Silk Road
- by Nick Middleton
Summary of the Chapter
"Silk Road" is a travelogue by Nick Middleton that describes his journey to Mount Kailash in Tibet to complete the kora, a religious pilgrimage. The narrative begins with his departure from Ravu, where he receives a warm sheepskin coat as a farewell gift from Lhamo. He travels with his guide Tsetan and friend Daniel, taking a shortcut across the Changtang plateau.
The journey is filled with challenges and breathtaking scenery. They encounter wild animals like gazelles, wild asses (kyang), and fierce Tibetan mastiffs. The terrain becomes increasingly difficult as they navigate high mountain passes, with snow blocking their path at 5,210 meters. Tsetan skillfully manages to drive through these obstacles.
The author experiences altitude sickness with severe headaches and breathing difficulties. After reaching Hor, a grim and miserable town on Lake Manasarovar's shore, Daniel departs for Lhasa. The author's condition worsens in Darchen, where he suffers from sleeplessness due to altitude effects. He visits a Tibetan doctor who gives him traditional medicine that eventually helps him recover.
In Darchen, the author meets Norbu, a Tibetan academic from Beijing who also wants to complete the kora. They decide to team up for the pilgrimage, with Norbu's practical approach and humor providing comfort. The story beautifully captures the physical challenges of high-altitude travel, the stark beauty of Tibetan landscape, and the cultural significance of Mount Kailash.
NCERT Textbook Questions and Answers
Understanding the Text (Page 8-9)
Question I: Give reasons for the following statements.
1. The article has been titled 'Silk Road.'
Answer-
The article is titled 'Silk Road' because the author is traveling through regions that were part of the ancient Silk Road trade route. The narrative mentions how Tibetan mastiffs were brought to China's imperial courts as tribute along the Silk Road, and the journey follows the old trade route from Lhasa to Kashmir.
2. Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China's imperial courts.
Answer-
Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China's imperial courts because they were ferocious and excellent hunting dogs. They were brought as tribute from Tibet along the Silk Road in ancient times and valued for their fearlessness and hunting abilities.
3. The author's experience at Hor was in stark contrast to earlier accounts of the place.
Answer-
The author found Hor to be a grim, miserable place with no vegetation, just dust, rocks, and accumulated refuse. This contrasted sharply with earlier travelers' accounts where they were moved to tears by the sanctity of Lake Manasarovar, which Hor sits beside.
4. The author was disappointed with Darchen.
Answer-
The author was disappointed with Darchen because there were no pilgrims there when he arrived. He had timed his arrival for the beginning of the pilgrimage season but was too early, and the town felt empty and lonely without other travelers.
5. The author thought that his positive thinking strategy worked well after all.
Answer-
The author felt his positive thinking strategy worked when he met Norbu, who also wanted to do the kora. Norbu's suggestion that they could be a team of "two academics who have escaped from the library" gave the author hope and companionship for the pilgrimage.
Question II: Briefly comment on
1. The purpose of the author's journey to Mount Kailash.
Answer-
The author's purpose was to complete the kora, the religious pilgrimage around Mount Kailash, which is considered sacred in Buddhism, Hinduism, and other religions.
2. The author's physical condition in Darchen.
Answer-
In Darchen, the author suffered from severe altitude sickness. He experienced breathing difficulties, blocked sinuses, and couldn't sleep lying down because he felt he might not wake up. His condition improved after taking Tibetan medicine.
3. The author's meeting with Norbu.
Answer-
The author met Norbu in a Darchen cafe. Norbu was a Tibetan academic from Beijing who also wanted to do the kora. Though not a practicing Buddhist and physically unfit, his enthusiasm and practical approach made him an ideal companion.
4. Tsetan's support to the author during the journey.
Answer-
Tsetan was an excellent guide who skillfully navigated difficult terrain, handled snow blockages, and took the author to a doctor when he fell ill. He was knowledgeable, practical, and supportive throughout the journey.
5. "As a Buddhist, he told me, he knew that it didn't really matter if I passed away, but he thought it would be bad for business."
Answer-
Tsetan said this humorously when leaving the author after ensuring he was recovering. As a Buddhist, he believed in rebirth, so death wasn't final, but practically, a client dying would harm his reputation as a guide.
