Day 7: Gangtey to Thimphu

HAPPY 40^th BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEEEE!!  Its finally here, my 40^th birthday and I’m spending it in a phenomenal country truly having the trip of a lifetime, so I feel very very blessed this morning!

I opened half my cards, looking out over the valley (thanks for the Sue Sylvester one, Mum!) and then headed over for Birthday Breakfast of eggs, toast, indian style rice noodles and tea.  After breakfast, packed up my cases ready to leave at 9am.  Michael came to knock on my door and wish me happy birthday and also said that he and his office would like to take me out in Thimphu for a birthday dinner tonight!  With a cake and a candle to help me celebrate!   Here’s a quick rundown of my immediate thought processes:

1.  OMG that is so sweet – what a lovely gesture!  How incredibly kind of him to give up an evening off in his home town to take me out for my birthday.
2. Its not a date, is it?
3. Oh no – but I’ve been dreaming for months about celebrating my birthday with a perfectly chilled glass of champagne in the bar at the Tashi Taj, dressed up to the nines!!
4. Don’t be so shallow, Sarah – you can drink champagne in the bar tomorrow night – this is one of those kindnesses that it would be incredibly rude to turn down, even though you’ve just vowed at 40 to not say yes to things just to please other people.
5. But its not the same!!  My birthday is today!!
6. But maybe there is a lesson (even a Buddhist one) in letting go of what I think my plans should have been and just going with the flow instead.  Hmm, yes, that’s it.
7. But hang on – screw that!  Perhaps I can do both!  Dinner with Michael and his friends and THEN come back to the Tashi bar and have my champagne – yes!  Got it!  Sarah – you are a strategic planning genius!

That was quite a lot of mental processing early in the morning, so I recovered by looking at beautiful scenery for the next 3 hrs as we drove from Gangtey back to Thimphu.  As there is only one road in Bhutan, we were traveling along some of the same crazy-assed narrow mud surface roads again, with lots of construction (done exclusively by Indian migrant workers – apparently, Buddhists don’t build roads for some reason – perhaps they are too permanent?).    So, as well as being my Birthday Bonanza, it became apparent that today’s theme was Try the Local Food Day.  On the road to Thimphu (another country and Western song right there), we passed through a number of small towns and villages, and we stopped at one to pick up snacks for the journey.  We’ve not picked up snacks before (unless pre-packaged betelnut counts – more on that later), so I guess these were Special Birthday Snacks.  Anyway, the first set of snacks were a puffy rice cracker thing called makhu that are made out of rice paste, then deep fried so they puff up, like a giant inflatable crisp.  You then basically poke the sucker in the middle so it shatters and then crunch your way through it.  It was OK – it didn’t actually really taste of much other than the grease it was fried in, but it was entertaining in its outrageous crunchiness  - it’s a wonder anyone has any teeth left if they are munching their way through that lot regularly.

 

Only about half an hour after CrunchFest, we pass a couple of peasants (I know, I’m so bourgeoise) by the side of the road roasting corn on the cob – so Michael duly buys a couple of those and another MunchFest starts.   Soon enough, I’m picking bits of corn out of my teeth, but it was nice enough and had a pleasant peasant char, so I’m sure I will be enjoying that again in another capacity later.

After 3hrs on the road, we arrive back at the Dochula pass, where this time we’ll be stopping for tea and for lunch.  Yet again, the pass is completely shrouded in mist and cloud, so nary a Himalayan mountain in sight.  So instead I took a picture of a picture of the mountain view and imagined in the rest.

In keeping with today’s theme of Try the Local Food Day, I ate some weird stuff at lunch.  First up is the famous Butter Tea or suja – made from some local tea leaves, melted BUTTER and salt.  OMG.  It was VILE!!  The taste was bad enough but it was the way it felt in your mouth that was really disconcerting – just like drinking liquid butter, in fact.  I sipped it a few times (it was piping hot, so at least that was something) to show just how world-travellery I was but in the end, I just couldn’t fake it, so let it gently grow cold (does it congeal as it gets colder?) beside me and switched to water instead.  I also tried a local chilli paste/relish thing which was supernova hot but actually pretty good, as well as trying the  “dried pork” or sekham, another local specialty.  Now, if someone says dried pork, you think of jerky or actual dried meat, yes?  Not here.  Obviously the drying process involves gelatinization because the pork turns up and its basically jellified rashers of fat, with the tiniest tiniest sliver of meat in there, as if to prove it originally did come from a pig.  Again, it wasn’t so much the taste as the texture –   oleaginous and chewy and fatty, and which weirdly kinda melted in your mouth but then didn’t and you’d have to chew your way through it.  It reminded me of the horrific Pig Trotters experience from Madrid – the less said about that, the better.

Anyway, the rest of lunch was less challenging so afterwards, it was only a short drive to get to Thimphu.  We drove past the 108 Druk Wangyal Khangzang Chortens and stopped to take a quick picture this time (am getting a bit Chortened out) as well as navigate a police checkpoint where they were checking everyone’s driving licenses to make sure all was in order.

On the road back, the entertainingly gentle road signs urging caution on the roads started to

reappear, as well as lots of the incredibly richly decorated trucks that are standard here. I love the way the trucks are all blinged out, Bollywood style, and how everything is painted by hand – again, it gives the whole country a very quaint appearance that makes you feel instantly fond of it and nostalgic at the same time.  Another brilliant spot on the way in was a truck that had emblazoned across the back “Marketing Van”.  Bloody brilliant. 

So, we finally arrive in Thimphu around 1pm, and instead of going straight to the hotel (the suspense keeps building and building!!), we go first to Buddha View with its ENORMOUS seated Buddha statue and incredible views of Thimphu below.  

