Janie and I spent a most memorable week in Bhutan as part of our trip to Delhi, Bhutan, Nepal and Dubai in the spring of 2000, looked after by a wonderful guide, Pema Gyalpo.
This page links to all of the Bhutan pages, the photographs and a music sample.
Actually, let’s start with the music sample. I bought just one album on that trip: Endless Songs From Bhutan by Jigme Drukpa. Here’s one of the tracks.
Here are links to the pages I have written about our visit.
The best of the pictures are included in the articles, but if you would like to see the albums in full, all of them (more than 180 pictures) are included in two Flickr albums, links in the list and also with embedded links below.
Incredible luck at Dochu La – we could see the Bhutanese Himalayas clearly.
Rose early (5:45) for early set off. Left at 7:10 (more or less on time for once) for Thimpu.
We snapped one or two street scenes – we’d done a lot of snapping on the outbound journey along this route.
Collected air tickets and did email to Fiona…
I have no idea why Pema hid behind a tree at this juncture. Perhaps he thought I was going to complain about him to our Steppes East agent, Fiona. Perish the thought. I think it was just a query about one of our onward flight documents that I wanted checked/confirmed ahead of potential problems at the airport.
Then on to Thimpu weekend market which did a lot more for us: – trinkets, vegetables, spices, etc…
…and newspapers – my letter has been published in full! On to see the archers, followed by lunch at Plums
Not every day I see my letter in the press. Pema looks underwhelmed, or at least unsurprised.
After lunch set off for Paro. We actually saw and snapped Himalayas at Dochu La! [See headline picture]…
Liked the look of the vistas a lot. Did not like the look of that forest fire.
Checked into hotel somewhat tentatively as a big forest fire seemed mighty close and there was no electricity. Went off touring anyway – took pictures of Paro Dzong, museum etc…
…then up to ruins of Drukgyel Dzong for stunning photos
…on to start of trial – then back to see round stunning Kykhu Lhakhang (really old monastery).
Then back feeling very nervous via Olathang Hotel, which has room. (By this time I have concluded the Druk Hotel is not a good idea).
We get leave to leave from the manager who is in a conference with a three star general) and flee to an Olathang Cottage (which I like but at first Daisy doesn’t), as our sense of humour fades as fast as the day!
We learnt afterwards that the Druk Paro did not burn down, but it did smell smoky and was without power for quite some time.
Photographs from this day are pictures 053 to 085 in the album you can click through below:
Thimpu – the only capital city in the world with no traffic lights.
Wrote to Kuensel about risk reward and financial exchanges. Set off via water purchase and Kuensel offices in direction of Punakha.
Pema and I enter the Kuensel offices, where Pema explains to one of the journalists that it will be in everyone’s interests if they publish a letter by such an eminent English writer as me.
Went to Dochula – couldn’t see Himalayas through mist. On through Thinleygang Valley and then on through Punakha Chuu.
The vistas on that part of the journey, through the valleys, were stunning. The above a mere smattering of the pictures we took.
Then lunch at Punakha Hotel. Okay. On to Punakha Zhong – no photos inside and somewhat disturbing take the forced labour to complete the works. Very beautiful nonetheless.
On to Dechen Cottages…
Lush scenes on the way to Dechen Cottages
…which we have been told are rustic, but the lack of electricity (we’ve been warned) plus lack of stone bath (which was why we have chosen the place) and lack of hot water (ouch, it was cold) induced us to seek a little more comfort elsewhere.
Fell on our feet by checking out a new hotel we passed on the way, Meri Puensum Resort, with a much nicer look than Punakha Hotel. We ate Chinese style (garlic chicken, pork with mushroom, mixed veg) – early night.
Our photos from this day are 093 to 096 from the first album and 001 to 018 from the second – click album links below:
Breakfast of stuffed paratha (ate little as squitty)…
We had a room with a view…this view… at the Druk Hotel
…then set off on trip to Tango monastery. Saw Queen Mother’s house, Royal Guards Training Centre and villages along the way.
Pema told us that the climb to Cheri might take 2 1/2 hours – in fact we did it in just over one hour including no rest. He must have thought that we were really feeble.
Back in the day, I could tie my own shoelaces and walk quickly up and down hills
So were we visiting Tango or were we visiting Cheri? It’s so unclear from my notes. But it turns out, the monastery we visited is known as Tango Cheri. Sounds like a soft drink that wouldn’t appeal to my taste, but let’s leave that aspect to one side.
