Quest for the Khampa.docVIP

Quest for the Khampa 　　there’s a saying in Chinese that goes something like this: “男不入川，女不入藏”(N1n b% r Chu`n, n) b% r Z3ng), which roughly translates as, “Men shouldn’t go to Sichuan(because Sichuanese women are so beautiful), and women shouldn’t go to Tibet(because Tibetan men are so handsome).”Like the call of the mythical sirens, the beauties of Sichuan and the studs of Tibet can steal the hearts of any hapless traveler foolish enough to cross their path. 　　Well, there’s no better advert for the place, I thought, and without further ado packed my bags and set off to Ganzi Prefecture (甘孜州G`nz~ Zh4u), an autonomous Tibetan region in western Sichuan, where the Khampa breed of Tibetan male (康巴汉子 K`ngb` h3nzi) can be hunted without the need for a special permit. 　　First stop: the river town of Kangding (or Dartsedo in Tibetan). Formerly known as the gateway to Tibet, the town once had a bit of a Wild West reputation, but is now a tame modern city that rests five hours from Chengdu and 2,500 meters above sea level. While it may have lost some of the hinterland allure promised in the guide book, it does offer a tempting taste of the Tibetan flavor to come. Along the edges of Kangding glow the pale colors of Buddhist sculptures, carved into the cliffs that tower protectively over the city. Through the middle of Kangding flows the powerful Dartsedo River (康定河 K`ngd#ng H9), a furious beast that bears on its back the freshness of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau above. But the attractions go beyond the natural―every night local Tibetans, mostly in modern dress, dance in a giant circle to folk ditties pumped out from streetlight-mounted speakers. Anyone can join in. I scoured the crowds, but there was no sight of a dashing Khampa hanzi. 　　Food offered an alternative pleasure of the flesh, and I was easily seduced by Kangding’s impressive array of genuine Tibetan fare. Even traditional Tibetan eateries of the simple working-class variety are richly decorated: patrons sit on