1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,000 It's not a cave, it's a city. 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Nobody's been up inside them before. 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:09,000 Now this is uncharted territory for us. 4 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,000 Come on, we down. 5 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:20,000 Oh my God, look at this! 6 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:22,000 That is discovery. 7 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:25,000 Holy f***. 8 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:26,000 There it is. 9 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:27,000 You can see it. 10 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:29,000 It's a big hole. 11 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:31,000 You can see it. You see it? 12 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,000 My name is Josh Gates. 13 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:45,000 With a degree in archaeology and a passion for exploration. 14 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:49,000 I have a tendency to end up in some very strange situations. 15 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:52,000 God, Lord have... 16 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:56,000 My travels have taken me to the ends of the earth 17 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,000 as I investigate the greatest legends in history. 18 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:03,000 This is Expedition Unknown. 19 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,000 The legend of Shangri-La is the story of a hidden valley 20 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,000 somewhere high in the Himalayas. 21 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:17,000 A place of mystical energy, immortality, and eternal peace. 22 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,000 But could it be based on someplace real? 23 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:25,000 My search brought me to the holy city of Kathmandu 24 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:28,000 where I learned about the spiritual tradition of Shambhala, 25 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,000 an ancient Buddhist realm which inspired the Shangri-La story. 26 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:35,000 I've also learned that archaeologists have recently been granted access 27 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,000 to explore Nepal's remote northern frontier, 28 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,000 known as the Mustang region, 29 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,000 that may hold the truth behind the myth. 30 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:48,000 My team and I hopped a helicopter to navigate high into the Himalayas 31 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,000 where we touched down, switched to 4x4s, 32 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:54,000 and undertook an epic drive into the Mustang. 33 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,000 Once there, we linked up with archaeologist Mark Aldenderfer 34 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:01,000 and his associate Mohan Singh Lama. 35 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:06,000 They revealed that these valleys are filled with nearly 10,000 mysterious sky caves, 36 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:11,000 perilous-looking chambers hand-dug out of the cliffs more than 500 years ago 37 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:14,000 by Buddhists who came here from Tibet. 38 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:15,000 But why? 39 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:19,000 Some claim this area could be the real-life Shangri-La. 40 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:23,000 In one remote cave, I discovered that some of these structures 41 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,000 were used as places of healing. 42 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:28,000 You should not enter this if you're not pure of heart. 43 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:29,000 Oh, now you tell me. 44 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:33,000 Another cavern revealed incredible paintings by different ancient artists, 45 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:38,000 proof that some of these caves were used as places of culture and craftsmanship. 46 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,000 That is incredible. 47 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:46,000 Now, at nearly 14,000 feet, we've discovered a rock tower 48 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:51,000 that could help unravel the mystery of why people came to this valley so many centuries ago. 49 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,000 Wall is crumbling here, guys. 50 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:55,000 Be careful. 51 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,000 Back up, back up, back up. 52 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:58,000 You okay? 53 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:00,000 Let's really sketch you up here. 54 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,000 So, what do we got? 55 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:05,000 When you have small chambers like this, there are only one of two things usually put inside, 56 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,000 something stored or human burials. 57 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,000 So, let's see what the hell's in there. 58 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:15,000 We got human burials. 59 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:17,000 Oh, my God. 60 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:18,000 Wow. 61 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:19,000 Very good score. 62 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,000 We got a human jaw. 63 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:22,000 We've got long bones. 64 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:25,000 We've got a femur, fibula, or tibia. 65 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,000 Congratulations to the team here. 66 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:28,000 This is great. 67 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:29,000 Nice work, guys. 68 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:30,000 Any sense of how old this might be? 69 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:31,000 It's early in the 800 AD. 70 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:35,000 This is actually an amazingly important find. 71 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,000 This is astounding. 72 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:41,000 We've discovered human remains that indicate that even in ancient times, 73 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,000 people considered these mountains sacred. 74 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:48,000 By extension, the dizzyingly high sky caves may have been put up here for the same reason. 75 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:50,000 To be closer to the gods. 76 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,000 No doubt that many of the caves were considered holy ground 77 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,000 for cremations and burials of the dead. 78 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:00,000 Now, I'm going to, with your permission, extract this mandible. 79 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:01,000 Yeah. 80 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:04,000 Look at that. 81 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:09,000 The jawbone has been bleached white by the sun and is incredibly well preserved. 82 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,000 This is a group of people that still are largely a mystery, right? 83 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:15,000 If it's as early as I think it could be, it might help us recalibrate 84 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:17,000 what our thinking is about this region. 85 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:21,000 This is a really tangible link to the past. 86 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:22,000 Wow. 87 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:23,000 Not bad for a day's work, huh? 88 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:24,000 Not bad. 89 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:25,000 Good score, guys. 90 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:26,000 Well done. 91 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:31,000 After photographing the site, we hike back down the mountain. 92 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:36,000 As we walk, though, we see scraps of prayer flags and clothing on the ground. 93 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:37,000 Lots of debris here. 94 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:38,000 Yeah. 95 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:39,000 Parts of scarves. 96 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:40,000 So it's a sky barrel site, yes. 97 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:44,000 This is how they take their dead into the next dimension, if you will. 98 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,000 It turns out not all rituals on this mountain are ancient. 99 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:52,000 We've come across what's known as a sky burial, an active site where Buddhists 100 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:55,000 ceremonially part ways with the dead. 101 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:58,000 Very few people that are not lobos or Tibetans see this. 102 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:00,000 It's not something that they'd like you to watch. 103 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,000 The person dies and they bring them here. 104 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:04,000 They put them on the slab. 105 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,000 That rope is used to tie around the deceased neck. 106 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:10,000 They pull that neck so that the body is tight. 107 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:14,000 Then they'll slash the back of the body with a sharp knife. 108 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:19,000 And then the Lamargar vultures get wind of this scent. 109 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:21,000 They'll come in to send on the body. 110 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:27,000 And then what remains, the person will then crush those bones and push it all, 111 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:28,000 make it into a pulp. 112 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:32,000 And then leave it here for the vultures to come back. 113 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:34,000 So there's nothing left. 114 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:35,000 That's the idea, right? 