Bhutan 2014: Journey's Last Days

May 17th was our last full day in Bhutan. At breakfast the Taj Tashi bid us an edible farewell.

We checked out of the hotel,

and drove towards our first destination of the day, the Cheri Gompa, also known as the Chagri Dorjeden monastery. The road north from Thimphu ends near there; then, visitors must cross the river and climb a steep hill to the monastery. Here is a Google Maps image, with the monastery at upper left. 

This privately sponsored shrine and rock painting of Guru Rinpoche was alongside the road, partway from Thimphu.

We reached the end of the road. This photo looks across the river to a chorten/stupa complex at the foot of the hiking path.

Upstream and down, the riverbanks are connected by strings of prayer flags.

Inside the bridge were many tsa tsas, which often are molded from clay and the ashes of a departed person. If in the form of a Buddha, they may also be meditation objects.

We approached the stupa complex and circumambulated the interior yard. Clockwise is the respectful direction.

Here is a look from the back side. The niches in the outer walls hold small prayer wheels.

Beside the path were three structures. On the left is a large prayer wheel; in the center statues of Guru Rinpoche, Shakyamuni (the historical Buddha), and the Shabdrung, in that order from left to right. The rightmost structure protects an image of Phajo Drugom Zhigpo, who first brought the Drukpa lineage to Bhutan in the 13th Century.

The path switchbacks up the side of the mountain, sometimes steeply, sometimes not. This image looks back along the trail.

The route is supplied with containers for visitors' and pilgrims' trash.

This is the view back down the valley, towards Thimphu, as we drew close to the monastery.

Chagri Dorjeden came into view.

This site houses not only a temple and a monastery, but is also a major retreat center where monks may meditate in isolation over months or even years.

This area is a favorite for the Himalayan goral. In this photo there is a monk above and a resting goral below.

Let's take a closer look at the goral, who looks like he might also be meditating. Gorals are an even-toed bovid, in a different genus but the same tribe (Naemorhedini) as the mountain goat. Its status is near-threatened.

Joan, Tshering, and I passed through the entrance.

The area in front of the lhakhang (temple) is more of a crossroads than a pavilion. You can see where visitors have doffed their packs and shoes before entering.

A closeup of the entryway. As always, there are no photos allowed inside the temple. 

Another entrance is to the Chagri meditation center.

A goral strolled by beneath us, showing off its black spine-stripe.

As we left the complex I took this photo of its fire extinguishers. Old, dry interior wood and butter lamps easily lead to incendiary accidents.

Many additional buildings cling to the hillside higher up.

Another trash bin as we left the grounds.

These whorls and cracks summoned my camera.

Someone had placed a small homemade shrine on the side of the path.

One the road back to Thimphu we passed this message painted onto the side of a house/shop. Stopping to take a picture was a must.

Then it was time for lunch, for which Tshering recommended the Indian menu at the Hotel Druk, on the clock tower square. I've never stayed at the Druk, but their lunch was superb.

At the clock tower square there was a major entertainment event about to begin, part of "Bhutan Star," which while inspired by American Idol, is predominantly about Bhutanese culture. A comedian was warming up the crowd.

The free show was sponsored by Bhutan Telecom.

We decided to visit the Thimphu farmers' market instead.

It is organized into two large open floors.

The local products section was especially interesting. It was just as well that we had just eaten lunch. Or was it?

Sacks of spices and spice blends.

One of many produce counters.

By 3pm it was time to drive on to Paro and the Zhiwa Ling for our last night in Bhutan, the same place as our first night. Surprise #1: we had been upgraded to the Takin Suite, in the main building!

This was the view from one of our windows, looking out on the back of the property, where there are separate buildings for the spa, meditation/yoga, and greenhouse.

Surprise #2 was waiting for us in our suite. We had asked about visiting the ceramics workshop next to the Zhiwa Ling, but today they were closed. However ... in our upgraded room ... was one of the plates commemorating 2014, the Male Wood Horse year. It even came with a protective wooden box. This photo is slightly off-angle to reduce the flash glare.

I took several photos while wandering about, saying farewell to the Zhiwa Ling; this one is of the portraits of the five kings of Bhutan.

It's not possible to capture the essence of the Zhiwa Ling in any one photo or sequence of photos, but I must try. This is the third floor, where the lhakhang resides, and the murals above.

Looking down to the central open area, next to reception.

And now looking across the central open area on an upper floor.

The next morning we drove to the airport and said our goodbyes to Tshering and Kaka. After checking in with Druk Air we were directed to pass through passport control, where the event of exiting the country was stamped, and then take the stairs to the business class lounge. Joan and I went through passport control and were bewildered and then stumped. We asked for help. The business class lounge was outside passport control! Huh? Would there be any problems repeating passport control already stamped? As it turns out, no. We had a pleasant flight back to Bangkok, with a stop to refuel soon after leaving Bhutan. The Airbus needs to be as light as possible to clear the ridge at the end of the Paro runway.

The next day in Bangkok we arranged to meet our friends Latiff and Balkeesh from Malaysia. Our 2011 get-together, in Boston, is documented here. Joan and I had newbie nervousness about using Bangkok's elevated SkyTrain system, but it proved to be convenient and easy to use. We rendezvoused with Latiff and Balkeesh and then traveled on to a restaurant they favored. Here they are without their super-cool sunglasses.

And with. Stand back in admiration.

Alas, there was no time for a foot massage, highly recommended by Latiff. Next time we'll have a longer layover. Joan and I returned to the Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport hotel, cleaned up from Bangkok's heat, finished packing, and walked through the underground connector to the airport for our evening flight.

We departed Bangkok on Qatar Airways, connected in Doha, and landed in Philadelphia at a time (about 7am) when there were no other international arrival flights. We breezed through passport and customs, and easily made our connection to Columbus.

Will we visit Bhutan a fourth time? Quite possibly; it's a special place and changing rapidly. When? Who knows?

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.