Day 4: Trongsa - Bumthang

Yes, so today’s fun involves a drive to the place with a funny name.

The day started off with an encounter with a haunted kettle – its standard here, even in the most basic hotel rooms, to have a kettle and the stuff you need to make tea & coffee – AMERICA TAKE NOTE!!  There was no telly in my room but I could have a cuppa anytime I liked – again, a sure sign of a country with its priorities truly in the right order!  Disconcertingly, the kettle kept turning itself on and – though I tried to keep up with it and drink as much tea as it seemed to want me too – even I had to admit defeat (had half a mind on the bumpy roads) and eventually unplug the little blighter to foil its plans for caffeine-induced world domination.   It was also very rainy with the clouds swathing the mountains – all making for some very atmospheric pictures of the Trongsa Dzong emerging from the mists.  Lovely.  Sam would be so proud.

After a nice – but probably not very locally authentic – breakfast of oatmeal, eggs and toast, accompanied by the chimes of the spinning water prayer wheel in the garden - it was time to head up to the Ta Dzong, the watchtower which is now a museum, housing many precious artifacts from the Trongsa Dzong. 

Again, words fail me to describe the beauty and magnificence of all the treasures and incredible history housed within the Ta Dzong.  This stuff is SERIOUSLY OLD and in seriously great nick.  And right there!!!  Maybe 10% of the stuff on display was in a case or behind glass – everything else, I could just reach out and touch (but I obviously didn’t!).  Its at times like this I wish I had a better memory, so I could walk you through the various rooms and levels – but I don’t.  Sorry.   What I do recall again are amazing golden statues and carvings of the Buddha and his mates, various articles of clothing and adornments from the time of the Guru Rinpoche (the second Buddha) through to the current King, swords and weapons, embellished jewel encrusted silver boxes to store betelnut and lime, the King’s arrow quiver and radio, boxes and boxes of ancient scriptures, intricately woven ghos and one of the previous King’s Raven Crown, signifying the strength and power of the monarchy and still worn today.   It was all incredibly well done – the signs next to each exhibit were very informative and again, I was the only person in the whole place!!  As we went round the exhibits, we were spiraling upwards, until we finally emerged onto the top of the Ta, where the views of the valley below were absolutely incredible.   Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera as I had to check it on entering the Ta Dzong but they were so spectacular – I could have stood there for hours drinking it all in.

Luckily for my guide, I restrained myself so after a few more minutes, we wound our way back down to the bottom of the building, and set off for the 2.5hr drive to Bumthang.

Yes.  I know.  Cue music and all sing together “We’ve got a Bumthang, a Bumthang”.  I’m not even sure what song that is replacing now, but I know its from the 70’s, involves wide collars and improbably patterned polyester shirts.  Dad would know.

The drive to Bumthang was not quite as bonkers, road-wise, as the drive yesterday.  The scenery was as breathtaking as I’ve come to expect – high up on the mountains, overlooking the lush green Bumthang valley.  Absolutely stunning.   It was all very atmospheric and a bit spooky at times, with the tall pine and cypress trees swathed in thick cloaks of mist.  After about an hour and a half, we reached the top of the mountain and went through another pass, Yongda La, with its Bhutanese style chorten and also laden with prayer flags.  From there, it was (obviously) downhill to Bumthang valley, passing a few yaks on the roadside along the way!

We got to the guest house around lunchtime – staying at the family run Keila Guest House.  The courtyard is magnificent, ringed on three sides by the two stories of the hotel and the balconies wrapping round them.  My room is again basic, but clean and spacious – plus it has an iron stove in it that – according to my Lonely Planet Guide book – they will light for you if you get cold.  Either that or just switch on the wall heater that’s by my bed.

After an absolutely DELICIOUS lunch (Indian style with rice, curry, a yummy salad, some dahl and the ubiquitous chili cheese), it was time to do a bit more sightseeing.  Two things on the itinerary for this afternoon – first up, the Kurjey Lhakhang followed by the Jambey Lhakhang. 

