So, after the angst and delay and high emotion of yesterday, I have finally arrived in Bhutan - and early impressions are GOOOOOOOD!!!!
Druk AirTastic
The flight on Druk Air was great - far from being the grimness that i'd imagined (think Cyprus Turkish Airlines), it was actually really nice. The flight attendants looked very smart in their traditional Bhutanese silks, there was plenty of room for legs PLUS we got fed! Twice!! (making it my THIRD breakfast of the day - a new personal best for me). The second meal service was of a mystery meat bun, so i somehow managed to resist (and having 4 breakfasts would have been a bit much, even for me). I had a very entertaining Japanese (I think) seat companion who thought it was hilarious when i tasted the coffee and made a face, so i had to repeat same face whilst he took a picture of me! A bit weird, but OK.... He was also desperate to see out of the window and take pictures (I can relate to that) so i obligingly craned forward in my seat whilst he snapped away for a few minutes - in the second leg of the flight, he moved seats so he could get a window and a view. Or maybe he was scared by my Coffee Face.....
Unbeknownst to me, the flight wasn't direct but was actually via Bangledesh, so we had a pit stop at Dukka "International" airport after about an hour and a half. I had a window seat (hard won!) so could appreciate the view unfolding beneath me. Until we landed, I had no idea where Dukka was, but could tell that we were flying over somewhere that was very poor as there were bugger all roads and all the buildings had a very ramshackle air about them. After a brief stop to refuel and for people to get on and off, we undertook our final 45min flight to Bhutan. OMG. After not seeing very much during the flight as we were waaaay above the clouds at a cruising altitude of 38,000 feet, suddenly we were flying over the Himalayas and the Southern Mountain Range with its jagged white peaks came into view. And there, on the left, was the peak of Everest. The highest point on Earth and i was flying past it - what a privilege and a complete thrill.
Druk AirTastic
The flight on Druk Air was great - far from being the grimness that i'd imagined (think Cyprus Turkish Airlines), it was actually really nice. The flight attendants looked very smart in their traditional Bhutanese silks, there was plenty of room for legs PLUS we got fed! Twice!! (making it my THIRD breakfast of the day - a new personal best for me). The second meal service was of a mystery meat bun, so i somehow managed to resist (and having 4 breakfasts would have been a bit much, even for me). I had a very entertaining Japanese (I think) seat companion who thought it was hilarious when i tasted the coffee and made a face, so i had to repeat same face whilst he took a picture of me! A bit weird, but OK.... He was also desperate to see out of the window and take pictures (I can relate to that) so i obligingly craned forward in my seat whilst he snapped away for a few minutes - in the second leg of the flight, he moved seats so he could get a window and a view. Or maybe he was scared by my Coffee Face.....
Unbeknownst to me, the flight wasn't direct but was actually via Bangledesh, so we had a pit stop at Dukka "International" airport after about an hour and a half. I had a window seat (hard won!) so could appreciate the view unfolding beneath me. Until we landed, I had no idea where Dukka was, but could tell that we were flying over somewhere that was very poor as there were bugger all roads and all the buildings had a very ramshackle air about them. After a brief stop to refuel and for people to get on and off, we undertook our final 45min flight to Bhutan. OMG. After not seeing very much during the flight as we were waaaay above the clouds at a cruising altitude of 38,000 feet, suddenly we were flying over the Himalayas and the Southern Mountain Range with its jagged white peaks came into view. And there, on the left, was the peak of Everest. The highest point on Earth and i was flying past it - what a privilege and a complete thrill.
Paro-ic!
Continuing the theme, but coming into land at Paro airport was one of the most exhilarating experiences ever!! Flying in the valley, alongside the mountain tops, it felt like we were using the mountains as sling shots, with the wing tips feeling as if they were only feet from the mountains. Incredible. And with the stunning vista of the valley unfurling beneath us, the patchwork of rice paddy fields and Bhutanese houses and temples dotting the hillsides was breathtakingly beautiful.
I can confirm that Paro International Airport is not like SFO and even less like Newark! Beautiful architecture and painted building - a style that is uniform throughout the Kingdom. Going through Immigration, fortunately the formalities went without a hitch but to close out on the Visa debacle, I then noticed that the exit date was also wrong and had me leaving a day early!! So have to go to Thimphu tomorrow to get that sorted out - hopefully wont take much longer than a few minutes. Bags arrived (yey) and finally out through into arrivals to meet my guide and for my holiday to begin in earnest.
