I had decided to take a week long vacation in Bhutan, the landlocked Himalayan kingdom with India and China/Tibet as neighbors. I was planning to visit Thimpu, Paro and Punakha on this trip. Bhutan has a population of about 700,000 and almost 20 provinces and it would take about 3 to 4 weeks to see all of Bhutan. So, I decided to cover the 3 cities this time around. Bangalore is not directly connected to Paro, the city where the international airport that connects Bhutan to the world is located. So, I needed to travel Kolkata and then to Paro. And this was a trip on which I was travelling solo.
Day 0: Kolkata
On Sunday morning, I flew to Kolkata from Bangalore. I had to stay overnight at Kolkata as the flight to Paro was early Monday morning. Travelling solo is indeed a unique experience. It’s always fun to see the expression on people’s faces when they get to know you are travelling alone, particularly so if you are a woman! As I check into the hotel, the assumption is that there are two people in the room and an expression of surprise when that is not the case. At the restaurant again, the expectation is that there is more than one person waiting to be seated at a table, I guess often people who travel alone prefer room service to dining at the restaurant. I am more an exception who likes to dine at the restaurant even if I don’t have company. As I take a seat at the table, I wonder if this vacation will bring along many more such experiences of surprise on people’s faces when they learn I am travelling alone.
Day 1: Flight to Paro and drive to Thimpu
No Monday morning has been as exciting as this one in a long time. I was up at 545 am and all set to head to the airport on time. Being a frequent traveler, I was one of those who made it to a flight in the nick of time and used every single frequent flyer privilege available to ensure I still managed to be on board just in time! Kolkata airport can be painful at times but this one was very smooth, the check in and immigration process was quick and efficient. As I checked in I asked for an aisle seat; I was on an ATR aircraft and as I got 7B assigned, I was wondering who was going to be on these at next to me. I was happy to be seated on the left side of the aircraft as it would give a good view of the snowcapped Himalayan peaks. As I waiting for boarding, I realized I was one of the few solo travelers. I was happy to find another solo woman traveler, I did not know her but there was a certain excitement about seeing another woman solo traveler. Not a word exchanged, not even an opportunity to make eye contact but both of us knew the other one of a similar kind existed. I wondered if I would bump into her again in Bhutan. On boarding and getting to 7B I realized I did not have anyone on 7A. This was indeed going to be a truly solo trip.
A light breakfast and I started reading ‘The Last Lecture’, a book a friend had recommended. As I started reading the first couple of pages, the protagonist being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and multiple liver tumors stuck a chord. What does a man need to do when he has only a couple of months to live? What would I do if I just had a couple of months to live? Guess my life does not require elaborate preparation! As I was thinking, I looked out of the window and there was a clear view of the Himalayan peaks. It was beautiful with the first rays of the sun lighting up the peaks. Shangri la!!
It was time for descent and the weather conditions made it turbulent. I had looked at the weather forecast for the entire week and rain was expected on most of the days. The mountain terrain with numerous rivers was clearly visible. Paro airport is tricky to land in and pilots need to do visual landings here, the runway is in the Paro valley, the only stretch of land where a runway could be constructed, which is one of the reasons why the international airport is located in Paro even though the capital city is Thimpu, located 70 kms away. The airport building was the first architectural marvel that caught the eye, build based on Dzong architectural principles, it was one of its kind airport buildings that I had seen in my numerous travels. The immigration and baggage clearance process was efficient, what caught my attention was the single baggage belt for all arrivals.
I met my guide Jigme right outside the airport, a handsome young man. He had been in the business for 4 years now and had traveled to Bangalore! He was born and raised in Thimpu but married and lived in Paro now. The drive from Paro to Thimphu is about 70 kms and takes anywhere between 60 to 90 minutes on the only express way in the country. The express way was a 2 lane highway with a good surface ensuring a smooth ride. I could see a sense of pride when the locals spoke of the expressway.
Enroute to my hotel, we stopped at the National Memorial Chorten, which was built in 1974 by queen Phuntsho Choden Wangchuck in memory of king Jigme Dorje Wangchuck, who died in 1972.
We next visited Buddha point where a 169 foot Shakyamuni Buddha statue is under construction facing the southern approach to Thimpu. It was windy up there and construction work was still underway in the surrounding areas even though the main statue was complete.