Both were stunning, but the Kurjey Lhakhang was especially memorable – as we visited one of the shrines inside, the monks were also inside at prayer.  Looking at these beautiful golden statues and works of art is impressive enough, but to do so accompanied by the sounds of the monks chanting, a monotone incantation that sounded both urgent and spacious, with the heavy smell of incense hanging in the air made it an almost overwhelming sensory experience.   In one of the other temples, more statues and this time, I received a blessing, holy water poured into my cupped hands that you first sip, then wet the top of your head with the rest.  Yet another singular experience to add to the rapidly expanding list!  Here’s what my itinerary says about the two places I visited this afternoon:

Kurjey Lhakhang

The Kurjey Lhakhang is a monastery located in the Bumthang Valley of Bhutan. The Kurjey Lakahng Temple Complex is a 30 minute hike from the Jambay Lhakhang temple. According to legend Sendhu Raja, the King of Bumthang was very ill and invited Guru Rinpoche the founder of Buddhism in Bhutan to give him a cure for his ailment.

Upon his investigation the Guru Rinpoche discovered that the illness was caused by the malevolent local deities including the Sheling Karpo. Upon finding out that these deities were responsible; the angry Guru chased them in to a cave. Guru Rinpoche then sat there and meditated for three months, upon waking up he subdued the deities and cured the thankful King of his ills. The guru left an imprint of his body in the cave to serve as a reminder to all evil beings of his wrath.

The Kurjey Lhakhang Temple complex consists of 3 major temples and surrounding Chortens. The main temple was built in 1652 by Minjur Tempa, the then Penlop of Trongsa. The temple is said to house cave that contains imprint or Kurjey of Guru Padmasambhava. The second temple was built by the first King of Bhutan His Majesty Ugyen Wangchuk in 1900 and the third and last one was built under the patronage of the Queen Mother Ashi Kesang Wangmo Wangchuk in the 1990’s. 108 Chortens were also built along around the temple complex. The Lakhag is also the final resting place of first three Kings of Bhutan. According to legend the Cypress tree located in front of the first temple is said to be an offshoot from the walking staff of Guru Rinpoche have a deep connection with the legend of Trenton Pema Lingpa.

Jambey lhakhang

Jambay Lhakhang was built by King Srongsen Gampo of Tibet in 659 AD. The temple was blessed by Guru Rimpoche during his visit to Bumthang. It is said that Guru Rimpoche was the one who brought Buddhism to Bhutan. It was renovated by Sindhu Raja after Guru Rimpoche restored his life with his magical powers. Many believe that there is a natural lake under the temple in which Guru Rimpoche took refuge on several occasions.

After Jambey Lhakhang, that was it for the day’s sightseeing, so back to the guest house and time to update the blog and edit piccies.  Stuck about 90 pics on Facebook which took about 3 hours to upload – but it worked in the end!!  My guide unexpectedly joined me for dinner this evening, so had to try and think of more conversation!   We’ve already exhausted Angry Birds and Manchester United, so I’m starting to run out of topics.  Fortunately, I’m on vacation and I’m the client this time (hurray!) so i don’t have to worry about keeping my guide entertained – its all about ME for 2 weeks!  Huzzah to that.

Day 4: Bhutan, we need to have a serious talk.  Just what are your intentions towards me?

Day 3 – Wangdue Phodrang - Trongsa

Today was another long day spent in the car, driving fron Wangdue Phodrang to Trongsa.  To get there, we needed to cross the Black Mountains, over the Pele La pass (3420m) before entering the broad, heavily cultivated Mangde Chhu valley.  The road was INSANE and only tarmacked about half the time – the rest of the time it’s a mud track, pitted with big holes and rocks, that’s also incredibly narrow and VERY close to the edge!   Fortunately, my guide is an excellent driver – for him these terrifying mountain tracks are his equivalent of the M25!  Michael can gauge the width of the available space and the width of the car to within an inch either side, I reckon – no hesitation, either!!  So, even though the roads we’re driving on are tiny and literally carved out of the side of the mountain, with no barrier to stop you plummeting over the edge, I feel completely comfortable and safe. I think this, alone, would be one of the reasons that Bhutan will never succumb to mass tourism – the roads are simply too narrow, twisty and completely impassable to an average tourist bus.

