April 14, 2023: Trek to a Remote Villages in Tsum

Today was a trek along a mountain path to adjacent villages, and the path was shared with Himalayan ponies loaded up with various things to transport from village to village, and also cow/yak hybrids walking slowly along the same path.

We were on our way to advise on paintings today. A temple was so damaged in past earthquakes that it had to be rebuilt, and local traditional carpenters and stone masons were busy working.

In the center of the site is a large traditional “prayer wheel” with painting covering the wooden cylinder. The community was about to cover the paintings with copper sheets, however, the head of the village wanted to preserve the paintings and we had a long discussion on the technical steps for that, how long it would take, and I answered his questions; he was really happy at the path to saving the community’s historic painting.

We are seeking funding for this conservation project: https://treasure-caretaker-training.networkforgood.com

Next, the village elder brought us to a shed where 100 year old documented paintings on  wooden wall panels were stacked against each other in a storage shed. I made a few suggestions on safer storage and we discussed how the panels can be reinstalled in the completed stone temple, and any conservation treatment done then. 

I walked back along the path and met a beautiful woman who was walking with a smile on her face and creating balls of her spinning wool while she walked.

A beautiful day in rugged Tsum.