(i) Lhamo couldn’t understand the English the author had spoken to her. So, the author took Daniel's help to translate his speech as he wanted to inform her before proceeding to Mount Kailash to complete the kora.
(ii) The doctor in Darchen Medical college couldn't speak English. The doctor spoke in Tibetan language which Tsetan translated into English for the author.

Tsetan is able to communicate with the author in English. I think he has picked up the language from the tourists who travelled in his taxi. People like taxi drivers, waiters, tour guides, etc. pick up functional language by talking to their clients.

Sometimes we find stark difference between the accounts of exotic places in legends and in reality. For example, places like Mount Kailash and Mana Sarovar occupy a pristine place in the legends. They are described as places of pristine purity that instill religious sentiments in a person's mind. Ancient travelers were moved by the sanctity of the lake Man Sarovar. However, the author found the town called Hor scattered with years of accumulated refuse, despite the fact that the city was on the shore of the holy lake Mana Sarovar.

People undergo the travails of difficult journeys for various reasons. A pilgrim suffers the hardships in order to obtain the blessings of God. An adventure enthusiast happily bears the hardships to get the thrill of the adventure. The author is an academician. He wants to get the firsthand experience of various traditions in different countries. That is why he willingly undertakes a journey to Mount Kailash.

The hill people are very innocent and hospitable. They are religious minded and traditional. When the author was leaving Ravu, Lhamo, the landlady presented him with a long-sleeved sheepskin coat as she thought he wanted some warmer clothes. Tsetan took care of the author during the journey and took him to hospital when he was in Darchen. These incidents reveal their caring nature.

The ultimate goal of a Buddhist is to attain Nirvana, that is liberation from all the bondages. As per the Buddhist teachings, life is full of sorrows and one attains ultimate liberation at one's death. Moreover, death during a pilgrimage is considered a blessing.

However, as a taxi driver it would be bad for his business if a passenger dies during the journey. That is why, Tsetan said that the author's death would be bad for his business.

Tsetan was of great support to the author in his journey to Darchen. He was an expert driver who was familiar with the treacherous mountain passages. He could negotiate even the sharpest turns and drive on snow as well as on rough terrains. He was able to communicate in English. He was very concerned towards the author and took him to Darchen Medical College when he was sick. Without the support of Tsetan it would have been impossible for him to complete his pilgrimage.

The author was disappointed when he was at Darchen. He had a bad cold and was unable to breath freely due to the high altitude. The city looked deserted and grim as it was not the peak season. He felt lonely and miserable. One day as he was sipping tea in a small, dark and cavernous cafe, he met Norbu, a Tibetan who wanted to visit Kailash. He said that he worked in Beijing at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He also informed that he had come to do kora. The author thought that they could make a perfect team as both were academics.

Darchen was located at an altitude of 4760 meters above the sea level. At Darchen the author had to face health problems. He had a bad cold. Moreover, he couldn't breathe properly as he had been gasping for oxygen several times every night. He was not able to lie down as his chest was heavy. Tsetan took him to Darchen Medical College for treatment. After taking the medicines prescribed by the doctor he felt better.

Nick Middleton, the author, is an award-winning geographer, writer and a fellow of St. Anne's College, Oxford. He has travelled to more than seventy countries to get firsthand experience of the places and culture of the people. The author visits Mount Kailash to do Kora, a pilgrimage made by Hindus as well as Buddhists as he is keen on getting firsthand experience of the pilgrimage.

At Darchen the author had to face health problems. He had a bad cold. Moreover, he couldn't breathe properly due to the effect of the high altitude. He felt heaviness in his chest. He couldn't lie down to sleep or rest. There weren’t many pilgrims in the town and the author felt rather lonely. After a few days, he met Norbu, a Tibetan who wanted to visit Kailash and soon he made friendship with him. They made a good team as both were academicians. After meeting Norbu the author thought that his positive thinking strategy worked well.

Darchen was a place that lay at 4760 meters above the sea level. The author was disappointed with Darchen as he had been gasping for oxygen several times every night when he stayed in the city. His chest was heavy and he couldn't lie down and breath freely. He was taken to the medical college at Darchen by Tsetan. Moreover, the place was dusty, punctuated by heaps of rubble and refuse.

The author's experience in Hor was in sharp contrast to the experience of ancient travelers like Ekai Kawaguchi, a Japanese monk who was moved by the sanctity of the lake that he burst into tears. The hallowed waters had a similar effect on Sven Hedin, a Swedish traveler.

However, the author found Hor as a grim, miserable place. There was no vegetation, but only dust and rock scattered with years of accumulated refuse, even though the city was on the shore of the Holy Lake Mana Sarovar, a place venerated by Hindu and Buddhist religions.

Tibetan mastiffs were special breed of dogs. These were huge in size and black in colour. They were ferocious and fearless and sprang into action like bullets. They became popular in China’s imperial courts as hunting dogs. They were brought along the Silk Road as tribute from Tibet in ancient times.

The 'Silk Road' primarily refers to the land routes connecting East and West. It was a networks of trade routes. It derived its name from the trade of silk carried out on this route. Other commodities like spices, precious stones, pepper, etc. from the East and gold, silver, wine, jewels, etc. from the West were traded on this route. The author travelled to Mount Kailash on this route exploring the Himalayan belt and he titled his article, 'Silk Road'.

kora: circumambulation, ritual walking round something
drokba: Tibetan shepherds
kyang: a kind of wild Tibetan ass
These words appear in Tibetan language.

I will get it repaired for you.
Did you have your smartphone fixed?
Jane was eager to have the house painted before Christmas.
They had their house destroyed in the flood.
I had my hair cut this morning.

Some of the passive voice sentences in the chapter are the following:

• The plateau is pockmarked with salt flats and brackish lakes.
• Hor’s only cafe which, like all the other buildings in town, was constructed from badly painted concrete.
• I was served by a Chinese youth in military uniform.
• The walls and ceiling were wreathed in sheets of multi-coloured plastic.

In the active voice the subject of a sentence performs an action. In the passive voice the subject is acted upon. Active voice is preferred in writing as passive voice results in writing that is flat. Sentences written is active voice is easier to understand.

(i) shaggy monsters - dogs covered with long, rough, and untidy hair. Shaggy monsters refers to the Tibetan Mastiffs.
(ii) brackish lakes - lakes that contain water that is salty, dirty, and unpleasant
(iii) rickety table - a table that is in bad condition and therefore weak and likely to break
(iv) hairpin bend - a sharp U-shaped bend in a road
(v) rudimentary general stores - a general store where basic things are available

The following are some picturesque phrases and sentences from the text:

• Banks of cloud like long French loaves glowed pink as the sun emerged to splash the distant mountain tops with a rose-tinted blush.
• The gently rolling hills of Ravu
• Plumes of dust billowed into the crisp, clean air.
• Solitary drokbas tending their flocks
• Blacker than the darkest night
• Snow-capped mountains gathering on the horizon
• Big rocks daubed with patches of bright orange lichen

1. ducking back: promptly going inside and returning
2. manoeuvres: set of movements needing skill and care
3. billowed: (of smoke, dust, steam) filled, moved or flowed outward and spread over a large area
4. swathe: a long strip or large area especially of land
5. cairn of rocks: a mound of rough stones built as a memorial or landmark, typically on a hilltop or skyline
6. careered down: to move down quickly
7. salt flats: salt flats are flat expanses of ground covered with salt