CLOAK OF INVISIBILITY
By
MELVIN ZWICK THE GREAT ADVENTURER
CHAPTER ONE
THE QUESTION
In my, MELVIN ZWICK, story of my visit to Mossyrock for thanksgiving 2008 I described how I used my cloak of invisibility to hide myself as I followed Grandpa to Mossyrock. In that story I, MELVIN ZWICK, described briefly how I made my cloak of invisibility.
GOING GOING GONE
Me, MELVIN ZWICK, partially to fully covered by my cloak of invisibility.
Some of you may wonder how I, MELVIN ZWICK, happened to meet the elderly Mystic on a Tibetan mountain that taught me how to make my cloak of invisibility.
Many of you know that I, MELVIN ZWICK, am an adventurer who always has to find a new adventure. You may also remember that I, MELVIN ZWICK, have a very active curiosity about many things.
Melvin the only adventurer nature in you is your wild imagination. You have never traveled to Tibet and never had a cloak of invisibility and the Bowes family was lucky to not have you travel with Grandpa on his visit to Mossyrock.
Well that’s what you think Grandpa. Just stand back and let me, MELVIN ZWICK, tell my story.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, always have an active mind. I am continually thinking, like for instance, how much tape is really necessary to wrap a box that will be shipped through UPS? How much toothpaste is necessary to get ones teeth clean? Does oatmeal really reduce ones cholesterol levels? How many ice cubes does it take to make Arizona sun tea cool enough to drink? How many chickens are needed to produce enough eggs for a family of nine? Which one of the Bowes Seven Arrows will grow up to be President of the United States?
Scratch the President question Melvin. One has to be a little dishonest to be a politician and the Bowes kiddos are not the least bit dishonest.
I am sure all the readers of this story could come up with a whole bunch of things to think about.
The biggest question and most difficult one for me, MELVIN ZWICK, to resolve is, “Is there a spot of land on the earth that has never been stepped on by a human.” A place where no human has ever walked.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, was discussing this subject with Grandpa one evening many years ago. I, MELVIN ZWICK, wanted his opinion on where I might find such a spot of land.
Just think about it. Is there a small spot of soil near your home that has never been trod on by a human? What about land that is between your home and the next largest city. How about land that is a little more remote. How about land that is extremely remote. How about land on the moon.
Remember when on July 20, 1969, Commander Neil Armstrong became the first man on the moon? Armstrong said the historic words, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." as stepped off the Lunar Lander and became the first person to step on the moon.
Now I, MELVIN ZWICK, could step on land that has never seen a human foot print and say “ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MELVIN ZWICK” WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just visualize a remote spot of land in our country, then see if you can see a human setting foot on that spot of land.
Is it possible with all the millions of square feet of land in our country and all the millions of people who live or have lived in our country that there is some land that has never seen the bottom of a human foot?
This has been a question in my, MELVIN ZWICK’S mind ever since I was a young boy. So as a young man I have traveled the world over looking for the spots of land where no man has ever tread but without success.
Grandpa seemed to be bored with the subject but I would not let him off the hook. Grandpa would suggest a place and I, MELVIN ZWICK, after thinking about it, would find good cause to believe there was most likely a human foot prints on his suggested plot of land. I would ask for another suggestion. He finally suggested remote places in Tibet that might be a good spot to find human foot print free plots of land.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, thought that Grandpa had finally suggest the perfect spot. I immediately started planning my trip to Tibet with the expectation that I would finally find a place where my foot would be first to touch the soil.
CHAPTER TWO
THE TRIP TO TIBET
Now I imagine you are wondering how I, MELVIN ZWICK, was able to tell if a spot of land has ever been stepped on by a human. Determining if a spot of land has been stepped on by a human is very simple for me, MELVIN ZWICK. I, MELVIN ZWICK, being a physic, can feel the foot fall of mankind on the land I trod on.
And so it was that I , MELVIN ZWICK, ended up in Tibet following my desire to be the first human to set foot on foot print free land.
Naturally Grandpa thought I, MELVIN ZWICK, was crazy.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, flew into Chendu, China on my way to Lhasa.
There are many interesting places to see while in Chendu. The Panda Breeding Research Center is a must see.
Chengdu is very well known as the worlds best Panda Breeding Research Center. The Center provides an opportunity to see these exceptionally cute animals up close and learn about China's efforts to preserve them. The pandas here live in superbly designed enclosures which has resulted in the institution being named by the United Nations as one of the 500 most humane zoos in the world.
A collection of baby pandas.
The city has a number of fine temples, among the best being the Qingyang Temple and the Wenshu Temple.
Qingyang Temple A Temple guard at the Wenshu Temple
The Chinese people believe ferocious looking temple guards scare away evil. Most of the Temples in China have fierce guard statues located in such a way to scare off evil spirits and bad people.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, took advantage of my visit to Chendu and visited the Zoo and Temples.
From Chendu I, MELVIN ZWICK, flew into Lhasa the capital of Tibet. Lhasa, has the good name of 'Sunshine City' due to ample sunlight. It lies on the central part of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at an altitude of about 11,975 feet, which is one of the world's highest cities in altitude.
The cardinal landmark of Lhasa, Potala Palace, is a structure of massive portions. Its towering image already appearing on various occasions, but your first sight of the Potala will still be an awe-inspiring moment. Potala Palace is a place where you can appreciate the Tibetan culture, religion and art of architecture as well.
Potala Palace
Perched upon Marpo Ri hill, 130 meters above the Lhasa valley, the Potala Palace rises a further 170 meters and is the greatest monumental structure in all of Tibet.
Early legends concerning the rocky hill tell of a sacred cave, considered to be the dwelling place of the Bodhisattva Chenresi (Avilokiteshvara), that was used as a meditation retreat by Emperor Songtsen Gampo in the seventh century AD
Songtsen Gampo built a palace on the hill. This structure stood until the seventeenth century, when it was incorporated into the foundations of the greater buildings still standing today. Construction of the present palace began in 1645 during the reign of the fifth Dalai Lama and by 1648 the Potrang Karpo, or White Palace, was completed. The Potrang Marpo, or Red Palace, was added between 1690 and 1694; its construction required the labors of more than 7000 workers and 1500 artists and craftsman. In 1922 the 13th Dalai Lama renovated many chapels and assembly halls in the White Palace and added two stories to the Red Palace. The Potala Palace was only slightly damaged during the Tibetan uprising against the invading Chinese in 1959. Unlike most other Tibetan religious structures, it was not sacked by the Red Guards during the 1960s and 1970s, apparently through the personal intervention of Chou En Lai. As a result, all the chapels and their artifacts are very well preserved.
This is a photo of the details of construction of. Potala Palace. What a beautiful place.
Some of the local children dressed in traditional Tibetan clothes.
This is the very colorful flag of Tibet. It matches the colorfulness of the Tibetan people.
I enjoyed wandering the streets of Lhasa. The people and the temples and buildings were fascinating.