As we drive along, you also get to notice the etiquette of the road – the convention here for tooting your horn is a language all in itself – one to get by, to say thanks when getting by, as a warning, or I’m coming.  People naturally pull pass to let others pass at the first opportunity – no road hogging here.   And, like everything else in Bhutan, the toots are invariably polite and respectful – no blaring of horns and angry sounds – just a friendly “toot-toot!   Not surprisingly, given the roads, Bhutan is also the home of the very narrow, tiny car.  A Fiat Punto here would be a large car.  And also all the cars seem to be new or at least I haven’t really seen any knackered out, rusty and falling apart cars a la standard mode of transportation in Cyprus.  So, again, from that perspective, I don’t really get Third World when I look around….

Another thing I’ve noticed (I only just twigged onto it yesterday) – there are no adverts plastered on the buses and – for that matter – very few adverts anywhere in the country.  Its only when they are gone do you realize just how jarring, loud and distracting they are – here, all the shop signs are painted in the same way, yellow paint onto wooden boards, gently advertising their wares, as opposed to screaming at you in neon or with massive billboards.

Because everyone speaks English (its their second language, so everyone learns it in school), the signs are in English and I’m not being stared at like I was in Vietnam and Cambodia, its easy for it not to feel that foreign.  As mentioned above, people are driving modern (if tiny!) cars, even monks have cell phones and my guide listens to Usher and wears Angry Birds, so it definitely feels very Western at times.  But then you come across the mandatory road side checkpoints, where the guide has to go in and show him that we are where we are supposed to be, as per my road permit visa and you are suddenly reminded there are very different rules here.  Also, with warning signs at the checkpoint telling you that if you illegally import tobacco, you will be liable for imprisonment of 3-5 years.   The uniformity of dress and architecture (all buildings have to be built in a certain style) all serve to remind you that this country’s version of democracy is very different to our.   Whilst the people can vote and elect representatives to Parliament, some of the more basic freedoms we don’t even think about most of the time are expressed and accessed differently here.

Anyway, after 3hrs of bumping along the roads, we finally got to Pele La pass, with its Tibetan chorten and tangle of prayer flags.

Chendebji chorten

Located 2 kilometers away from the village of Chendebji is the Chendebji Chorten, a large Buddhist Stupa. The Chendebji Chorten is a large white structure built in likeness to the famous Bodhunath Stupa located in Kathmandu in Nepal. The Chorten was constructed by Lama Shinda from Tibet in the 19th century AD. The Stupa is believed to have been constructed at a spot where an evil spirit was subdued by the Lama. Another striking feature of the Temple is the eyes painted at the four cardinal points of the temple.

Not that long after, it was time to stop for lunch (by which time I was busting for a pee – Bhutanese roads are NOT fun with a full bladder!!).  The restaurant was OK, fairly standard tourist fare for lunch (rather unexciting beef curry thing with potatoes and an assortment of vegetables – including some carrots which I think had been poached in butter!).  I did, though, thoroughly enjoy the knitted flowers which served as the centerpiece to each table.  Very stylish.  We timed our lunch well – just as I was finishing up, the whole place was inundated by a large group of Bhutanese tourists – reminded me of our trips with Cosmos in Italy!!

Trongsa Dzong

Then onwards to Trongsa and to the Dzong.   Here’s what my itinerary says about it:

The Trongsa Dzong or the Cheokhor Rabdentse is one of the largest and most impressive Dzongs in all of Bhutan. The Dzong is located on a cliff overlooking the Mangde Chu river gorge. The Dzong was built at the site of a temple that was constructed in 1543, by a Drukpa Lama. This huge multi-level fortress comprises of a series of courtyards and passageways that are built along the topography of the ridge. There are 25 temples located within the confines of the Dzong, most of these temples are dedicated to the deities important in Tantric Buddhism. In 2008 a small museum dedicated to the history of the Dzhong was opened following a generous donation from Austria. The Trongsa Dzhong served as the seat of the first and the second king of Bhutan, and its tradition for the crown prince of Bhutan to be appointed as the Penlop (Governor) of Trongsa before assuming the throne. This post is akin to the Prince of Wales where the heir to the British Thrones serves as the Prince of Wales.