Here’s what my itinerary says about it:

Kuensel phodrang

The Kuensel Phodrang or the Buddha point is the world’s largest sitting Buddha statue, the statue is 167 feet high. The statue is situated on top of a hill overlooking the city of Timphu, it can be accessed by road and is about 15 minutes away from the city’s center. The word Kuensel means everything is clear and from this place you will sure enjoy a great view of the Thimphu Valley on both sides. The statute will house a temple inside it, the statue and its adjoining car park and

Recreational center are currently under construction and is expected to be ready by December 2012. The statue is constructed out of bronze and is studded with many semi-precious stones. Since they are no factories in country that can make such a large bronze cast structure, statute is being manufactured in China and the pieces are brought to Bhutan and are assembled here. On the drive to the statue the steep winding hill road offers an unparalleled view of the city of Thimphu and is an excellent place to capture a view of the city especially after dark. A journalist once described the view as “seeing an osasis of light in the desert of darkness “as the city light of Thimphu shine very bright in an otherwise dark Thimphu valley.

 

After taking in the view at Mr.B View, it was time for our final sightseeing stop of the day, the National Memorial Chorten.  Here’s what my itinerary says about it:

National memorial chorten

The National Memorial was built by Bhutan's third king, H.M. Jigme Dorji Wangchuck who is also known as the "father of modern Bhutan." He wanted to erect a monument carrying the message of world peace and prosperity. However, he was unable to give shape to his idea in his lifetime due to pressures of state and other regal responsibilities. After his untimely demise in 1972, the Royal Family and Cabinet resolved to fulfill his wishes and erect a memorial that would perpetuate his memory and also serve as a monument to eternal peace, harmony and tranquility.

The National Memorial Chorten was gifted to the nation on 28 July, 1974. The exquisite wall paintings and the delicately carved statues reflect deep insights into Buddhist spirituality and a rich tradition of prayer and learning. The National Memorial Chorten is known as the ‘most visible religious landmark in Bhutan’.

The Chorten was consecrated by His Holiness, the Late Dudjorn Rinpoche. Unlike other Stupas the Chorten is not a shrine for the mortal of the late King. The Chorten on contains a photograph of the King in full ceremonial attire. The King had intend for the Chorten to be “ a Chorten that represents the mind of Bhuddha ”

The national Memorial Chorten is located in the center of the capital city, Thimphu and is designed like a Tibetan style Chorten. The Chorten is patterned of the classical Stupa design with a pyramidal pillar crowned by a crescent moon and sun. One of the most distinct features of the Chorten is its outwards flaring rounded part that makes the Chorten look more like a vase rather than the classical dome. The interior of the Chorten has a large number of paintings of Tantric deities, in explicit sexual poses that sometimes can be a little disconcerting to visitors.

 

After that, it was finally time to head to the Tashi Taj.  OMG.  This place is utterly stunning.  I was greeted with the traditional white silk scarf (same as how Michael had greeted me from the airport) and a cup of fragrant, sweet herbal tea as I waited in the lobby for them to check me in. Because it is my Birthday (its my birthday!! YEY!!), I got upgraded to a room with a large balcony (which is where I’m stretched out now, as I write this!).  The room is beautiful, stylishly decorated and with a lovely view of the courtyard below and the mountains directly in front of me.  So, I quickly dumped my stuff, got changed into a nice dress and headed to the bar for that glass of champers I’ve been looking forward to for so long.  Alas, they didn’t sell champagne by the glass, and I certainly wasn’t going to toast my 40th birthday with below par German sparkling wine, so a full bottle of Dom Perignon for me then!! 

As I waited for the bar tender to chill the bottle (it was the last one – huzzah!), I drank some tea on the terrace outside and opened the rest of my birthday cards.  All were fab but Mum’s made me cry, it was so lovely!!  Just before the waiter brought the champagne out, he returned with a birthday cake for me, iced with my name and lit with a candle!!  It was such a lovely gesture 

(particularly as they don’t celebrate birthdays here), I was very touched!!  I must be getting old already cos I blew the candle out and it kept relighting, so I’m obviously starting to lose my touch.  So, finally the champagne was chilled and, with a pop, it was Happy Birthday to Me!!  I read all my birthday wishes on Facebook, posted a couple of pictures of me enjoying the moment and had a thoroughly fabulous time.  

So, after about an hour or so, and a half bottle of DP, it was time to get ready to go out and meet Michael and his friends for dinner at 6.30pm.  It was actually really nice –they’d also bought me a birthday cake with my name on it as well as a bottle of wine and a couple little bottles of port wine (which they actually then proceeded to open!).  Dinner took ages to arrive, so the conversation got a little thin at times but all it all, it was a pleasant evening and it was very touching of them all to give up one of their free evenings to take me out to dinner.  I met Michael’s brother and other family/office 

members.  I didn’t ask if one of the office peeps was Sonam, the one who effed up my visa – I didn’t want to sour the mood. 

 

Anyway, I was back by 8.30pm/9pm and so came back to my room, changed into my long black dress and then headed back to the bar to finish off my bottle of Dom P.  And again, the birthday greetings just kept on coming (the whole hotel must know its my 40^th birthday!) as another couple members of staff brought me yet another birthday cake, took my piccie and gave me a pressie of a little Buddha in a box!  This place rocks for having birthdays in!!

Finally, I finished off my fantastic birthday with a long chat with Mumsie and Thomsk via Skype – it was the perfect way to end my birthday!!

Day 7: Bhutan – thank you for making my special birthday completely unforgettable, you rock!!