115 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:36,000 Yep. 116 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:40,000 The practice might seem gruesome, but it is also profound. 117 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:42,000 And this site, Mohan, is still being used? 118 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:43,000 Yeah, it still leaves, dude. 119 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:48,000 The experience of seeing the sky burial leaves us all feeling moved 120 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,000 and frankly, a little shaken. 121 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:54,000 We solemnly hike down to the 4x4s and drive on in silence. 122 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:59,000 Just after dark, we arrive at the outskirts of the city of Lomantang. 123 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,000 Tomorrow we'll continue our investigation, 124 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:04,000 but with temperatures outside now below freezing, 125 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:09,000 for tonight we seek shelter in a tea house, the local version of a Motel 6. 126 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:12,000 Welcome to Lomantang. 127 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:17,000 Bags are stacked and generators are plugged into our batteries. 128 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:20,000 Do not splice wires with your mouth at home, kids. 129 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:25,000 Our crew powers on the phones, but up here, even the satellites seem to be out of commission. 130 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:26,000 What's going on? 131 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:27,000 Just trying to call home. 132 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:28,000 How's that going? 133 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:29,000 Not so well. 134 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:31,000 Doesn't work? 135 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:35,000 The locals fire up the stoves, and we finally get to chow down. 136 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,000 Have you been to a coconut cookie in the middle of Lomantang? 137 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:40,000 It's a beautiful day. 138 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:42,000 What else you need in life? 139 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:43,000 Nothing, nothing. 140 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:50,000 Morning in the Mustang region. 141 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:53,000 We're only about 20 miles from the border of Tibet, 142 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:56,000 and we're on the doorstep of a place that I've traveled a long way to see. 143 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:58,000 This is Lomantang. 144 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:01,000 A population of about 1,400 people, but believe it or not, 145 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:04,000 that still makes this the biggest city for hundreds of miles. 146 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:07,000 This was once the capital of the Kingdom of Loh, 147 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:13,000 a walled fortress with 14 guard posts and two gates to keep out potential invaders. 148 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,000 Today, this is not just an entrance to a city. 149 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:18,000 It is a portal to another time and place. 150 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:24,000 Welcome to the past. 151 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:29,000 A city made of mud, sweat, and prayers. 152 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,000 This isn't a tourist attraction. 153 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,000 This isn't a reenactment. 154 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:37,000 This is, for all intents and purposes, life in the Middle Ages. 155 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:45,000 It is also the best preserved example of ancient Tibetan culture left on Earth. 156 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:49,000 Residents even collect and dry out yak dung to burn in their stoves. 157 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:52,000 Excuse me, just if I could just... 158 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:54,000 It's fine. 159 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:56,000 Hi. 160 00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:00,000 No internet, no phones, and don't even ask about the plumbing. 161 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:04,000 In fact, the only modern amenity that seems to have made its way into town is this. 162 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:06,000 An espresso machine. 163 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:15,000 That's very good. 164 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:16,000 Watch out, Starbucks. 165 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:18,000 This guy's coming for you. 166 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:23,000 Next door, I find a gift shop filled with authentic treasures from the region. 167 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:24,000 This is beautiful. 168 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:25,000 What is this? 169 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:29,000 We use it in Semuntang, like Tantik Semuntang for blow. 170 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:33,000 That's amazing. 171 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,000 This is made from human fiber. 172 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:37,000 Oh, it's a human fiber? 173 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:38,000 Yeah. 174 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:40,000 I probably shouldn't have put that to my mouth. 175 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,000 As I continue my stroll through the 1400s, 176 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:49,000 I notice that the women of Lomantang seem to be doing a lot of the heavy lifting. 177 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:53,000 Meanwhile, I find the guys in town hanging out at the local bar. 178 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:54,000 I must stay. 179 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:55,000 Just without the bar part. 180 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:56,000 What are we talking about? 181 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:59,000 Women? Money? The usual. 182 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,000 Sure enough, it isn't long before someone brings a tray, 183 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:06,000 and it isn't just tea, they're pouring. 184 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:08,000 For me? 185 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:09,000 Yeah. 186 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:10,000 What is this? 187 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:11,000 It smells good. 188 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:13,000 Woo! 189 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:14,000 Woo-hoo-hoo! 190 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:15,000 Woo-hoo! 191 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:17,000 I think I just found enlightenment. 192 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:20,000 This is Roxy, Nepalese moonshine. 193 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:21,000 Cheers. 194 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:22,000 Cheers. 195 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:26,000 I tell you what it tastes like, but I can no longer taste anything else for comparison. 196 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:33,000 You guys are the best. 197 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:35,000 I love you guys. 198 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:37,000 Let's always stay in touch. 199 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:38,000 Yeah. 200 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:44,000 After a few more rounds with the boys, 201 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:47,000 I find myself in front of a Buddhist temple. 202 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:51,000 Like all repentant drinkers, it seems I've turned to religion. 203 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:59,000 Beyond the doors, time stops. 204 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:05,000 The bright and dusty streets of Lomantang replaced by twilight and silence. 205 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:08,000 A monument to contemplation. 206 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:11,000 Four Lamas chant mantras. 207 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:16,000 Phrases repeated in order to allow the mind to drift away from distracting thoughts 208 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:18,000 and into a trance-like state. 209 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:21,000 If I'm going to reach the realm of Shambhala, or Shangri-La, 210 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,000 I can't just explore the mysterious sky caves. 211 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:26,000 I need to explore my own mind. 212 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:38,000 I spend an hour listening to the chanting, 213 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:42,000 and then, for just a moment, everything vanishes. 214 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:45,000 And I fall into an incredible nothingness. 215 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:52,000 But it's fleeting, a taste of something I may never be disciplined enough to find again. 216 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:56,000 The monks are gracious and grant me the next best thing to enlightenment. 217 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:58,000 I carry their blessing from the temple. 218 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:01,000 Where I'm going next, I'll certainly need it. 219 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:04,000 Got a kind of foothold. 220 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:06,000 I thought Shangri-La was supposed to be peaceful. 221 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:08,000 This is terrifying. 222 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:18,000 I'm on an epic journey through Nepal investigating the legend of Shangri-La, 223 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:20,000 or what Buddhists call Shambhala. 