Part 113 - Journey from Sanga Choling to Charme and trade arrangements with Ayelmu

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SUMMARY:
The party traveled from Sanga Choling to Charme with 30 pony loads, encountering delays and afternoon rain. They visited an old lady, Ayelmu, who served tea and arranged for them to sell 12 musk pods in Calcutta and buy cloth with the proceeds; she had been married to a trader and later to the now-deceased Drugpa Rimpoche, and the writer notes that Pantan and Sanga Choling share the Drukpa religion.

CONTENT:
Too much food and no exercise since we came to Sanga Choling.

27th September. To Charme 10300 11 miles. Fine till 2.30 pm, then some pretty heavy rain. We got off reasonably early, but the kit had to be changed at m 2, and there was a long delay there. Reached Charme a little after 2.0 and all kit in at 4.0 pm. We now have 30 pony loads. The old lady came with some tea to see us off, but as we had no cups, we all went to her house. She is so full of life, and thoroughly enjoyed having us there I think. First she produced tea and tsampa and butter, then she said would we take down 12 musk pods for her and sell them in Calcutta for her: she will probably get the best part of Rs 200/- for them. Then would we buy for her cloth to the value of the money realized. She was so excited over the chance of getting this bit of trade done that she could not give us samples. However, these we finally extracted from her, and made notes of what she wanted. Then we said goodbye quite sorrowfully, and came on our way.

The old lady's name is Ayelmu, and she was married first to a trader, then to the Drugpa Rimpoche, who is also now dead. It seems that Pantan and Sanga Choling have a lot in common, their religion being the same: both are called - in Lhasa - Drugpa - the