Off to Bhutan and India on November 4, 2008

It looks like you've had another interesting trip there, c.i.

dag, I didn't drink Indian whisky, but I bought a bottle of Bhutanese whisky that was a blend with Scottish whisky that was excellent!~ Paid only about US$5 for an excellent 1.5 ltr bottle. Had several drinks every day, shared some within our group, and gave the remaining to our tour director in India who in turn gave it to the chef at our English-style resort hotel. I was told the chef had a very big smile when he received that almost empty bottle.

Welcome back, c.i., and well done with the itinerary so far.

November 8: We had a two hour coach ride to Thimpu, Bhutan’s capital, located at an altitude of 7,493 feet. After a quickie rest stop at Hotel Pedling in downtown Thimpu where we were supposed to spend the night, we went to the coronation stadium where we saw the the 28 year old fifth king of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, walk into the stadium and took his position on the king’s stand located on the other side of the field. There were dancing, marching band music, and wrestling contests. It was the last day of the three day event, but the stadium was packed with both citizens and foreign visitors. Bhutan was supposed to celebrate their 100-year monarchy last year, but 2007 was a black year for the Bhutanese, so it was celebrated this year in addition to the coronation.

The following was posted by the Bhutanese government:

“In 1907, after several centuries of divided rule by various influential families, his majesty Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck unified Bhutan under the name of Druk Yul " Land of the Thunder Dragon.

The year 2007 will mark 100 years of monarchy in Bhutan. But as the year 2007 is a very inauspicious year according to the Bhutanese calendar it will be only in 2008 that Bhutan will celebrate the 100 years of Kingdom. Many festivals and much revelry have been planned to celebrate this momentous occasion.”

About noon, we transferred to the archery field where they were supposed to show their skills in front of the king, but it was delayed. We were taken to the local market where we walked on an interesting pedestrian bridge, and spent time purchasing some Bhutanese women’s clothes and small prayer wheels to hang on key chains or cell phones. After our shopping, we were driven through downtown Thimpu for some browsing before we were driven to our hotel in the hills surrounding the capital city.

Drive to Thimpu.


Downtown Thimpu.


Young monks walking the street. Some are as young as eight years old.


The crowd at the coronation festivity stadium.


Coronation program.


Marching band.


The King Wangchuck.


The archers.


Japanese news team at the archery field.


Archery target.


Tsetim's family and Namgay #2.

Nov 9, Sunday: This morning was a special treat. A visit to the takin reserve in the outskirts of town for our up and downhill hike around the fence that keeps the endangered takin in their reserve. Takin is the national animal, and the takin (Budorcas taxicolor) is a cross goat-antelope looking animal found in the Eastern Himalayas with its own DNA. We then visited a paper factory where our director showed us the process of paper-making. We then visited the small shop selling their paper and other stationary products such as greeting cards, envelopes, and notebooks. Our next visit to the Choeten or temple was interesting. People walk around the temple clock-wise in odd number of times to cleanse oneself of our sins. I walked around it once, while some in our group did three rounds (they must‘ve had many sins to cleanse). We were able to spend some time in the town if Thimpu market after our visit to a paper factory. After some leisure shopping time and picture taking, we then made the three hour drive to Punakha with drives through a forest of pines and hemlock. Driving over Dochula Pass at 10,142 feet, we had panoramic views of the Himalayan mountain range and Bhutan’s tallest mountain before decending into Punahkha valley at 4,430 feet. We had a tour of the extensive Punakha Dzong (fortress) situated between the two rivers of Pho Chu and Mo Chu (male and female) before our overnight at Yangkhil Resort.

Sign at the takin preserve.


Takin.




Sign at the paper factory.


Entrance to the choeten (temple).


Prayer wheels.


Group picture.


Bridge across the river to open market.


Bridge.


Stalls at the market.


Dochula Pass.


The tallest mountain in Bhutan.


Other section of the Himalayan range.


Another building on the summit.


Walking up to the restaurant at the summit for lunch.


Scene from the restaurant.


Boys trying their skills at archery on our way to Punahkha valley.


Punahkha dzong.


The bridge.


Dzong entrance.


Bodhi tree in the courtyard. The bodhi tree has significance to Buddhists, because there is a bodhi tree in Sarnath, India, where Buddha found enlightenment.


Architecture in the dzong.


Our accommodations for the night.

Great photos again,c.i.! And those from the coronation were just excellent!

Wow! Keep the pics coming, Tak. Excellent!

Thanks for the beautiful photos and interesting report, c.i.

Some catch-up pictures missed in previous posts.

Paper factory.


Monk at choeten. This choeten was dedicated to the third king of Bhutan.


Children at the choeten.


Druk 11000 local beer has 8.8% alcohol.


Punahkha dzong.


Typical scenes in Bhutan.







Location where they filmed the movie "Travelers and Magician."


A huge bee hive, 2.5' x 1.5'.


More later.

Lovely, as usual. Looking forward to more pictures!

Fantastic, Tak.
What are "Prayer Wheels" which you had a photo of?