224 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:23,000 A heaven on earth rumored to be hidden high in the Himalayas. 225 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:28,000 Okay, convoy, we're moving out. Here we go. 226 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:32,000 After two nights in the medieval city of Lomantang, 227 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:35,000 our convoy, led by archaeologist Mark Aldendurfer, 228 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:39,000 sets off to explore remote sky caves that may be linked to the legend. 229 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:41,000 Where are we headed? 230 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,000 Today we're headed toward the Maruzang area, 231 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:47,000 and apparently there's a cave system called Pumamba. 232 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:48,000 Pumamba. 233 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:49,000 Pumamba, yeah. 234 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:50,000 Sounds tropical. 235 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:51,000 It does. It's an odd name. 236 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:53,000 And what's in the Pumamba caves? 237 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:55,000 Well, we don't know what's in the Pumamba caves. 238 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:56,000 I haven't been explored by anybody's team. 239 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:57,000 Nobody's been in there? 240 00:11:57,000 --> 00:11:58,000 No. 241 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:00,000 So I think that they're worth taking a look at. 242 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:01,000 For sure. 243 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:02,000 Oh, my God. 244 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:04,000 Just a little bumpy in here. 245 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,000 The road to paradise is far from paved. 246 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:10,000 We're driving near the restricted border of Tibet, 247 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:13,000 to a valley that contains the mysterious sky caves. 248 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:17,000 This is the craziest road I've ever been on for sure. 249 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:19,000 This is like some next level f***ing really. 250 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:28,000 Just trying to not hit the big rocks. 251 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:29,000 Right. 252 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:31,000 Come on, girl. 253 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,000 Wow, look at this. 254 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,000 The one smooth section of road. 255 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:42,000 Is this a mirage, Mark? 256 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:43,000 No, no. 257 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:44,000 Keep going. 258 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:45,000 My kidneys, thank you. 259 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:47,000 Don't get used to it. 260 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,000 This looks like a tough crossing. 261 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:54,000 What do you think? 262 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:55,000 We've gone through this or walking? 263 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:56,000 We have to walk. 264 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:57,000 We have to walk? 265 00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:58,000 Yeah. 266 00:12:58,000 --> 00:12:59,000 Too much weight in the vehicle? 267 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:00,000 Yeah. 268 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:02,000 So let's get out and we'll have one of the drivers take it across. 269 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,000 Okay, let's jump out. 270 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:07,000 Everyone climbs out to cross the stream on foot, 271 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:09,000 while one of our local guides drives solo. 272 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:11,000 On his way to Robba Bank, apparently. 273 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:19,000 Our local team protects our most valuable commodity, breakfast. 274 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:22,000 Several dozen eggs are hand-carried across the river. 275 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:24,000 Something tells me we're all taking them scrambled tomorrow. 276 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:25,000 Hey, Lachman. 277 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:26,000 Yes, sir. 278 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:27,000 How did the eggs do? 279 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:28,000 Did you crack any eggs coming across? 280 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:29,000 No, no, no. 281 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:30,000 You sure? 282 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:31,000 Yeah. 283 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:32,000 You saved them all? 284 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:33,000 Yeah. 285 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:34,000 Nice work, buddy. 286 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:36,000 We ready? 287 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:37,000 Yeah. 288 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:38,000 Back in the cars. 289 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:43,000 We drive through the seemingly barren valley, 290 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,000 inventing the road as we go. 291 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:50,000 But soon, we hit the end of the line. 292 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,000 Okay, so here we are. 293 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:55,000 Pomonga is just a little bit further down valley. 294 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:56,000 Okay. 295 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:57,000 There we go. 296 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:00,000 We're less than an hour's hike to the caves, 297 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:03,000 but once the sun goes down, it gets really cold around here. 298 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,000 So we'll need to make camp before we set off on foot. 299 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:12,000 Once again, we have to take all of the gear from one place to someplace else. 300 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:14,000 Don't worry, breakfast made it. 301 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,000 Josh, you want me to carry one of those? 302 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:18,000 No, no, I got this, Brian. 303 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:19,000 You sure? 304 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:20,000 No, no, don't worry about it. 305 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:21,000 You look pretty solid. 306 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:23,000 You know, you just stand there with that one small camera. 307 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:24,000 Okay. 308 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:25,000 I got all this. 309 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:27,000 Everyone pitches in to move the equipment, 310 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:30,000 though I'm not sure my contributions are being fully appreciated. 311 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:31,000 Brian, I got this. 312 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:32,000 You got it? 313 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:33,000 Yeah, I got it. 314 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:34,000 You got this? 315 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:35,000 Yeah, I got it. 316 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:36,000 I got it. 317 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:37,000 It's fine, I got it. 318 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:38,000 Yeah. 319 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:40,000 Josh Gates, finally doing some work around here. 320 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:41,000 Finally. 321 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:42,000 I'm gonna kill all of you. 322 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,000 I'm gonna leave you all out here for dead. 323 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:51,000 While we set up the tents, 324 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:53,000 our local guides start preparing dinner. 325 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:55,000 They cook as easily on the side of the Himalayas 326 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:58,000 as I do in a fully stocked kitchen. 327 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:00,000 Andrew, I'm sorry we ran out of tents, man. 328 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:01,000 It's all right, it's all right. 329 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:02,000 Don't worry about it. 330 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:03,000 Somebody's got to watch the gear. 331 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:04,000 Yeah, you'll be fine. 332 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:06,000 Temperature should be about 20 degrees tonight. 333 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:07,000 Yeah, yeah, I got this. 334 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:08,000 Don't worry. 335 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:10,000 With camp set, 336 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:13,000 it's time for another high altitude hike. 337 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:16,000 We're setting out to survey a group of sky caves 338 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:18,000 that have never been explored. 339 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,000 The enigmatic caverns of this region 340 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,000 have been linked to the Shangri-La legend, 341 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:25,000 so we're eager to see what might be hiding inside. 342 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:26,000 Is that it? 343 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,000 That's Pumamba right dead ahead. 344 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:29,000 Wow. 345 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:31,000 They're really extensive. 346 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:34,000 They are, but I hope you've noticed one thing. 