CHAPTER THREE
TIBETAN FRIENDS
One day on my wandering I came face to face with a very large dog. He was so big I felt he could take my head in his mouth and take it with one bite. Being a person who loves dogs I, MELVIN ZWICK, reached out a hand to let him smell. He would have none if that. He laidback his ears and growled and slowly approached me. I remember reading somewhere that one should not look a dog in the eyes so I diverted my eyes to the ground and slowly backed up. He slowly followed me still growling. After a few steps I backed into a knee high wall. Now what should I do. To turn around and step up on the wall would invite a charge by this massive dog. I did what I thought might save my head. I sat down on the wall and started humming lullabies. I placed my up turned hand in front of me. I could see him out of the top of my vision. He stopped growling and started cocking his head side to side. It appeared the lullabies coming from an opponent was puzzling him.
After a while he slowly moved towards me. He reached forward and sniffed my upturned hand. I kept humming the lullabies. He slowly came forward and moved his nose against my ear. He sniffed my ear then sat down next to me. He quit growling and I could see out of the corner of my eyes he ears were picked up. He started licking my face. I slowly reached my hand to his forehead between his ears and started scratching his big head. From that point on we were good buddies.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, took these pictures of my new friend.
I was sitting there and petting this massive dog when a Tibetan man with another massive dog approached. I was puzzled when he looked at me in amazement. He spoke in broken English and explained to me that the dog was his. He was amazed that his dog, who had never befriended a stranger before, was laying at my feet as I petted him. The fellow told me that his dog, named Llashaquen, had chased away a stranger from his home this morning. The fellow said he was out searching for his dog when he ran into us. I responded that I could not pronounce his name so I would call him Big Dog.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, had the fellow take this picture of me, MELVIN ZWICK, and another of his dogs. It shows how big Tibetan Dogs are.
The fellow explained that the dogs of Tibet are known for their fearlessness.
He said the Tibet Dog is the most aggressive dog in the world. Its body weight is 70 kg, with a length of four feet and height over two feet.
It has very sharp hearing and sight. Its front foot has 5 claws and the back foot has 4 claws. The dog's teeth are very sharp. The Tibet Dog is the only dog who dares to fight with big animals like a Leopard or three wolfs and win the fight. No wonder the Tibet Dog has the reputation as the "Goddess Dog".
He said on the world dog market, the price of an adult Tibet dog in US Dollar $40,000-50,000. A baby Tibet Dog is worth $5,000 - 10,000.
Tibet Dogs are the most faithful guard for its owner on the Tibetan Plateau. Tibetan people love and respect their dogs very much. They would never hurt any wild dogs.
The Tibet Dog is caution to strangers. When you meet it in Tibet, be careful not to touch it without the control of its owner.
The fellow, who I learned was named Katun, sat down next to me. He asked me why a strange like me was wandering the streets of Lhasa.
I explained I was searching for a spot of land where no man had ever tread. He looked at me as if I was a little crazy but explained there might be a place like that in Tibet.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, said I was finding it difficult to find someone who could speak English. Katun saw in me, MELVIN ZWICK, a person in need help so he invited me to stay in his home as a guest. And so it was I, MELVIN ZWICK, became a guest of a very generous family who took me under their wing.
During my visit with Katun and his family I, MELVIN ZWICK, became very good buddies with their dog Llashaquen. We played ball often. However playing ball with Llashaquen was not like playing ball with a normal dog. The ball Llashaquen and I played with was a succor ball. The ball had to be that big because he would swallow any smaller ball.
It would be sort of like when you are chewing a hamburger and you find a small bone. Your know that bone is somewhere in your mouth but you just can’t find it.
This is the Tibetan family I, MELVIN ZWICK, lived with while in Tibet.
Katun, seated on the right and his wife standing on the left and their three children. The lady second from the left was a neighbor who was visiting Katun and his family on the day I, MELVIN ZWICK, took this picture.
No mater how hard I, MELVIN ZWICK, tried to take a photograph of the family all I got was this black and white one. They were concerned that a color photo might steal their soul. They also felt that to smile might cause evil to enter their soul. Tibetan people laugh and smile all the time as long as a camera is not in their presents.
The children would tease me, MELVIN ZWICK, about my white skin.
Tibetan people have dark skin because of the sunny days and the altitude of Lhasa.
You might notice the windows which are not really windows. They are boards painted to look like windows. They cover their windows with these boards to keep the cold out of their houses.
The following photos show some of the Tibetan people in their natural surroundings. Sure don’t look like very happy people. They really are very happy people joking and playing tricks on each other.
Katun, seated on the right and his wife standing on the left and their three children. The lady second from the left was a neighbor who was visiting Katun and his family on the day I, MELVIN ZWICK, took this picture.
No mater how hard I, MELVIN ZWICK, tried to take a photograph of the family all I got was this black and white one. They were concerned that a color photo might steal their soul. They also felt that to smile might cause evil to enter their soul. Tibetan people laugh and smile all the time as long as a camera is not in their presents.
The children would tease me, MELVIN ZWICK, about my white skin.
Tibetan people have dark skin because of the sunny days and the altitude of Lhasa.
You might notice the windows which are not really windows. They are boards painted to look like windows. They cover their windows with these boards to keep the cold out of their houses.
The following photos show some of the Tibetan people in their natural surroundings. Sure don’t look like very happy people. They really are very happy people joking and playing tricks on each other.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, learned the local language while living with this family. They were a very hospitable, friendly and happy family. They shared their life with me. They really enjoyed hearing about my adventures in America as I really enjoyed hearing storied about Tibetan culture.
One thing most kids would like about Tibet is the fact there are no vegetables. The altitude is too high for vegetables to grow. Well maybe they might not like the no vegetable rule totally. There was no corn or potatoes. I, MELVIN ZWICK, really missed a bake potato with lots of butter and sour cream.
One thing most kids would like about Tibet is the fact there are no vegetables. The altitude is too high for vegetables to grow. Well maybe they might not like the no vegetable rule totally. There was no corn or potatoes. I, MELVIN ZWICK, really missed a bake potato with lots of butter and sour cream.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, might have been missing Grandpa’s grandkids a little. The above kids look somewhat like his Grand kids.
Tibetan people are dressed in very colorful clothes similar to the clothes shown in the picture.
Here is a picture of several Tibetan boys practicing a dance to celebrate the barley harvest.
The traditional Tibetan food was a little difficult to get used to even for me, MELVIN ZWICK, who has eaten around the world.
Traditional Tibetan food consist mainly of barley, meat and dairy products. Vegetables are scarce in the high altitude. Tsampa is the staple food of Tibetan people, which is consumed daily. It is actually barley flour made from parched barley, un-husked and ground into fine flour. They Put some barley flour with salted butter tea in a bowl. They rotate the bowl with the left hand and mix the food with the fingers of their right hand, then roll it into small lumps. They then squeeze it into their mouth with their fingers. Other ingredients may also be added to add flavor. Tibetan people eat Tsampa at every meal and bring it as instant food in travel.