Talking about the Text (Page 9)
Question 1: The sensitive behaviour of hill-folk.
Answer-
The hill-folk displayed sensitive behavior through their hospitality and care. Lhamo gave the author a warm sheepskin coat as a farewell gift. The solitary drokbas would pause and stare at their car, occasionally waving. The Tibetan doctor treated the author with traditional medicine without modern medical paraphernalia but with genuine concern.
Question 2: The reasons why people willingly undergo the travails of difficult journeys.
Answer-
People undertake difficult journeys for various reasons: religious faith (like the kora pilgrimage), academic research, adventure, personal challenge, or to experience different cultures and landscapes. The physical hardships are outweighed by spiritual, intellectual, or personal fulfillment.
Question 3: The accounts of exotic places in legends and the reality.
Answer-
Legendary accounts often romanticize places, like earlier travelers being moved to tears by Lake Manasarovar's sanctity. Reality can be different, as the author found Hor to be dirty and miserable. However, the spiritual significance remains, showing that physical appearance doesn't diminish cultural and religious importance.
Thinking about Language (Page 9)
Question 1: Notice the kind of English Tsetan uses while talking to the author. How do you think he picked it up?
Answer-
Tsetan uses functional, practical English with simple sentence structures. He likely picked it up through his work as a guide interacting with foreign tourists, rather than through formal education.
Question 2: What do the following utterances indicate?
(i) "I told her, through Daniel..."
Answer-
This indicates language barriers where Daniel acted as translator between the author and Lhamo, who probably didn't speak English.
(ii) "It's a cold," he said finally through Tsetan.
Answer-
This shows that the Tibetan doctor didn't speak English, so Tsetan translated his diagnosis for the author.
Question 3: Guess the meaning of the following words.
kora - Religious pilgrimage around a sacred site
drokba - Tibetan nomads
kyang - Wild asses found in Tibet
These words are found in the Tibetan language.
Working with Words (Page 9-10)
Question 1: The narrative has many phrases to describe the scenic beauty of the mountainside like: A flawless half-moon floated in a perfect blue sky. Scan the text to locate other such picturesque phrases.
Answer-
Other picturesque phrases include:
- "Extended banks of cloud like long French loaves glowed pink"
- "Sun emerged to splash the distant mountain tops with a rose-tinted blush"
- "Plumes of dust billowed into the crisp, clean air"
- "Snow-capped mountains gathering on the horizon"
- "River was wide and mostly clogged with ice, brilliant white and glinting in the sunshine"
Question 2: Explain the use of the adjectives in the following phrases.
(i) shaggy monsters - Describes the hairy, fearsome appearance of Tibetan mastiffs
(ii) brackish lakes - Describes lakes with slightly salty water
(iii) rickety table - Describes an old, shaky, unstable table
(iv) hairpin bend - Describes a very sharp, U-shaped turn in the road
(v) rudimentary general stores - Describes basic, simply-equipped shops with limited supplies
Noticing Form (Page 10)
Question 1: The account has only a few passive voice sentences. Locate them. In what way does the use of active voice contribute to the style of the narrative.
Answer-
Few passive voice sentences found in the text. The predominant use of active voice makes the narrative more immediate, personal, and engaging. It creates a sense of direct experience and action, fitting for a travelogue where the author is actively experiencing events.
Question 2: Notice this construction: Tsetan was eager to have them fixed. Write five sentences with a similar structure.
Answer-
1.I am anxious to get this work completed.
2.She was determined to have the problem solved.
3.They were keen to see the project finished.
4.He was impatient to have the documents prepared.
5.We are excited to have the house decorated.
Important Keywords from the Chapter
- Ducking back: Quickly going back inside
- Manoeuvres: Military-like exercises or movements
- Billowed: Swelled out or puffed up
- Swathe: A broad strip or area
- Cairn of rocks: A mound of stones built as memorial or landmark
- Careered down: Moved rapidly and uncontrollably downhill
- Salt flats: Flat areas covered with salt deposits
- Kora: Buddhist pilgrimage of walking around sacred sites
- Drokba: Tibetan nomads
- Kyang: Wild asses of Tibetan plateau
- Altitude sickness: Illness caused by low oxygen at high altitudes
- Silk Road: Ancient network of trade routes connecting Asia with Europe