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Clear, crisp air. A night sky that appears close enough to touch. Stars in such profusion that I wonder if I should take up astronomy. Clean streams, sparkling waterfalls and forests that stretch throughout the country, from valley bottoms to way above snow level. Dark, slightly menacing Yaks cross mountain roads and climb steep hillsides with surprising agility in spite of their massive weight. Birds circle overhead, smoothly gliding in thin mountain air... |
| And the dogs! Dogs, dogs everywhere! It is almost becoming a constant theme on my travels, my private study of the nature of a country's dogs. Are they nice? Are they mean little yappers? I can say without reserve that Bhutan's dogs deserve the title of the World's Most Friendly Dogs. That, coming from me, decidedly a cat-woman if a choice has to be made, is praise of the highest order. Indeed, the dogs are so passive that they were in great danger of being stepped on by a certain gawking foreigner, oblivious to man's best friend sleeping on a sunny spot anywhere, the color of their fur blending into the countryside. Actually, there is a Bhutanese belief about the dogs: They are viewed as the incarnation closest to mankind, to be reborn as man. It therefore behooves people to treat them nicely; so they do and dogs repay this kind treatment by being equally pleasant! |
 Central Bhutan |  Bhumtang |  Phunaka |
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Those are the first impressions of Bhutan, a tiny Himalayan kingdom south of Tibet. It barely stretches 200 miles from East to West, and about 100 miles from North to South. In the year 2000, around six hundred thousand people live in Bhutan, which is often referred to as "Shangri-La". The national language is "Dzonga", related to Tibetan. English is widely spoken, along with Nepali. The few roads that wind through the mountains were built as recently as the 1960s. Before that time, Bhutan was virtually impossible to penetrate. The British tried while they colonized the neighborhood, but in vain. Local people walked whenever they needed to go anywhere. The Himalayas, nature itself, protected the country and left it isolated.
Whatever misery you seek, it can be found by yourself" *** "To give happiness to another person gives such a great merit, it cannot even be carried by a horse" Under the current King of Bhutan, H.R.H. Jigme Sinye Wangchuck, the veil of detachment from the world is slowly being lifted. In the 1970s, tourists started trickling in. Then, a plan was developed. This plan calls for a highly regulated form of tourism whereby a maximum of 6000 visitors are allowed per year. There are two approaches to entering Bhutan: One, via Western tour operators who put together travel packages for interested tourists in collaboration with Bhutanese agencies (and who will substantially mark up the package for the conveniences covered) or two, personally getting in touch with the same accredited Bhutanese travel agencies, submitting an itinerary researched with the help of publications like "Lonely Planet", paying the mandatory tariff per person per day, and meeting the guide at a predetermined border crossing in Phuntsholing, where the visa to enter Bhutan is stamped into the passport. Alternatively, one can fly into Paro from Bangladesh, Burma, India, Nepal or Thailand. Either choice requires either the journey into the country or the journey out of the country on Druk Air. This is a rather interesting way of making sure the national airline stays in business and may be the reason the flight attendants are hard-pressed for a smile. Druk Air consists of two airplanes, one of which was financed by the U.N. Development Program. Tickets as well as the daily tariff for tourists have to be remitted to the Bhutanese government in Dollars. The government remits 30% back to the Bhutanese travel agency in local currency. This income is the only source of hard currency for Bhutan, the other major source (but not in hard currency) is power generated and sold to India by Bhutan's hydro-electric plants. |
 Eastern Landscape |  Smiling Monks |  Punakha |
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It all worked out beautifully - as I soon learned, Bhutanese business people were so reliable and punctual that I soon dubbed them the "Swiss of Asia." The parallel is not so far-fetched, as anyone would be able to tell who has visited Switzerland. It might be worthwhile for anyone thinking of traveling in Bhutan to consider a one or two person " tour". It has to be a designated "tour"; in other words, independent travel is not permitted in the country. The fixed per diem charges cover the cost of a personal guide who will accompany the "tour" everywhere, a driver and vehicle, hotel and all meals. The guides are employees of recognized agencies and are certified. They organize every aspect of the trip, down to making arrangements for meals at the next stop and securing travel permits at the various check points on major roads. The itinerary outlined and agreed upon has to be observed and cannot be changed without a really good reason (like a mudslide caused by monsoon rains), as the checkpoints keep track of all movements. For travelers who are used to much independence and spur-of-the-moment changes of plans, Bhutan may feel just a tad restrictive. However, it is made up for with much goodwill on the part of the tour guides.
