Glimpses into Bhutan in the Year 2000 – A Travel Diary Part 2

 

 

 

Guides and friends

7^th of October

Great drive from Phuentsholing to Thimphu. However, the road is in bad conditions. We see some beautiful landscapes. 9 hours drive for 150 km.

A sign at a checkpoint says: "Urinating is strictly prohibited in this area".

In the meantime I had invented the “Pure Indian Ayurvedic Chewing Gum” - it has been a long drive and my mind wandered off now and then.

A vulture rose from somewhere. We saw a monkey that looked different from the monkeys we had seen in Sikkim and West Bengal. "It's a good sign," commented Nami. A golden langur?

In the evening J. told me: "C. said: this is Deutsche Welle - and someone winced." J. back then worked at Deutsche Welle.

Evening stroll. Chewed betel twice.

The head of the tourism company tries very hard for us because we are staying in an apartment; but it's not such a bad idea and it actually suits us.

Read an old edition of Kuensel (Bhutan's National Newspaper) in English. There was an article talking about the "disfigured Chendebji Chhörten after the robbery attempt".

8^th of October
Thimphu lies at an altitude of 2300 m, so C. and J. were frozen and slept badly. I felt comfortable, however.
The Chapchan Pass is 3200 m high.
The day before I saw a young woman in purple national dress and a yellow scarf; everything looked beautiful about her.

First we went to the viewpoint today. There is a view of the Dzong and the Royal Palace. Then we went onwards to a zoo, where one can see the takin (Burdorca taxicolor), which is also called cattle chamois or gnu goat, whose classification had been controversial for a long time. But it is also the national animal of Bhutan.

There is an old little monastery near our apartment - ChangangKha-Lhakhang. There I saw an old nun doing her rounds and knocking the prayer wheels so that they turned. I also watched a monk shave another's head.

 

 

Prayer wheels

 

 

Mani stones  

from: Om mani padme hum

 

 

The head shave

 

 

The monastery's kitchen

Then on to the Dzong where a festivity was held, the highlight of Thimphu Dabchhen. Everyone appeared in festive clothes - except for the tourists, some of which stood out embarassingly. I was sitting in the middle of a group of Bhutanese people. Children and women leaned against me or sat halfway on my lap. Police officers with caps went around to make people sit down so that one could see something from behind. Otherwise no headgear was allowed. After all, it was a religious ceremony. I also saw some policewomen in front of the dzong. Entry was controlled by a metal detector. The dances didn't interest me as much as the folk festival itself and the attending people.

The women wear long skirts and short jackets that look great on them. They seem to prefer shiny fabrics. There was also a lot of silk on display today. I was particularly interested in the Chinese motifs and could make out the symbol for long life (寿).

Doma – betel nut
Panne – leaf
Chinne – quick lime
On asks for doma, which is what I did.

Five people on a motorcycle, as I had seen already years ago elsewhere in Asia.
 

 
Later we passed Simthoka Dzong.

Dochen-la -: 3200 m, but without a view of the Kula Kangri (7541 m).
The rhododendrons and magnolia forests are currently without flowers, so they are not that special to look at. However, the views were excellent.
We passed a cremation site for the dead, but there wasn't much to see. I had watched cremations at Nepal two years ago.

Punakha (1200 m) -: it is humid here and the chirping of the crickets is intense.