If I must sit at home, then I am somewhat placated by following another’s travel chronicles, whether recounted in print or on film.
So when I opened the January program guide for our local PBS affiliate in Salt Lake City and noted that a six-week series, Himalaya with Michael Palin, began running on Thursday evenings starting January 5th, I knew that I had a six-week commitment. What a winning combination for a Himalaya buff and Monty Python fan! During the course of the series, Palin, whom I’m sure many of you will recall as a former member of that legendary British comedy troupe, covers over 3,000 miles through Pakistan, India, Nepal, Tibet and China.
My husband and I were quite enchanted with the opening episode in Pakistan, where, among other adventures, Palin visits a dentist in Peshawar, teaches English to a group of giggling children in a remote highland school, and attends the annual polo match between Gilgit and Chitral on a tundra-like field located at 12,000’ elevation. We’re looking forward to next week’s installment in Nepal.
This BBC production was created in 2004, so its political context is clearly dated. But in looking up the series online, there is a wealth of geographical, historical and cultural highlights, not to mention spectacular film footage, that still makes viewing worthwhile. Among the program locations that align with Asia360˚ destinations are Kathmandu, Everest Base Camp, the Annapurna range, Lhasa, Bhutan, and China’s Yunnan Province – Tiger Leaping Gorge, Kunming and Lijiang.
If the series is not running this winter in your PBS viewing area, check it out on Palin’s website: www.palinstravels.co.uk. Here you can see videos and a photo gallery, as well as read the corresponding book online. The book and DVD set of the series can also be purchased through Amazon. Palin has evidently made a second career out of travel reportage, as other destinations on his site include the Sahara, the North and South Poles, and Europe.
“And now for something completely different…”
Asia360˚'s own Anna Griswold near Everest Base Camp. You could be standing here too!
Written By Lisa Poppleton.
I remember watching his Pole to Pole series when I lived in Ireland and thinking “Boy, that guy looks familiar …” Sad that it took a Python fan like me a long time to make the connection! Great programs though – I’ll have to check out the Himalaya one now!