347 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:39,000 The closer we get to the place, the higher up they are. 348 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:40,000 Yeah, I do notice that. 349 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:42,000 From where I first saw them, they didn't look too bad. 350 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:44,000 Now it looks like they're, I don't know, 351 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:45,000 a couple hundred feet up at least. 352 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:46,000 Yep. 353 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:49,000 How many openings do you think there are? 354 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:51,000 50 or 60 easily, maybe more. 355 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:53,000 So nobody's been up inside them before? 356 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:55,000 No, this is uncharted territory for us. 357 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:08,000 Caves are absolutely stunning and really mysterious looking, 358 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:11,000 but as you get close to them, they're also something else. 359 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:12,000 They're terrifying. 360 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:16,000 The enormity of the caves is finally clear to me, 361 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:18,000 and one thing is for certain, 362 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:20,000 we're going to need a bigger ladder. 363 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:23,000 That is a real challenge. 364 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:26,000 Me. 365 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,000 I'm in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal, 366 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:32,000 searching for the origins of the Shangri-La legend, 367 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:35,000 and my investigation just got a whole lot harder. 368 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:37,000 Me. 369 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:39,000 So there she is. 370 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:40,000 Yep. 371 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:41,000 Good Lord. 372 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:43,000 That is a real challenge. 373 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:47,000 It's going to be an interesting climb to get in there, 374 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:49,000 but you know, it looks doable. 375 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:51,000 With the right kind of ropes and the right kind of rope, 376 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:52,000 and the right kind of rope, 377 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:53,000 and the right kind of rope, 378 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:54,000 and the right kind of rope, 379 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:55,000 it looks doable. 380 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:57,000 With the right kind of ropes and good guide, 381 00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,000 you should be able to get in there no problem. 382 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:01,000 You're going in there. 383 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:02,000 No, I'm not going in there. 384 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:03,000 Really? 385 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:04,000 Really. 386 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:05,000 Bad back. 387 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:06,000 I got bad everything, Mark. 388 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:09,000 High altitude caves like this are Mark's passion, 389 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,000 but since he's recovering from a recent injury, 390 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:13,000 he won't be able to attempt an ascent. 391 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:15,000 Who is the man in charge then? 392 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:18,000 I think that the most important thing to do is to put this all in Nima's hands, 393 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:19,000 because he's the pro. 394 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:21,000 He knows how to get into these places. 395 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:25,000 Our local team member Nima has been climbing in this region all his life, 396 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:29,000 and knows firsthand how dangerous these crumbling cliffs really are. 397 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,000 Okay, Nima, walk me through this. 398 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:33,000 How in the hell did we get inside of that? 399 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:35,000 First, we need to put some anchor up there, 400 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:41,000 and then trevoss, scary, sexy, and then climb up to the rocky point. 401 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:44,000 And then we try to gain access there in that hole? 402 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:47,000 When do you think the last time was somebody was up in these caves? 403 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,000 I think the last time is when the people left, 404 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:52,000 which would have been four and five hundred years ago. 405 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:54,000 We have no idea what's in here. 406 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:56,000 Okay, great. Let's get to work. 407 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:58,000 We gear up for the climb, 408 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:01,000 eager to understand why people carve these openings 409 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:05,000 and whether the secrets of Shangri-La are hiding inside. 410 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:09,000 But the cliffs here are made up of the softest rock this side of Barry Manila, 411 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:12,000 which is why they're collapsing to dust before our eyes. 412 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:16,000 My cameraman JJ sums up the climb very succinctly. 413 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:18,000 This snaps I die. 414 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:20,000 Okay, we ready? 415 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:22,000 So, order events. You're going to go up first? 416 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:23,000 Yep. 417 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:25,000 You guys are going to set the anchor points? 418 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:27,000 We're following up, and we'll be talking to you when Wauke talks. 419 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:28,000 Sounds good. Climb safe. 420 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:29,000 Hey, thanks, man. 421 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:30,000 Good luck. 422 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:33,000 We carefully hike up the lower embankment, 423 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:36,000 while Nima sets pitons into the rock. 424 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:38,000 We'll then clip into a fixed rope 425 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:41,000 and move together across the cliff face. 426 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:44,000 The problem is that these canyons are made of loose conglomerate, 427 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:46,000 step in the wrong place, 428 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:49,000 and the hillside can come down like the world's biggest game of Jenga. 429 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:51,000 There they go. 430 00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:00,000 I thought Shangri-La was supposed to be peaceful. 431 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:01,000 This is terrifying. 432 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:03,000 We make it up to the first plateau, 433 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:05,000 and then clip into the next section of rope 434 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:08,000 and ease our way across the face of the cliff. 435 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:10,000 Very slippy and very loose. 436 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:12,000 You know where we are now, my friend. 437 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:13,000 Death zone? 438 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:14,000 Death zone. 439 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:17,000 I'm going to that Great Wednesday time slot in the sky. 440 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:19,000 These are the Widowmakers right here. 441 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:22,000 There's just huge boulders and all this loose conglomerate. 442 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:26,000 Waiting to let go makes this incredibly dangerous. 443 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:31,000 Got a kind of foothold. 444 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:33,000 Okay, now what? 445 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:35,000 I got it. 446 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:41,000 Finally, we make it to the edge of the caves. 447 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:46,000 Hey. 448 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:48,000 That was stupid. 449 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:49,000 Oh, God. 450 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:51,000 Look at how sketchy this thing is now that we're inside of it. 451 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,000 Looks twice as bad. 452 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:56,000 How the hell am I going to get down from here? 453 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:58,000 Look at this place. 454 00:19:58,000 --> 00:19:59,000 This is incredible. 455 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:01,000 Mark, we are in the caves. 456 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:02,000 Copy, we are in the caves. 457 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:03,000 Copy that. 458 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:04,000 What do you say? 459 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:06,000 There's a passage that goes up, 460 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:09,000 and then one, two, three other passages coming off this. 461 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:11,000 So we're going to try to explore around a little bit in here, 462 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:13,000 and we'll report and let you know what we see. 463 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:15,000 Copy that, thanks. 