Caravans of the Himalaya Book

Frenchman Eric Valli and Australian Diane Summer met on a bus in Nepal ten years ago. Since then, the country has become their home, and they have traveled extensively with their two young daughters in the Himalaya and in Asia as a whole, making a living by photographing and recording the region's threatened traditional cultures.

Caravan of the Himalaya is an account of the author's latest foray: a brilliant record of the two years they spent with the Dolpo-pa, a nomadic people who live between the high peaks of the Himalaya and the Tibetan plateau Chang Tang. In a vivid and highly readable text, the authors recount their adventures with the Dolpo-pa. They explain how they learned the language and how they traveled the grueling route through the mountains to Tibet. They explore the history and traditions of his remarkable civilization, rich in myth and legend. And they describe the bonds of friendship that they developed with the people. The photographs they took during their time there, reproduced here in stunning color enhance their story. Taking us into an unknown realm, a world apart, they capture the very essence of a land and people so remote from Western imagination.

This extraordinary travelogue takes readers on a two-year trek across the highest points of the world with Nepalese traders as they repeat the ancient journeys of their ancestors--crossing more than a thousand miles by foot. 130 full-color illustrations and 30 b&w drawings.