Part 133 - Monsoon travel and logistics: Tse to Kongshong via Lamdo

1 page

SUMMARY:
Arrangements are made for a message from Tsela Dzong to reach Pana, and Kusho rejoins to assist with the Lamdo to Sanga Choling leg. Between 18–20 Sept., the party travels from Tse to Lamdo and on to Kongshong in heavy rain, checks stores, crosses the Tsangpo with loads, and collects limited seeds; Purbo reports on routes and local groups near Molo, Dzeus, Tanjong, Lo ba, and Tsari Soma. A hard ascent via Go nyi re with a Lopa guide leads to cold, windy conditions that hinder seed collecting.

CONTENT:
Tsela Dzong by Dzong-Dzong runner. So I think it should be here in 5 days or so, that with any luck I will get it at Pana. I am asking the Dzongpen to send it on there at once. I am glad to have Kusho back again to help with what will be a pretty hectic trip from Lamdo to Sanga Choling.

18th Sept. To TSE. Rain at night and nearly all today. The monsoon seems to be very busy still. In Tse all the things we left appear to be in good condition and have not suffered, as the bacon did. Nearly a whole side of it was eaten, and half a cheese too, by some kind of bug, while Ludlow and Taylor were away during June and July. We crossed the Tsangpo in six kowas, with all kit, about 24 loads the three of us.

19th Sept. To Lamdo. Rain most of yesterday, and very heavy rain all night. Collected a few seeds of Phlomis 5798 and a very few of Plectranthus. I find I can get more or less direct from here to Go nyi re, without going up to Kongshong first. That will make things much easier, though tomorrow will be a hard day's trek. I hope we have a reasonably fine day to do it in. Purbo came in this afternoon. He reached Molo from Dzeus in three days, which is extraordinary good going, but got some fever on the way back and was held up. He stays the night with us, which I hope will give some more hints to Kusho and Dzongpen about how to manage the Molo and Tanjong people. He does not anticipate any trouble with the Molo people going to the Lo ba, but it seems the Lopas have given a lot of trouble somewhere near Tsari Soma and have carried off 5 men. However I don't think they would dare do anything to a body of 12 or 15 coolies that I would have with me, especially as they would know I had a gun.

20th Sept. To Kongshong. Rain all night and all this morning, finer in afternoon. Coolies rather late, and did not get off till 6.15, with the same Lopa who lost me last time, as guide. To save a day I decided to go up direct from Lamdo to Go nyi re, and then drop down to Kongshong. It is an awful pull up, very steep for about 5000 ft, then along a rocky knife edge ridge, up and down and very tiring. The wind at the top was very cold and almost a gale, driving mist and fine rain. It was really too cold for seed collecting and I had no feeling in my fingers at all. We did not really do well either, but got lots of Meconopsis integrifolia, a good deal of Mec. florindae, which is not yet