Expect the Unexpected...

By Brett
Dates Traveled: October 2001

Source: Travel Website of Brett Voegele

Phuentsholing

On the way through India to the Bhutan border I saw a sign along the road which said, "Expect the unexpected". That could be India's national motto! The drive towards Bhutan was very nice, as it passed through tea plantations and green hillsides. I knew I was going to like Bhutan when I asked my guide a question. He thought for a minute before confessing to not knowing the answer and said he'd look it up and get back to me. I prefer that honesty to what occurs in some countries - such as India. They are too anxious to please, so will always provide an answer - even if they have no real idea what they're talking about. It means that you end up polling several people and going with the majority, which can be frustrating and time consuming.

The first stop in Bhutan was the border town of Phuentsholing, which is like border towns everywhere - non-descript, dirty, noisy, and a strange blend between the two countries. The following day we took the 6 1/2 hour (though only 170 km) drive to Paro. The highway is only about 1 3/4 vehicles wide, which means that you have to hang a few wheels off the road every time you pass or meet an oncoming car. There are also several cars, dogs, cows, and people on the road, and oncoming cars often stop to talk for a bit - blocking the entire road. The pavement is destroyed in places due to water runoff or rockslides, and there are several people along the road - normally women with their small children, breaking rocks into gravel with hammers to fill in the numerous potholes. Bhutan has very steep, green forested hills, with many waterfalls and rivers. Most major towns are situated in a river valley. The road continuously climbs out of one valley, winding along the various side valleys, before topping out on a prayer-flag covered pass and descending into the next valley. Going anywhere by road takes a long time, and you're constantly thrown from one side of the vehicle to the other, as there are no straight stretches.

Paro

Paro isn't the capital, but does boast the country's international airport. It's a picturesque town, with the very nice national museum and a dzong - or fortress. These are found throughout the Kingdom of Bhutan, and often serve as both administrative offices and monastery, and is the location of the various dance and mask festivals throughout the year. They basically look like the monasteries you may have seen in pictures of Tibet, such as the Potala in Lhasa. The local homes are very unique, both architecturally with their cross-beams and window designs, but also in the paintings around the windows and doors, on the trim, and larger tigers, snow leopards, or other motifs on the side of some buildings. Very nice. Everywhere you turn in Bhutan you are confronted with prayer flags - some small 1 foot square flags strung together, and other single - 1' X 15-20' flags on a pole by themselves. Very peaceful to see them and to hear them flapping in the breeze. Buddhists believe that the prayers written on the flags will be dispersed on the wind.

That first morning in Paro we hiked up to about 9600' to a point where we could look directly across to Taktsang - the Tiger's Nest monastery. If people have seen anything from Bhutan, this was probably it. It's a monastery perched precariously on a vertical cliff. It's a dramatic setting - quite amazing, though I would come to expect that in Bhutan, as most monasteries are perched someplace spectacular - hilltops or cliff faces. Some of the monastery burned down in '98, but they are in the process of rebuilding, with most of the outside completed. It was truly amazing - one of the things I had really wanted to see in Bhutan, and I wasn't disappointed in the least.I next met Yeshup, the owner of the company I was traveling with, while in Paro and we hit it off immediately. He had already cut me a good deal for my week's stay in Bhutan.

Bhutan is attempting to limit the number of tourists that visit - thereby maintaining some of their culture and not becoming as westernized as countries such as Nepal. To that end, everyone is required to spend US$200/day, for the duration of their stay. That includes a guide, accommodations, food, driver, etc. If you are traveling on your own, there is a US$40/day extra charge, or a total of US$240/day.....not exactly budget travel, especially compared to the US$7/day I was spending in India. Since Yeshup's agent from the States had canceled his familiarization tour of Bhutan after the events of September 11th, Yeshup made me his agent, which meant I could do the trip for $180/day. Once in the country he told me he could extend my stay by a week and I would pay a minimal charge, which was too good to pass up. Yeshup has traveled to Australia, the States, Nepal, India, Singapore, Thailand, etc., and so knows what a single traveler would want, so we fit perfectly. He seemed to know everybody throughout Bhutan, so I was shown the true Bhutan - friend's homes, farmhouses, restaurants of friends, etc., and was able to talk to many Bhutanese from all walks of life. A great opportunity. The Bhutanese are a fantastic people - always smiling, laughing, and teasing each other. It was a lot of fun.

We also did things more budget, rather than the way he would run a trip with most of his clients, which suited me to a tee. On a large group tour you're insulated from the true culture, as the food that is prepared has to be toned down, and you won't get the rot-gut alcohol, strange food, etc., but I was able to partake in everything. Every meal we had ema datse - the national dish. It is simply chilis in a light cheese sauce, and it will set you on fire! Most countries use chilis sparingly for flavor, but in Bhutan that is the main meal - the vegetable, which accounts for all the chilis you see drying on the rooftops of the homes. We also drank ara, which is a kerosene-tasting alcohol which we drank several nights - usually finishing a 1 1/2 liter bottle between the two of us. We also had our share of bang changg (pronounce bung chung), a warm wheat beer, and sing changg, the same but cold. Dried yak cheese comes in squares about 1 inch square, and you end up chewing on each piece for about an hour, as it's rock hard. Doma, or betel nut, is found in both India and Bhutan, and accounts for most people having red teeth. It's a nut, with a bit of lime paste, wrapped in a leaf. Some people spit out the resulting red liquid, which provides the distinctive red splotches on the sidewalks. Swallowing the fluid provides a slight buzz for a few minutes. I'd only have about one a day, but they would have them one after another. People that Yeshup introduced me to would look shocked when he told them I ate ema datse, yak cheese, ara, bang changg, doma, etc., but I figure if you're going to go to a country you should experience it the way the locals live. Much more interesting. Bhutanese believe that evil spirits can't bend their heads to pass through a doorway (no comments from those of you who know how often I smack my head on stuff when I travel!) and so all doors are short. The doors also have a small step in them, so the evil spirits can't flow across the ground, meaning that one has to step up and bend down when passing through all doors. Let's just say that at 6'2", I was a whole lot of evil walking around, bumping my head.

