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This blog (Bhutan) is one of four for our trip to Asia to Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and India.

The entire trip involved lots of being driven in cars/vans, around 2,000 miles driving between cities.  Not counting numerous driving trips around the cities and surrounding areas to visit attractions.

All the Bhutan sites were very good.  Some extra special places:
    The King's National Memorial Chorten in Thimphu
    The Black-necked Cranes
    The Black-necked Crane festival
    Tigers nest

Specialty Albums (Includes Blog photos as well as other photos):
    Animals
    Architecture
    Countryside
    Dzongs
    Festivals
    Flowers
    Markets
    Monasteries, Shrines, Temples, Chortens
    Mt Everest
    People
    Prayer Flags

Slide show of photos in this blog:
   Blog photos

Flickr:
     Our Photostream

Nov 3, 2014 Monday, Kathmandu - Paro, Bhutan

After a leisurely breakfast we headed to the international airport for our flight to Paro Bhutan.  We had a long wait as the plane was late arriving.  The airport was a bit of a zoo with no indication of which gate to check in at or what gate they would be boarding from.  However, we eventually took off and the views of the Himalayas were spectacular (be sure to sit on the left when flying east).

The flight path into Paro is like riding a rollercoaster.  They have to fly around several mountains and then drop rather quickly in order to land.  We arrived an hour or so before the rest of our group was coming in so our guide, Tshering, and driver, Sangay, took us into Paro for some window shopping.  The drive out of the airport was lined with colorful flags in preparation for an upcoming visit from the President of India.  



Paro has a very quaint downtown with lots of shops for both tourists (souvenirs) and locals (staples and clothing). 





We also saw our first chili's set out to dry. Ema Datsi, a chili and cheese dish, is Bhutan's national dish.

After some window shopping we headed back to the airport to pick up Jessica and the rest of the group.  The tour included the three of us, guide and driver, Tara (our travel agent), Aakriti (her adult daughter from New York), and Randy from San Jose.  Once we were loaded up we headed east to Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan.  The drive followed the Wang Chu River valley through some beautiful country. 

 

Iron Chain Bridge

There was a brief stop at an iron chain bridge that spanned the river and led to the Tachog Lhakhang Dzong (fortress).






700 year old iron chain links

The bridge is reported to have been built by Drupthob Thangtong Gyalpo, who is said to have built 108 of these Iron chain bridges around Tibet and Bhutan in the late 1300s. Many of them are still in use today, showing how strong and durable the bridges are.  There is was second bridge made of wooden planks that is used by cattle to cross the river.  (Not as scary to cross.)  It is used to move livestock.



Murals in the bridge towers

Itty Bitty Stupas at the bridge towers

It was dark for most of the trip so we didn’t get to see much of the countryside after the bridge.  Paul, Jessica and I stayed at the Taj Tashi, with the others staying at a nearby hotel (Randy signed up late for the trip and Tara couldn’t get him into our hotel).  The hotel was a beautiful, rather grand hotel with a lovely lobby and we had a great room with huge bathroom. 

Nov 4, 2014 Tuesday, Thimphu Bhutan

Today we hit the highlights of Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital city.  The first stop was the King’s National Memorial Chorten.  A Chorten is a dome-shaped monument, used to house Buddhist relics or to commemorate significant facts of Buddhism or Jainism (very similar to the Stupas we saw in Tibet and Nepal).  While we have seen many stupas and Chortens in the last few weeks this one was really our favorite because there was a lot of activity going on.   

The entire time we were there the monks were chanting over the PA system and there were large crowds of people circling the Chorten. 

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And some reading and contemplating.

There were two large tents set up and filled with monks who were waiting for the arrival of a Great Master.  While waiting for the great master there was another Master (apparently not quite as great) blessing the pilgrim.

 



Pilgrim receiving a blessing


Waiting ...

Unfortunately the Great Master moved through so fast (plus he was totally surrounded by his Great Entourage) that we didn't get a picture of him.  After all that waiting.  


The next stop was the Changangkha Temple where couples bring their infants and children to be blessed.  Some of the monks did the blessing while others were drumming and chanting.  It was another Buddhist temple in action. 

After lunch we had a whirlwind of sightseeing that included beautiful and sweeping views of the city and valley from  the Telecom tower.   

