Bhutan
Trip Start
Jul 28, 2007
1
39
90
Trip End
Nov 10, 2008
Paro, Bhutan
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
I was still expecting Irene to turn out and surprise me at my hotel in Paro, but instead I was surprised to see a very handsome young man dress in a black goh (local costume for man) waiting for me at my cheap hotel in Jaigon! Wow! I was even more surprised when he took my hands and said he was my guide because I was supposed to meet him at the border. What a good start!
The goh is what I liked the most in Bhutan. I love this national costume worn my the men! It looks like the Tibetan tunique worn with one sleeve off. It's a long tunique that ties on the side and his worn with a belt at the waist so that the back is blousing and they make a pleat at the back of the skirt that goes down to the knees. So they have to wear knee high socks, cute and sexy! Think I want to move to Bhutan!
The women wear a kira, a wrap skirt made of hand woven fabric and a short square jacket made of Chinese fabric with contrasting hem. The kids are so cute dressed like that!
The first day I crossed the border by land. I was amazed to see the huge line up of Indian people crossing over to go to work. I really didn't want to see Indian people while in Bhutan, but they are everywhere working on the roads and in Thimphu on Sunday they seemed to have taken over the city. They were all going to the market which was otherwise quite ordinary except from this animal skin they were selling to eat on special occasions! It probably seemed worst today because a lot of people were gone back to their district of origin to vote for the first election ever in the country. It felt like the Phillipino maids at Lucky Plaza in Singapore or downtown Hong Kong where they all meet on their day off! Very weird!
So we drove for about an hour before we came to a halt. We don't know exactly what happened, a landslide (it had rained the day before) or just road repair, but we had to wait for almost 4 hours in a small city. Because I was on an organized tour, we could not just eat lunch there, we had to wait to eat where we were supposed to and we only reached that place at 5pm! Luckily I had a few snacks in my bag! My driver thought it was quite funny. Actually he laughs all the time! We reached Paro late and had a late diner so I didn't go out that night.
The next day was my first day at the festival, yes! Most of the chaam dances that day I had seen in Ladhak in September, but the costumes and masks were a bit different and the dances lasted longer here. There were also a few tradional dances, very slow and a bit boring. It was so exciting just to see all the people in their national costumes, all the kids playing with plastic guns (a bit weird at a religious festival) and the amazing performance that I did not want to go for lunch! I wanted a packed lunch or just a bag of chips, but no we had to have lunch in a restaurant! I hate tours! So at 2h30, I had to go eat lunch so my guide and driver could eat. After that, we couldn't go back to the festival yet, we had to check in in a new hotel, I wanted to cry! Finally we went back to the festival, but it was almost finished. After I walked around with my guide, had dinner and went out again to walk around and watch all the people and check out a few shops.
The next day I found the anti-guide solution. Get up at 6am and go out before the day starts. So I went out and walked all the way to the Dzong (name for the fortress:administrative office/monastery in Bhutan). The mountains around the city were beautiful at that time of the day and already there were 2 kids playing with plastic guns on the ground where they perform the dances. Suddenly I heard monks playing trumpets, so I hurried towards the sound, but they were finishing when I got there. A few minutes later, as they were walking towards the Dzong, they stopped to talk to me and have a few pictures taken. I asked if I could go inside the Dzong and they said yes. So I managed to get in with the monks and without my guide and the permission paper that you need to get into every places here. Ah, ah! I was quite proud of myself to have defied the rules a bit. I really don't like not being able to do what I want when I feel like it. Wait till my guide finds out! I got back to the hotel just on time for breakfast, but had no time to shower before going to the festival. This time the dances were different and I quite enjoyed them. There were so many performers, it was quite impressive. I had a good laugh with one of the 3 jokers.
Yesterday, most likely the same jocker asked me for a kiss, so I kissed my fingers and put a kiss on his mask. Today, he came back to see me and I got in trouble! He took my 2 legs, lifted them up and placed them on his and just waited there for a long time. My guide was able to take a picture of us, and me a few of this funny clown. Today my guide said we were going to eat at 2h30 surely to please me, but I wanted to eat at 12h30 because the same dance had been going on for almost 2 hours. The problem is, he had gotten up to strech and I couldn 't find him anywhere, damn tour again! At 2h30 he reappeared and we went for lunch. Let me tell you, I ate pretty fast. We went back to the festival, but the last dance was ending, shit! Yesterday, I managed to wear my hat to protect me from the sun, but today they had a masked of the guru in one of the dances and I was asked a few times to take off my hat, so I got sunburn in the face and on on my legs between my socks and pants.
