Bhutan - the Elusive Kingdom

By: Kelen
Source: Traveljournals.net

When planning our big adventure, we never discussed Bhutan. It really wasn't on the radar of countries we thought to visit. We had booked tickets through to India, and from there we hoped to head to Nepal for some serious trekking through the Himalayas, and after that onto Southeast Asia. But as you might know from reading our India journal, a successful campaign by our parents against travel to Nepal convinced us to change our plans. That's when the idea of Bhutan started coming into focus. We knew we wanted to trek, and many Nepal trekking companies lead tours in Bhutan. So we started researching the country and our options.

One of the more surprising and possibly challenging things we learned at the outset is that Bhutan requires you book your trip through a tour company and pay a daily tariff of two hundred dollars each. Such a steep price tag for such an elusive country meant our stay would be limited. We needed a program that highlighted Bhutan's cultural and natural attractions in the shortest time possible. So we booked an eight day excursion that provided us with a guide, a driver and time for a three day mountain trek.

Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon, is landlocked by Tibet, China and India. It's compared to Switzerland for size and natural beauty, including snow capped peaks, rolling hills, mountain goats (AND men who wear argyle socks). The government enforces a strict environmental policy of protecting at least 60 percent of the nation's forests: currently they dedicate more than 70 percent to wilderness. As a result, hundreds of exotic species of plants and animals are flourishing in this pristeen environment. We came to learn that this tiny kingdom held the greatest bio-diversity acre for acre in all of Asia.

Our journey to Bhutan began after more than a month in India. We entered through the Bhutan Gate on the Indian border in Jaigon. We had just left a country hemmoraging with a billion people for one with barely 700,000 people: we noticed the solitude immediately. Without interruption or offers from taxi or tuk-tuk drivers, we walked to meet our guide and driver at the Druk Hotel. We enjoyed a relaxing lunch in an empty air-conditioned restaurant, then climbed into a sparkling deluxe SUV for a six hour drive to the capital, Thimpu. As we soon learned, travel through Bhutan is best done in a comfy SUV, because roads are the only option for cross-country travel on one national highway.

We bumped along the road realizing that our 180 kilometer drive would provide a wonderful introduction to the amazing Bhutanese scenery. The lush mountainside was breathtaking. We marveled at the endless terraced hills planted with the main staple (and Indian export) rice. Our guide pointed out the many large pointed clay structures dotting the hills. The memorial stupas or chortens contain religious artifacts or information about the deceased. Flowing around the chortens are Bhuddist prayer flags. Our guide, Sangay explained there are always 108, either colored flags symbolizing good luck or all white signifying a recent death.

Almost 70 percent of Bhutan's population practices a special kind of Bhuddism called Mahayana. The mission is to live in harmony with the complexities and mysteries of nature. This plays out in their commitment to protecting the environment. For example, people are less likely to pollute the water if they believe that a certain spirit may inhabit a lake or stream. Likewise, because killing animals for food is also against their religion, many people either don't eat meat or they buy it from non-Bhuddists.
Religion touches all aspects of Bhutanese life, as we learned from visiting a college where young people were mastering traditional arts. Every carving, clay statue and silk embroidery mirrored centuries old Tibetan Bhuddist imagery. Graduates are hired to restore the old temples or dzongs, or to construct new temples based on the ancient traditions. Most Bhutanese architecture is highlighted with the unique carvings of the dharma wheel of life or sacred Lotus flower. As we traveled throughout the western part of the country we saw many examples of old and new religious architecture.

Our travels in Bhutan showed us that not a lot has changed over time. The weekend market which flourished hundreds of years ago as a way for farmers to sell their crops continues to this day. Alongside the slender stalks of asparagus, they now sell beautiful handicrafts. In the capital city, we saw many young people sporting western style clothing, but just as common were others wearing the traditional Bhutanese garb.

Men wear a Gho which looks like a knee-length robe with a pouch in the front in which they can store a myriad things - think Mary Poppins' carpet bag and you get the idea. Usually the Gho is accompanied by argyle soxes and leather shoes. Women wear a Kira, a floor length dress of cotton that wraps around their waist, over a blouse and is secured at the shoulder with a large pin. The Bhutanese are required to wear the national dress to school; if they have a government job; visit monasteries; national museums or monuments; attend festivals or when attending to any offical business.

Once we began our trek into the wilderness, the passage of time was even harder to see. So many of the farmhouses built three hundred years ago are still in use today. The ground floor is kept for the farm animals. The second floor for food storage and the third floor houses the family. During our trek, we passed many crumbling farmhouses being restored.