The main types of food in the winter are beef and mutton which is cut into long stripes to be air-dried in the circular ground caves or bins walled with stones or dung. Dried beef and mutton keep better and longer, as the bacteria in them are killed during the drying process in deep winter. Dried meat also packs well. In the next year, the dried meat will be Bar-B-Qed or be eaten raw.
Salt, ginger, spices are added. The meat is served when it changes color. People take the meat by hands and cut them with their carried knives. The breasts and spareribs are for the guests. The tails of white sheep are for the guests of honor. If a young man is treated with a tail of white sheep in his girl friend's house, it implies that he can hope.
The salted butter tea is an indispensable Tsampa pal. Boiled tea is poured into a long cylindrical churn along with salt and yak butter. Yak butter is made from yak milk. Vigorous churning makes the ingredients well blended and ready to serve. Tibetan people drink it throughout the whole day. Yak butter is very important food for Tibetan people and it is separated from yak milk by hard churning. After butter is separated from milk, the residue becomes sour and can be made into milk curd which is a nice thirst quenchable and can be made into milk curd pastry with barley flour. Sounds sort of yucky but it does taste very good once you get used to it.
CHAPTER FOUR
THE START OF THE JOURNEY
Once I, MELVIN ZWICK, had learned the language I started to ask around for where there was remote land that might not have seen a human foot fall. I, MELVIN ZWICK, was directed to a trail that had been walked on by humans ever since there were people on this land. I, MELVIN ZWICK, was told to walk on that trail for about five days then walk due West. There would be a flat top mountain about three days walk away. My Tibetan friends said there were ancient tales that told of a terrible fire that emanated from the mountain. The people felt the mountain was haunted by mystic spirit that threw fire balls. Because of the tales of the Mystic spirit on the Mystic mountain no one ever walked on it.It came time to leave and head down the trail. My friends expressed their concern about me, MELVIN ZWICK, before I was ready to leave They said the trail was frequented by bandits who steal a fee from the yak herders. The bandits normally would not kill you but might leave you days from help with no supplies.
There was also the problem with wolf packs. They attacked wary travelers at night. I solved the potential wolf problem by packing lots of fireworks. As a kid I, MELVIN ZWICK, always enjoyed a fireworks display so I packed enough fireworks to have a glorious night time display plus enough big firecrackers to scare the marauding wolves away. The people of Tibet love fireworks. It was easy to buy a large box of assorted fireworks
The trail my friends told me about was used by nomad yak herders that used the trail to transport their wares to Lhasa.
It was with my, MELVIN ZWICK’S physic ability that I could feel the foot fall of generations of yak herders along this trail.
Before I, MELVIN ZWICK, left on my search for un-trod land I packed up several yaks with eight weeks of supplies, and miscellaneous Tibetan things and necessary camping gear.
These are the three Yaks that joined me, MELVIN ZWICK, on my journey to the Mystic Mountain. They had Tibetan names but I, MELVIN ZWICK, renamed them Five, Three and Six. Five is on the left standing next to Three with Six in the background. You ask why I named them Three, Five and Six. A puzzle for you. The answer is in the picture.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, would be eating lots of Tsampa and dried meat during my hike. I, MELVIN ZWICK, knew that it would be a very lonely trip but it would be well worth it. Finding land that no man had trod on would be my goal.
I stated out one morning after bidding goodbye to my Tibetan family.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, would walk all day then in the late afternoon I would set up camp. A quick meal of Tsampa and dried meat then an entertaining fireworks display then it was off to bed.
The first night I was awoken at 11:00 by the howling of a pack of wolves. From the sound of their howling it was obvious the had me surrounded and were moving in on me. Within a few minutes they approach my camp. I set off a few large firecrackers and my camp was free from wolves for the rest of the night.
The firecrackers would provide me entertainment and keep the wolves away while on the lonesome trek to Mystic Mountain.
He would be with me the rest of my trip. After he had been with me for a couple of days I felt I needed to name him. So he became Charlie.
He became my watch dog. When ever the wolves got too close he would start barking in his high pitch voice. It was then I would unpack a few firecrackers and set them off. The wolves would scatter and Charlie would bury himself as deep as he could in my camping gear.
Charlie would snuggle next to me when I laid down to sleep but he was always alert to wolves.
CHAPTER FIVE
TRIALS ON THE TRAIL
On the third day on the trail I was approached by three strangers. The strangers were shaggy looking with dirty clothes.
These might be the bandits my friends had warned me about. I was wary of them but offered to share some of my meal. At first they seemed to be friendly but I noticed they were glancing at my supplies and yaks. I felt they were judging how much they could steal from me.
We talked in English of the Mystic mountain in Tibetan lore. They recounted the legend of the mountain spitting a tremendous fire and smoke. The also told of Mystic spirits that lived there now. When I told them I was headed to that mountain to talk to the spirits they shivered and shook their heads. They told me I was crazy.
After we ate our dinner the talk ended. It was then I, MELVIN ZWICK, felt they were about to make a move on me.
I noticed that Charlie must have suspected something was about to happen. He had been close to me during the strangers visit. But when the conversation slowed he moved away some distance and started his high pitch barking.
Charlie and I were right. The fellows decided to move on me. They made several mistakes they would live to regret that night.
Every now and then they would converse in the native language. That was their first mistake. They assumed I could not understand them as they talked about stealing my gear. Thank goodness my friends had taught me how speak and understand the Tibetan language.
After the meal the strangers said they must move on. We stood up. I knew from their conversions in their native tongue they planed on taking all my gear and leave me to the wolves. They must have determined I, MELVIN ZWICK, was not much of a match for the three of them. Not only that they must have though if I was loony enough to go to the Mystic mountain I didn’t deserve to live. That was their second big mistake.
Fighting three individuals would be difficult. They planned on having the big guy hold me. That was their third mistake. By holding me he would be occupied and would leave my legs free. I would have to work against two of them with my feet. I could escape from the fellow holding me when ever I wanted to take him out.
I casually moved so the biggest fellow could grab me from behind which he did.
The tall fellow started to rummage through my gear.
The leader with the black shirt and blanket on his shoulder laughed and said they were going to take all my gear and yaks and leave me here with no supplies. He said because I was a foreigner in his land I deserved to be left without supplies so the wolves could visit me in the evening. He also stated that I probably would not make it back as the wolves would get me.
He then made their fourth mistake by moving in close to me. As he moved within the range of my legs he threw a punch which I ducked as I kicked him in the groin. He let out a scream of agonizing pain and slumped down on one knee. I kicked him in the throat. He went down in slow motion with a crushed wind pipe like a tree that is felled in the forest by a logger. His future of robbing people and leaving them to the wolves ended that night.