464 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,000 The cave openings that we saw from the ground are deceptive. 465 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:21,000 Now that we're up here, there's more than meets the eye. 466 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:26,000 The caves are merely windows to a huge network of interconnected tunnels. 467 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:29,000 This place is like a massive ant farm for people. 468 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:32,000 On the right, room after room. 469 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:35,000 On the left, not much. 470 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:40,000 Long way down. 471 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:42,000 Check this out. 472 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:45,000 Wow. 473 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:46,000 This is so cool. 474 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:47,000 Look at this. 475 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:50,000 Inside the caverns, there's construction. 476 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:54,000 Mysterious mud brick enclosures of every shape and size. 477 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,000 Lots of little chambers in here. 478 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:58,000 You can see this has been divided off, 479 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:00,000 and they've made these channels from the side. 480 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:03,000 You can just see that there's actually so much architecture 481 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:05,000 once you get inside of these caves. 482 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:06,000 They're not just raw spaces. 483 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:08,000 They actually have design to them. 484 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:13,000 I make sure to take dozens of photos for Mark and Mohan to analyze later. 485 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:16,000 Okay, good. Let's keep moving. 486 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:19,000 The number of passages is disorienting. 487 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:21,000 Left, right, up, down. 488 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:24,000 It's a total labyrinth. 489 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:27,000 Each tunnel I take branches off in every direction. 490 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:31,000 More chambers here, here, and it looks like it connects through. 491 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:34,000 This is like MC Escher's summer house. 492 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:37,000 And as tough as it is for me, it's twice as hard for JJ, 493 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:40,000 who has to sling a camera while he climbs. 494 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:47,000 Good job on Jeopardy. 495 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:51,000 But with effort comes reward. 496 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:53,000 Oh, look at this! 497 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,000 Look at that. 498 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:57,000 Beautiful piece of ceramic. 499 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,000 How cool is that? 500 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:00,000 Mark, can you read me? 501 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:02,000 Yes, Josh. 502 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:03,000 Come in. 503 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:05,000 Found some beautiful pottery up here, Mark. 504 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,000 Looks like a bowl of some kind. 505 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,000 Black on the outside. 506 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:13,000 Can you smudge on the outside and see if there's any charcoal on the exterior? 507 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:15,000 Yeah, there is. 508 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:17,000 We think it's a cooking pot. 509 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:19,000 Please take a good picture. 510 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:22,000 That is unreal. 511 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:25,000 See how burned up the walls of the ceiling are. 512 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:29,000 And lots of carbon that's just caked on from hundreds of years of fires in here. 513 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:32,000 This is decades and decades of grease. 514 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:34,000 And it's not just in this chamber. 515 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:37,000 At every turn, I find materials from the past. 516 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:38,000 Oh, look at this. 517 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:40,000 Get a horn here. 518 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:42,000 Probably ceremonial. 519 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:48,000 And then down here, this looks like animal hide. 520 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:50,000 Some kind of leather. 521 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:53,000 Okay, let's keep moving. 522 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,000 We're burning daylight here. 523 00:22:55,000 --> 00:23:00,000 We explore for hours, carefully traversing passage after passage. 524 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:04,000 In each chamber, we find the remains of a vanished culture. 525 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:06,000 These are the fingerprints of the people that were here. 526 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,000 This is what they left behind. 527 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:11,000 Though it's just a broken piece of pottery. 528 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:14,000 It's really all that's left of a person, 529 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:17,000 all that's left of a whole culture that was up here, 530 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:19,000 are little fragments like this. 531 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:22,000 So they may be broken, but they're huge clues. 532 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:26,000 Room after room after room. 533 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:28,000 It's not a cave. 534 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:30,000 It's a city. 535 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:33,000 I mean, thousands of people could have lived up here. 536 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:35,000 It's incredible. 537 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:37,000 Say what? 538 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:40,000 I am really looking forward to standing up straight again. 539 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,000 Okay, let's keep moving. 540 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:48,000 We continue to investigate until there's nowhere to go, but down. 541 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:50,000 Looks like that's a dead end. 542 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:54,000 And there's the team down there. 543 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:55,000 Josh from Mark, come in. 544 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:56,000 Mark here, Josh. 545 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:59,000 I think it's seen me. I'm in a very narrow chamber. 546 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:01,000 I'm going to flash my light down. 547 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:05,000 I do in fact see you. Hello. 548 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:08,000 Mark, what can you see above me? 549 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:10,000 Here, anything? How high up am I in the complex? 550 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:14,000 Here in the upper window, there's no place higher for you to go. 551 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,000 I do have a question for you though. 552 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:18,000 Yeah, hit me. 553 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:20,000 Have you found Shambhala yet? 554 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:24,000 You know, I'd say what? Looking out of the view. 555 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:27,000 Maybe I have. Copy that. 556 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:34,000 You think why would anybody want to live in a cave, the side of a cliff, 557 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:36,000 and then you see the view? 558 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:43,000 For a life of quiet reflection, there's no better place in the world to be. 559 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:44,000 Oh, man. 560 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:49,000 Imagine living here, pull up the ladders, and no army could take this place. 561 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:52,000 You're in the ultimate fortress of solitude. 562 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:57,000 Okay, let's head down, yeah? 563 00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:58,000 Yeah. 564 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:03,000 Having made it to the highest chamber, we carefully descend down to the entrance. 565 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:08,000 But then, oh my God, look at this! 566 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:10,000 Holy... 567 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:20,000 200 feet off the ground in a remarkable man-made sky cave, 568 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:25,000 and I spot something that may shed light on the ancient origins of the Shangri-La legend. 569 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:28,000 Oh my God, look at this! Look at this! 570 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:30,000 Come here, look! 571 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:32,000 Holy... 572 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:36,000 Oh my God, Josh from Mark, come in. 573 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:37,000 Mark here, Josh. 574 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:39,000 Mark, we got artwork up here. 575 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,000 There's a painting on the wall here. 576 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:48,000 It's done in, uh, it looks like a white and red, uh, plaster that looks Tibetan. 