Despite what the title to this post may lead you to believe, this is not about a long lost Bing Crosby/Bob Hope road movie. It is instead a reference to this story over at Outside Online and reprinted from the October issue of Outside Magazine.
The rather length article tells the tale of author Patrick Symmes journey to find the mythical kingdom of Shambhala, a place that is revered amongst Tibetan Buddhists. Symmes sets off on an adventure of a life time, crossing parts of India, Nepal, Tibet, and China in search of a place that always seems to be just beyond the next horizon. Along the way, he challenges some towering mountain passes, deep gorges, sweeping plains, and blazing deserts, to at last find what he believes is the location of this place that is as much a state of mind as an actual location.
The Kingdom of Shambhala is rumored to have existed somewhere beyond the Himalaya, and ancient texts describe it as a place of great wealth and beauty, but also peace and tranquility. It is believed that only those with the appropriate karma can reach this place, and even then it is a struggle to reach, and enter, this distance place.
In this article, Symmes claims to have reached Shambhala, both physically, and as a state of mind, but his opening sentence says a lot, as he clearly states: "I'm not telling you where it is". As readers, we do get to go along for the journey, and he describes the route quite well, simply falling short of giving us the final location. But for those who dream of exploring distant lands, on an adventure not unlike something out of an Indiana Jones film, this article should be just what you're looking for to get your imagination spinning. Definitely and excellent read, and it inspires the wanderlust in me to want to hit the trail in search of my own Shambhala. Great stuff.
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