March 19-21
Hi All,
Bhutan……wow, what a delight. When we started to research the various countries in SE Asia we wanted to visit……we knew we did not have time to do them all this year……Bhutan kept coming up as a must do…….and when we learned Raj at Rhino Travel could also help us book the trip into Bhutan, we signed up for a 5 night/6 day tour……and as in Nepal, we didn’t get to see/do everything we wanted….so much to see, so little time!!!!
http://www.visitnepal.com/getaway/bhutan/bhutan_map.htm
Pratap, our guide, and Mr Ishie, our driver, met us as we exited the airport. Raj had given us all the appropriate papers to enter Bhutan so clearing Immigration & Customs was actually quite easy…..yeah!!! We arrived around 11am……there was a time change of 15 minutes……yes, really!!! After all the greetings Pratap explained we had a 1.5 hour drive from Paro to Thimphu where we will spend the next 2 nights. Wow, what a change in air quality from Kathmandu…..clean, fresh mountain air…..the elevation is around 7400′ (2250m) and the surrounding mountains range from 6500-12,500′, (2000-3800m). We noticed the altitude change immediately as both of us were short of breath….yikes…..in fact I would have a altitude headache for several days adjusting…..yep, took water with my whiskey to stay hydrated……LOL…..seriously, Advil was my friend!!!!
“Bhutan is a landlocked country in Asia and the smallest state located entirely within the Himalaya mountain range. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it is bordered by China in the north and India in the south. Bhutan lacks a border with nearby Nepal due to the Indian state of Sikkim and with Bangladesh due to the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam. Bhutan is geopolitically in South Asia and is the region’s second least populous nation after the Maldives. Thimphu is its capital and largest city, while Phuntsholing is its financial center.
The independence of Bhutan has endured for centuries and the territory was never colonized in its history. Situated on the ancient Silk Road between Tibet, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, the Bhutanese state developed a distinct national identity based on Buddhism. Headed by a spiritual leader known as the Zhabdrung Rinpoche, the territory was composed of many fiefdoms and governed as a Buddhist theocracy. Following a civil war in the 19th century, the House of Wangchuck reunited the country and established relations with the British Empire. Bhutan fostered a strategic partnership with India during the rise of Chinese communism and has a disputed border with the People’s Republic of China. In 2008, it transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy and held the first election to the National Assembly of Bhutan, that has a two party system characterizing Bhutanese democracy.
The King of Bhutan is known as the “Dragon King”. Bhutan is also notable for pioneering the concept of gross national happiness. The country’s landscape ranges from lush subtropical plains in the south to the sub-alpine Himalayan mountains in the north, where there are peaks in excess of 7,000 metres (23,000 ft). The highest mountain in Bhutan is the Gangkhar Puensum, which is also a strong candidate for the highest unclimbed mountain in the world. There is also diverse wildlife in Bhutan. In South Asia, Bhutan ranks first in economic freedom, ease of doing business and peace; second in per capita income and is the least corrupt country, as of 2016. However, Bhutan continues to be a least developed country. Hydroelectricity accounts for the major share of its exports. The government is a parliamentary democracy. Bhutan maintains diplomatic relations with 52 countries and the European Union, but does not have formal ties with the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. It is a member of the United Nations, SAARC, BIMSTEC and the Non Aligned Movement. The Royal Bhutan Army maintains extensive military relations with the Indian Armed Forces.”