*** "If you walk slowly, even the donkey will reach Llasa" Traveling the treacherous mountain roads is an experience by itself. The narrow road from the border at Phuntsholing to the capitol Thimpu winds through beautiful country. It snakes around blind turns, against trucks coming from the opposite direction every few minutes, with sheer abyss-like drops a mere foot or two from the side of the van, and towering mountains rising up on the other side. The distance as the crow flies is a mere 43 miles, but the road winds on and on for 100 miles, which takes a bit over 6 hours to drive. This is not for wimps - people who get carsick should not apply! I was quite glad to be in a small minivan rather than a full-size bus. Actually, nobody could have paid me enough to ride in a full-size bus! Words cannot describe my appreciation for the care the driver took along those roads. I truly felt my life was in his (fortunately very capable) hands. |
 Nunnery/Thimpu |
 Prayerwheel |
 Trongsa Shop |
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Traveling in winter, the off season in Bhutan, is unique in its own way. The days are clear with an intensely blue sky and bright sunshine melting the night-time frost. By 9 o'clock in the morning, the nippy chill is out of the air, and a pleasant winter day in the mountains has arrived. December and early January are months with little rainfall. The snow often comes later, by February, but dustings of snow and icy patches will be encountered in higher elevations and through the passes. Hotels have either small electric spaceheaters to take the chill out of the air, or small wood burning stoves in each room. Water is heated centrally in most hotels (which at times meant no warm water to speak of), or with an electric water heater that provided hot water for a short time each evening. Layered clothing and a warm pajama to sleep in are definitely a must in winter. Overall, the arrangements make for a very 'egalitarian' travel experience. It doesn't matter whether you arrive with the most expensive U.S. tour operator that provided you with fancy pamphlets on expensive paper, or whether you planned your own trip. Bhutan's per day rate is the same for all, and certainly the arrangements will be comparable for all. In summer, I was told, when the bulk of the tourists all arrive in roughly a three-month-window, hotels as well as restaurants are crowded. There may not even be enough rooms, so some travelers will be housed in tents, and restaurants literally will be serving food in shifts. Better be on time to get that table!
*** "The stripes of a tiger are on the outside The stripes of a person are on the inside" By being willing to travel in the cold season, I missed the masked dances that are performed at festivals in spring and fall, but I avoided the masses of tourists. Moreover, the unavoidable monsoon rains during the summer season wreak havoc on the mountain roads. There were several repair projects along the main East-West road which had simply slid down the mountainside. People planning a trip to Bhutan should be aware that the infrastructure can only handle so much, and that the travel experience itself is best described as "rustic". However, being one of less than 100 tourists in Bhutan for the turn of the century, I felt truly pampered by the guide and driver. I had a few precious opportunities to visit inside the famed monasteries ("Dzongs"),something I very likely would have not been able to do during the busy season. |
 Punakha |
 Annette |
 Prayerwheel |
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The most memorable of these visits happened in Central Bhutan, in the Bumtang Valley. There is a small monastery called the Jampey Lhakhang that dates back to the year 700 A.D. Imagine walking toward the main gate of the monastery, through walled-in grounds. Step through the gate and walk clockwise around the large, old prayer wheels set up at the entrance. Go further into the courtyard, where you will see large buildings in front and to your left. To your right, you will see another gate, and a monk allows you into this section. You take off your shoes at the threshold and step in. A dark red carpet woven of hard fiber is stretched over a stone floor. It is cold here, and the floor covering doesn't keep your feet from turning icy very quickly. This room is long, a rectangle with windows on the right wall. A diffused light comes through thin, silky curtains in yellow and orange. A couple of ancient carved trunks serve as a reading- or writing table. The monk is the only one in sight, he is the one who takes care of the inner sanctuary located through another doorway to the left off this room. It is the most sacred portion of the monastery and houses some of the oldest religious treasures in the country. The sanctuary is a small room. Stepping in, there is a large and tall altar with flowers, decorative cakes and various religious objects and offerings. On the back wall are three large seated Bhuddas - the Present Bhudda, the Past Bhudda and the Future Bhudda. Ancient silk is draped around their gold-leaf bodies. The three Bhuddas sit emanating utter stillness, detachment, and patience. There are four Bhoddisattvas each on the wall to the right and to the left, all standing and draped in silk. From the ceiling billows a large silk sheet, attached at the corners only. The colors are muted, a combination of rusty-coppery reds and shades that have faded over the more than 1300 years since they were new. They cast a warm glow over the entire sanctuary.
