Dolpo: Trip to Saldang

The caravan embarks on a three weeks journey to the trading places of Saldang near the Chinese-Tibetan border and of Dho Tarap. The party passes the most fascinating Phoksundo lake at 3,627m, a basin of unearthly turquoise blue ringed by rocky crags and forest, framed by snowcapped peaks. It proceeds then further to the “Kharka”, a high-level pasture ground, where the caravan takes a rest. It’s also the place to dig for the Dolpo’s “gold” - that is to say the highly coveted yartsa gunbu, a caterpillar fungi. They are the result of a parasitic relationship between the fungus and the larva of the ghost moth. The fungus germinates in living organisms, kills and mummifies the insect, and then the yartsa gunbu grows from the body of the insect. It is known in the West as a medicinal mushroom and its use has a long history in Traditional Chinese medicine as well as Traditional Tibetan medicine. In 2004, the value of a kilogram of caterpillars was estimated at about 30’000 to 60’000 Nepali rupees in Nepal, and about Rs 100’000 in India.