Our trek of three days, two nights began in the Gangte valley. We started walking in a lush valley but soon the trail switched to sloping blue pine forest. The steep mountainside was highlighted with a variety of blooming rhododendrons, purple primula, and yellow and white magnolias. We were surprised by how quickly the trail became a challenge. The quick change in elevation and the zig-zagging back and forth (going from 9,500 feet to a little over 11,000 feet) made us breathless. We were proud but exhausted upon reaching the prayer flags marking Tsele La.

Trekking in Bhutan is unlike any form of hiking or camping either of us had ever done. First, everything was carried for us - our packs; the tents; the food were all strapped to the backs of horses and one very strong horsewoman (who was punished with carrying part of the load because her horse ran away the night before). We were responsible for our day packs with water, a camera, sunscreen and our lunch (hardly a load). When we reached the campsite our tents were set up, the cook was preparing our food and all we had to do was roll out our sleeping bags. There was our two person tent, a kitchen tent, dining tent and a toilet tent. Once Sangay dug a hole and hung a roll of t.p.: presto, a bathroom.

We reached camp by climbing to a mountain pass and then walking back down into another valley. All of our campsites were in the valley. The first night we were beside a small stream, and the next day in the middle of a cow pasture where the curious locals would wander over and stare. After a day of trekking for 15 kilometers through the meadows and mountains, we were perfectly happy to accept tea with biscuits and later enjoy a delicious candlelit dinner for two.

Our meals in Bhutan consisted of the same few ingredients - potato, rice and different kinds of vegetables. At the times we ate in hotels, the dishes were closer to Indian food: emphasizing starch and a lot of curry. Bhutanese food is based around the main staple of rice and hot peppers. Although they worry westerns can't handle spicy food so hot food comes only by request. Most of our meals consisted of a starch or 2, stir fried vegetables and sometimes pork or chicken and dessert. One particularly memorable meal was devoted to starch - tofu (for protein), pasta, potatoes and rice. Each morning on the trek, we woke to the sound of roosters crowing or cows being led to pasture. Sangay served us tea in our tent, gave us warm water for bathing and served us a hearty breakfast.

The final morning of our trek, the cook served our favorite breakfast - freshly cut french fries, eggs and toast with peanut butter (a rarity in Asia) and of course, tea. Just as breakfast was finishing, there was a great commotion on the far side of the meadow from our camp. A farmer was leading his cows to pasture and one of the bulls got mad at another bull and broke rank to attack. The other bull, sensing the attack, also broke rank and the two charged eachother locking horns as they clashed. This greatly upset the farmer who quickly tried to keep his remaining cows from joining the trouble. The two bulls with locked horns continued to drift closer to our campsite. We jumped up from the breakfast table to watch the bull fight play out. The bulls were coming so close that Sangay was worried they might decide to charge us. Just when it looked like both bulls were running towards us, the weaker of the two backed down. He retreated and the other one ran off. In the end, the farmer got his cows back in line and everyone enjoyed a little morning excitement.

Our final day of trekking was less challenging than the first, aside from the addition of hot sun and flies. Walking carefully down the steep mountainside, we watched young Bhutanese farmers bent over their fields as they transplanted rice. We both agreed that three days was the perfect length for a trek. We were lucky that the weather was warm, not too hot, and that rain hadn't thwarted our efforts by muddying the trail, which is common in springtime. We also agreed that by deciding to trek in Bhutan we had a very unique opportunity: to experience how a part of the world in many ways avoids the influences of the modern society which is beaconing just across the border. With only about 5,000 visitors a year, it will take awhile longer before the 21st century makes an impact on Bhutan's way of life.

Our final night in Bhutan we requested a traditional Bhutanese style meal complete with hot chillies. Sangay was happy to oblige. He arranged for us to eat at a local restaurant run by a sweet young couple. For the first time during our stay, Sangay and the driver, Preem joined us at dinner. The homestyle meal was served in the couple's sitting room. They prepared simple yet fresh and delicious food - steamed asparagus, red Bhutanese rice, dried beef with spinach, and dried and fresh chillies with cheese, and lots of tea. Just as the husband was refilling our cups, the electricity went out. Moments later his wife appeared with two candles sticking out of pop bottles.

After we ate our fill, Sangay reached into the pouch of his Gho and presented us with evaluation forms and parting gifts from him and Preem - two white satin prayer shawls. They told us the scarves were gifts for good luck because they contained eight auspicious symbols and would protect us on our travels. This was also their way of saying they hoped we had a good trip, were happy with his services and enjoyed our experience. We told him he was a wonderful guide and that we had had an amazing adventure. Then he added, "you come here for culture and nature. Of course our country doesn't have the same things that you have in your country, but your country doesn't have the same things offered with a visit to our country." Sangay's words ring true and we only hope that the uniqueness of his tiny kingdom remains unspoiled for future generations.