Preparations

The staircase restoration completed!

After a strenuous week we completed the new staircase. Third layer of clay placed on the roof, dense red clay colored twigs made the finish of the porch and the wooden structure also got its red clay paint. >>>

Staircase walls and roof structure finished, short visit to Dzongkul

After some serious effort the new walls of the staircase are standing, and the wooden roof-structure is ready. Last weekend visited the Zangla nunnery school on their picnic at the riverside, and payed a short visit to Dzongkul monastery, the birthplace of the essays published by Csoma as Alexander books. >>>

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2008-07-24

One more week, and we are setting off! Visas, air tickets, vaccinations, equipment, almost everything arranged.

Though the preparations are in order, we spent a lot of energy on hunting down the necessary equipment. We need loads of special devices that enable us to work in such a remote area. Strangely enough, they all seem to be very expensive or unavailable in Europe or Japan. For the photogrammetric survey we need to charge our laptop, GPS and camera batteries, for the documentation the video camera batteries too. This might be tricky in an area where the only electricity is hardly enough for a weak afternoon blinking of the local 12 volts electric system built from donations, powered by a micro-hydro plant from the nearby river. We wanted to avoid the gasoline power generator, so the solar panel became the only option.
A foldable, flexible, portable type that provides enough energy. Finally, from four different countries, ordered through the internet the system is up and running. Though the final test will take place in Ladakh, we made some measurements already, and the panel seems to provide enough energy to our needs, as you see on the picture.

Despite the lack of funds we never considered giving it up. The participants have paid all their expenses by themselves, the board and lodging will be covered by the local King to assure that all the donations can be spent on building material and workers.

Those who hesitate supporting the project, please help us in July! August will be too late, we leave for India already. Thanks to those who have already donated!