Footprints in the Himalaya: people, places, and practices : Bhutan, Darjeeling, Nepal, Sikkim & Tibet / Sonam B. Wangyal.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 204-215).

Main Essays
1. Mission Impossible -- 2. To Everest Without Oxygen -- 3. The Bettens -- 4. An Indian Dwelling -- 5. A Hobo's Journey to Havard -- 6. Colonel Gawler's Rum -- 7. A King who lost His Principality but not His Principles -- 8. Thought waves in Sikkim -- 9. An Imposter Gorkha -- 10. Unarmed Combat -- 11. A Stone Tossing Spirit -- 12. Vanishing Traditions -- 13. Gambling Gorkhas -- 14. Prithwinarayan Shah -- 15. Singha Durbar -- 16. Prithwinarayan's Bhutan Connection -- 17. No Entry - Bhutan -- 18. Entered the Dragon Kingdom -- 19. The Dragon Kingdom Steps Out -- 20. Horse Sense -- 21. In Good Faith -- 22. Bhutan's Best Kept Secret -- 23. Tibetan Buddhism, The Great 5th & the Enigmatic 6th Dalai Lamas -- 24. Kha-da: The Scarf of Salutation -- 25. A Successful Failure -- 26. Fireworks that Frightened an Army -- 27. In the Land of God -- 28. The Magical Quality of Bungalow Tea -- 29. At Home -- 30. The Final Healer

Short Fillers
1. Maurice Wilson in the Internet -- 2. Everest Defiled -- 3. Honourable Mountaineers -- 4. Nuns' Tale -- 5. Kindergarten Adults -- 6. A Tall Story -- 7. Jungay Hawildar -- 8. Royal Dues -- 9. Sikkim's Royal Coat of Arms -- 10. Sherpa Cricketers in Sikkim -- 11. Victoria Cross Awardees -- 12. Traffic in the Opposite Direction -- 13. A Short Story -- 14. A Glossary of Nepali Ghosts -- 15. Guarding One's Post -- 16. The Gorkha Khukuri -- 17. More Gambling Gorkhas -- 19. Hukumko Jawab Chhaina -- 20. Manufacturing Rains -- 21. Quarreling for Shit's Sake -- 22. Bhutan -- 23. The Royal Ruse -- 24. Old Habits Die Hard -- 25. Good Beginnings -- 26. Bhutan Chronology -- 27. An Act of the Gods -- 28. The Defenceless Posterior -- 29. Upholding a Tradition -- 30. Bhutan A Day Ahead of the Others -- 31. Counting Problems -- 32. Kalimpong's Forgotten Healer -- 33. The Memorandum -- 30. Stooping to Lose -- 31. Lhasa's Steel Bridge -- 32. Innocent Slip-ups -- 33. Airports in Tibet --
34. Tibet's First Car -- 35. Football Kalimpong Style -- 36. What is there in a Name!

Illustrations
1 . Everest -- 2. Maurice Wilson -- 3. News in Calcutta daily -- 4. Darjeeling Tea Logo -- 5. Darjeeling Tea Garden (1870s) -- 6. Wigwam -- 7. Dant Kothi -- 8. Prof. Dawa Norbu -- 9. Dr. Graham's Homes -- 10. Floating Bridge over the Rungeet -- 11. Cane Bridge over the Tista --12. The Old National Flag of Sikkim -- 13. The Chogyal and Gyalmo of Sikkim -- 14. Sikkim's Royal Coat of Arms -- 15. The Modest Sikkim Palace -- 16. The P.O.'s residence -- 17. The Chogyal's Marriage -- 18. Ganju Lama V.C. -- 19. The Victoria Cross -- 20. The 9th Gorkha Emblem -- 21. A Gorkha Soldier - a long time ago -- 22. A Gorkha Soldier - today -- 23. A Gorkha Policeman -- 24. A Nepali Shaman -- 24. A Gathering of Shamans -- 25. A Sunuwar Shaman -- 26. Beating the Damphu -- 27. The Tamangs Dancing -- 28. A Rai Shaman -- 29. Nepali Dancers -- 30. TheKhukuri -- 31. A Casino in Nepal -- 32.Prithwinarayan Shah -- 33. Chandrasumshere Jangabahadur Rana -- 34. Singha Durbar -- 35. Bhutanese Prayer Wheel and Nepali Khukuri -- 36. Greater Nepal -- 37. Bhutan - The Nation -- 38. Bhutan - The Flag -- 39. Bhutan - The Royal Crest -- 40. Tashichho Dzong -- 41. Gateway to Bhutan -- 42. A Church Along Bhutan's Border -- 43. Punakha Dzong -- 44. A Welcome Hoarding -- 45. Gidakom Hospital (1990) -- 46. Kng Ugyen Wangchuk -- 47. Pandit Nehru to Bhutan -- 48. Raja Ugyen Doiji -- 49. Raja S.T. Doiji -- 50. A Bhutanese Villager and His Horses -- 51. The Chief Justice of Bhutan -- 52. Buddha in Kushinagar -- 53, Unknotting the Khada -- 54. Shabdrung Nawang Namgyal -- 55. Bhutanese Dancers -- 56. Coin Counting Machine -- 57. The 5th Dalai Lama -- 58. The 6th Dalai Lama -- 59. The Home of the 6th Dalai Lama -- 60. The Author with a Tawang Native -- 61. Receiving a Khada -- 62. Khadas to the Maitreya Buddha -- 63. Bhutan Queen offering a Khada -- 64. Kintoop -- 65. Darjeeling Town -- 66. Theos Bernard -- 67. The Dalai Lama -- 68. The Tibetan Army -- 69. The Chinese Army -- 70. The Potala Palace -- 71. A Tea Garden in the Himalayan Foothills -- 72. Kalimpong, ICQ Years Ago -- 73. Darjeeling Tea & Tourism Festival Logo -- 74. Kitar Sherpa's Certificate -- 75. Tea Garden Bungalow -- 76. Picking Tea Leaves