I had always wanted to visit Tibet, and this remote nunnery high above the clouds in particular, so when I found out my tour group would be going there, I was overjoyed. It was a seven-hour bus ride from Lhasa, through miles and miles of breathtaking landscapes reminiscent of the Wild West - mountains, clear turquoise blue sky and dusty roads, barely a person or vehicle in sight, punctuated by colorful prayer flags blowing in the wind, whitewashed stupas and the occasional traditional Tibetan flat-roofed house. Yaks grazed, looking up as our bus went by, the bells around their necks jingling.
Finally, in the late afternoon, we reached the nunnery. The nuns in their maroon robes came out to greet us, smiling and laughing and asking where we were all from. The nunnery was located on a hilly site, very difficult to keep one's footing as we located our rooms at the guesthouse. For most of the trip I had had roommates, somehow this time I ended up with a room to myself. While I thought I might get a little lonely, secretly the thought of having some privacy for a change was enjoyable.
As we climbed the hill to our rooms, I noticed a striking man walking with us. His age was hard to discern, since high-altitude sun and hard living tend to age the skin prematurely here - he could have been anywhere from 25 to 45. His skin was the color of bronze and his almond eyes were the deepest onyx. He was tall for a Tibetan - I am only 5'3" so to me a 5'7" man is tall. He looked at me and smiled - his teeth shone bright in his deeply tanned skin. He was wearing the traditional black chupa or fur-lined long coat. I thought he might be a Khampa from the east of Tibet - his long shiny black hair was braided and wrapped around his head, red string running through the braid - the distinctive hairstyle of the Khampa man. The Khampas had a history of being strong warriors and horsemen - they were the only ones in Tibet who actually fought back against the Chinese invasion. My Tibetan was poor but I asked him if he was Khampa - his answer was another brilliant smile and a nod. I figured he was probably either a caretaker or related to one of the nuns, maybe a brother.. I wished I could speak with him since he seemed to be taking an unusual interest in me - I couldn't figure out why. I am not much to look at, just an average American woman in my mid-30s, average figure - could stand to lose 10 pounds, green eyes, long brown hair(like Jo in Little Women, my sole beauty) pulled back in a braid while traveling.
For whatever reason, I welcomed the attention - I was so busy with work and traveling that I had never married, plus I was shy by nature and didn't drink, so the bar scene was out. The last time I had slept with a man was-gasp!-over two years ago, and he was definitely out of the picture, having recently gotten married to a woman he had only known for six months. So it felt good having this rugged, handsome Khampa look at me with what seemed increasingly like more than friendly curiosity. I stumbled on a rock and he instantly grabbed my arm, causing me to fall back against his chest - he smelled of sandalwood incense, yak-dung smoke and male musk - I was instantly aroused. He gripped my arm a little bit harder than necessary, it seemed. Laughing, I pulled myself from his grasp and brushed myself off, putting my hands together in a silent thank you.