577 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:50,000 That is totally fantastic. 578 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:52,000 Make sure you get a good documentation of this. 579 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:54,000 I'll take a lot of photos for you. 580 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:55,000 Fantastic. 581 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:56,000 Copy that, thanks so much. 582 00:25:56,000 --> 00:26:02,000 That is something. I mean, we are the first people to see this. 583 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:07,000 You are the first people to see this in probably 500 years. 584 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,000 That is discovery. 585 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:13,000 Worth a climb up, I'll tell you that. 586 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:15,000 This is awesome. 587 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:19,000 The painting is vivid, spelling out a message from across time. 588 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:25,000 I try to get photos for the guys on the ground, though a real wide shot may send me over the edge. 589 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:30,000 With the sun beginning to set, it's time to head back to camp. 590 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:35,000 The return trip down the cliff is every bit as dangerous as the one going up. 591 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:37,000 Rock! 592 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:41,000 But we managed to make it down in one piece. 593 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:43,000 Hey, great job. 594 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:45,000 Woo! JJ. 595 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:47,000 That was a big one. 596 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:48,000 That was a big one. 597 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:49,000 It looked like you were all pros up there. 598 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:51,000 I don't know about that. I was quaking. 599 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:54,000 I'll tell you what though, to go into each chamber and to think, 600 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:58,000 I'm the first guy to go in here in hundreds of years is just a thrill. 601 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:00,000 That's what the romance of archaeology is really all about. 602 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:02,000 Well, I got about a million photos to show you. 603 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:03,000 Great. 604 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:06,000 So let's get derigged and we'll hike back and take a look at them. 605 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:08,000 Sounds fantastic. 606 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:14,000 After a day like today, we get back to camp with a huge appetite and lots to discuss. 607 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:18,000 The local guides have dinner waiting for us beside a crackling fire. 608 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:20,000 This is how people go camping in Nepal. 609 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:24,000 We've got beef stew, vegetables, salad and macaroni cheese on a silver platter. 610 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:26,000 It's made with yak cheese though. 611 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:28,000 Yak and cheese, I believe it's known as. 612 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:30,000 Got garlic and salads and vegetables. 613 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:32,000 It's like a full service restaurant out here. 614 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:34,000 It's so super. 615 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:37,000 Wait a second, wasn't this bottle of whiskey full like 10 minutes ago? 616 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,000 There were actually two bottles full of 10 minutes ago. 617 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:40,000 And they're both empty? 618 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:42,000 Is there more of this? 619 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:49,000 Once we're full and warm again, I sit down with Mark and Mohan to review our pictures of the caves. 620 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:51,000 Let's see what you got. 621 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:53,000 Check it out. 622 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:55,000 Here's generally what a lot of the rooms look like. 623 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:57,000 They have this segmented architecture. 624 00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:58,000 That's right. 625 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:00,000 And so this is for storage, yeah? 626 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:01,000 Yeah. 627 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:05,000 You put blankets back there, you put food back there, you put gear for your horses. 628 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:06,000 Right. 629 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:09,000 And then one of the rooms had a chamber that went down and in here. 630 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:11,000 There were a few small pieces of ceramic down there. 631 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:13,000 And then really large piece. 632 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:14,000 That's beautiful. 633 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:16,000 This is one that had charcoal on the outside. 634 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:17,000 Yes, yeah. 635 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:19,000 And we think that's likely to be some kind of a part of a cooking pot. 636 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:21,000 And here is the painting. 637 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:24,000 Wow, that is just amazingly beautiful. 638 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:26,000 Look how well preserved that is. 639 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:27,000 It's really clear and crisp. 640 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:28,000 Yeah. 641 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:29,000 That's absolutely stunning. 642 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:30,000 Intact. 643 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:32,000 Intact, it's for a change. 644 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:36,000 Not often do we find whole wall segments that have painting on it like this. 645 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:37,000 Cool. 646 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:38,000 Really impressive. 647 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:39,000 What are we looking at here? 648 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:40,000 The Pudismantra. 649 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:41,000 Okay. 650 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:43,000 Every single line on here says, oh, Mami Padra. 651 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:45,000 Oh, Mami Padra, hungry. 652 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:48,000 And they just do that over and over and over again. 653 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:51,000 And so looking at the structure of the rooms, looking at the paintings, 654 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:52,000 what can we say about this place? 655 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:53,000 This is home. 656 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:59,000 This is home to families that came down from the Tibetan Plateau at some point after 1000 AD. 657 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:01,000 If you're living up there, you still need food from down here. 658 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:05,000 Why go through all the trouble of going up to these really dangerous cliffside areas 659 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:07,000 and hollowing out these caves? 660 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:09,000 You know, arable land is so scarce here. 661 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:12,000 What people are doing is not living on that arable land. 662 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:17,000 They're saying, I've got to live someplace where we're not actually destroying farmland 663 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:18,000 by putting up our houses. 664 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:22,000 Keep in mind, there's a great deal of political instability of the entire region. 665 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:26,000 So people are likely also putting themselves into these high places 666 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:30,000 to protect themselves from other folks coming through that might want to take that away from them. 667 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:32,000 Right. It's a safe place. 668 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:33,000 It's a safe place. 669 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:38,000 That security is one of the most crucial aspects of the Shambhala myth, 670 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:41,000 a safe place free from the threat of war. 671 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:45,000 But the biggest clue about whether these caves were a real Shangri-La 672 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:48,000 is the meditation painting we discovered. 673 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:52,000 The locals have told Mark and Mohan that they've seen similar paintings 674 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:55,000 at a remote and hidden monastery. 675 00:29:56,000 --> 00:30:00,000 A place that might have been built by the same people who constructed the sky caves. 676 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:06,000 Could this location reveal the truth behind whether this place was really a heaven on Earth? 677 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:11,000 With temperatures now well below freezing, the answer will have to wait until tomorrow. 678 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:21,000 It's a little bit chilly out this morning. 679 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:25,000 My team and I face the day and get ready for one last adventure. 680 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:30,000 We notice some new arrivals at camp, a group of horses to carry us to our final destination. 681 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:31,000 Good morning. 682 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:32,000 Good morning. 683 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:35,000 Josh, this is my good friend Dasha, who's got the horses. 