a Attracting explorers, climbers, and seekers of enlightenment, the Himalayas have attracted vast tracts of travelers over the years. The resulting flow of stories can leave one wondering exactly what more can be said.
But at the start of this extended travel novel, Norwegian anthropologist Erika Vatland, whose previous books feature Sovestan, distinguished herself from stereotypes. She’s not a “spiritual tourist” on a mystical journey, she explains, nor is she a climber or astral travel writer looking to stamp her identity on people and places. The “Holy Grail” that Vatland seeks in the opening pages is Visa, and this pursuit sets the tone for what is modern and unromantic in its subject matter.
A series of thoughtful chapters leads us on a trail through Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal, China and Tibet. Vatland writes with confidence and sensitivity, observing the sights and sounds of cities, towns, and villages; You visit temples, forests, and explore the high plateau. Places are carefully contextualized with geopolitical and historical details and they are woven into geology as well, grounding the action in the land itself.
The book comes to life primarily through conversations with many of the people Vatland met. We hear conversations with strangers on buses, discussions with guards, bureaucrats, spiritual leaders and even a king. Each one helps them create a vivid picture of the many types of society that exist across the vast range of the Himalayas.
While Vatland is not a climber, she does visit Everest, climbing to a base camp. In general, you rarely judge who you meet, but the Everest squad is an exception - as one proudly explains, “a lot of us are Type A personalities”, and in fact you find them impatient, ambitious and very competitive. Vatland endures their company as well as a bout of altitude sickness.
Elsewhere, she meets women who lived under Taliban rule, former child gods and survivors of trafficking and sexual violence. She travels to a remote area of Nepal where women on their periods are considered unclean and sent outside to sleep in huts. This practice has led to deaths from snakebites, carbon monoxide poisoning and exposure.
In the Indian part known as Little Tibet, four ruthless nuns avoid her questions until the monk accompanying them has disappeared; Once he leaves, they switch to English and ask Vatland a series of questions. They discuss work, family, education, relationships, and childcare. Through moments of intimacy and occasional indignation, we gain a detailed understanding of the lives of women across the region. It is the perspective that makes this book stand out: Vatland, as a traveler and anthropologist, establishes a unique relationship with girls and women that leads to precious insights into life that are rarely recorded.