Bhutan 2006

Exploring Bhutan 2006

By 

Val Yellow

*Won a Travel Writing Completion* in Writers Forum
Re-printed in Bhutan magazine 'Tashi Delek'
and Exodus eNewsletter

I could hardly believe I was watching the Paro festival, the sensation of pinching myself as I observed the masked, whirling dancers strumming their mesmerising instruments, while deep-voiced monks chanted. 

  As soon as I’d arrived in Bhutan, I’d felt a growing sense of calm.  Our journey through the Himalayas by jeep, bus and on foot had been exhausting, but this spectacular destination made all the aches and weariness worthwhile.  The people of Bhutan – a closely protected kingdom and Buddhist stronghold - are as fervently loyal to their monarchy as they are protective of the rare snow leopard and red panda that live in this remote spot; and, as I marvelled at the views of the white-topped Holy Mountains and the never-ending sacred valleys, I began to understand why.

  As we travelled, the traditional buildings were being hand-painted before my eyes whether huge fortress-monasteries called Dzongs, or a small Bhutanese home. Inside these carved, wooden buildings, the elegant flowing handiwork continued and I was full of admiration for the skill and patience of these talented artists.  The carvings and the intricately painted buildings, along with the gentleness of the people, told me more about the teachings of Buddha in Bhutan than any book.

  Our local guide, Bayza, met us, a small group of twelve.  While he talked about his beloved country I was fascinated at the simplicity and strangeness of his gho – the men’s Bhutanese national costume.  The women wore a traditional, brightly-coloured, tightly woven, ankle-length dress known as kira. Bayza showed us how he could carry books and documents easily inside his sleeves, whilst explaining that a gho is practical as well as warm, and how, when the weather is hot, the top part can be folded down to the waist.  The costume seems as well organised as the people’s lives are in Bhutan. 

  When travelling, I find it is the people I meet who leave an impression with me. The calm Bhutanese were no exception; their easy smiles and genial hospitality struck a deep chord.  At one point, our bus ran out of fuel and stalled on a narrow, mountainous pass. Shortly after, a lorry driver stopped and offered to drain off some of his diesel for our tank; sucking it up through a rubber hose until it flowed, thus enabling us to continue to the next town before nightfall. 

 There was also the time that – feeling unwell – I stayed behind at a monastery, while my companions continued to their next destination.   An elderly monk managed to communicate to me as to where I could take a rest,  somewhere quiet.  Later, he showed me other rooms with beautiful, carved, Buddhist relics.  I think this kind and thoughtful treatment has much to do with the King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck and his idealistic developmental goal of economic self-reliance that he has nicknamed ‘Gross National Happiness’. 

  Bhutan has one foot in the past, but the other very firmly in the future. Our mobile phone worked everywhere and we made Internet connections in all of the hotels.    

  The food was discreetly tuned to Western tastes - which was a relief to me, as I’m not keen on eating chillies as a vegetable day after day.  And our guide was so well organised that he had the confidence to stray from the itinerary if something of interest caught our eye.  He stopped the minibus when we saw a group playing archery (the Bhutan national sport) in good-hearted competition, by the side of the road.  We were formally welcomed as we stepped out to watch more closely and take photographs.  The men were using modern high-tech bows but the skills they honed were centuries old and seemed to sum up this country of ancient and modern.  We also saw monks in red flowing robes transcribing their ancient texts onto computers. 

  Around 28 percent of the country has National Park status because the leaders of Bhutan have acknowledged that once the forests and cultures have died they can never be recovered.  However, there are restrictions to prevent too many tourist visiting these areas.  Visitors must be supervised and have organised accommodation, food, vehicle and guide – costing around US$200 a day.

  Even though my feet are back on the busy pavements of Bristol, my heart is still with the proud, friendly Bhutanese on less-travelled tracks of rock, forest and sun-touched snow.

