First the wheat is pulled up by hand, bundled and carried to the drying area where it is stacked for a few days. The wheat is then piled around a central post in the threshing area. A team of dzos (cow and yak mix) are lashed together and to the central post, and are driven around and around, to stomp the grain free of the stalk and chaff. Then the whole mixture is thrown into the air for wind separation.
According to Joe, during the days when the wheat threshing was going on at his family's field the wind wasn't very cooperative. They could only spend a few minutes at a time throwing the grain, then had to wait 20 or 30 minutes or an hour to begin again. No problem for the Ladakhis though, who work at a relaxed pace. This just meant more time for solja (tea) and chang (local beer made from fermented barley).
1 comment:
Josh - Your photos and words leave me in awe. As always, your relentless exploration for knowledge and experience is amazingly inspiring. Are you heading back to Pun Pun anytime soon?
Good luck. Miss ya.
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