My guide is a chap called Shadup (or Michael - I guess his "tourist" name) - a young guy who greeted me with a traditional white silk scarf. He's 27, loves Manchester United and listens to Usher and dance music on the radio. He seems a nice enough chap and his English is pretty good, but he's not massively descriptive when going round temples or seeing sights. Its a bit of a shame as I really want to understand more of what i'm seeing but i can always read up on it after the fact and its far preferable than having a guide who wont shut up!! It does feel a little bit as if i'm on the longest blind date in history but he does this for a living, so i'm sure any slight feelings of awkwardness are entirely on my part and will pass in a day or so.
The first order of business was to sort out my itinerary and figure out where we were going to drop the day i missed cos of being stuck in Bangkok. We ended up dropping it from Bumthang, in the middle of the trip, to preserve my full 3 days in the Tashi Taj. Am fine with that - making the best of what happened. Then it was on to my hotel in Paro - the absolutely phenomenal Uma Resort.
Uma-licious
The first order of business was to sort out my itinerary and figure out where we were going to drop the day i missed cos of being stuck in Bangkok. We ended up dropping it from Bumthang, in the middle of the trip, to preserve my full 3 days in the Tashi Taj. Am fine with that - making the best of what happened. Then it was on to my hotel in Paro - the absolutely phenomenal Uma Resort.
Uma-licious
I've been so focused on the Tashi Taj that the Uma resort had flown under my radar screen, so i was completely blown away by how beautiful, stylish, calming and relaxing it was. Plus it smelled so gooood!!! There were aromatherapy burners everywhere and the oils were amazing - definitely need to get some of those for home. The general manager was a chap called Amber, from Calcutta, and he was a lovely guy who took me for a tour of the premises. There are only 20 rooms and 7 villas, so i felt part of an elite band of pampered travelers and its certainly one of the highest end places I've ever stayed in, so a thoroughly fitting antidote to the stresses of yesterday. After checking in and dropping my stuff off in my room, it was time for lunch. OMG. The view of Paro Valley from the dining room was sublime and completely blew me away - i could sit and stare at that view for hours. But there was some good eating to be done, so Amber recommended I have this yummy salad and a pizza. Not really what i'd envisaged trying as my first meal in Bhutan but it was delicious, though very heavy, so it was a good pick.
After lunch, met up with Michael at 2pm to start sight seeing. On the hit list for this afternoon:
Ta Dzong, Kyichu Lhakhang and Paro Dzong. Here's what my itinerary says about them:
Rimpung Dzhong
The approach toward the Dzong is through a traditional covered
bridge called the Nemi Zam. A paved stone path runs alongside the imposing
outer walls of the structure. The valley's annual springtime religious festival
called the Paro Tsechu is organized each year in the courtyard of the dzong and
is attended by tourists from all over the world.
Kyichu Lhakhang
The Jowo Temple of Kyichu is one of the oldest temples in Bhutan. The temple was built by the Tibetan King Songsten Gampo in the 7th Century AD. The Kyichu Lhakhang was one of the 108 temples constructed by him to subdue a demon that was terrorizing the people of the Himalayas. The temple is believed to have been visited by the Guru Rinpoche in the 8th Century during his visit to the Paro Valley. Other important personalities to have visited the temple in antiquity include Lam Kha Nga and the Phajo Dugom Zhigpo. The Lhakahng underwent many extensions during the ages with the last one being carried out in 1965 by the Queen Mother Ashi Kezang Choden Wangchuck. She added another new structure to the temple called the Guru Lhakahng. As one of the oldest Lhakahangs, it houses many important relics. One of the most important relics of the temple is a 7th century statue of Jowo Sakyamuni which is believed to have cast at the same time as it famous counterpart in Lhasa Tibet. There are 2 orange trees located in the courtyard of the temple; there is a belief amongst the locals that these orange trees bear fruit all year long. This site is one of the most sacred holy sites is all of Bhutan, and our companies travel consultants recommend every traveller to visit this sacred temple.