We will second the “land of happiness”……all smiles, good attitudes, polite, friendly, not that curious….in fact Pratap described Bhutanese as somewhat shy and a bit arrogant. While it is considered a poor country by UN standards the nation is 5 times richer per capita than Nepal and the increased standard of living was quite striking!! We marveled throughout our visit how this country was never colonized but as we learned by visiting several fortresses of the natural defense the Himalayas offered…..but Bhutan did eventually treat with Britain….that’s why they drive of the left:)))))
We had a nice lunch then went to the Tashichhoe Dzong (castle-monastery) and National Memorial Choeten:
“Tashichhoe Dzong (“fortress of the glorious religion”)is a Buddhist monastery and fortress on the northern edge of the city of Thimphu in Bhutan, on the western bank of the Wang Chu. The Dzong originated with the building of Dho-Ngon (Blue Stone) Dzong on a hill above Thimphu River where Dechenphodrang stands by Lama Gyalwa Lhanangpa. On the 17th century, the followers of Lama Gyalwa Lhanangpa were completely crushed by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal and the Dho Ngon Dzong fell into the hands of Zhbdrung.Zhabdrung rebuilt the fortress in 1641 and renamed it Tashichho Dzong (Fortress of the auspicious religion). It has traditionally been the seat of the Druk Desi (or “Dharma Raja”), the head of Bhutan’s civil government, an office which has been combined with the kingship since the creation of the monarchy in 1907, and summer capital of the country. Tashichö Dzong was destroyed by fire three different times as well seriously damaged by an earthquake. Each time it was rebuilt by the Desi and Je Khenpo of the time. In 1962, after the capital was moved from Punakha to Thimphu, the present Dzong was rebuilt by the third king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk, as the seat of Government following a different plan from the old one.”
We were amazed of the enormity and the architecture……now it is used as a temple and government admin offices!!
“Chorten (A Tibetan Buddha Stupa which is commemorative monument usually housing sacred relics associated with the Buddha or other saintly persons): This large Tibetan-style chorten is one of the most visible religious structures in Thimphu, and for many Bhutanese it is the focus of their daily worship. It was built in 1974 as a memorial to the third king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck (1928–72). Early morning is especially tranquil as elderly people shuffle in, and spruced-up kids on their way to school whiz in and out to pay homage.The whitewashed chorten, with its sun-catching golden finial, is decorated with richly painted annexes facing the cardinal directions, and features elaborate mandalas, statues and a shrine dedicated to the popular king. Throughout the day people circumambulate the chorten, whirl the large red prayer wheels and pray at a small shrine inside the gate. Particularly charming is the dedicated group of old timers hauling away at room-size giant prayer wheels beside the main entrance.”
A very charming stupa to worship and especially seeing the older generation present. It seems several generations will live in the same house!!
OK, says Pratap, would you like to do a hike tomorrow……hmmm we say……how far and how hard…..not hard….maybe an hour…..ok, how much elevation change…..not much…..well, ok, sign us up!!!! So he drops us off at the hotel around 4:30ish…..pick you up around 8:30am tomorrow……dinner and breakfast served in the hotel restaurant…..okee dokey, see you tomorrow. Wow……getting done around cocktail time…..what a change and a welcome break…..we had been up early for the Everest flight so we needed a break. But……there is no heat in the hotel…..really…..they did put an electric heater in our room and it was fairly comfortable when we opened the door. But, no heat in the restaurant for dinner. In fact it was like that almost everywhere we went…..we asked Pratap and he said it is how people like it…..electricity is not expensive but most places only use heat in the winter…..hmmm, feels like winter to us (the first two days the air temp was high 50’s/low 60’s but chilly w/o sun and with the wind, low 40’s at night) …..nope, this is actually warm to us. So, we started wearing our coats to lunches and dinners…..we stayed warm and learned to eat fast before the food got cold…..I’d say most rooms were ~60-65*F……chilly to sit for long and eat!!!!
“Chagri Dorjeden Monastery, also called Cheri Monastery, is a Buddhist monastery in Bhutan established in 1620 by Ngawang Namgyal, 1st Zhabdrung Rinpoche, the founder of the Bhutanese state. (we called him the architect as he built several places we visited…..from Tibet). The monastery, which is now a major teaching and retreat center of the Southern Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, is located at the northern end of the Thimphu Valley about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the capital. It sits on a hill above the end of the road at Dodeyna and it takes about an hour to walk up the steep hill to reach the monastery from there. According to Bhutanese religious histories, the place was first visited by Padmasambhava in the 8th century. In the 13th century it was visited by Phajo Drugom Zhigpo the Tibetan Lama who first established the Drukpa Kagyu tradition in Bhutan.”
