Bhutan - Chillies on the Roof - 13 novembre, 2014

You know you are in a new part of the world when the pilot of the airplane mentions that Mount Everest can be seen out the left side windows. Unfortunately, I was on the right side of the plane but happily Dave was seated next to me since he had flown to Delhi to join us for the second week of the tour.  The Kingdom of Bhutan was a place we had heard about but never really thought we would be able to visit. The steep landing approach through a narrow mountain pass into the airport in Paro left no doubt that this still is an isolated and unique place

Bhutan is the last remaining Buddhist kingdom of the Himalayas and is ruled by a young king who appears to be a loved and respected leader. He became the king in 2005 when his father abdicated so the son could lead the country during their first open elections. In March of 2008, Bhutan peacefully transitioned into becoming a constitutional monarchy.  There is a strong commitment to protecting their culture so all visitors must book their trip through licensed Bhutanese tour operators and have a government approved tour guide accompany them everywhere. Our experience on this tour planned by John Allensworth was excellent as our guide Nidup was intelligent, friendly and very open in sharing his country and his Buddhist traditions with us.

Temple door

Paro Dzong

Everywhere you look in Bhutan, you see signs of the Buddhist religion and traditions. Prayer flags are strung across bridges, ravines, and between trees. The colorfully decorated temples on hillsides are visible for miles. Monks, some of whom enter the monastery as very young boys, stand out in their bright red robes as they walk through town. In a country of only 750,000 people, there are estimated to be over 7000 monks. Until the 1960's, monasteries were the only places that provided education in Bhutan but now there is a well developed public school system. 

Prayer Wheel - the prayers are thought to be activated when the wheel is spun.

And what about those chillli peppers? We saw them on roofs everywhere, drying out so they can be stored for the winter. Chillies are a dietary staple and in fact, the national dish is ema datse with green chillies prepared as a vegetable in a cheese sauce. Our meals generally were served buffet style, with an emphasis on vegetables and always included a chilli dish.

Chilis drying on the roof

A tradition of weaving textiles

Primary school students

Our guide Nidup in national dress (gho) with the addition of a scarf to enter the temple

The iron suspension bridge to Tamchhong Lhakhang

(Photo by Sally Kandel)

Our  week-long visit to Bhutan was limited to the western portion of the country. We started in Paro, the location of the only international airport and traveled to Thimpu, the capital and largest city. From there we crossed over the Dochu Lu Pass through one of the many huge areas of protected conservation land that Bhutan is known for, to the town of Punakha. Travel was slow due to narrow, mountainous roads and lots of road construction. While returning from Punakha, we were stopped along the highway for an over an hour while a tow truck retrieved a truck that had gone over an embankment. No one seemed frustrated or impatient, instead many of the occupants emptied out of the cars and trucks and we had a chance to stand in the sunshine and interact with other travelers, most of whom were Bhutanese. 

Punakha Dzong

Farmhouse and rice paddies

Russians sharing their vodka and friendly toasts at the hotel in Punakha.

Trucks at a roadblock between Punakha and Thimphu

Chortons at Dochu Lu Pass  (11,000 ft)

There is a lot of attention currently being paid to Bhutan's focus on Gross National Happiness being more important than the Gross National Product. While some may say it is campaign to attract tourists, it does seem clear that there is a strong commitment to protecting natural resources and supporting traditional values. We did see signs however that not quite everyone is basking in happiness and tranquility. There are still struggles with poverty and young people are leaving rural areas in favor of city life.

There are ethnic groups that aren't recognized as Bhutanese citizens, many of whom have Nepali heritage and have become refugees. Some have been resettled in the U.S. and Canada and interestingly, some of those young people ended up as my students at Lakewood High School. We saw some of those still in Bhutan, working along roadsides doing physical labor moving and breaking up rocks. Parents of babies and young children had them there at the worksites. Our guide acknowledged that these are issues that the government is trying to deal with as they try to protect the country from outside influences. 

Taktsang Monastery (Tiger's Nest)

The main reason that Bhutan had been on my bucket list was my desire to take the hike to Taktsang Goemba. This temple and monastery is known as "Tiger's Nest" because it clings to the side of a mountain and there is a legend that Guru Rinpoche flew to that spot on the back of a tiger to calm a local demon and then stayed to meditate in a cave for three months. Four of us from the tour group, along with our guide made the hike which takes about 2 hours up a steep trail and across a ravine.  As one approaches the site, the sounds of the large waterfall and thousands of prayer flags whipping in the wind create a beautiful soundtrack to accompany the incredible sight of the colorful temple and the lush valley below. As we descended, our guide helped us find a good spot to hang our string of prayer flags to acknowledge our appreciation of this special place.

Prayer flags are everywhere

I left Bhutan with great appreciation of their authentic culture and peaceful way of life. The country has designated over 50% of their land as protected green space and sanctuary for wildlife. It is a beautiful place that still feels fresh and unspoiled; we can only hope that they can find the balance between progress and contentment.  And on the way home, I got to sit on the right side of the plane which this time was the right side for seeing Mount Everest.

A peek at Mt. Everest