Bhutan 2014: Thangbi, Kurje Water, Momos, and Druk Air

May 15th promised to be a good day. Our window at the Yu Gharling was perched higher than the balconies in the earlier rooms, offering a better view.

Joan and I studied the scene while waiting for our agreed breakfast time with Tshering, our guide. We saw a farmer take a break from plowing his field when his wife arrived with a basket (tea, snacks?). She's mostly hidden by the hanging fabric in this photo.

Then he resumed plowing. The two-wheeled tractor, sometimes nicknamed the "iron buffalo," is ubiquitous in rural Bhutan. Hitch a cart behind it and you have a conveyance to transport the whole family. Many have been financed by grants from Japan.

After breakfast we drove north up the valley, past the Kurje temple complex and the footbridge we had crossed five days earlier. A crowd was gathered around a couple of buildings, and Tshering inquired as to what was going on. It was the day to apply for cordyceps gathering permits. Cordyceps is a fungus used in traditional medicine, and for rural populations it is like harvesting gold. The price has been rising steadily over the past decade, and in 2014 reached a high of 700,000 ngultrum, or about 11,500 USD, per kilogram.

We continued up the road to Thangbi Lhakhang. The temple was founded in 1470 by the 4th red hat Karmapa, but was later taken over by Pema Lingpa and thus became associated with the Nyingmapa school. The iron curtain at the entrance was, it is said, cast by the saint himself.

Now it is a temple of the Kagyu school again. Tshering rustled up the caretaker so we could visit the interior. No photography inside, of course.

Just up the road from the temple is a long mani wall, where stones inscribed with the Avalokiteshvara/Chenrezig mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum, are placed. This is the west face,

and this the east.

Here is a closeup of the mantra.

Then we returned the way we had come, but stopped near the Kurje temple for holy water. A short walk leads to a spring called Kurje Lhakhang Drubchu, which Guru Rinpoche is said to have created in the 8th Century. Its water has eight healing properties, and Guru used it to cure King Sindhu Raja. In this photo Tshering is waiting for his turn at the spring.

People not only collect the water for later use, but wash their hair or other body spots while here.

Beginning in 2008 the drubchu water has also been bottled; the pilgrims access the spring during the day, and overnight the water is diverted to be bottled.

Next we returned to the Noryang restaurant for a snack, or perhaps you could call it an early lunch, before heading for the Bumthang airport.

Their momos, filled dumplings, are delicious. We stuffed ourselves.

We arrived at the airport about 11:30. In this photo Kaka is unloading the van in front of the main (and only) terminal.

We had to open our bags for the friendly security personnel, but it wasn't a thorough inspection. I don't know what they could be seeking by such a cursory examination.

Our plane, an ATR42-500, had landed just as we arrived. It's a craft that's specially designed for short takeoffs and landings.

A large tour group organized by the Sierra Club showed up just after we did. As we watched them pass through security, it became obvious that many were paying no attention to the baggage weight limit (20kg/44lb). Perhaps the organizer hadn't highlighted the requirements to the trip participants. You're probably familiar with the sight: two large hard-sided pieces of luggage for one person. Such shells alone weigh 20 lbs, I'm sure.

At any rate, it was the aggregate that mattered. The airport staff weighed each bag. Soon the word was being called out to the tour group that the pilot had reported he could take all the people, or all the baggage, but not both. The Sierra Club guides called out, "Take your essentials with you and the rest of your stuff will be trucked to Thimphu by evening." They hollered multiple times, because this was a large group with subgroups busy chatting with each other. There was pandemonium and confusion in the group. They were upset that their baggage wouldn't catch up with them until 10PM that day.

Our guide, Tshering, collected our tickets and passports and began working with the airport staff. We were to wait.

The tour group hollered loud enough, so to speak, that they were allowed to take all their stuff, and they were not split up. We were kicked off the flight instead, even having booked it a gazillion months in advance. But all was not lost. We would not be driving all the way back to Thimphu. The plane would execute a quick turn-around for a second flight that day, to include us and a second, much smaller group, also associated with Yangphel Adventure Travel, our local tour operator.

In this photo part of the Sierra Club group waits to walk out to the plane. We returned to the Noryang for a second lunch. 

Our second lunch was great, but we still had momos in our stomachs from the first lunch, limiting our intake. Across the street, workers from the Tax Office were also lunching.

We returned to the airport. They didn't need to search our luggage a second time. They knew who we were. The emergency/fire truck was in position, as always,

and soon our plane re-arrived.



There were about fourteen of us on this flight, but the pilot not only taxied to the end of the runway, he backed the plane to grab the last few centimeters for takeoff.

Although the window was smudgy, I snapped a few interesting pictures from the air. First, here is a view of the long and winding road that is Bhutan's national/lateral highway (click to enlarge).

Next, a look at the northern portions of Thimphu. The large cleared area at center left is the pavilion surrounding a huge Buddha statue, which we'll visit tomorrow.

At lower altitude, a section of the Paro valley above the confluence with the Wang Chhu (river). A road winds up the ridge towards the Sangchokor Buddhist Institute, which we had visited early in our trip. The airplane is about to make a steep downward turn to approach the airport.

In a flash we were on the ground. It was not yet 3pm.

We were met at the airport by another driver. (Kaka wouldn't make it back to Thimphu until around midnight.) Joan wasn't happy with his driving, as he was willing to take risks that Kaka wouldn't, such as passing from inopportune places. However, we made it safely to Thimphu and the Taj Tashi, an upscale hotel of the Taj chain.

The entryway was crowded with well-dressed people. A Queen Mother and a high-ranking Rinpoche were about to arrive, so we were whisked around back and given a greeting ceremony by the house monk. Then it was time to unpack.

Ugyen Thinley, our guide from the 2005 trip, swung by for a brief chat and to set up a time for us to visit him and his wife the following evening. Here's a picture of Ugyen from that 2005 visit. He loves puppies.

Our dinner that night was at the Bhutanese restaurant in the Taj Tashi, not the main restaurant. Joan and I enjoyed a sampler menu and then soon turned in. A surprising day in Thimphu lay ahead.