SUMMARY:
A hot spring called Nye Chachhu lies below Dunkhar, and the village where the party is staying belongs to Dopala, the Trashigang Dzongpon; a few butterflies were seen. On 8 May at Mashina, in very hot weather with afternoon thunder and rain, they refused Ngudup’s request to stay and marched about six miles via the Panyong Chu to Phumpe, crossed a cane bridge, passed Chaksum and Chusa, and climbed steeply toward the Sergon Chu, walking without ponies while Ngudup’s foot improved with M&B 760 pills.
CONTENT:
a mile or two up a side valley below Dunkhar are hot springs, called Nye Chachhu. The actual village we are at ourselves, belongs to Dopala, Trashigang Dzongpon. It is very hot here, and it will be nice to be over the river on our way up tomorrow. Mashina is obviously not at all high, but nearly high enough for us to stay at. Caught a few butterflies today, almost the first we've seen since Kunga Rapden.
8th May. Mashina. 6 miles. Ht 7675 A fine, very hot morning, up till 2.0 pm when we had thunder and heavy rain. When I was just setting up at 4.30 Ngudup came and asked if I would stay a day! I said certainly not, unless absolutely essential. There is some trouble with the locals, which I have not got hold of completely. Anyway we came on here. 5.15 to 10.0. The path goes up the L bank and into the Panyong Chu, a big side valley at m 1, then on to Phumpe at m 2, where Tashigang Dzongpon has another house, and there is a picturesque little lhakang on an isolated hillock. Then straight down 500' to the river and across by a cane bridge. And so up the R bank, through Chaksum and Chusa, 2 small villages of a couple of houses each. Then straight up the hillside, as only a Bhutanese path can go, for 2000' or so. There are no houses here, and just a small clearing in the forest. The slope is very steep, and continues so to the Sergon Chu, just ahead of us. Ngudup's foot has improved in a wonderful way with copious M&B 760 pills. He has had to walk, as I have too, as there are no ponies this side, and no pony could get up.