Tango is truly beautiful although we were only permitted to see outside the buildings as a venerable visitor was about to leave.
Our bonus was to walk down with and befriend the farewell party.
Yaks at Dodina – the foot of the Tango Cheri trail
Back to Thimpu for lunch at [Hotel] 89 – tried Momos and other stuff (did Ged eat too much?). On to visit takins in semi captivity. (Ged felt strange affinity with them).
Frankly, the resemblance is uncanny
Back to hotel for squits and short meeting with Pema’s boss. Spent evening squitting and reading.
All the pictures from this day can be found in the following Flickr album – Nos 62 to 92:
First stop, Memorial Chorten – stupa with pretty prayer wheels – walked around and couldn’t go in.
“Walked around but couldn’t go in” was a recurring theme when we toured Bhutan at that time. Given the high level of per capita per diem tax that we tourists had to pay to visit Bhutan at that time, it seemed a little churlish also to deny those visitors access to the very things they might have gone there to see.
Some places were less restrictive than others and I recall Pema blagging us in to one or two places where we thought we were going to be denied entry. For example:
Second stop Changangkha Lhakhang Monastery (not usually available to the public), where the monks chanted and let us look around
Then on to the indigenous hospital, where we had an audience with the registrar of the hospital. We had a look around the grounds…
…then onto painting school – sculptures, carvings, thangkas…
…and then on to library – being renovated.
Ian & Pema check out the library
The post office, then lunch at Pema’s house. Chime cooked us dried pork, phasha ba, potatoes & cheese, and red rice. We also tried salt butter tea (no ta!) and Arra [Bhutanese rice wine] (OK).
Butter tea has never worked for me, wherever I have tried it. Rice wine concoctions, on the other hand…
It was an unusual but not unique experience for us to receive generous hospitality in the homes of our guides while on our travels. Visiting Abdel & his family in Aleppo three years earlier springs to mind…
But one aspect of our home visit to Pema’s house was especially memorable. In Bhutanese culture, visiting friends homes for meals is relatively common, but the custom is to leave immediately after eating the last mouthful of food. We were aware of that. Indeed, Pema had told us about that.
As we ate our last mouthful, I said to Pema, “shouldn’t we now go?”, to which Pema said, “oh no, we follow Western customs in our house. Stay and try some arra”, which we did.
The expression on Chime’s face, however, suggested that she was a little discombobulated by this more western custom:
Chime (thinks): “Why haven’t they gone yet?”
The other lesson I learnt that day, and have learnt over again on the several but rare occasions that I have taken alcohol during the day…is, in my case, don’t!
Don’t fall over!
One final point about Pema’s house and Bhutanese cultural mores. It is traditional for homes to be emblazoned with particular images. Pema’s house was no exception, which Janie ensured she captured for posterity in this photo:
Last I heard from Pema about the baby in the picture – he was in Australia doing a masters degree!
…then saw the King [while we were] on a short photo stop! Then home – out again shopping (got some mats and toego jacket this time). Special order supper of pork, chicken, beans in cheese and red rice.
Red rice really is “the thing” in Bhutan. It is said to have the highest nutritional value of all rice species. Don’t all rush out and buy some at once, readers.
All of the photos from this day are contained in the following Flickr album – Nos 33 to 61:
Crack of dawn start – brought toast and bacon to our room – off at 5:30 for airport. After excess baggage debacle, said goodbye temporarily to Delhi and flew off to Paro via Kathmandu.
A neurotic American woman got off at Kathmandu and then returned flustered and apologetic. She turned out to be the tour guide from American group!
Bhutan’s sole airport
Drove from Paro to Thimpu – not an especially spectacular drive. We were driven by our guide Pema, as our driver is ill.
Pema Gyalpo was a wonderful guide for our week in Bhutan. I have a feeling he ended up being our driver and guide throughout the week. We’re still in touch, 25 years later (as I write) and I’ll write more on him as the story of our journey unfolds.
Had lunch at Plums (pork, noodles, potato cheese, rice) then checked into hotel before heading off to shops.
Farce at handicraft emporium where our chosen goods got lost between the ticketing and the payment booth!
Found a small shop with a wacky lady, Tsering Dolkar, who will hopefully make Janie a Toego.
Back to hotel for rest, supper and early night.
The re are other pictures from this day, within the Flickr album below – Nos 21 to 32:
