August 8: Day 10
Today was our first and only rest day, which was greatly needed after 9 straight days of walking and a total of 143 miles so far. Many of us relished in the extra sleep, waking up as late as 9:00 am (which never seemed late until this journey began...). After breakfast, which included a delicious crumb cake made by Tracy's mom, we gathered in the living room for a farewell talk with Palden la, who was leaving today with Rigdzin la for his 4 month speaking tour across the U.S. He mentioned specifically how proud he was of everyone for sacrificing their time and jobs for this walk, and the importance of not wavering on the question of Tibet's independence. Rigdzin la added his own piece of advice for the younger Tibetans: even though you want to be cool now, you will “be cool from the inside out” if you learn about your culture and heritage.
After the speech, Palden la explained in detail the significance of the symbols and colors of the Tibetan flag. Palden la presented khatas to Tracy for organizing the hoedown and housing everyone, as well as to Mary-Kate for all her hard work. Then Larry gave khatas to the walkers who were leaving today: Palden la, Rigdzin la, Mary-Kate la, Masako la, Ngawang Norbu la, and Lha Dholma la (who has since decided to stay!).
Sonam la and Palky la cooked us up a great lunch, and then we were off to Hamden, Connecticut to stay with the Amdo Gyamtso family. After another delicious meal, we spent the time relaxing (and catching up on these reports!). Everyone is feeling well-rested, well-fed, and ready to get back on the road tomorrow.
