Kuzu Zangpo La!
When you visit a country that measures their GNH instead of GNP, you know you are in for another experience.
Flying into the “land of the dragon” and “the last Shangri La” also sets the expectation. Where else is soft meditative music played as your plane descends for landing?
Read Druk Air’s plane magazine and soak up some helpful phrases (although English seemed to be widely spoken). And know that “La” is added to the end of things not only as a sign of respect, but also to make the language sound more musical.
Go for a window seat on the left side of the plane for a possible sighting of Mt. Everest on your flight. Even if you don’t see it, you’ll want to admire the stunning mountains and valleys as you fly into Paro, currently Bhutan’s only international airport.
I’ve been trying to find the adjective that sums up our seven days/six nights and impressions of this magical country. I’m not quite sure I have my finger on it- it may be as simple as magical. Or blessed. Here goes.
As we were heading to our bus, a small crowd was gathering in the airport parking lot. Turns out the second highest Abbott was arriving, and people were hoping to receive a blessing. Our guide Kesang (pronounced Kay-saw) encouraged us to hurry over and receive a blessing. So we did. Dorji Lopen was not phased by this small group of western visitors and blessed us. Our guide had just given us scarves with the eight auspicious symbols and it seemed they were taking effect.
Bhutan is a Buddhist country, so our trip was full of temples, dzongs (castles/monasteries/administrative centers), and stupas (shrines for meditation).
When we visited the Big Buddha on our second day, one of the highest female monks and teachers was present leading prayers. Additional auspiciousness.
In the capital city, Thimphu, our hotel overlooked the clock tower square where families enjoy bouncy houses and everyone gathers to sing. Our visit coincided with the semi-finals of Bhutan’s version of American Idol. How fun! (The hotel did provide ear plugs in case you didn’t want to hear the music or barking dogs.)
After two days In Thimphu, we headed over the Dochula Pass to the Punakha valley. As the elevation climbs to over 10,000 feet, you may or may not be able to see some of the Himalayan peaks. Again we were lucky! We wandered the Druk Wangyal Chortens, made up of 108 stupas (108 is a spiritual number - darn it, Bhutan is country 106 for me- so close!), and took a short hike to a meditation cave.
We also happened to be in Bhutan for the “Blessed Rainy Day” holiday, which marks the end of the monsoon season. We could not have had more beautiful, temperate weather for our. We experienced one short afternoon downpour and some rain on our hike to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery, but otherwise we were blessed again.
Two days in Punakha and the final two back in Paro. After our walk across Bhutan’s longest suspension bridge in Punakha, we stopped for ice cream. In this tiny shop we met Raj from Kolkata. We enjoyed trading stories about our time in Kolkata and his visits to the USA. A few days later we ran into him again on our Tiger’s Nest hike.
Bhutan is a small country both geographically (a little shy of 15,000 sq mi) and population-wise (a little shy of 800,000). It is high in elevation with windy roads, so traveling further than the western part in a week’s time would be tricky, and travelers are likely to visit the same highlights. But it was fun to meet our new friend Raj again.
Our guide never talked specifically about Bhutan’s philosophy of GNH, but in describing certain policies and attitudes toward economic & tourism development, a year of service/skill building for all youth after completing school, opportunities for women empowerment, accessibility of the monarchy…you can see the power of the GNH. I think Buddhism (religion or philosophy depending on your perspective), with its kindness and generosity to others, must factor into this.
The admiration of the royal family is quite evident as well. Photos of the king, queen (whose father is an airline pilot), and their children are everywhere. Shops, homes or restaurants would have at least one framed photo. However, it didn’t feel like Thailand where billboards of the king felt like a massive royal marketing campaign. The Bhutan royal family members are also heavily involved in philanthropic causes in the country. And they are out and about - our guide has had several meetings with the king.
At a time when American politics seem, well …. ugly, the Bhutanese adoration and trust in the monarchy was a sharp contrast. The king was in Australia when we were there, but we did pass a royal motorcade on the way to Paro. Somehow it felt auspicious again.
Some random tidbits about Bhutan:
Archery is the national sport, but you will also see a type of darts being played. The women with more scarves have won more matches.
An erect penis is used as wall art on stores and houses (and souvenirs). It is not meant as a fertility symbol, but rather to make people smile and ward off the evil eye.
Bhutanese cooking does not use spices but chilies for flavor. Our guide ensured our meals served “baby food” with mild or no chilies, along with at least one option for us to try a more spicy food. Our meals were delicious.
The Bhutanese wine we drank was also delicious - grapes came from South Africa, but the wine was made in Bhutan.
You will see some western clothing, but traditional dress is worn widely.
Some practical tips:
If you suffer from altitude sickness, or think you might, it is wise to have altitude medication.
If you suffer from motion sickness, bring medication for this as well. Most roads are windy.
If you use an iPhone’s weather app, Punakha will pull up weather for the Dochula Pass (generally much colder than the Punakha valley).
Bhutan is expensive to visit - Bhutan’s Department of Tourism sets a 100 USD per person, per night fee for sustainable development. And it is a long way to go from the US.
On the eastern edge of the Himalayas, many visitors are drawn to nature and the hiking opportunities. The Tiger’s Nest Monastery hike (climbing to elevation of 10,240 feet above sea level from starting point of 8, 525 ft above sea level) is one of Bhutan’s most popular attractions.
I am glad I accomplished the hike, but for me, the draws are the serenity and kindness of the people, the beauty of the landscapes, and the sense of being in a place that is genuinely trying to get life right.
Wellness Roundup
This has been a long post again, so I will keep this short. Boxes were all ticked for movement, hydration, stress and nutrition. Sleep was not as good (beds in Bhutan tended to be hard), but the overall feeling of wellness and peace far outweighed any sleep concerns.
That’s it for now. If you go, may you have a journey as blessed as ours.
Bon Voyage & Bon Appétit!
P.S. The blue dress made it....
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