I kicked the side edge of my boot into the knee of the fellow holding me then slid the boot down to stomped on his foot. He yelled out with a loud shout of pain and let me go. I turned and punched him twice in rapid succession in the solar plexus. He gasp for breath as he slumped over. I stepped aside and hit him on the back of the neck with the edge of my hand. That same strike is capable of smashing through a stack of bricks. The strike did the same to his neck. He would not be bothering anyone in the future.
Little did I ever realize that I would ever use the martial training I had learned from a Tibetan Monk while in a dojo in San Francisco. Tibetan martial skills against some bad Tibetan fellows in Tibet. Amazing.
The third fellow dropped all the stuff he was holding and drew out a long knife he had in a sheath on his belt. He made their fifth mistake when he raised the knife high above his head and tried to slash it down into my chest. I stepped to the side of his charge and placed both my hands on his knife hand and forced him to continue his downward slash till the knife buried itself into his mid section. He would join his two partners and never bother anyone in the future.
I drug the three fellows out some distance from my camp. I, MELVIN ZWICK, felt I would not have to set off any fireworks to chase away the wolves that night. They probably would be visiting the three bandits.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, did remove the red blanket off the leaders shoulder. I felt I would get better use of it as I traveled to the magic mountain.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, felt a little sorry for the bandits but I remembered they had planned on leaving me to the wolves without supplies. Now they would be the main attraction for the wolves that night.
My buddy Charlie observed the whole action from a safe distance. When all things were quiet again he came up to me and started begging for some barley.
There was a lot of traffic going both ways on the traders trail carrying all sorts of goods. All passed without incident. They surely didn’t realize that at least one trio of bandits would not be bothering them.
After several days on the trail I spotted the flat topped mountain my friends had told me about to the North of the trail. It was towards this mountain I, MELVIN ZWICK, my friend Charlie and my trusty yaks 3, 5 and 6 loaded with supplies headed.
The mountain looked close. But I, MELVIN ZWICK, soon learned that distance in this country is difficult to determine. I, MELVIN ZWICK, walked for two days but the mountain seemed no closer than when I started the trip.
I sensed human foot prints as I walked into this desolate land. However the feeling of human foot prints seemed to get less as I got closer to the mountain.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, also felt I was being trailed. I noted there was two fellows about half a day behind me. I examined them with my 50X20 binoculars. They appeared to be typical Tibetan thugs similar to the ones that had entered my camp earlier.
Why would thugs be following me, MELVIN ZWICK? Maybe it was because of the rumor started in Lhasa that I, a foreigner, was going to the Mystic Mountain in search of a treasure. The treasure must be of great value for me to challenge the MYSTIC MOUNTAIN SPIRIT. They would probably follow me until their fear of the Mountain made them stop. Were these fellows following me with the expectation that I was going to find something of great value that they might steal as I, MELVIN ZWICK, made my way back to Lhasa?
Regardless of their reason for following me these fellows must be halted. As I continued my trek on to Mystic mountain I started planning on how I would stop them. I, MELVIN ZWICK, didn’t want to harm them but only to scare them off my trail. I, knew the Tibetans feared the mountain because of the spirits they believed resided there. With a little bit of preparation I could disguise myself as a MYSTIC MOUNTAIN SPIRIT and give them one mighty scare.
All I needed was a place to hide my yaks while I prepared my disguise. I found a cave that would hide my yaks and provide me a space to prepare my disguise.
What could I use to turn myself into the MYSTIC MOUNTAIN SPIRIT?
I could make use of the gunpowder in the fireworks as part of a disguise I was planning.
I sprinkled gunpowder on the tightly woven red rug I appropriated from the bandit. I then rolled the rug up tightly. I cut off a long section of the rug and made a hat out of it. The remaining portion of the rug was cut into two short sections with which I made arm wraps that would project out from my arms.
I coated my face and hands with blue water color paint I just happened to have with me. I found the water color set in a small out of the way stall in Lhasa. It came in the most finely carved ivory box I had ever seen. With my love of ivory I, MELVIN ZWICK, just had to have it.
I placed the rug with gun powder on my head and arms.
I had bought several Tibetan dance costume parts while in Lhasa. I slipped into those clothes. I looked like mountain spirit on a painting I had seen in Lhasa.
I sensed human foot prints as I walked into this desolate land. However the feeling of human foot prints seemed to get less as I got closer to the mountain.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, also felt I was being trailed. I noted there was two fellows about half a day behind me. I examined them with my 50X20 binoculars. They appeared to be typical Tibetan thugs similar to the ones that had entered my camp earlier.
Why would thugs be following me, MELVIN ZWICK? Maybe it was because of the rumor started in Lhasa that I, a foreigner, was going to the Mystic Mountain in search of a treasure. The treasure must be of great value for me to challenge the MYSTIC MOUNTAIN SPIRIT. They would probably follow me until their fear of the Mountain made them stop. Were these fellows following me with the expectation that I was going to find something of great value that they might steal as I, MELVIN ZWICK, made my way back to Lhasa?
Regardless of their reason for following me these fellows must be halted. As I continued my trek on to Mystic mountain I started planning on how I would stop them. I, MELVIN ZWICK, didn’t want to harm them but only to scare them off my trail. I, knew the Tibetans feared the mountain because of the spirits they believed resided there. With a little bit of preparation I could disguise myself as a MYSTIC MOUNTAIN SPIRIT and give them one mighty scare.
All I needed was a place to hide my yaks while I prepared my disguise. I found a cave that would hide my yaks and provide me a space to prepare my disguise.
What could I use to turn myself into the MYSTIC MOUNTAIN SPIRIT?
I could make use of the gunpowder in the fireworks as part of a disguise I was planning.
I sprinkled gunpowder on the tightly woven red rug I appropriated from the bandit. I then rolled the rug up tightly. I cut off a long section of the rug and made a hat out of it. The remaining portion of the rug was cut into two short sections with which I made arm wraps that would project out from my arms.
I coated my face and hands with blue water color paint I just happened to have with me. I found the water color set in a small out of the way stall in Lhasa. It came in the most finely carved ivory box I had ever seen. With my love of ivory I, MELVIN ZWICK, just had to have it.
I placed the rug with gun powder on my head and arms.
I had bought several Tibetan dance costume parts while in Lhasa. I slipped into those clothes. I looked like mountain spirit on a painting I had seen in Lhasa.
This is what I, MELVIN ZWICK, looked like once I finished decorating myself. It was enough to scare even me.
I needed something to make my disguise more believable. To do this I wrapped gunpowder from the fireworks in my supplies and small pebbles into small packets. When thrown these packets would explode when they hit something. The pebbles in the pouch would smash into the gunpowder and cause the powder to explode. That was a little trick I had learned as a kid.
As the expected fellows approached me I placed some glowing embers in front of me.
I was now ready to scare the devil out of those fellows who though they might rob me. If all went as I, MELVIN ZWICK, planned, those fellows would high tail it back to Lhasa with a tale of how they almost were eaten by the evil MYSTIC MOUNTAIN SPIRIT.