On the last day of the festival they unroll a huge thangka. The one here is an image of Guru Rinpoche, the 2nd Buddha. My guide said we were going to go at 4h30am. I said OK, but in my mind I knew I could not wait that long. I had missed the unfurling of the thangka in Lhasa because my brother had made me stay up late the night before while he was getting drunk, so I didn't want to miss it this time. I woke at 3am without my alarm and by 3h25 couldn't stand it anymore. I could hear some cars passing by and then some tourists were up in my hotel. I got dressed and left by myself with a note on my door telling my guide to meet me there. Luckily, he wasn't angry, or so he says. My driver gave him a hard time though. It was worth it. The thangka was already hanging when I got there, but i managed to get a good spot to watch the puja. They were praying when I arrived and then a procession walked in with monks and performers. They sat down and more prayers went on accompanied by some dancers with little drums, cool! Then a lot of important civilians were making offerands and giving money and food to all the monks. Let me tell you, the monks in Bhutan must be the richest monks in Asia. They had a really nice stack of small bills by the time I left. We had to leave at 7am for breakfast. What a bad timing, again I couldn't leave, they had just handed out the red hats for the monks to wear. So I waited a bit until they put them on and got a few pictures then went for breakfast. Unfortunately, we couldn't come back because we were going to Tiger's Nest. I saw later on TV part of what I missed, oh no! That was a mistake! They showed people walking holding colourful umbrellas and a big Bhudda or something like that. Man! I wouldn't have missed one minute if I had been on my own, I wanted to cry again!
I can't remember how I first found out about Bhutan, but most likely it was after seeing a picture of Tiger's Nest. That was, with the festival, the highlight of my trip. I was looking forward to it and therefore was able to forget about the festival. The climb is quite steep, but as you go along you keep getting glances of the monastery so it keeps you going. When you finaly get up there, you cannot take anything inside with you and you cannot wear anything tied up. I had to take off my headband and couldn't wear my sweater tied around my waist. The view from up there is beautiful, but really it's the view of the monastery itself as you approach it that it the most impressive. Inside there are statues of Guru Ringpoche who is supposed to have jumped here on the back of a tiger to save the people from some evil forces. Nobody knows what happened to him after that. I had streched properly not to feel pain the next day and was OK. My guide had no clue what I was doing when he saw me stretching, not very athletic this young man! This time we went up at the same speed, because of the altitude, but he couldn't keep up with me on the other climbs, or maybe he pretented to!
Paro is a charming city. It is quite small and has a main street filled with all kinds of shops, a big prayer wheel and public place. On a good day, you can see mountains at the end of the street and across the river. The Dzong is a little further away, but quite close to the city centre. The size of all the dzongs is quite impressive. All around the city are smaller houses, more of a country side feeling even though there were nothing really growing at this time. I walked around and only saw a few animals, many friendly people talked to me and some young boys helped me find my way back. Everywhere in Bhutan you can see vertical prayer flags. I didn't know until then that the white ones are put up to protect the deceased spirits. There are also a lot of prayer wheels activated by a small water current. For once, I could get explanations on all the statues and paintings in the temples, but was not always listening as I am not used to take in so much information and with all the places I have been and still have to go, I know I will quickly forget everything.
After lunch, We went to some ruins. There wasn't much to see there, but we stumbled on a group of monks who were just wrapping up their picnic. One of the teacher was taking a picture of the group so I ran to get one as well. Then the Rinpoche in charge of this group of poor boys who had no choice but to become monks, made them dance and sing for us. They were singing some popular songs and Bollywood songs and some had some good moves. It was quite funny though some were really shy. At the end the Rinpoche gave candies to the performers and threw some at the other young monks. They were jumping everywhere to catch them just like normal kids. Once again, luck was on my side that day. We went to a monastery where an addition was built by the mother of the actual king in 1961. The monks asked us to leave because she was on her way for her annual visit. So we waited outside until she came supported by 2 people (not sure how old she is). As she walked by she said in English "come inside", but we left.
Next we went to Thimpu. The capital of this small country. From above it looks like any city surrounded by mountains, but when you actually get into the city and walk around it is totally Bhutanese. There are lots of people in town and it has a completely different feel from Paro. It's not charming, but busy with smiling people. There is a monastery, a chorten, a market, a cinema and museum in the city. Again the Dzong is not too far. I liked watching the men playing archery. They did a little dance when someone hit the target! I saw the place where the 5th king will be crowned in June if everything is ready. His father the 4th king has decided that it is time for his son to take over. I took my guide and driver to the movies. They seemed quite happy about that. My guide translated the story for me, it was actually not to difficult to follow. Most movies made in Bhutan are quite simple and with a moral/religious value. This one showed a lot of places where I went to in the country. I had a really nice encounter at the Chorten when I went walking around by myself. Again, I had been earlier with my guide, but there were some workmen and we couldn't go nearby. So as I approached this time, I saw no workmen and got closer to the Chorten. In my cautiousness to hide, I had forgotten that you should walk clockwise and I was going the wrong way. An old man pointed me in the right direction so I said hi to him in Dzongka and he was so happy he gave me a piece of rockhard yak cheese. Then I said thank you in Dzongka and he took my 2 hands and had the most amazing smile ever on his face. He took me by the elbow and we walked around the chorten together and down the street until our path separated. What a beautiful old man!