I take in this sight, and still marvel at the impression it left with me. This is not anything I was allowed to photograph - cameras are off-limits inside the walls of Dzongs. Interestingly, this may be much for the better, as I tried to absorb and retain as much of the images surrounding me as I could. Where there is abundant heat, the sun shines" *** "The arrow of the accomplished master will not be seen when it is released; only when it hits the target" Another most extraordinary site I witnessed was the Dzong at Punakha. For several years now, this Dzong has undergone restoration. It will take another three or four years for the work to be completed. This monastery, situated next to a river, is large and rather imposing. Outside the main entrance, a small army of women was sitting on their haunches, making gravel with sharp hammers. The metallic clinking of the hammers filled the air. Inside, the courtyard was torn up and in the process of being replaced with the beautiful flagstones one sees everywhere in Bhutan. Every wall, every pillar and every ceiling of this monastery was being repainted, re-carved, and renovated in one way or another. Balconies were finished, and a Bhudda statue more than a story tall was being built. Skilled craftsmen and laborers were at work at every turn, while the monks were busy with their meditations in another part of the building. This, I expect, is what it must have been like when the great cathedrals of Europe were built. The activity resembled a Bruegel painting -except that this was not medieval Europe, but Bhutan! |
 Trongsa |
 Archery |
 Bhumtang |
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Again, I felt privileged for being allowed to see this. Undoubtedly, once the monastery is complete, it will be closed to non-Bhuddist visitors. Interestingly, this renovation project had symbolic meaning to me: the cultural heritage is being maintained, while changes of major proportions knock at Bhutan's borders. The country has opened its doors a little, for a careful view of the outside. Unlike many other developing countries, it is walking a fine line between traditional lifestyles and development. The King has made it his goal to develop Bhutan slowly and carefully, using the "Middle Path". He has given up personal power, has given his people even the right to remove him through a vote of no confidence. He lives simply and travels through the country, which often means long treks on foot to remote areas. He undoubtedly is attempting to be selective in ways of progress and is attempting to maintain equilibrium between tradition and the introduction of the new. This is a noble goal, and a difficult challenge. Already, there is an obvious gap between a small group of Bhutanese who have been able to translate their (often foreign) education into successful businesses, and the other 90+% of the population who still live a traditional farm life in rural areas or who work for very low wages. There is only one newspaper, and telecommunication is still in its infancy. A famous phrase the King is known for is "I am more interested in Gross National Happiness than in Gross National Product". I hope that all people with influence in Bhutan are sincere in this manner, hope they have enlightened leadership on all levels, and I wish them luck. Tashi Delek!
(Travel in December 1999-January 2000 - Story posted February 2000)
I hope you have enjoyed this "virtual" journey to Bhutan. If you would like to find travel guides or books to read more about this fascinating country, its
traditions and related subjects, you may start your search right here:
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Photos & text by Annette Solyst
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