Woke up feeling refreshed and
raring to go. Had a long hot shower,
fully availing myself of all the posh products in the bathroom and enjoying the
incomparable small luxury of a heated bathtowel. Divine.
Made me want to install heated bath rails back home. Had an absolutely spectacular breakfast with
probably the best yogurt I’ve ever tasted – creamy and smooth, but incredibly
light at the same time, sprinkled with yummy seeds and laced through with
honey. Freaking delicious. Followed that up with some ricotta hotcakes
and caramelized bananas plus coffee and a poppy seed muffin that was so fresh
out of the oven, it steamed when I broke it open. Bloody LOVE this hotel.
After breakfast, it was time
to pack and meet Michael for an 8am departure.
Today we were traveling to Punakha – quite a drive away, through the
valley, past Thimphu. We had to stop at
the immigration office in Thimphu to get my visa sorted out, but fortunately
that didn’t take long and we were in and out in about 10mins. Much more attractive immigration building
that the one I got my green card from!! Got my first glimpse of the Tashi Taj where i will be celebrating my birthday - absolutely stunning and surprisingly in the centre of town (from the pictures, it looks as if its set up on a hill) - but its near all the little handicraft stalls, so thats an unexpected bonus!!
It was a pretty long drive
today, winding along the mountain roads, through the forests and along the
bottom of the mountain valleys. The
scenery was just stunning, as you’d expect and the uniformity of all the houses
and buildings gives the whole countryside a very tidy, put-together
appearance. When describing this trip to
a friend, they asked me why I was coming to a third world country – from what
I’ve seen so far, there’s nothing third world about this place. Perhaps there are areas where the tourists
don’t go that are more poverty stricken, dirty and crime-ridden, but honestly,
I’d be surprised. So far, I haven’t seen
one beggar, one homeless person or any graffiti anywhere. In their traditional garb (men in their ghos and Argyle socks and women in their
beautiful silk kiras), everyone looks
well dressed and smart – even the farmers in the fields look respectable (it
was the same in Vietnam).
Dochula Passed
After a couple of hours, we
reached the Dochula Pass, the best known mountain pass in Bhutan. Dochula is at an elevation of 3,100m and, on
a sunny day, you can get stunning views of the eastern Himalayan ranges. Today was not a sunny day. The pass was swathed in thick cloud and you
could barely see the car in front of you on the road, let alone the mountain
ranges! Because of our stop in Thimphu,
we were a little behind schedule and there was a road block that we had to get past
by 10.30am, before they closed the road for a couple hours and we would have
been stranded. So, we didn’t stop this
time, but it is usually traditional that when you go through the pass you stop
for tea (isn’t this country fantastic?) at the little cafeteria where you can
sit back, relax and enjoy the “view” whilst having a cup of hot coffee or tea
and a little snack. Also at the pass is
the 108 Druk Wangyal Khangzang Chortens that were built for the well-being of
all sentient beings on earth. The 108
Chortens were built as a tribute to the Kings of Bhutan for their service and
leadership to the Bhutanese people and also represent the people’s love,
appreciation and loyalty towards the country’s King.
At around 11.30am, we finally
arrived at our next destination – we were going to visit Chimi Lhakhang which
is a Buddhist monastery near Punakha.
But – before I was going anywhere or seeing anything else – it was a
dash for the loo! 3.5hrs of driving on
very bumpy roads with no pit stops for a restroom had left me in some
need!!! We’d parked up at the restaurant
where we were going to have lunch as the monastery was on a small hill, a 20min
walk across rice fields from the little village of Lobesa, where we were.
Chimi Lhakang
The Chimi Lhakang or the
Chimel Lhakang is a Bhuddhist monastery located in the Punakha District of
Bhutan. The monastery stands on a small hill close to the village of Lobesa and
was constructed in 1499 by Ngawang Choegyel, the 14th Drukpaheirarch.
The Lhakhang is a square shaped building
with a golden spire on its roof. The temple has many rows of prayer wheels and
the temples exterior has embedded slate carvings of various Buddhist saints.