We went to another monastery where arms and tshechu costumes were hanging (actually the temple diety). There was also some beautiful black papier mache masks used for a dance I haven't seen yet and must see some day! I love those hats and the mini straw hats worn by women in the north around Gasa, where unfortunately I didn't go this time. Maybe a reason to return some day.....
Because of the election the next day (I had actually no idea that is was easter while I was in Bhutan, another tourist told me the next day, oops!), a few places were closed like the museum and staff in restaurants and hotels was reduced. On the day of the elections we were on the road and saw a few poles here and there and people walking to or from them. My guide and driver had already voted my mail. I didn't dare ask if they won their election, but it seemed that most people were voting for the same party. I watch a bit of it on TV, but quickly turn to an English channel (yes they have English TV!) since I had no idea what they were saying.
We stopped at the Dochu La Pass on the way to Punaka and back at the end of the tour, but both times the view wasn't clear. At least there is a group of 108 stupas to see there and a bit further a nice Chorten with lots of prayer flags. I like the valley there, the fields and flags again. We went up to a monastery and a Chorten where the views were really nice. Also saw monks playing soccer and criquet at a smaller chorten in the city. That day I found out about the "night hunting" tradition. Young men and women being too busy working on the fields in the villages and quite shy to talk to each other; young men go "night hunting" to meet girls. The young man climbs up the window to enter the bedroom and spent the night chatting with the girl. Interesting way of dating especially when there are most likely other people sleeping in the same room! My guide has never done it himself (the tradition is slowly disappering), but he used to help his big brother. They would push him up and he would open the window with his small hands and someone would take him back home, or sometimes he would wait there the whole night. He said he cried when it was really cold and would not want to go again for a while! Boys sometimes fell and hurt themselves or got hit by the father or the girl who thought he was a burgler!
Often we had to stop at check posts. My driver had to give his ID info and show a road permission slip for me. I even had to take it with me one day that I went walking around! On the road to Trongsa, we stopped at Gangtey, a monastery which is now empty and being renovated. It's quite interesting to see how they restore such a big place to keep the traditional style. There were a lot of rhododendrons in flower and I think white magnolias on the road. Also there are a few chorten situated on the road at high altitude where we would drive around to have a safe journey. The Trongsa Dzong is the longest one because of all the additions to it, but not the nicest one. I think the one in Punaka was the most beautiful because of all the beautifully decorated windows.
We reached Bumthang early after driving through a few nice villages and some fields. We arrived early in the afternoon and had nothing planned to do except go to the city which consists only of a very short street! Not much action there! I managed to get my guide and driver to take me up to the monastery though it wasn't on the program and I actually wanted to walk up by myself to see the people on the way. Anyways, they dropped me at the hotel after that and I went out again and got lost in the smaller streets and took pictures of the people and kids coming back from school in their cute uniforms.
The second day there we went to Tarpaling monastery. We drove up and then I had fun climbing everywhere with my guide. We went up to about 3800m for a picnic with nice views of the mountain, but it was really cold. The last day of sightseeing was finally quite busy. We went to an old monastery where some local people were visiting. Bumthang is a very holy place with many pilgrimage places. At the first place people were walking around the building caring a 30kg chain mail kind of thing to purify themselves from sins! The day before we had seen a funeral and people getting a body ready to be burned and today we saw people throwing ashes in the river. They dont' burry people here.
I had seen a few yaks on the road and monkeys and finally after 12 days I saw a first pig! People here are buddhist, but they eat a lot of meat and think food has no taste unless it contains chilies! But pig is not right to eat, so they are rarely seen around unlike in India. I stayed in Wangdue one night where there isn't much to see, just one dzong where I went to take pictures early in the morning to get the reflection in the river. My last day was spent on the road and in Phuensoling, the border city with India. Already it feels like you are in India even with the Bhutanese people walking around in their national dress. Mind you, that's the place where I saw the most old people with prayer wheels walking around a temple.
A nice journey that came to an end too quickly. Who knows, one day I might go back to visit or work. The national gross happiness reflected in the people's smile and the simple way of life is somewhat quite appealing........