Nov 10, Monday: We continued for another long travel day through a forest of oak and rhododendron and into Phobjikha Valley at 9,840 feet, the most beautiful glacial valleys of Bhutan, and also home to the famous black-necked cranes that migrates from Tibet in the winter. Unfortunately, we were unable to make the detour to see the black-necked cranes.




Nov 11, Tuesday: Our six hour drive took us through (four hours to) Trongsa and Pele la Pass at 11,045 feet, to the Bumthang Valley.

While in Trongsa valley, we visited the Trongsa Dzong (fortress) after lunch, then we stopped at Zungey village to see many weavers making woolen Yathra on pedal looms and belts on back strop looms. Buthang with its barley field and apple orchards is the name given to four valleys; Chumey, Choekhor, Tang and Ura. The first two valleys are agricultural, and the last two are mostly animal husbandry. Buthang is also the home to the great Buddhist teacher Pema Lingpa (1450-1521).

Of the five King Tertons, all named “Lingpa”, Padma Lingpa represents the direction of the west. the direction ruled by the Amitabha Buddha, of whom he is considered to be an emanation.

The present royal family and the King of Bhutan descend from Padma Lingpa as did the Sixth Dalai Lama. The three primary emanations of Padma Lingpa - Body, Speech, and Mind - continue the propagation of this extraordinary lineage in Bhutan.

November 11th is the King’s birthday which is celebrated by local schools.

We spent three nights at the River Lodge in the Bumthang Valley.

Signs along the road to Bumthang.


We passed this village.


Local paper about the coronation.


Some scenes along the way.






Our tour director's travel company name.


Weaving looms at a rest stop.


Trongsa dzong.






Dorothy and Mickie talking to monks.


Head monk calling monks to prayer by stamping his stick on the floor next to the prayer room.


Monks praying.


Prayer wheel house.


Prayer wheel turned by water power.


Farmers market in front of the prayer wheel house.


Village of Bumthang.


Wineshop where I purchased a bottle of good whiskey for $5.


Bumthang village seen from hillside.


We visited this village school.


Our group gave school supplies to the school.


Bhutanese alphabet. All children learn Bhutan and English.


A scene of the school yard.


We went for a hike in this area.

Nov 12, Wednesday: Bumthang sightseeing included the Chamkhar Bazaar, Kurjey Lhakhang - where it is believed Guru Padmasambhava meditated and subdued the local diety in the 8th century, and a short hike across the suspension bridge to visit Padmassambhava Lhakhang, a meditation site.

The suspension bridge.


A view from the hike.


What I faced on the hike trail.


Children watching the vehicles pass by.



Nov 13, Thursday: We attended the Jambay Lakhang Festival, a very sacred

festival attended by local people who dress in their finest clothing and jewelry to dance in honor of Guru Rimpoche. Monks and lay people take on the aspects of wrathful and compassionate dieties, heroes, demons and animals. The festival continued into the evening with the fire blessing, and where onlookers can pass through a burning gate to cleanse one of evil spirits.

Fire blessing. Our driver, Namgay 1, ran through it twice. We ran through when the fire had died down.



The internet cafe in Bumthang.


In the afternoon, we visited the temples of Kurjey Lakhang, cross the river to Tamshing Lakhang, then returned to Chamkhar, the main village to visit with the local people and tour some of their shops. The ladies did some shopping.

Nov 14, Friday: The 8+-hour drive to Mongar was the most spectacular in Bhutan with lush pine forests and hemlock then to leafy forests. We traveled to the summit at 12,310 feet where we took some spectacular pictures. We passed through A valley to Thrumsingla National Park with numerous rhodes, then lower to Angkor village, and a further descent through Namling, past a water fall to the Kurichu valley. We then climbed to 5,168 feet to Mongar to spend the night at Hotel Druk Jongkhar.

Our drive to Mongar.


Frost on the road.


We reached the summit.


Information board at the summit.


Viewing of the mountain range.


A couple of scenes at the summit.



A building on the summit.


Namgay 1, Testim, and Namgay 2.


Poinsettia on the road.


Scene from our descent.


Waterfall.


We visited another village school.


Children praying at the end of school day.


School supplies for the school.


Monks on the side of the road.


One of the best rooms on this trip in Bhutan.

Nov 15, Saturday: We had a short visit in Ongar village where we walked the short street to the large park where they were having dart contests. When a team member hit the target, they did a short dance to celebrate. We also visited their produce market near by, and some purchased local baskets made from bamboo and some food items. Testim attended school here for eight years before he moved to Thimpu. Thankfully, our drive today was a short one driving eastward for four hours through Koirala Pass and Yami to reach Tashigang. Along our drive was Sheri Chhu River. We saw some monkeys along the way. After our arrival, we checked into the Dirk Dejong Hotel, and to have lunch.

