Part 67 - Diary entries near Po Tsangpo with views toward Gyala Peri–Namcha and weather halt

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SUMMARY:
The diarist describes settlements and mani stones near Dzama in the Pemako region, attempts to trace the Kongbo Tsangpo from Adju la, and notes forests of pines along the Tsangpo with a sighting of a quail and Carmine Cherry in bloom near Chanzam. The following day is a halt due to cloud, snow on the Gyala Peri–Namcha side, and evening rain.

CONTENT:
Feb 23. Vaccinium leucobotryum 12251
Prunus cerasoides var. rubra 12252
Rhod. scopulorum 12248
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in appearance, indeed some of them are sons or grandsons of real Bhutanese who settled in Pemako. This area is more popular than the Yigrong Chu area. There are signs of several new villages being started on both banks of the Po Tsangpo. This route must be old though. There is a mani rock, a pile of mani stones in the middle of the dense forest near Dzama which looks very old indeed. On nearly all manis there are old stone pots, carved with manis, which are attractive. They are said to be brought up from Pemako & made there. I would like to take one back if it is possible. From the Adju la I studied the mass face opposite to see if I could follow the route of the Kongbo Tsangpo, but it appeared quite impossible that any river could cut through what appeared an endless wall of ice & rock. But this evening, with the sun behind the range, there appears a route, though it seems almost impossible that any river should cut so low. I think this is the finest sight I have ever seen. We reached here too late for photography, but hope for one more good morning tomorrow. Certainly this village, in fine weather, is the finest situated I have ever seen. Close to camp here I see quite a number of the Carmine Cherry tree, in fuller bloom than we found it at Chanzam. While walking along the ridge between the Po Tsangpo & the Guh Tsangpo, I put up a quail, only the second, I think, that we have seen in Tibet. The forest today was mostly wet, broadleaf, but on the Tsangpo, there and this side, there were pines. I see from here down the main Tsangpo valley about four miles away that the l. bank is clothed almost entirely in pines, which seems very extraordinary to me. I would have expected both banks to be wet forest. Clouds are coming up fast this evening, & I doubt if we will get the view we hoped for tomorrow morning.

24th Feb. Halt. It was clouded when we got up this morning, snow was falling low down on the Gyala Peri - Namcha side. This continued all day, & in the evening rain started falling here too. It is a great disappointment to us.
Prunus cerasoides var. rubra 12252