Fotos

For a few hours the jeep drove along some of the most eye-opening, stunning and frightening roads I have ever driven on - steep climbs, always the sheer cliff and a raging river to one side, sliding gravel on the roads, danger of stone avalanches from above. Then we saw Ki Gompa, a monastery fortress completely stupefying in this high altitude desert...

Ki Gompa is close to thousand years old and is still one of the most famous schools for certain sects of Buddhist monks. Several hundred monks of all ages live and study in the clutter of houses. It has been destroyed by marauding hordes from both North and South over time, as well as ravaged by fire, but always rebuilt. It's located at an altutide of about 4,160 metres (about 13,700 feet). The roof of Ki Gompa IS the roof of the world.

There are more stunning ways to photograph the structure, but this picture means to capture the moment of approaching Ki and realizing that it is in fact a cluster of houses that grows from the rocks in front of you. An attempt to replicate the feeling of elation travelers on foot or horseback must have felt when coming in sight of Ki Gompa.