After a quick visit to Trashigang Dzong (c1667) which overlooks the confluence of Drangme Chhu and Game Chhu rivers. We were treated to dancing by a group of girls and a group boys. They seemed to be practicing for a future celebration of some kind. Carpenters and artisans were renovating the Dzong, and we had an opportunity to meet the engineer-boss of the project who works without blueprints.
He told us it was a pleasure to meet foreigners from a far away country.

A picnic lunch on the road.


Mongar post office.


Dart contests.




Produce market.



On the road again.




Trashigang dzong.










Trashigang.






We all froze here at night. This used to be a hotel for monks.

But the scenery was outstanding.


Stupas along the road. Many mix their cremated ashes with cement, and make small (1.5 to 2 inches high) 10 to 20 stupas to leave at auspacious places along the road or rivers.


Two trucks along a one lane road.


On our way to the border village of Samdrup Johgkhar.



Our picnic lunch at this location that reminded me of the movie "The Sound of Music."



This is where our driver, Namgay 1, came from. Drivers for tourists must go through a one year driving course before they are authorized to drive tourists in Bhutan. Namgay was an exceptional driver that won our confidence early on.


Some scenes during the last leg of our journey in Bhutan.





Hornbill.


Picture from our hotel in Samdrup Johgkhar.


Goodbye Bhutan.



Will continue tomorrow with India, and our journey home.

rjb, As you have probably surmised, Buddhism in Bhutan came from Tibet. Here's a good description of prayer wheels taken from the internet.

And now for the final segment of this travelogue.

Nov 17, Monday: We left Bhutan right after breakfast for our six hour drive along Assam’s plains and through the colorful city of Guwhati, past the Brahmaputra river with its tea plantations, flora and fauna. then to Kaziranga National Park, for our overnight at the Wildgrass Resort, an English-style resort hotel.

Nov 18, Tuesday: We had an early start this morning for our elephant safari which allowed us to view the rhinos and deer at close distance. We had breakfast back at Wildgrass Resort, followed by a morning jeep drive to see other wildlife that included wild boars, eagles, water buffalos, more rhinos and elephants.

We returned to Wildgrass Resort for our lunch, and after a short respite, returned on jeeps to Kaziranga National Park, the UNICEF World Heritage Site to see more game. It was a very satisfying day to spend most of the day at Kaziranga.


Nov 19, Wednesday: We had a four hour morning drive to Guhawati for our one hour flight to Calcutta where we spent the night at the White Palace Hotel. The White Palace hotel in Calcutta was the worst hotel I have had the displeasure to spend the night. It had one soiled sheet on the bed, they didn’t provide towels, and the staff slept in the hallways and lobby couch. It was a minus 5-star hotel.

Nov 20, Thursday: Our two hour flight from Calcutta to Bangkok was uneventful - thankfully. We were shuttled to the Novotel near the airport where we spent the night before our flight to Narita and San Francisco.

Some good news: The Novotel was a plus 5-star hotel only two years old. It was just luxurious to take a hot bath in a clean tub, and wash my weary sense of discomfort from the after-effects from our hotel in Calcutta.

Five of us had dinner at the Japanese restaurant on the hotel property which was excellent! They also have a Thai and Chinese restaurant in addition to a coffee shop on the other side of the lobby. We all agreed we made the right choice after our meal.

November 21, Friday: My roommate had to catch an earlier flight, so he was gone when I woke up after a wake-up call from Faye at 3:30AM. We met in the lobby at 4AM for our flight home.

Border control into India. The man scolded me for taking his picture.

Note: I found it curious that although India is growing in computer technology, they're still handling border control by hand written records.

An indication we were now in India. The architecture is dramatically different from Bhutan.


We had lunch at this restaurant on our way to Kaziranga National Park.


The bridge to the restaurant; reminded me about the bridge on the River Kwai.


More scenes on our way to our destination.



We were treated to cultural shows on both evenings at the resort.



Note: We were told that both shows were in celebration of harvesting. The first show was performed by light-skinned Indians, and the second was
performed by dark-skinned Indians. As I understand it, there still exist some discrimination against dark-skinned Indians in India, although more inter-marry today over the past - and most look at educational background more than skin color.

The fog was still pretty heavy when we arrived for our elephant safari.


Single file to the open fields.


Eagle's nest.


In the middle is our India escort, Allister.


Remember the John Wayne movie?


Game pictures taken during the day.













The whisky blend that beat more expensive ones costing over $20.


Last evening's show.




Wildgrass Resort.



The staff.


Allister, Sri Jinto, and Tsetim (our team in India).


Last minute shopping in India.


Scenes along the way to Guhawati.









Calcutta.


I need to post this part, because it has slowed down to a crawl.

Continuing.

Picture of Bangkok airport from our room at the Novotel.


The lobby.


The Japanese restaurant.




Bangkok airport.


That's it! Hope you enjoyed this "journey" to Bhutan and India.

You got out of Bangkok just in time, CI. Any experiences with Mombai, where there were attacks on hotels catering to westerners?

Yea, none to quick. We were at a national game park for most of our stay in India, but had to travel to Calcutta to catch our plane to Bangkok. No incidents in India or Thailand while we were there.