The Jowo Temple of Kyichu is one of the oldest temples in Bhutan. The temple was built by the Tibetan King Songsten Gampo in the 7th Century AD. The Kyichu Lhakhang was one of the 108 temples constructed by him to subdue a demon that was terrorizing the people of the Himalayas. The temple is believed to have been visited by the Guru Rinpoche in the 8th Century during his visit to the Paro Valley. Other important personalities to have visited the temple in antiquity include Lam Kha Nga and the Phajo Dugom Zhigpo. The Lhakahng underwent many extensions during the ages with the last one being carried out in 1965 by the Queen Mother Ashi Kezang Choden Wangchuck. She added another new structure to the temple called the Guru Lhakahng. As one of the oldest Lhakahangs, it houses many important relics. One of the most important relics of the temple is a 7th century statue of Jowo Sakyamuni which is believed to have cast at the same time as it famous counterpart in Lhasa Tibet. There are 2 orange trees located in the courtyard of the temple; there is a belief amongst the locals that these orange trees bear fruit all year long. This site is one of the most sacred holy sites is all of Bhutan, and our companies travel consultants recommend every traveller to visit this sacred temple.
Rimpung Dzhong
The Paro Dzhong is probably Bhutan's best known and most iconic Dzhong. This is probably the first building you will notice when you land at Paro International Airport and will probably be your first memory of Bhutan. The imposing Dzhong is perhaps the finest example of Dzhong architecture existing the world today, the massive buttered walls of the fortress dominates over the valley. The Rinpung Dzhong's names translates to the "Fortress on a heap of Jewels ".
The fortress was constructed in 1644 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal
on the foundations of an ancient monastery. The fort played a crucial role in the
history of the Paro valley as the Dzhong helped keep the marauding Tibetans
away from the Paro valley. The Dzhong was hit by an earthquake in 1897 but survived unharmed,
but a fire in 1907 ended up causing severe damage to the Dzhong.
The Dzhong is built on a steep hill along the banks of the Paro
Chu River. The front part of the Dzhong is home to the District administration
while the other courtyard towards the rare houses the district monk body.
The approach toward the Dzong is through a traditional covered
bridge called the Nemi Zam. A paved stone path runs alongside the imposing
outer walls of the structure. The valley's annual springtime religious festival
called the Paro Tsechu is organized each year in the courtyard of the dzong and
is attended by tourists from all over the world.
Ta Dzong (National
Museum)
The National Museum of Bhutan is housed inside the six storied
circular Ta Dzhong. The Ta Dzhong is a medieval watch tower situated above the
Rimpung Dzhong. The Ta Dzhong was constructed in 1656 with a purpose to give
advance warning to the Paro Dzong in case of an approaching army, in fact the
word Ta means 'to see' in Dzhongkha. The future first king was imprisoned here
for a brief period in 1872. In 1968 the Ta Dzhong was converted into the National
Museum of Bhutan. The Museum houses a priceless collection of textile,
costumes, paintings, appliqué, wooden handicrafts, weapons, armour and
jewellery. There is a small section dedicated to the natural history of Bhutan.
There is a small chapel on the top of the building with icons representing
Himalayan Buddhist traditions.
It was a fantastic afternoon, full of jaw-dropping beauty and incomparable sights. And I pretty much had the whole place to myself!! I saw a couple other tourists here or there, but most of the time it was just me. I didnt feel as out of place as i did in Vietnam or Cambodia - pretty much nobody paid me any attention, so i think they must be very used to tourists and not really treat them as unusual or as an object of curiosity - which is fine by me! Also, I think it helps that all of their signs are in English (English is the second language), so - even though I know i'm in a foreign place - there are enough points of familiarity to make it seem accessible and less intimidating.
I didnt expect to be able to go inside the temple with the monks at prayer, but inside we went and they were at their afternoon prayers. It wasn't quite what i was expecting - there was lots of giggling and shuffling about and chatting (gossiping?! - is that allowed when you're a monk!!) - not at all the solemn studious atmosphere i was anticipating!!
I also learnt the dress code for visiting temples: either a collared shirt or at least half sleeves. You need one or the other. I had a hybrid of neither, so ended up touring the temple with my black waterproof jacket over my nice pink long dress. Uber stylish, baby!
After getting my fill of the sights, it was time to come back to the hotel - where I pretty much crashed out! I went for a quick wander round to explore, sit in all the cute little courtyards and groovy places and edit my photos. I ended up stretched out on one of the loungers by the pool - one of the staff brought me a ginger tea (uber-spicy) and where afterwards I promptly fell asleep!! Despite the offer of a freebie glass of champagne from Amber, I simply didnt have the energy to drag myself off to the dining room, so I decided to be completely decadent and order room service instead. Again, the food was amazing - I had a bit of a sampler, so tried some Chickpea fritters, some Dumplings and a local salad followed by the best EVER banana and walnut ice cream sandwich. Ridiculously tasty.And then I promptly passed out for 10hrs of glorious sleep. Good night, Bhutan - Day One and you've been awesome.
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