Essentials on Bhutan - 2006

Location	Bhutan is in the eastern Himalayas, bordering on China and Tibet in the north, and the Indian states of Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and West Bengal in the east, west & south.
Visa requirements	Independent travel is not permitted in Bhutan. Travel has to be prepaid and planned. Visas need to be arranged in advance by your tour operator directly with a Bhutanese operator. A visa costs: US$20. Travel plans need to be finalised at least 90 days in advance.
Costs	The Bhutanese government sets a tally of US$200 a day (2006 prices.) This includes transport, food, local guides and accommodation.
Best time to visit	The best time to visit is Spring (April to June) or Autumn (October and November.) There are festivals between the months of February to June, and September to December (a list of festivals is prepared in June each year.)
Climate	Same latitude as Miami and Cairo but the climate varies widely with the elevation. Tropical in the south but with snow on the peaks. Rain June to September; cool and clear October and November. Temperature ranges in the tourist areas from -5c to 30c all year round.
Currency	‘Ngultrum’ is the same value as the Indian ‘Rupee’ which is also legal tender. US dollars can be exchanged in most tourist hotels and Paro Airport.
Airport	Only one, in Paro, which you usually fly into from the airports in India.
Population	6,99,000 (projected for 2001)
Capital	Thimphu
Religions	Mahayana Buddhism and Hinduism
Cultural considerations	The Bhutanese wear traditional dress. If you go into the monasteries, you must first remove your shoes. Photography is not usually allowed inside these fortress-monasteries called Dzongs.  Do ask before taking photographs of people.
Food	Staple diet is red rice, buckwheat, wheat, maize, pork, beef, chicken, yak meat, cheese and chillies – which are eaten as a vegetable and not as a spice. In the hotels, the food caters for western palates.   Water should be purified.
Clothing	‘All weather’ clothes, as most of the area is mountainous or sub-tropical.
Health precautions	Vaccinations usually recommended are polio, typhoid and hepatitis. Anti-malaria precautions are necessary for some areas. Sun block is essential all year round.
Languages	Over 16, of which Dzongkha is the official spoken language and many people speak English.
Good Guide Books	Lonely Planet Bhutan by Stan Armington  Bhutan Himalayan Mountain Kingdom Fifth Edition (Odyssey Illustrated Guides) ‘Dreams of a Peaceful Dragon: A journey though Bhutan’ by Katie Hickman (Phoenix 1987) Maps are available from www.stanford.co.uk You can pick up books and Maps on Bhutan in bookshops in their capital, Thimphu.
Travel company	Exodus: www.exodus.co.uk (I discovered Bhutan with this organisation)
Useful Web Sites	Bhutan News -             www.bhutannewsonline.com Facts on Bhutan -        www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook British Foreign office - www.fco.gov.uk Bhutan Tourism -        www.kingdomofbhutan.com

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Dzongs: A Tourist View

By 

Val Yellow

Commissioned for Bhutan Magazine 'Tashi Delek'

The snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas silhouetted my first sighting of an ancient fortress-monastery, called a Dzong, in Bhutan. As we drew near I heard monks chanting. The music - carried down on a whisper of wind, to the valley below.  Having walked over a wooden bridge and climbed the steep steps we passed through an area festooned with multi-coloured religious frescos.  On entering a courtyard I immediately felt the impact of a gigantic tree branching outward, creating a central masterpiece and soaring above the Dzong itself.  Walking barefoot into the monastery I looked up and saw many faces looking back from the painted wall murals, their story laden eyes following us while we viewed their religious dwellings. 

My journey into Bhutan had begun with a tour group from England, via India, early last year. Arriving in Bhutan, after the hustle of India, I felt a growing sense of calm. The fresh air began to awaken my senses as we travelled through the ever-widening fertile Paro valley in western Bhutan. Bhutan is often compared to Switzerland not only in size but also with its wooden buildings and patches of cultivation silhouetted by rolling hills and towering crags. As we approached the village of Paro my camera clicked on the homesteads scattered around the valley that matched in miniature the Dzong in their design. 

The Dzongs, (pronounced ‘Zong’ in English) are the fortress seats of civil and religious power, and they became one of the highlights of my trip to Bhutan. These Dzongs with multi-layered gilded roofs and white inward-sloping walls are often impressively constructed on different levels following the line of the natural rock high above the villages.  Dzongs are distinguished buildings, built of stone, mud and timber are seen as an outstanding example of architectural design and construction. Inside these monasteries are flagstone courtyards, wooden hand-painted balconies and multi-coloured wall murals that depict the many stories of Buddhism.  The structure of the Dzongs reminded me of European fortified castles but that is as far as the similarity goes as the multi-functional Dzongs have a distinct identity and are active and viable institutions, which are part of the modern world of Bhutan.  

We arrived in Paro village and stepped inside the magnificent Rinpung Dzong. Our visit to observe the famous Paro festival was tantalisingly short as we were gently informed that we would have more time when we returned at end of our journey. 