It was close to 2 pm and I was hungry for sure. Thank heavens; we were now headed to the hotel to check in. Taj Tashi is a beautiful property in the city, again built based on Dzong architecture with a strong Bhutanese theme reflected in the hand painted decor, wood carvings and bronze work.
I was welcomed with a white scarf which is considered auspicious. I had experienced this in Sikkim before. After a quick check in, the front desk suggested that I get the blessing of the Lama who was available at the hotel. There was a small ceremony and I was offered holy water. I was also given a sacred orange thread that had to be tied on my left wrist at least for 3 days after which I could allow it to be consumed by fire or water. I needed lunch and headed straight to the restaurant Thongsel. The Bhutanese restaurant Chig Ja Gye was open only for dinner. One look at the menu consisting of Indian, Pan Asian and Japanese fare disappointed me. But the waitress was very helpful and she suggested I could have Bhutanese fare if I wanted to. After some discussion, we agreed on red rice with Jasha Maro (chicken mince curry with dried red chilies). The food arrived quickly and it was very interesting, I enjoyed the new taste of various spices in the food and the accompanying red rice but wondered if a lot of others would like it as much as I did.
After a short siesta and a soak in the tub, I was ready to step out at 5 pm to visit the administrative building which is called as Fortress of Glorious Religion or Tashichho Dzong in Bhutanese. It was raining by then and the temperature had dropped by at least 7 to 10 degree Celsius in a matter of hours.
Interestingly the visiting hours at the fortress is between 5 to 6 pm on weekdays and 8 am to 6 pm on weekends. This is because the building is the seat of Bhutan’s government and houses several offices of king, secretariat and ministries. So, we had to wait until the building was cleared of the administrative staff before tourists could be allowed inside. Interestingly except for the Bhutanese architecture this place could have been any town or city in the US, there were over 100 SUVs parked, Hyundai Sante Fe being the most popular. Was it the Bhutanese terrain or Hyundai’s great marketing that led to the SUV dominance is a question. Once at the main entrance, caps and umbrellas are not allowed and one needs to wear full hand shirts and trousers or skirts that cover the legs. As it was raining, if one needed to see this monument, it was clear that one had to get drenched. I enjoyed the rains though, it enhanced the greenery several times over and the clouds on the mountain tops made it ethereal. As we entered the main entrance, Jigme informed me that the royal family resided in the Dechencholing Palace to the right of the main entrance. There were several royal guards stationed and one is not allowed to take any photographs of the palace. Interestingly, this was the only place that had an x-ray scanner to check bags.
The main structure is a two storied white building surrounded by four towers of three stories each at the four corners and each of these towers has a triple tiered golden roof.
There was a large open courtyard with a series of prayer wheels on one side.
The entrance to the holy shrine had to accessed through a flight of steps, either side of which were adorned with old wall paintings of various manifestations of Buddha.
It was very quiet inside and a large statue of Buddha welcomed us. One could offer butter lamps and get the blessings of a monk. There were over thousand statues of Buddha adoring the walls on either side. The silence, serenity and calm of the place stood out and this was despite a steady flow of tourists.
I was back at my hotel. The hotel had arranged for a cultural program in the evening and I could witness the Bhutanese music and dance art forms. The women performers sang and danced to the beats of the drum, their voices though shrill had a very soothing effect. Dinner was an interesting experience, I was the only person who sat alone at a table and definitely garnered a lot of attention. I guess a lot of people were wondering why an Indian women would travel all alone all the way to Bhutan! I wanted to try Bhutanese local alcohol but the only option available was Druk 11000 or Druk Supreme, both of which are local beers produced by Bhutan Breweries, Druk 11000 being the stringer version. I decided on a whiskey and went with Bhutanese Naksha Maro (beef curry) with red rice. I had met two elderly women travelers on the flight and they also stayed at my hotel. The younger of the two women came up to me and stated that I could join them if I was feeling lonely. Why in the world was I feeling lonely! It seemed like she was taking pity on me but I was enjoying the conversation. I appreciated her friendly gesture, but it again gave me a view of what people think when they see a solo woman traveler. I guess the very solo woman traveler triggers immense creativity in people! I was looking forward to exploring Thimpu further the next day. Back in my room, I had nine hours of blissful sleep.
To be continued…
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