Near the temples entrance there is a small Chorten that marks the spot where
the Lama subdued the demon of Dochu La.
The Temple is very deeply
connected to the legends of Saint Drukpa Kinley also known as the Devine
Madman. It has been said that the demon of Dochu-La with a magic thunderbolt of
wisdom in imprisoned him in a rock close to the temple. Drukpa Kuenley is
called the Divine Madman due to his unorthodox methods of teaching via songs,
humor and sometimes bizarre and shocking behavior with deep sexual overtones.
You might be shocked to see that the temple houses a number of wooden phalluses
that the Lama had brought with him from Tibet. Pilgrims who visit the monastery
receive the blessing by being struck on the head with a ten inch wooden Phallus
(erect penis). The symbol of an erect penis is said to ward off evil. Its also said to be a special blessing to
help women conceive children.
Crikey. I’d better watch out…
Another bonus – as we were approaching the temple, I saw a wild hoopoo just
flapping around in the garden – incredible!
I remember those birds from when I was really into birds as a kid – and
now I just got to see one for real!! 
Punakha Dzong
After a quick hike back
through the paddy fields, it was time for lunch. Basic assortment of rice, veggies and chicken
(lots of Indian influence) – but it was tasty enough and I was hungry. Then, back into the car for the remainder of
the drive to Punakha and the highlight of the day, the Punakha Dzong.
Here’s the blurb from my
itinerary:
The Punakha Dzong or the
Pungtang Dechen Phortang Dzong is located at the confluence of the Mo Chhu and
the Po Chhu River, which combine to form the Puna Tsang Chu which in turn is a
tributary of the mighty Brahmaputra River. The Dzong was constructed by
Sahbdrung Ngwang Namgyal Wangchuck in 1638 on the exact spot as prophesized by
the Guru Rinpoche some 800 years ago. According to the prophecy of Guru
Rinpoche “a person named Namgyal will arrive at a hill that looks like an
elephant”. And lo behold! Shabdung Ngawang Namgyal found that the peak of the
hill was in the shape of an elephant’s trunk and built the Dzong at that very
spot. Another legend associated with the Dzong is that of Zowe Palep, the
architect of the Dzong received vision of the Dzong in his sleep. This vision
got imprinted in the architects mind and enabled him to construct the Dzong
without putting his plans to paper.
The Punakha Dzong is the
second largest and the second oldest Dzong in Bhutan. The Dzong is home to some
of the most sacred relics of the Drukpa Kagyu School of Buddhism; it is also
home to the sacred mortal remains of Shabdrung Nagawang Namgyal and Trenton
Pema Lingpa the great treasure discoverer of Bhutan. The Punakha Dzong has also
served as the capital Bhutan till 1955 before the capital was moved to Thimphu.
The Dzong is still the winter residence of the Je Khenpo (chief abbot) and the
central monastic body.
Words and pictures don’t
really do it justice, unfortunately. Its
an incredible place whose scale and majesty is best experienced – you feel very
small walking around! And again, except
for maybe one or two other tourists, I pretty much had the place to
myself. In general, I feel incredibly lucky
to be able to visit now, before the country becomes too popular and overrun –
being able to walk through the temples, monasteries and fortresses and enjoy
their peace and serenity is a real privilege.
I had to smile, though, walking through one of the many courtyards – no matter
where you are, everyone needs an Accounts Office!! Buddhist fortresses are no exception!!
Overnight at the Punatshangcchu Cottages
After feasting the eyes and
the senses on the Dzong, it was around 3.30pm and time to head to the hotel in
Wangmue where I’d be spending the night.
Called the Punatshangcchu Cottages, it was pretty basic but the bathroom
was spotless and the beds were nice and firm – and with a kick-ass view of the
river from my lovely patio balcony, I had absolutely no complaints! So, I spent the next few hours before dinner
happily editing my pictures from the day and updating my blog from the dining
room (yey for wireless internet!). My
texting seems to be back in fine form, so texted Mum and Loopy for a bit,
before calling it a night and hitting the sack.
Bhutan – Day 2, and I think we’re getting along just fine.
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