What a fearless woman she is--to brave diseases and hardships and bandits in the western mountains near Tibet! She is so exhilarated by gentle good people she meets and the vistas--not to mention the challenge of finding the Giant Panda--that she is not afraid.
Geography and history--as taught in my elementary schools--was so boring that I never got a sense of the countries we "studied." If only we had had teachers who had traveled, teachers who had stories to tell, pictures to show, I believe I would have been an avid student of the creatures, people and natural beauty of remote areas of the world. As it is, I'll continue to be a vicarious traveler through books and films.
Isn't it amazing how learning about anything opens doors to other things?
Lately, I have been enjoying the delicious teas I've discovered at a shop at the mall called TeaVana. Now I have my little tea catalog out beside the book, The Lady and The Panda, and am matching teas with provinces in China described in the book. As the expedition nears Tibet, the explorers see young girls carrying hundred-pound baskets of tea and herb diggers wearing turbans and brilliant blue gowns who "knew these mountains in a way no one else could." For the first time, I have a sense of where my tea comes from--and a deeper appreciation of the people who harvest the leaves and berries.
These teas are said to be rich in antioxidants and other nutrients and their flavors are amazing--fresh and fruity and flowery.
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