684 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,000 Headed out to a place called Chudzam. 685 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:39,000 And what is this place? 686 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:41,000 Well, it's got a cave monastery. 687 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:44,000 It's a branch of Tibetan Buddhism, which is relatively rare around here. 688 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:46,000 And has anybody looked inside this place? 689 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:47,000 Never. 690 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:51,000 This is a place totally unseen by the outside world. 691 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:56,000 Only the locals who continue to maintain the monastery for rituals know its location. 692 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:58,000 No foreigner has ever filmed there. 693 00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:03,000 So we bid farewell to the camp and head out on foot, or hoof, I guess. 694 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:08,000 We saddle up and ride out into the valley. 695 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:14,000 We're accompanied by a local monk who carries a key and his blessing for us to see the holy site. 696 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:19,000 The landscape is frigid and vast, and roads are non-existent. 697 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:29,000 It's incredible coming through here, just these thousand foot walls on either side covered in mud and ice. 698 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:30,000 It's truly remarkable. 699 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:33,000 Mark looks like some caves up there. 700 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:36,000 Maybe we're close. 701 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:37,000 I think so. 702 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:43,000 There are sky caves looking down from the tall canyon walls all around us, 703 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,000 like the ones we entered yesterday. 704 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:47,000 These two have likely never been explored. 705 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:56,000 As we get further up valley, the riverbed gets blocked and the terrain turns treacherous. 706 00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:58,000 Okay. 707 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:00,000 Even the horses are getting antsy. 708 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:01,000 We walk. 709 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:02,000 We walk. 710 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:03,000 Okay. 711 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:05,000 So we have kind of a tough section here. 712 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:09,000 Tashi wants us to go on foot, walk the horses. 713 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:12,000 The path ahead is far too steep to ride. 714 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:17,000 We dismount to hike up the canyon, but even hiking seems like a dangerous proposition. 715 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:32,000 I'm on horseback in the Himalaya Mountains of Nepal, 716 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:35,000 but the conditions are making this a wilder ride than we expected. 717 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:37,000 Tough section here. 718 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:41,000 When the trail suddenly turns steep, we're forced to get off the horses. 719 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:44,000 We walk. 720 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:45,000 We walk. 721 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:46,000 Okay. 722 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:47,000 So this is it? 723 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:48,000 Yeah. 724 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:49,000 This is crazy. 725 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:53,000 Well, if the horses can do it, we can do it. 726 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:54,000 Here we go. 727 00:32:56,000 --> 00:33:02,000 This is the toughest climb we've faced so far, a steep incline in seriously thin air. 728 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:05,000 One foot in front of the other. 729 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:08,000 The horses lead and we follow. 730 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:11,000 And just when I think we've reached the end, 731 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:14,000 holy s***, you do not want to come around this corner. 732 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:17,000 I went in sight. 733 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:22,000 This trek up the mountain feels brutal. 734 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:26,000 For all the oxygen we're taking in, we might as well be goldfish up here. 735 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:31,000 Yet we keep trudging uphill until we catch sight of something distinctly man-made. 736 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:37,000 What's this? 737 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:44,000 Oh, yeah, we've got a chorten here, which should be the entrance to the monastery and village. 738 00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:48,000 And it's a good sign that we're really close to the monastery right now. 739 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:49,000 We're on the right track. 740 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:54,000 These mound-like stone buildings, also called stupas, are sacred structures in the Buddhist world. 741 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:56,000 Make sure you go on the left-hand side. 742 00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:57,000 Got it. 743 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:06,000 We pass on the left to earn what Buddhists call merit, and to purify us for the path to enlightenment. 744 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:11,000 At one time, there probably would have been a village here, but all that's gone now. 745 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:15,000 The locals just report that there's the remains of this monastery. 746 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:20,000 We hike through the remains of dozens of structures. 747 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:23,000 Looks like there was a ton of construction down here at one point. 748 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:25,000 There's an old village of some kind down here. 749 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:26,000 Look at that. 750 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:30,000 Though these valleys seem like the surface of the moon, there is life here, 751 00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:34,000 grass growing, and signs of agricultural terraces. 752 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:38,000 With the ground leveling out, we remount the horses and ride for the last leg. 753 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:47,000 There it is. 754 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:49,000 I can see it. You see it? 755 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:51,000 Look at that. 756 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:54,000 The monastery is insanely remote. 757 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:57,000 Few people in the modern age have ever seen this place. 758 00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:00,000 Okay, let's type the horses here and we'll try to find a way up on foot. 759 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:03,000 We hike toward the cliff. 760 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:08,000 It seems impassable, but the monk leads us to a narrow and hidden slot in the rocks. 761 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:16,000 Then, round the bend, we encounter stunning religious murals, 762 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:20,000 painted with the same pigments we saw at the sky caves. 763 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:21,000 That's just beautiful. 764 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:28,000 They are disintegrating, just the remains of what were once vast paintings on the rock face. 765 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:30,000 Soon, they'll be gone entirely. 766 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:32,000 Wow. 767 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:38,000 And then, like characters from Lost Horizon, the weary western travelers arrive hungry and tired 768 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:40,000 at the door of a remote monastery. 769 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:48,000 Wow. 770 00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:51,000 This is unbelievable. 771 00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:54,000 The entryway alone could fill an art history book. 772 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:56,000 Wood beams half a millennium, 773 00:35:56,000 --> 00:36:00,000 old and representations of Kalashakra, the deity who guards Shambhala. 774 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:02,000 It's absolutely stunning. 775 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:05,000 We're fortunate folks to be able to have this opportunity. 776 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:07,000 Well, shall we see what's inside? 777 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:08,000 Let's do. 778 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:14,000 The llama produces a key and unlocks the door to a place that has been hidden away for centuries. 779 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:22,000 This is a holy meditation shrine. 780 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:27,000 Festooned with centuries of offerings and surrounded by representations of Shambhala. 781 00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:30,000 Oh, wow. 782 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:31,000 Beautiful. 783 00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:35,000 Look at this, and more painting up here. 784 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:38,000 Look at this. 785 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:41,000 Oh, for the chan festival. 786 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:43,000 I mean, it's like a time capsule. 787 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:44,000 Very much so. 788 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:45,000 I'm literally speechless. 789 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:47,000 But this altar is really classic. 790 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:50,000 This is unreal. 