Thimphu Valley

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And a visit to the Golden Buddha (51.5 meters high) with a huge plaza in front and great views of the valley.

Golden Buddha

  

From across the valley:

We also stopped by a factory where women were hand weaving Bhutanese cloth.  The process is totally by hand and it takes several months to make a length of cloth large enough to make a kira (traditional women’s skirt) or a gho (a man’s robe).  The fabric is quite expensive but very beautiful and generally very colorful.

We had a chance to wander the streets and saw a vegetable market and many people in local dress.  We saw very few Bhutanese in western attire. 

One of the highlights of the day was a stop to watch the officer directing traffic at a main intersection in Thimphu.  He (or they) directs traffic from 8:00 to 5:00 and it looks almost like he is performing a ballet.  Sort of mesmerizing. 

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During the drive around town we went by the archery range and it turned out there were a number of archers practicing archery, the Bhutanese national sport.  They were shooting at targets that were 145 meters away and were shooting with very modern, high tech bows.  Whenever one of them hit the target the group would sing and do a little dance Tara stopped one of the archers and we spent quite a while talking with him.  He even let us hold his bow, which cost two or three thousand dollars.

  

Other sights included the show room for the handicraft school, the handicraft market, and the general post office to look at Bhutanese stamps.

All dressed up for an evening out.

When we got back to the hotel there were kiras for Jessica and Mary and a gho for Paul.  The hotel staff came up to help us into the clothing and then we went down to see a performance of some of the Bhutanese dances.

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Watch video in new large window.  If HD does not show 

at end of progress bar, click there for better quality.

Watch video in new large window.  If HD does not show 

at end of progress bar, click there for better quality.

Watch video in new large window.  If HD does not show 

at end of progress bar, click there for better quality.

The first day in Bhutan was great and the group looks like it will be wonderful to travel with.










Randy, Paul, Tshering, Tara, Jessica, Mary, Aakriti  

Nov 5, 2014, Wednesday Thimphu – Punakha

Today is a very early start as we will be on the road for nearly 3 hours to go the 77 kilometers (46 miles) to Punakha. 

We arrived at Dochu La Pass (10,007 feet) where we had breakfast, enjoyed great views of the Himalayas, walked around the 108 stupas, and visited the temple at the top of the hill.  Great stop. Spectacular views.

There was also a fairly new temple at the top of the hill with exquisite murals and interesting  features.

Cloud reflections in the windows of the temple.

Bhutan is very beautiful and we were able to see a lot of the country on our very long drive from Thimphu to Punakha. 



We also saw a number of monkeys along the road. 


We stopped for some pictures and there was a farmer nearby plowing his fields with oxen.  

Aakriti decided she wanted to give it a try and approached the farmer.  He turned his team of oxen over to her so she could give it a try…was pretty funny as during the first pass she pretty much held the plow above the ground…so it didn’t do much plowing.  The second pass, though, she did a good job.  

Aakriti plowing the fields with oxen.

Once we arrived in Punakha we had lunch and then took a walk through the rice paddies ...


... Arriving at the Chime Lhakhang Monastery.   
The monks were chanting and drumming and it was quite interesting to watch.  There was one little monk about 8 years old who was sitting along the wall inside the monastery nodding off during most of the time we were there. There were actually quite a number of very young monks.  Young boys are often taken by the families to the monasteries to become monks when the family is unable to care for them. 

Chime Lhakhang Monastery

Prayer Flags



Young Monk

View from the Monastery:

On the way back to the car we stopped and gave out school supplies to some children. 

It was rice harvest while we were there and we saw many people working in the fields and  building hay stacks.

The Bhutanese also likes to decorate their buses, just like the Nepalese.

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Bhutan has a number of fertility rituals and traditions.  Consequently, there were some interesting shops and artwork.  (Not for the puritanical.)
















We also stopped to visit Tshering’s grandmother’s house and met her great aunt.  We were given a tour of the home that included one room set aside solely for worship.  After the tour we sat on the balcony overlooking the valley and were served butter tea with crisp rice.  Not bad but not something either of us would want a lot of. 

Visiting Aunt's home

Home Shrine



Butter Tea with Crispy Rice

Ema Datsi - Really Hot!!

The aunt also gave us a cooking demonstration on how to make the national dish, Ema Datsi (hot hot hot chili peppers with cheese).  The fumes were so spicy hot it drove us outside.