Thimphu

After Paro we drove the 1 1/2 hours to the capital of Thimphu - another town in a river valley. I enjoyed Thimphu, as we visited a place where they created the various carvings, religious paintings, sculptures, etc., and then went someplace to watch them make paper. We visited the Memorial Chorten and witnessed the monks chanting and performing a ceremony, and visited several other monasteries. We saw the national animal - the takin, which looks like a cow with a goats head. As in all of Bhutan, both the men and women wear a traditional outfit. For the men, the kho is a long robe that is hiked up to just below the knees and tied with a sash, and is worn with knee-high socks. The pattern of the material is usually some sort of check. For the women, the kira is a large sheet of bright material wrapped around the body to form a dress, and is usually worn with a small jacket.

Bumthang District

From Thimphu we headed 9 1/2 hours east to the district of Bumthang, which sounds like something somebody would yell towards you at a disco, "Hey, you, shake that bum thang", until you realize that it's pronounced boom tong. Jakar is the major village in this area where four valleys meet, and the area contains much of the early culture of the Kingdom. We walked around the valley to several monasteries. We happened to be there on an auspicious day, so there were many offerings and ceremonies to witness.

In Bumthang we also did a short two-day hike. The first night we spent with a family in a remote village. Homes are actually quite large, with a clay wood-fired oven in the kitchen used for cooking, which tends to smoke the house. There is no electricity, so it was fun to sit in the kitchen, talk, drink, and eat by candlelight. There is also a room with an alter for the offerings and prayers, as well as some bedrooms. The living quarters are usually found on the second floor at the top of a very steep ladder. In the past the ground floor would have been used for animals, but this is less common today. That night we sat around a fire outside while some of the local people sang songs and danced for us. They were shy at first, but eventually got into it and were still going 3 1/2 hours later. It was a magical evening.

Road Back to Thimphu

After completing the trek and spending another night in Jakar we were on the road back towards Thimphu. We stopped for lunch at Chendebji Chorten, a large Nepalese-style stupa by a small stream, surrounded by prayer flags. Very peaceful. We made a side trip up the Phobjikha Valley to the Gangte Goemba - an impressive monastery, before finally reaching Wangdi and our stopping point for the night. Throughout the Bumthang district we saw people harvesting buckwheat - cutting it by hand, and separating the grain by repeatedly throwing everything into the air and whacking it with a stick until all the grains had fallen to a tarp on the ground. The grain was then fed into a water-driven mill to be ground into flour.The next day we progressed to Punakha and it's dzong - fortress/monastery. This is impressive, and is the site of one of the many Bhutanese festivals, though I wasn't lucky enough to witness one....next time.

Thimphu

Back in Thimphu I did a bit of wandering around, and attended the weekend market. It's geared more to the locals with the selling of fruits and vegetables, but there is also a fairly extensive handicraft section for tourists.I also witnessed the national sport - archery. Teams shoot arrows from about 150 yards at a 1' x 2' target, and perform specific dances when the target is hit. They also play the same game with darts which are thrown by hand, from about 30 yards, at a 3" x 10" target. Entertaining to witness.

We decided to do another short two-day hike above Thimphu, so hiked a few hours above town to a monastery - a mini Tiger's Next perched on a steep cliff. We had to wait at a lower monastery for the caretaker to lead us to the upper monastery. I was expecting a wizened man, but was instead greeted with monks-in-study of 13 and 14 years. We sat around the kitchen that night talking, joking, and playing games with the two kids, who seem to walk a fine line between peaceful, grown-up monks and two little kids. It was an amazing place to spend the night, as we could look down on the lights of Thimphu.

The following day we awoke to a view over a carpet of clouds - obscuring Thimphu, but offering some views of the Himalaya. We then hiked up over the top of the ridge and to a small lake, where we cast fishing line wound around an aluminum can into the lake, reeling in 4 small trout, which were prepared for my lunch the following day at a restaurant back in Thimphu. A great way to spend a few days.

Bhutan Is...

After Thimphu I traveled back to Paro for my flight out of Bhutan and into Kathmandu, Nepal. Bhutan is a wonderful country - one of the best I've been fortunate enough to see. The people are amazing, there is some wonderful culture, great festivals, and some fantastic outdoor pursuits. The 28 day snowman trek is considered one of the most difficult in the world. I will certainly return, as I'd like to get farther East, I'd like to see one of the festivals, and want to do a longer trek. If anybody is interested in traveling to Bhutan - and I highly recommend it, let me know and I'll give you Yeshup's information. He is a fantastic guide - many of the other people that were in the country with different guides were actually taking his card to give to their friends back home. In a country where you have to have a guide he can make or break your trip. For me, Bhutan is: tranquillity; no touts; friendly, laughing, teasing people; doma and red teeth; monasteries; traditional kho and kira outfits; dogs; ema datse; green, steep, forested hillsides; winding, poor roads; unique and beautiful architecture on homes; prayer flags flapping in the wind; road crew women breaking rocks with hammers; temples built on precarious cliffs or high mountains; archery; singing and dancing.

I will return.