791 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:52,000 It's absolutely stunning, isn't it? 792 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:55,000 Absolutely gorgeous statuary. 793 00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:57,000 Look at these statues. 794 00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:59,000 Really insanely beautiful. 795 00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:01,000 But as staggering as this is, 796 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:05,000 it's nothing compared to what's waiting in the inner sanctuary. 797 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:06,000 Wow, look at that. 798 00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:10,000 Wow. 799 00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:12,000 It's a great place to be. 800 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:13,000 Look at that. 801 00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:46,000 This is like something from another age. 802 00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:49,000 I mean, it's like a time capsule. 803 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:50,000 Very much so. 804 00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:52,000 I'm literally speechless. 805 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:00,000 Let's see where we are here. 806 00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:01,000 Oh, wow. 807 00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:06,000 Oh, my word. 808 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:08,000 These are absolutely stunning. 809 00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:09,000 Look at this. 810 00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:10,000 They are stunning. 811 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:11,000 Look at this. 812 00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:12,000 They are just amazing. 813 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:14,000 Look at these gorgeous statues. 814 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:18,000 Here we are at last, the home of the gods. 815 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:21,000 Deities created an intricate detail 816 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:23,000 in the darkness of this holy site. 817 00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:24,000 Truly remarkable. 818 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:26,000 Aren't these beautiful? 819 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:29,000 Old and, you know, kind of local construction. 820 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:30,000 And kind of fearsome, too. 821 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:32,000 Well, these are very fearsome creatures. 822 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:33,000 Yes, these are protectors. 823 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:37,000 They all are demanding their sacrifice. 824 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:39,000 They have skull cups, yeah? 825 00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:40,000 Yes. 826 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:43,000 Each of them has a skull cup in the left hand. 827 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:44,000 It's OK to touch? 828 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:45,000 Yeah. 829 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:46,000 This is the top of a human skull? 830 00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:47,000 Correct. 831 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:49,000 And this is used as an offering cup? 832 00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:52,000 It, you know, tantric offerings are put inside those. 833 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:54,000 Sometimes blood, sometimes grain, sometimes water. 834 00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:56,000 That is something else. 835 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:59,000 The statues are adorned with armor and weapons 836 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:01,000 brought here over the course of centuries. 837 00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:03,000 These are not recreations, 838 00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:06,000 but masterworks of art from the Middle Ages. 839 00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:08,000 Fear some weapons in their hands. 840 00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:10,000 And look at these real swords. 841 00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:12,000 Look at the shields. 842 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:13,000 That is beautiful. 843 00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:14,000 Real, real. 844 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:15,000 That is real. 845 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:16,000 No question about it. 846 00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:20,000 You could fill a museum gallery with what's in these few rooms. 847 00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:22,000 Yeah, this is absolutely stunning material. 848 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:27,000 There are crossbows from the 1400s, helmets from Tibet, 849 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:30,000 and even armor from the era of Chinggis Khan. 850 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:32,000 The shields, and this is actually male. 851 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:33,000 This is a chain male, yeah? 852 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:34,000 Exactly. 853 00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:35,000 It's not amazing. 854 00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:36,000 Wait a minute. 855 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:37,000 Is this what I think it is, Mark? 856 00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:39,000 If only. 857 00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:41,000 I know where you're going with it, but it's not. 858 00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:44,000 For a second I thought we really hit the jackpot here. 859 00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:47,000 Returning to the monastery's outer chamber, 860 00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:50,000 we try to take stock of what we've seen. 861 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:52,000 What's your impression of it now that you've seen the collection in here? 862 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:54,000 It's a time capsule in one sense. 863 00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:57,000 You're stepping back, you know, five, six, seven hundred years of time 864 00:39:57,000 --> 00:40:02,000 to look at a very local monastery and temple institution. 865 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:04,000 And this idea of Shangri-La 866 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:07,000 does seem like there is something up here 867 00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:09,000 that plays into that notion. 868 00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:10,000 There's no question that it does, 869 00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:12,000 so it looks like a very uninhabitable place, 870 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:14,000 but yet, look what they do to it. 871 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:17,000 They create all of this beauty and all of this, you know, ritual 872 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:19,000 and all of this circumstance. 873 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:21,000 They reflect that idea of the Shangri-La. 874 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:24,000 They've turned this place into something that is magical. 875 00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:25,000 It is. 876 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:26,000 Very much so. 877 00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:30,000 This is the final puzzle piece in our exploration of Nepal's Sky Caves. 878 00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:34,000 At lower altitudes, we saw caves used by Buddhists 879 00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:38,000 as places of healing and as workshops for skilled artists. 880 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:42,000 The high caves we climbed into revealed a city inside a mountain, 881 00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:43,000 a place for meditation, 882 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:46,000 and a home with impenetrable security, 883 00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:48,000 which no army could breach. 884 00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:51,000 And now here, evidence of sustained agriculture, 885 00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:54,000 terraces that transformed valleys into farms, 886 00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:59,000 and within this shrine, a portal to commune directly with the gods. 887 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:02,000 Before leaving to return to our world, 888 00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:06,000 we light candles and incense to pay our respects to the gods 889 00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:10,000 and our local friends for sustaining us during these past few weeks. 890 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:14,000 Shangri-La is not a myth. 891 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:18,000 The Mustang region of Nepal is, in a very real sense, 892 00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:20,000 an earthly Shambhala. 893 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:22,000 It is a land hidden among clouds, 894 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:26,000 a place of tranquility cradled by the eternal Himalayas. 895 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:29,000 But it is also fragile, 896 00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:31,000 like the bodies placed on sky burials. 897 00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:34,000 The art, the caves, even the land itself 898 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:37,000 is constantly being returned to the earth, 899 00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:39,000 where it is renewed again. 900 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:42,000 Many wonder what the modern world will do to this place 901 00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:44,000 and to its indomitable people, 902 00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:46,000 probably more harm than good. 903 00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:50,000 But I now realize that time here is measured in eons. 904 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:53,000 The Himalayas will give and take, 905 00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:56,000 and we will continue to rest in their shadows 906 00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:59,000 and search for enlightenment.