Our trip took us further up the Paro valley. After parking the bus we hiked for over an hour to reach a viewpoint. As we walked, Bayza, our local guide, told us we would see Bhutan’s most famous holy sanctuary Taktsang Goemba. At first site it seemed to be midway between heaven and earth perched on the side of a cliff 900m above the valley floor. He went onto explained the name means ‘tiger’s nest or lair’. According to legend, in the eighth century, Guru Rinpoche came to Taktsang by flying on the back of a tigress. We found ourselves sighing with relief when Bayza told us the monastery is only accessible by monks on foot.

More approachable by mini bus was the Drugyel Dzong. It was strategically positioned on the route to Tibet. This Dzong was destroyed by fire and is now being painstakingly restored. We were told that most Dzongs are placed near villages to enable the locals to worship and gather and are also used as administrative centres for the district. 

The next day we travelled out of the valley on the Paro-Thimphu road. As we came closer to Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital, we caught site of the magnificent Tashi Chhoe Dzong on a hill dominating the town. Bayza explained that in Bhutan the Dzongs are constructed in relation to their Buddhist belief systems, as are government policies. Many monasteries like this one have been rebuilt in the traditional fashion using no plans or nails only mitred joints and wooden pegs for their construction. As we explored we saw for ourselves how the Dzongs consist of two separate wings and an inner area.  The central structure is a tower-like building called the Utse, which contains the chapels.  One section is made up of a monastic wing and the living quarters of the monks; the other is secular, housing administrative, government and law offices. Our guide explained that the Thimphu Dzong is the main secretariat building and houses the national assembly.

We were now heading into central and eastern Bhutan to visit Punakha and Wangdi Phodrang. The Punakha Dzong is the oldest of these citadels and was the capital of Bhutan for over three centuries. This Dzong is situated by a confluence of important trading rivers. As we entered the monastery I noticed our tour group all lowered their voices and spoke softly.  In the quiet I was aware of my heart beating in time with the sound of the monks chanting and the playing of instruments.  I stood still, gazing at the huge wall murals, particularly, the Mandala.  This pictorial or geometric design is usually enclosed in a circle and represents a mystic cosmic diagram. Our guide told us that the Mandala is used to aid religious meditation.  The most famous of these murals are called Thangkas, appliquéd religious banners that can stand as high as 9 metres; they are often ritually unravelled at the end of festivals. We passed deeper into the darkness and my eyes were drawn to the massive golden painted Buddha. I was taken aback by how it dominated the temple entirely; the light of devotional candles sparkled in the gloom.  A strong musty smell hit me as I had lifted a cover on a wall to glimpse an ancient relic of the faded mural beneath.  Enchanted I wandered around, glad of a respite from the fierce heat of the day and feeling a sense of relief from the coolness of the wooden floors beneath my feet. 

The next day we travelled to Wangdi Phodrang. This Dzong stands on a ridge above a river with thousands of cacti planted on the hillside to discourage invaders. The Dzong commands impressive views over the north-south and east-west roads. We entered the Dzong through a large door flanked by prayer wheels over 2m high. Bayza said the Mani, or prayer wheels, are found all over Bhutan. He described how these wheels are turned in a circle to focus the mind whilst meditating.  Some wheels are hand-held; while others were so vast they can be hard to move.  Most had carved decorative symbols of Mantras, and the smaller ones had prayers, written on tiny rolls of paper, placed inside.  As tourists, we were reminded to turn the wheel clockwise.  At the end of our visit I put on my sandals and watched the maroon-robed monks as they had performed their daily rituals.  I recall looking up and seeing a monk, framed in the arch of a window oblivious to all below, as in a meditative state, paintbrush in hand, he touched up the intricate story-laden murals. 

            The end of our tour saw us returning to the Paro Tshechu Festival.  The performance takes place in the citadel Dzong.  As we walked inside Bhutanese masked dancers swirled to the sound of an ancient tune with a mesmerising beat. The Thangkas mural of myths and legends mixed with the ritual of the dance is a major attraction for tourists, pilgrims and locals alike. The Rinpung Dzong, is again the political and religious centre of the Paro valley, which lies near Bhutan’s only airport, where people fly in from all over the world to visit this famous festival. 

On my flight back to India with the Drukair – Royal Bhutan Airlines – I was offered the Tashi Delek In-flight Magazine; just like the one you are reading now. Paging through its contents, I began to reflect on my experiences, especially the privilege of visiting the majestic multi-functional Dzongs.