Whatever they would build during the day, the demons would destroy at night,” explains Thapa who returned from the six-day trip on October 5.
As legend has it, Padmasambhava followed the demons at night as they rested in the caves of Mustang. It was there that the Rimpoche slayed the demons. Tibet is home to the Rimphoche’s monastery.
Thapa, who is in his 50s, believes that he still has many trips to make to Tibet, both on two and four wheels. “Tibet’s beauty is astounding and the roads are terrific as well. So why not?”