So we are up, had breakfast……eggs again……this is Day 14 and we are now clucking:))))) We get to the start of the hike and look up…..Pratap says see way up there, that is where we are going…..really…..you remember we told you we live on a boat……it is 8500′ here…..how high to the monastery…..hmmm, maybe 400m……great, just 1200′ elevation change…..well, Pratap was right…..it took us an hour……maybe 3 miles but it was the elevation that got us……lung/heart were working hard!!! But, wow, the views were spectacular and the monastery was amazing. It was a changing of the monk time so everyone was busy doing inventory…..they all had cell phones but the inventory was all done by hand. We got to see several of the relics and ceremonial pieces. BTW, no pictures allowed inside temples or monasteries throughout Bhutan……we always thought it a bit peculiar we were allowed to take pictures of temples in every other country we have toured so far……Bhutan wants you to experience the spirituality of Buddha and I have to say it was a treat to just concentrate on what you were seeing and listen to all the legends/myths/facts that Pratap told us. Plus in almost every temple we went inside, monks were chanting, worshiping or cleaning….it was a very reverent and respectful setting!!!!
After the 3 hour hike round trip we had lunch…..maybe one of the best meals we had in Bhutan…..the ubiquitous chicken, veges, rice but this place served fried eggplant and yummy momos…..and it was warm, the food hot and the beer cold!!!!!
From there we visited the Big Buddha overlooking Thimphu:
“This massive statue of Shakyamuni measures in at a height of 51.5 meters (169′), making it one of the largest statues of Buddha in the world. The statue is made of bronze and is gilded in gold. 125,000 smaller Buddha statues have been placed within the Buddha Dordenma statue, 100,000 8 inch tall and 25,000 12 inch tall statues respectively. Each of these thousands of Buddhas have also been cast in bronze and gilded. The throne that the Buddha Dordenma sits upon is a large meditation hall. The Buddha Dordenma is located atop a hill in Kuenselphodrang Nature Park and overlooks the Southern entrance to Thimphu Valley. The statue fulfills an ancient prophecy dating back to the 8th century A.D that was discovered by Terton Pema Lingpa (Religious Treasure Discoverer) and is said to emanate an aura of peace and happiness to the entire world.
Great Buddha Dordenma is a gigantic Shakyamuni Buddha statue in the mountains of Bhutan celebrating the 60th anniversary of fourth king Jigme Singye Wangchuck. The Great Buddha Dordenma is sited amidst the ruins of Kuensel Phodrang, the palace of Sherab Wangchuck, the thirteenth Desi Druk, overlooking the southern approach to Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan. Construction began in 2006 and was planned to finish in October 2010, however construction did not conclude until 25 September 2015. The statue was constructed at a cost of US$47 million by Aerosun Corporation of Nanjing, China, while the total cost of the entire project is well over US$100 million. Apart from commemorating the centennial of the Bhutanese monarchy, it fulfills two prophecies. In the twentieth century, the renowned yogi Sonam Zangpo prophesied that a large statue of either Padmasambhava, Buddha or of a phurba would be built in the region to bestow blessings, peace and happiness on the whole world. Additionally, the statue is mentioned in the ancient terma of Guru Padmasambhava himself, said to date from approximately the eighth century, and recovered some 800 years ago by terton Pema Lingpa.”
Wow…..was this impressive….taller than the Big Buddha we saw in Phuket by about 20’….whoa!!! However, it was cold and windy so just a quick walk around and then inside where the story of Buddha was told in vivid paintings. Plus there were about 100 monks chanting……a very spiritual moment except it was too cold for us!!! From there to the Zilukha Nunnery and some spectacular mountain views along the way. The Nunnery houses about 60 nuns!! Then from there to the National Library….to see the world’s largest book……no pictures allowed……but, very impressive. Right next to the Library was a park and close by a trade market…..a quick stroll….mostly vendors from India hawking home goods……but didn’t see anything we wanted!!!
So that was a very active 2 days in Thimphu……on to Punakha tomorrow!!!
Hope all is well!!
John
Mystic Moon
PS: http://mysticmoonvoyages.com/thimphu-bhutan/