As the fellows got closer I lit the gunpowder in my head dress and arm dressings. The gunpowder started spitting sparks out of the tightly wound rug. I, the MYSTIC MOUNTAIN SPIRIT, while jumping up and down with fire spouting from my headdress and arm dressing said in Tibetan, “Nice of you fellows to come to my home in the MYSTIC MOUNTAIN as an offering for my dinner. I have no need for an additional dinner right now as the fellow that preceded you was very filling. But I, the MYSTIC MOUNTAIN SPIRIT will need something for breakfast so come and join me.”
Their eyes grew as big as the Tibetan moon. They backed up without saying a word. One fellow pointed an old rifle at me. I the MYSTIC MOUNTAIN SPIRIT replied to his threat by saying, “How dare you threaten the MYSTIC MOUNTAIN SPIRIT?” With that I threw one of my gunpowder pouches at him. When it hit him it exploded. He was so shocked he dropped his rifle and froze.
I said, “You are denying me your presents? You will not join me for breakfast? I the MYSTIC MOUNTAIN SPIRIT will teach you to ignore me.”
I threw another of the gunpowder pouches at them. When the pouch hit the ground near them the pebbles in the sack snapped the gunpowder and set it off in a loud explosion. I threw some gunpowder on the glowing embers in front of me which flashed into a mountain of flame. To them the flash would look like the ground was belching fire.
Those fellows turned around and were off running in the direction they had just come from. I threw a few more fire pouches at them and gunpowder into the embers. I, the MYSTIC MOUNTAIN SPIRIT, yelled after them, “Come back. You fellows would be great guests at my breakfast table.”
Those fellows will help perpetuate the legend of the MYSTICAL MOUNTAIN SPIRIT when they arrived back at Lhasa.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, wondered if I would run into a real MYSTIC MOUNTAIN SPIRIT. If so he might punish me for putting on the disguise and pretending to be him.
CHAPTER SIX
ON TO MYSTIC MOUNTAIN
I washed off the blue paint and removed the Tibetan clothes and repacked them.
My adventuresome personality said I should go on and see if there was a real Mountain Spirit.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, felt the supplies I carried would allow me to spend another 20 days on the trail before I would have to turn around and head back to the yak trail and Lhasa.
Three days later I, MELVIN ZWICK, reached the base of the mountain.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, felt the presents on only one human at this point. This left me with the feeling I would not find untouched land here.
I was beginning to think Grandpa sent me to Tibet to get rid of me.
So I, MELVIN ZWICK, started to turn around when I had a compelling feeling I should at least climb to the top of the mountain. Maybe I would find the person who had left his foot prints on the base of the mountain. I tried to shake the feeling but every time I would turn to go the feeling became stronger. What was it that was calling me to the top of the mountain. Maybe if I climbed to the top of the mountain I, MELVIN ZWICK, might meet the MYSTIC MOUNTAIN SPIRIT I had heard about. Charlie who had warned me of danger when ever we came upon it did not seem to be concerned about being on the base of the Mystic Mountain.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, had to follow the calling. I, MELVIN ZWICK, started up that massive mountain with the flat top. Three days later I, MELVIN ZWICK, with my yaks, three, five and six and Charlie reached the top of the flat Mystic Mountain. I was amazed when I looked over the edge of the mountain.
The top of the mountain where I, MELVIN ZWICK thought would be a flat plain was actually a deeply depressed area. Even more amazing was the whole hollowed out part of the mountain was covered with trees. It was amazing to see trees this high in elevation. I notices something far off in the distance in the bottom of the hollow.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, trained my binoculars on a building. I was amazed to see a small building with a thin wisp of smoke coming from a chimney. There was cultivated land, sheep, yaks and several cows in pens around the building. There was a lake with ducks on it. There was a windmill. There was a bigger building next to the house that might be a barn.
Someone was living there and cultivating the land. But who? I, MELVIN ZWICK, had to find the answer to that question.
It came to me that this mountain must have been an active volcano some time in the distance past. The legend of the mountain emanating fire must have been when this volcano blew its top and left this massive caldera.
The mountain must have become an inactive volcano which allowed someone to move in and set up a farm and home.
That evening I, MELVIN ZWICK, made camp at the edge of the caldera. I thought it might be best to start the hike down into the caldera first thing in the morning.
I awoke the next morning to the sound of birds. I realized that I had not heard a bird call since I started my walk many days ago.
I. MELVIN ZWICK, ate a hearty breakfast of dried meat, the origin of which I did not know and some barley. With some heavy duty concentration I convinced myself I was eating a nice steak with a baked potato and sour cream.
Then it was time to start the trip to the farm house in the valley of the caldera. I, MELVIN ZWICK, estimated it would take the better part of two days to reach the valley.
The sun was blotted out by the heavy canopy of the trees. Only filtered light hit the forest floor. I started down into the caldera. After about an hour of walking I ended up back at the edge of the caldera. It became obvious that without the sun to use as a beacon to give me direction I had drifted to the right and ended up walking in a half circle down and back up. I, MELVIN ZWICK, was reminded from my Boy Scout training that all of us have a tendency to drift to one side or the other unless we have something to guide us.
The battery in my GPS had died while it was in my pocket. The portable solar panel would recharge it but that would take time. So it was sit here for several hours while the sun recharged or figure another way to walk in the forest in a straight line.
Then I another trick I had learned in the Boy Scouts. When wanting to walk a straight line in thick forest start out by picking an object ahead that is on the line one wishes to walk. Walk to it. Next draw an imaginary line between the previous spot and the current spot. Project that line ahead to an object as far off as possible. Walk to that spot and then repeat the process. By doing this one will walk in a straight line. One can not walk rapidly but at least one walks in a straight line.
Now it would be an easy walk to the home in the valley. I, MELVIN ZWICK, started again.
It took me the best part of a day using this trail finding method to reach the next obstacle in the way of ending my journey to the farm house.
There was a narrow stream blocking the way to the valley. It was not too wide and was not flowing with any strength. It should have been an easy walk to get to the other side. All it would require would be wet boots. That’s what I, MELVIN ZWICK, thought.
There was some mud that extending about 30 feet out from the edge of the stream. It looked like I, MELVIN ZWICK, would get wet and muddy shoes before I completed my travel to the valley.
I started to enter the mud. After taking a few steps I realized the mud was extremely sticky and getting deeper with each step. The mud was making it more difficult to walk with each step I took. I backed out and cut a long chute of bamboo from the plants on the edge of the stream. I poked it into the mud further and further towards the stream. The mud was getting deeper and deeper as I poked nearer the stream. It was obvious with the difficulty I had in walking in 2 inches of mud I would not be able to walk at all in the deeper mud nearer the stream.
Now what? I, MELVIN ZWICK, had come this far and was now facing a new obstacle that might prevent me from reaching the valley.
My first though was to walk along the stream and find a crossing without mud. I soon discovered there was nothing but mud several hundred yards in either direction. It appeared I, MELVIN ZWICK, would have to find another way to cross the mud and stream.
