Complicated Histories, Sichuan, and Tibet. The Other Shangri-La With Shivaji Das

In this episode, we escape to the mountains of the Tibetan Highlands, which lie at the intersection of the Sichuan and Yunan provinces in China, in search of Shangri-La. Shivaji Das talks about the stunning natural beauty in this remote place, and we also discuss the cultural clashes in the region and the people he met along the way. We talk about complicated histories, and how our view of a place is shaped by who we are and our perspective on the world — and also how others see us. Shivaji Das is an award-winning Indian writer, traveler, international speaker, and photographer, now based in Singapore. His books include Angels by the Murky River: Travels off the Beaten Path; Journeys with the Caterpillar: Traveling through the islands of Flores and Sumba, Indonesia; and today we’re talking about The Other Shangri-La: Journeys through the Sino-Tibetan Frontier in Sichuan. Show notes * The attraction of remote and unusual places * The origins of Shangri-La * Some of the historical, religious, and cultural issues that make the Tibetan plains a complicated area * The architecture, people, and food of the area * The value of traveling as a multi-cultural partnership * Recommended travel books You can find Shivaji Das at ShivajiDas.com Transcript of the interview Jo Frances Penn: Welcome to the show, Shivaji. Shivaji Das: Thank you, Jo. Thanks for having me on the show. Jo Frances Penn: It’s great to have you here. So you’ve written about some really fascinating places. What draws you to travel, especially in these more remote areas? Shivaji Das: As a child, I was rather into work and I hated traveling. I must say, not as a child, until I was fairly grown-up, until I was in my early 20s, I hated traveling and I hated travelers. Whenever someone like relatives or other friends of my family would come to our house, I’d be like, why are they coming to our house? Don’t they have other better things to do? It was rather late in my life, in my mid-20s that I really started traveling for the purpose of leisure. And once I did that, and I was forced into traveling when I was working in the United States and I had nothing to do over the weekends, I would take buses, Greyhound buses, and all that to neighboring towns or cities. That’s when I began talking to strangers, I got to know about their stories, old people who have lost their kids in the Iraq war, immigrants who were traveling with large families, and even very muscular bullies who would surprisingly offer their bag of chips to me and all of these encounters got me fascinated with travel. Since then, since my mid-20s, I have always looked forward to any opportunity to pack my bag and go to the airport or to the nearest jetty. Jo Frances Penn: Why do you choose the places that you choose? Because you’ve written books about islands in Indonesia, and we’re talking about this area that is quite different today and you have traveled off the beaten path. I do a lot of trips where I might go to a bigger city, whereas you tend to get off the beaten track. Why do you go to these remote places? Shivaji Das: I do go to remote places, but more than that, I go to more traditional travel destinations as well, but it’s just that I don’t necessarily write about them as much, I guess that’s what happens. But I’ve been, I think, almost 10 times to Bali. I have been there a few times to Switzerland and to New York City, Hong Kong, and so on. What especially I look for,

Om Podcasten

Escape and inspiration about unusual and fascinating places, as well as the deeper side of books and travel. I'm Jo Frances Penn, author of thrillers and non-fiction, and I'll be doing solo shows about my own travel experience and interviewing authors about how travel inspires their writing. Interviews cover places to visit and tips for travel as well as thoughts on modes of travel like walking, cycling, and travel by train and other modes. Plus book recommendations for every interview so you have things to read on the move.