Thank you for the lovely article by Padam Ghale (Mero pyaro Kangchen-junga, #70). The Arun and Tamur valleys, as he says, are indeed a paradise for leeches, rhododendron and orchids. However, a small correction, orchids are not parasite but epiphytes. The difference is that epiphytes only depend on the another plant for mechanical support, while parasites actually derive nutrition from them.
Daniela Quinn
Dharan