Part 179 - Arrival at Towa; local superstitions and a supper mishap

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SUMMARY:
The writer describes Tibetan superstitions, particularly the aversion to shooting hares due to their donkey-like ears. After delays at Lala and slow transport with yaks and donkeys, they arrived late at Towa, where a curry made overly hot by Ahmad Sheikh left Ludlow unable to eat, though strawberries and cream from H.H. were excellent.

CONTENT:
for thinking that this was a good moment, was because
all over Tibet this year the crops have been good. They have
many superstitions these people, one is always coming
across them. I don't think any of the local people would
mind us shooting in the least: but they would hate to
see us shoot a hare. There are many reasons for this,
one of which is that the hare has ears like a donkey,
and a donkey is a much valued animal. Our
arrival at Towa was really most amusing - not at the
time, but after we had had a day to think it over.
Owing partly to the delay in changing transport at
Lala, and partly to the fact that we had yaks and donkeys
among the transport, we did not get in till 7.0 pm.
We had breakfasted as usual at 5.0 am and had had
practically nothing since then. So we were very hungry
and ordered, to save time, tinned soup, curry and rice and
a tin of strawberries which H.H. gave us, and one of cream
also H.H.'s present. The soup was rotten stuff, and we
looked forward to a real tuck in of curry. But Ahmad
Sheikh had put the chillies and powder in with a very
unsteady hand in the dark, and it was so hot Ludlow
could eat none at all. I managed a good deal, but
felt it for a long time afterwards. The strawberries and
cream were really excellent. When we arrived