By Elise Eiko Griffin ’10
Madison, Wisconsin
Biology

This photo was taken during my study abroad in Nepal. Although it was meant to be a Tibetan and Himalayan Studies Program, our group was denied visas into Tibet because of the expected Olympic protests. Instead we hiked to isolated communities in Upper Mustang, Nepal, which lies along the ancient silk road from China to India, and studied Himalayan culture where it has been well preserved. This elderly Tibetan herdsman, nearly blind with cataracts, continues to live the traditional vocation in the high Tibetan Plateau of Nepal. Wood for fire is hard to find because of the dry environment in these high Himalayan Valleys. This man is carrying firewood 10 miles to his home. The Tibetan girl in the background is carrying incense (Juniper) for her family’s Buddhist rituals.