Most of us think that dung is the end of the line...literally and figuratively...it's something that you avoid stepping in, avoid smelling, keep out of your house, and certainly never touch with your hands. However, we could learn a thing or two from our Tibetan friends about wasting nothing (including waste), and finding uses for what's around and free...
That brings us to dung...given the number of yaks and cows around there is plenty of dung available if you could figure out a use for it...Well, in Tibet they have found a use for it...as a fuel source.
As we made our way through Tibet, we saw dried brown pieces of adobe-like substance everywhere. It was lining the top of courtyard walls, it was piled on rooftops, it filled window sills, it was stacked in fields and yards, and it was stuck to walls everywhere. We saw it in cities, towns, villages and in nomad camps. It was everywhere... We saw it shaped like patties, loaves, discs, bricks and balls.
Dung came to fascinate our travel group, so we decided to investigate further to understand this phenomenon better...
To fully appreciate this renewable energy source we need to start at the beginning...Here's the source of raw material...actually this picture captures both the source AND the raw material...
Next, we need to add a little something to give us the consistency we need for a good patty...so we mix in a little straw...
Next, we need to shape it to the dimensions of our stove or oven, then set it out to dry...sometimes it is laid out flat like this, but most often it is stuck to the vertical face of an exterior wall to dry.
This production process can be performed on a large scale or small...here's a perfect setup for the small urban home...everything you need from raw material (cow), to manufacturing and processing, to finished goods...all in the front yard of your row house!
Now, because we take our foreign studies so seriously, we consulted an expert, we'll call him Dr. Dung. We found Dr. Dung hard at work in Shigatse working two jobs...tending the gigantic prayer wheel housed in a stand-alone stone hut, and preparing a batch of his famous dung patties.
We were lucky to be able to impose on Dr. Dung to give us a brief demonstration of the age-old technique of off-the-wall dung patty manufacturing. (He spent the whole time chuckling at the crazy foreigners who were so intrigued by this basic function...!)
First you mix the dung with straw in a medium-sized pile on the sidewalk...
Next, the skilled dung artisan forms the mix into a ball and then squishes it into a pattie. Once you've got it just the right size and thickness, you walk toward the nearest dung wall and throw the pattie onto the face of the wall...
Now this is where Dr. Dung shows us his higher level of skill...he takes the time to shape the pattie on the wall so that it sticks while it dries, and arranges the patties to maximize the number he can stick to the wall...
And when he's done he signs his work...with a hand print...
When he was done with the demonstration, we thanked the good Doctor...we did not, however, shake his hand, but decided to show our appreciation by bowing instead...
So, what have we learned? That cow pie that we all thought was just so much barnyard waste is actually the basis for the all-natural Presto-log, if you're willing to get your hands dirty...So, next time you go to the petting zoo, you might want to bring home some free samples to try your hand at making dung patties. Be aware, however, that burning dung, while an efficient and frugal heating alternative, does produce a somewhat acrid smoke that stings the eyes (and leaves quite an odor in the drapes...).
We love to travel because we learn so much useful information...!
GROSS!! But interesting at the same time :)
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