Sunday and Monday, March 17 and 18, 2012
Itinerary
Days 1-2 Thimphu
Kuzuzangpo La! Welcome to Bhutan.
You are met on arrival in Paro and transferred to our hotel in Thumpuh (approx 1 hour). Arrival at the Bhutanese city of Paro, our entry point, located in a beautiful valley, where a warm welcome awaits. Jovial faces, prayer flags and the cool, fresh air of this high Himalayan city are immediately noticeable.
Thimphu contrasts sharply with just about every other capital city throughout the world. It is a town without traffic lights, where no cars existed until 1962 and where all stores on the upper lane are closed on a Tuesday and on the lower lane are closed on a Wednesday to give business people a rest from their capitalist pursuits.
Although people have lived in and farmed the valley and hills bordering the Thimphu Chhu for many years, the town did not really develop until it became the capital city in 1961. Even then, population growth was not huge until it began to really increase in the 1990s.
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It took us all but one half hour of our 3 hour preflight time to check through the ticketing, bagging and security at the Delhi Airport in the wee hours of the morning when very few travelers were yet out and about. India is worried about radical Muslim terrorists.
Our flight to Bhutan was on Drukair owned and operated by the government of Bhutan. They have three planes. Our flight was quite scenic as we passed by the peaks of the Himalayas, including Mt. Everest, poking through the clouds. We approached through a small valley mountainous valley where it looked as if our wing tips could almost touch the pine trees on the sides of the mountains. This would not be an airport we would want to fly into without excellent visibility.
We descended down the plane's steps under a clear blue sky. Cool crisp mountain air was a welcome change to the smoke filled steamy air of India. The plane terminal gave us a first taste of traditional Bhutan architecture and design. An alpine flavor of hewn woods, beams and painted design are rypical of every building.
Checking into Bhutan was relatively easy. We were met by our Intrepid Guide Tzishi, dressed in traditional Bhutan dress wear, not for show, but everyday. The king established a national dress so that he could identify Bhutanese citizens at a glance from guest business travelers, workers, and tourists. There is variation in colors, but the styles are standard. The men wear a goh, heavy knee length robe tied in the middle. The robe has long cuffed sleeves to tuck cold hands in and is tied in the middle and has large inside pouches, knee length socks and shoes. When on government property, pashminas in various colors depending on whether one is of the general public or a ranking official. The women wear ankle long wrap around skirts and tailored long sleeve jackets.
Travelers coming to Bhutan must make their arrangements through a Bhutanese travel guide and pay a minimum of $250.00 up front for everyday in the country. This fee pays for a personal guide, vehicle and driver, accommodation, and meals, not including beverages. In this way, the government can manage is tourism and control tourist movement. Since the price to enter is steep, it also excludes people with lesser means and is quality control as well. Smoking is prohibited in Bhutan. There is a tarriff on travelers who bring in cigarettes for their own consumption and severe penalties for selling to Bhutanese. Bhutanese caught smoking spend three years in jail.
When we were met by our guide, we were escorted to a nice tourist bus and our driver who would be with us for the week. One other Intrepid passenger was picked up with us. We left Paro and Bhutan's only airport to weave our way through river valleys and cliffs to the capital city of Bhutan, Thumpuh, about an hour or so away. Pink peach trees filled with spring blossoms dot the country side. It is dry here and cold. The monsoon season will start in June.
We arrived at our accommodation just before noon, met our other Intrepid travelers (7 in all-5 men and 2 women). Three of us are from the USA, two are Brits living in France, and two are from Australia. With the exception of the two Aussies who are younger, the rest of us are about the same age. Our guide took us out for our first meal at a buffet specializing in traditional Bhutanese food. Chicken, rice, noodles, buckeat dumplings, stir fried cabbage and pumpkin. It was delicious.
After lunch because all of our Intrepid group had arrived, we toured the majestic fortress of Tashichhodzong, seat of parliament and office of the king, and then had the rest of the afternoon to explore town on our own.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Or group reconvened after breakfast at 9:00 a.m to visit more sites in Thumpuh
Our first stop was at the stupa memorializing Bhutan's third king.
National Memorial Chorten:
The building of this chorten was the idea of Bhutan's third King, H.M. Jigme Dorji Wangchuck ('the father of modern Bhutan'), who had wished to erect a monument to world peace and prosperity, but was unable to give shape to his idea in his lifetime due to pressures of state. After His Majesty's premature death in 1972, the Royal Family and Cabinet resolved to fulfill his wishes and erect a memorial that would perpetuate his memory as well as serve as a monument to peace. The National Memorial Chorten was consecrated on July 28, 1974. The finely executed wall paintings and delicately fashioned statues within the monument provide a deep insight into Buddhist philosophy.
Devout Buddhists visit the memorial daily spinning the prayer wheels, saying prayers, walking around the monument three times, and prostrating themselves in front of the stupa.
Next we visited the National School of handicrafts that serve 200-300 students a year in a six year program where they specialize in master one of many arts, wood carving, painting, sculpting, needle craft and embroidery. They learn only traditional design so that they carry the mantle of preserving tradition even as Bhutan becomes more modern.
Our next visit was to the Heritage House Museum where we learned how families pursued their daily chores and lives. For many, the old ways of doing are still a part of today's culture.
Our final stop of the day was at a small Alpine Zoo where Bhutan's National animal, the Takin lives. Ancient Legend claims this animal was crossed between a cow and a goat. It has a unique toxicology and is only found in Bhutan. There are no other animals in the world like this. Indeed it is a strange bulky, snorting, head butting animal with what appears to be a cow like body and goat's head.
We returned to our hotel after a nice pizza lunch for exploration or relaxing on our own. I am having some difficulty with the high elevation. Having not fully replaced all the body fluids I lost while in India, I have been suffering with an altitude headache which I hope will be gone by tomorrow. I spent the afternoon sleeping while Russ explored town.
We are off to more rural and remote areas of Bhutan tomorrow.
All is well with the Worrall Travel R's.
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