I remembered many years ago when I was in the Army Corp of Engineers of building a foot bridge out of poles to cross a river. Could I build a walkway over the mud? There was a lot of large bamboo growing along the stream. I could cut down some bamboo poles and make a walkway but how would I lash them together?
I had several hundred feet of parachute rope. I would have to use up all the rope to make a walkway. Then I remembered a lesson Lee Kelley taught me while on one of our desert survival trips. Parachute rope consists of seven very strong cords covered by a nylon cover. I, MELVIN ZWICK, could strip the cover of enough rope to give me enough cords to tie bamboo together to make a walkway.
I cut down enough bamboo poles to make a walkway 60 feet long and two feet wide. I needed a walkway 30 feet long on either side of the stream. I stripped enough rope to give the amount of cord I would need to build the walkway.
I spent the rest of the day building two 30 foot long walkways.
The next morning I placed one walkway between the solid soil and the stream. I carried the second walkway across the first walkway. The bed of the stream was solid rocks. I placed the second walkway on the other side of the stream between the steam and the solid soil.
Now the question was, would the walkways support the yaks as they crossed the sticky mud without sinking in. The only way to know for sure was to try to cross the walkway with a yak. If the foot bridge sunk into the mud I. MELVIN ZWICK, would have to find another way to cross the mud or return home without visiting the valley.
I carefully led the smallest yak on to the walkway. The walkway did not sink into the sticky mud. We crossed without a problem. Apparently the mud was thick enough to support the wide walkway. I tied the yak to a bamboo stalk and went back for the other animals. Charlie rode over the bridge on the back of the second yak. He was not to be left behind. In two hours all my animals and I were on the other side of the stream. Another problem solved.
We took up our trail blazing technique of traveling in a thick forest and was on our way.
As we walked my thoughts traveled back on our trip so far. We had faced bandits on the road then bandits following me then the problem of traversing the thick forest then the mud. It came to me that things ones learns in the past may come in helpful later in life. It points out that one should learn as much as possible through out their life.
The woods seemed to be full of all sort of living creatures. I saw many squirrels, deer’s and crows. I was surprised when I realized I had never seen or heard a wolf since entering the caldera. Maybe that was why there were so many animals in the forest.
However there was another obstacle for me, MELVIN ZWICK, to overcome before I reached the valley.
I had walked for another part of a day when I came upon s shear cliff. Standing on the edge of the cliff I looked down about 20 feet. The cliff wall was smooth without any hand holds or cracks. The cliff presented a puzzle. How could the animals down in the valley get there. They would have had to come over the caldera edge. There must be a trail that allowed them down the cliff and into the valley.
So where was that trail. I studied the cliff in both directions with my binoculars. There was nothing but shear rock surface. It would take me days to walk the entire edge of the cliff looking for a trail. There was nothing to do but to study the options I had.
It was lunch time so I broke out the dried meat and sat down on a rock near the cliff and started to weigh the options.
The least acceptable option was to turn around and head back to Lhasa and home. After all the main purpose of my trip was to find soil never walked on by humans. It was obvious I would not meat that goal as someone had tread the ground in this area. But then my curiosity was heated up. I had to meet the fellow who inhabited the valley. Tuning back was not an option.
I could lower myself down the cliff and visit the valleys stranger. The problem with that option was I would have to leave my yaks on top of the cliff. They might not be found when I wanted to return to Lhasa. That plan would not work.
While I was searching for other options I noticed very large tree that grew out at an angle over the edge of the cliff. There was a large vertical branch on the tree trunk. It was located on the trunk about 10 feet from the edge of the cliff.. The appearance of the tree reminded me of a large crane.
That was it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I could use the tree as a crane and lower myself and yaks over the edge of the cliff on to the lower floor.
I had plenty of parachute cord. I shinnied out to the vertical branch and placed a rug over the trunk of the tree on the far side of the branch. I layered the parachute rope over the trunk on top of the rug. The rug would prevent the rope from abrading on the tree trunk.
I made a lifting harness for the yaks. Each yak was picked up and swung out off the cliff and lowered to the lower floor.
We continued on our walk to the farm house.
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE MYSTIC MAN OF MYSTIC MOUNTAIN
I arrived at the edge of the woods near the cultivated land near the farm house. I would attempt to meet the person who lived there in the morning. It felt very good to relax after the stressful day I had.
In the morning I awoke very rested and anxious to meet the person who inhabited this beautiful valley. The smell of frying eggs and bacon came drifting through the air. I realized I had become very tired of eating Tsampa and dried sheep and yak meat. Eggs and bacon would be a treat.
I left my gear and yaks and walked to the house. I yelled out “hello” and “is anyone home” in the native tongue. Almost immediately a fellow with long raven black hair and black beard and a very big grin on his face appeared in the doorway of the house. He appeared to be about 30 years old. He about 5 feet 8 inches tall and was wearing leather pants and shirt.
He welcomed me in the native tongue. The sign on the door written in the Tibetan language said hello.
He seemed glad to see me. He introduced himself to me a Gisinghangoju. He knew my name before I had a chance to say what it was. He said there was no Tibetan word for my name, MELVIN ZWICK, so he would call me
which translates as La. He said that was the closest to the name of my friend Grandpa. I told him I, MELVIN ZWICK, was having a difficult time saying Gisinghangoju so in the future I would simplify it and call him Sam. We both had a laugh at our new names. As we talked it became apparent to me he knew what I was going to say and what I was thinking long before I could express myself. We bonded immediately. It was as if we had grown up together.
As we ate breakfast I, LA formally known as MELVIN ZWICK, learned that as a young man he had the same urge as I did, to walk on territory that no man had ever set foot on. I told him that was why I was here. Gisinghangoju now known as Sam said he knew that. He said he had been the first human to set foot in this valley and expressed his sorrow that I, LA, would not satisfy my dream of standing on soil which was foot fall free. He stated that he had been the first human to step in this valley.
He explained his mother and father were killed, when he was fourteen years old, by bandits on the yak trail around Lhasa. This left him to fend for himself as he had no other relatives. For a while he begged on the streets of Lhasa. That did not last too long. Sam said his pride stood in the way of his making a living while begging on the streets. Eventually he was able to appropriate a yak and a good supply of barley. He decided he would travel to the mystic mountain and converse with the frightening mystics that lived there. He would either gain their knowledge or die trying. He felt he had nothing to lose.
I mentioned my confrontation with the three bandits while I was on the trail outside of Lhasa. I described the techniques I used to defend myself. He laughed and said I would leave with techniques far superior to the ones used on those fellows.
He left his home in Lhasa as a young man and walked to this mystery mountain with the expectation he would be the first to set foot on its land. When Sam arrived near the mountain with the flat top he realized there had never been a human footprint on the mountain.
He had climbed over the edge of the caldera and looked down into the forest and the clearing several miles away. Sam said he had to see the valley. Once down in the valley Sam found a flock of sheep, several yaks, a bull and several cows and a calf a bunch of pigs and pigglets with some ducks on the pond and chickens roosting in the tall grass. There was barley growing wild on the planes. There was everything Sam needed to support his life. However there were no mystics there. The folk tales he had heard about dangerous spirits living on the mountain were not true.
Having no family he knew he would spend the rest of his life in this beautiful, peaceful valley surrounded by the most magnificent forest he had ever seen. In fact it was the first forest he had ever seen. Lhasa is not know for its forests. If fact there are no trees in Lhasa.
Sam said he arrived in the valley sixty three years ago. I, La, was amazed when Sam told me that. He looked no older than 30 and yet he was at least 80 years old.
He said for thirty years he knew a foreigner would come to visit him. Almost immediately he asked me to spend some time with him. He said he could teach me much about life and the world around us. It became obvious to me, LA, that my goal of stepping on soil un-trodden by humans could wait. This fellow had so much to teach me. I accepted his invitation without hesitation.
He said there were only a couple of conditions I must meet if I wished to stay in the valley. I could not take any pictures. Absolutely no pictures. I could not tell anyone exactly where I had been once I went back to society. I could not get near the sheep as they held a secret I was not to know until I could understand. To these terms I agreed and I started my 15 years in the caldera.
What an adventure I was to experience.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, now known as LA learned so many things from this old wizard all of which I am not able to talk about.
I spent the first ten years with this man working on his farm. I built a small house to live in.
I, LA, learned how to control hunger and pain and to read minds. Sam and I would spend hours playing the mind reading game. We would try to prevent the other from reading our minds. Sam was much better at blocking his thoughts from me then I was from him.
I learned to move small things with the power of my mind. Sam and I, LA, would place an egg at the center of the table. The object of the game was to move the egg until it fell into the others lap using only our minds. I ended up with a lot of eggs in my lap.
Sam was a master of karate, kung fu and tai chi. He had taught himself the techniques of these martial arts while he lived in the valley. We would spend about an hour every day sparing. I thought that I, LA, being a black belt, was very skilled. At first my skill proved no match for Sam’s excellent skill. In time with his training I became more of a challenge. However just as I though I was equal to Sam he would use a new technique on me.
I learned that the area has a majority of sunny days year around. The temperature was consistent thought out the year. The crops we planted grew all year long. It rained just enough to irrigate the crops and supply water to the well.
There was no electricity so when it got dark there was nothing to do but sit by the fire or go to sleep. For once in my, MELVIN ZWICK, life since I was a kid I slept 8 hours every night.
After living there for a little over ten years Sam decided I was ready for the secret of the sheep.
After breakfast Sam took me down to the sheep pasture. He would not tell me what their secret was. He just grin and fell silent.
We sat down on a log and he called the sheep. Sure enough they came to him. The big ram came first. Sam still did not talk. I was getting anxious. I could not sense anything from his mind. What secret could the sheep hold? Sam ran a brush on the rams wool. As soon as he did that portion of the ram disappeared. He brushed another spot and that portion of the ram disappeared. What trick was Sam pulling on me. How were my eyes being tricked to think part of the sheep was actually disappearing?
Sam finally spoke up and explained the secret of the sheep. He said their wool had a magical power. When the hairs of the wool was viewed from one side the hair everything behind the hair disappear. He took off his shawl and unfolded it and swung it over his body. He immediately disappeared. Sam was no longer there. I could hear him talking but from where? He explained he had taken the sheep’s wool and woven each hair in such a manner that all were orientated so that when the shawl was placed over the body with the invisible hairs on the outside the body under it would disappear. He swung the shawl again and there he was covered with the shawl. He swung it again and he was gone.
Sam said the exposure of the cloak of invisibility was enough for me, LA, to absorb in one day. We would talk about it at a later date.
He said it was time to do a little sparring. He was the dominating force today as my mind was intrigued by the cloak of invisibility.
The next day Sam started teaching me, LA, about the sheep and how they became invisible. He explained that some time in the distant past the caldera had wolves. The sheep had no defense against them. As time progressed the sheep developed the ability to make them selves invisible. About the same time the yaks arrived. The wolves could not make dinner out of them as the yaks fought back with their sharp horns. With the sheep invisible and the yaks chasing them the wolves decided it would be a lot safer if they left the caldera
Sam explained how the wool is treated so that it could be used to make a cloak of invisibility. First the sheep are sheared then the wool is soaked in a vat filled with water and the juice of a berry found growing wild in the valley. This treatment causes the wool to separate into individual fibers. Once the wool is separated it may be very carefully woven into a cloth. If it is woven correctly it will become invisibility on one side of the cloth and show on the other side of the cloth.
Sam helped me get started in weaving my cloak of invisibility. It took me, LA, one year to weave my cloak of invisibility.
As I was weaving my cape I noted Sam was getting older by the day. His hair started turning white. His skin was starting to wrinkle. He reacting slower when we would do our practice sparing. When I asked him about that he said it was his time to age. He said he had lived 123 years and was now ready to go.
I also heard him chopping wood while I wove my cloak.
CHAPTER EIGHT
TIME TO GO HOME
One morning after I finished my cloak of invisibility Sam told me it was time for me to go home. He said there would be one more task I would have to perform before I, LA, left. He said I would know what to do the next morning.
The next morning I looked for Sam. I found him in the garden where we had meditated so many times over they years . He was laying flat on his back on a platform mounted over a massive pile of wood. I called to him but got no response. I climbed up on the pile of wood until I could touch him. I checked his pulse and found none. I climbed back down. On the way I noticed the following scribed on a stack of wood.
It was goodbye written in Tibetan. Next to the plaque were fifteen matches. It was then I remembered Sam had told me months ago that he planned to be cremated after he died. It dawned on me, LA, that lighting the pile of wood was the final task
Sam told me I had to do.
But why fifteen matches? Then I remembered we had just celebrated my being in the caldera for fifteen years.
It was then I noticed a short candle mounted in a pile of dried grass surrounded by wood kindling at the base of the pile of wood. As I walked around the pile of wood I found fifteen candles. One for each year I had spent with Sam in his valley.
Sam had planned that I should start the cremation fire but did not want me to do it directly. He knew it would be difficult for me to see the cremation fire. His plan was for me to light the candles. The candles would burn down and as they did they would set the grass and then the kindling on fire. The pile of wood would than be set a blaze. By then I, now known as MELVIN ZWICK, would be well on my way out of the caldera.
I found my yaks. To my amazement they were loaded as they were on the first day I arrived at the valley. How could that be. Another puzzle for me, MELVIN ZWICK, to decipher.
I called for Charlie but he did not show up. I, MELVIN ZWICK, think he knew I was leaving and he did not want to leave the valley. He had been a constant companion during my stay in the Mystic Mountain. He had entertained me with his hi jinks for all those years. I knew I would surely miss him a bunch.
Very sadly I lit the fifteen candles and started on my way out of the caldera. As I headed up out of the valley I would take a look back at Sam’s place. After I had walked for several hours I noticed smoke coming from our meditation place. Every time I looked back I noticed the smoke becoming thicker. I, MELVIN ZWICK, knew Sam’s plan for his cremation had worked. After turning for the last time I read a message from Sam. He said the cremation plan had worked just fine. He was now in a much better place and that he would look out for my thourgh out the rest of my life. He would be my guardian angle.
The Mystic Mountain will no longer share its wealth with a human.
The amazing thing about the trip up and out was that the rope over the run on the branch of the tree was still there. It showed no sign of age. It was easy to lift the yaks and equipment up over the cliff. The bamboo bridges across the mud on either side of the stream were still in tack.
It took me seven days to hike back to Lhasa. There were no new adventures on the trail.
I visited Katun and his family. His whole family did not look like they had aged 15 years. Big Dog was still alive and as frisky as ever. When he saw me he jumped up and ran to me knocking me to the ground. His big tongue did a job on washing my face. To say he was glad to see me would be an understatement. We played soccer ball fetch.
Katun and his family were amazed to see me. They wanted to know all about my adventures. I had promised Sam not to reveal any of my adventure to anyone. I lied and told Katun that I had wondered around for 15 years before I found my way back home. They laughed and told my I was joking them. They swore I had been gone only a few weeks.
The return trip was becoming a source of puzzlement. First all on the day I left my yaks were loaded as they were on the day I arrived in the valley. Secondly both the crane and bridge I had built look just like they did on the day I first used time. It was as if I had been in the valley only one day. Now Katun’s family did not look a day older than when I first left them and they were swearing I had only been gone for a couple of weeks. We had no calendar so I, MELVIN ZWICK could not verify the date. The solution to the puzzle would have to wait.
In a few days I was on my way back to the United States and Arizona. Believe it or not Grandpa was glad to see me. He gave me a giant hug and invited me to live with him.
Once I was back I remembered the document Sam gave me just before I, MELVIN ZWICK, left Mystic Mountain. I dug it out of my gear and opened it. Sam had written it is the finest Tibetan language. I noted that there were several names spelled out in English. There are no words in Tibetan for those names.
This letter was written by me, MELVIN ZWICK’S best Tibetan buddy Sam. He wrote it just before I, MELVIN ZWICK, left the Mystic Mountain. That was long before all Grandpa’s Grandkids were born. He told me not to read it until I got back home.
It looks like he could see into the future.
It reads “MELVIN ZWICK is a great, handsome wonderful person. He is so smart.
He has a friend named Grandpa who will have three daughters, Linda Lee, Kelley and Robyn and the ten grandkids.
Grandpa will have grandkids named Lydia, Kyle, Caroline, Victoria, Valerie, Timothy, Joseph, Benjamin, McKenna, Cassidy and Emelee and maybe a few others. They all will be beautiful daughters and granddaughters and grandsons.
But then he will have a nutty friend called Phooey Ralph. He will be one nutty person. He will always want Grandpa’s daughters to take him to Disneyland.
MELVIN ZWICK, because he is such a great guy will have great adventures.
The Mystic Mountain was visited by MELVIN ZWICK, where he made a cloak of invisibility. He will use the cloak one day to follow Grandpa to MOSSYROCK to visit his daughters and grandkids.”
Sam the Mystic man of Mystic Mountain sure could see into the future.
It was good to be back. I got to eat hamburgers and Mexican food. I could take a long hot shower. I could sleep on a soft mattress.
You may wonder why I, MELVIN ZWICK, the great story teller, added the following information about Grandpa’s family to this story of my Cloak of Invisibility. The reason for the addition is obvious to me, MELVIN ZWICK. I, MELVIN ZWICK, the great Grandpa look alike, am not always included in all of Grandpa’s visits to his Kids and Grandkids. Therefore I, MELVIN ZWICK, have to visit the family while covered by my Cloak of Invisibility. If I did not have my Cloak of Invisibility I would not be part of the family. So if the family does not see me they can be assured that I, MELVIN ZWICK, am present with Grandpa during all family gatherings.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, am capable of writing all my great insightful stories about the family because I, MELVIN ZWICK, am present during all the gathering.
Once I, MELVIN ZWICK, was back I had the joyous opportunity to meet all of Grandpa and Grandma’s Grandkids. Just like the Tibetan letter said there was McKenna and Cassidy the daughters of Grandpa’s daughter Kelley. What beautiful young ladies they are.
Then there are the kids of Grandpa’s daughter Robyn. The oldest is Lydia, then there are the quads, Kyle, Caroline, Victoria and Valerie then there is Timothy and then Joseph and Benjamin. The Bowes may adopt others as time progresses.
There is an interesting sidelight to the story. I, MELVIN ZWICK, was wearing my cloak of invisibility while Daddy Ted, Grandpa, Lydia and Valerie were in the truck during Grandpa’s 2008 Thanksgiving visit. Lydia was reading a story to all of us. There was a fellow in the story named Dietrich. Lydia was pronouncing his name Die Track. We corrected the pronunciation but Lydia was still pronouncing his name Die Track. Grandpa said she should just call the fellow Sam. That would be a lot easier. Grandpa laughed and said one day she would meet a real person named Dietrich. She would probably tell him that she has a difficult pronouncing his name so she will just call him Sam. Everyone had a big laugh over Grandpa’s solution to the mis-pronunciation.
That’s is exactly what I, MELVIN ZWICK, did with the name of the Mystic Man of Mystic Mountain. I, MELVIN ZWICK, could not pronounce his name, Gisinghangoju, so I told him I would just call him Sam.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, have finally had time to write this story. However there is something about this trip I one of the smartest people cannot explain. As you probably know I, MELVIN ZWICK, photographed lots of Tibetan people. Many of the Tibetan people would not allow themselves to be photographed in color for fear of losing their soul. I was fortunate enough to take many color photos of the Tibetan people however when ever I print out this paper the faces are of grandpa’s grandkids dressed in Tibetan clothes. How does that happen?
So where do I, MELVIN ZWCK, currently stand. I had a great adventure, met some interesting people, learned another language and made myself a cloak of invisibility.
I, MELVIN ZWICK, swore to Sam that I would never use the Cloak of Invisibility except for the good of mankind. However I, MELVIN ZWICK, wanted to go to Mossyrock with Grandpa to see the Bowes and Waughs but Grandpa said no to my travel. The only solution to the problem was to break out my Cloak of Invisibility and join Grandpa on his trip without knowing I was with him. By using the Cloak of Invisibility it became necessary for me to explain how I, MELVIN ZWICK, obtained it.
The explanation of all the puzzling aspects of the trip came to light late on evening as I, MELVIN ZWICK, was about to doze off. I saw Sam in my mind. We had a great exchange of stories. Before he signed off he explained that time in the valley is all screwed up. My stay lasted only three days in real world time even though the stay seemed to last 15 years. Fifteen years in valley time was only three days in real world time. That explained the mystery.
THE END FOR NOW