It was truly spectacular.  Again, pictures don’t do it justice.  What I’ve been amazed about – not just here but everywhere I’ve been so far – is how much access I’ve had in these places.  Obviously, I’m not able to take any pictures inside any of the temples – I completely understand but, my God, the amazing things I’ve seen inside the various temples.  Its simply breathtaking.  The many many golden statues of the Buddha in his many incarnations, the painted walls, the carvings, the ancient murals with their colors still as vivid and bright as the day they were painted 400 years ago. The shrines with the array of offerings to the deities, the flickering and incredibly fragrant butter lamps, the delicately colored and intricate sugar offerings, the pewter bowls of

holy water ranged along the front of the altar, the brightly colored silk flags and hangings everywhere lending everything a festive air.  And the smell.  The smell of incense - combined with the fragrance of the butter lamps – hangs heavy in the air, intoxicating and heady (Mum – you would hate it!!).  And, for most of the time, its just me and my guide.  Walking through these amazing places, trying to imprint all these amazing sights and experiences into my memory.   Respectfully observing the monks at prayer and going about their business – again, its incredible how free I am (with my guide, of course!) to simply wander through their home and their temples, with no ropes to have to stand behind or specific times I have to visit (other than before sunset – no-one is allowed in the Dzongs after sunset).

Finally, after the Dzong, it was time to check in to the hotel, the Yanghill Resort.  It was pretty basic but I had a  2^nd storey room with a little balcony that faced directly the Dzong, so again, no complaints from me.  One observation in this place, though, is that the hotel staff obviously doesn’t believe in deodorant as the whole places reeks of stale BO!  It was truly stinky!!  What was worse, though, was that after about 15mins, you didn’t notice it anymore!!

Alas, the Internet not working, so it was the perfect opportunity to continue to edit all my pictures – both my haul from the day, as well as those from my trip to Iceland last year.  I even got started on those from the Canadian Rockies from a couple of years ago!  Picasa has got some great new processing features, so I played around with those for a bit, created some new online albums and collages, before finally calling it a night and hitting the sack.

Day 3 – Bhutan, I think I may have a crush on you. 

Day 02: Paro – Punakha

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 14^th 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.

Phase III COMPLETE!!   At large in Bhutan!!

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.

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

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:

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.

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.

Phase III of Operation Birthday GlobeTrot Back on Track!!

Absolutely delighted to report the (so-far) smooth resumption of normal service and am now finally sitting at the gate for Druk Air, waiting to board my flight in about half an hour.   Had an over-priced and underwhelming breakfast at the hotel i will be happy to charge the travel agent for (with the floppiest toast i've ever seen), did a quick spot of blogging before finishing up my packing and heading off to the airport.

No problems with checking in today, although i had to pay a change fee for my ticket and for extra baggage weight.  They only accepted cash but - cos today was today and not yesterday - my ATM card worked fine this time and got my cash without any problems.   So paid my extra and also reflected on the fact that i appeared to be the only passenger checking in who didnt have an enormous digital TV as a travel companion.  Wondered if traveling with an oversized item of digital paraphenalia was another condition of a Bhutan visa, but i seemed to have slipped through the net with that one, so on i went through passport control and security.

Now THIS was more like it.  Lots of bright, shiny shops with bright, shiny lights and pretty things to look at.  Eschewing materialism for gluttony, however, i headed for the food court and treated myself to a bowl of pork ramen noodles to make up for the crappy breakfast just in case the catering in Economy for Druk Air isnt the lavish feast I've gotten used to with United's delicious Tapas snackboxes.   So, will a full tummy and a significantly lighter heart than yesterday, let my holiday begin!!!

Phase Two of Operation Birthday GlobeTrot Complete - Phase Three, Not So Much.....

Buggery bollocks.  

Well, it was all going very well.  My flight from Narita to Bangkok was fab and i even managed to get some sleep, courtesy of Mr.Ambien (though i mistimed it a bit and for some reason took it before take-off thinking i would just sleep and miss dinner - then realized, amazingly, i was a bit hungry so then had to fight to stay awake and not faceplant into my beef shortribs).  Anyhoo, I get to Bangers, breeze through immigration with no line, collect both my suitcases which made it (huzzah) and mosy from Arrivals into Departures, where i have about 6hrs to wait before checking in for my Bhutan flight.

There's not a whole lot to do in Bangkok airport at 2am in the morning, but I did find the strip of food places (including a Starbucks) PLUS a place where you could get a foot, shoulder and hand massage.  It was lots of comfy seats in a quiet darkened room that you could stretch out on (lots of people were obviously completely sparko), so it was the perfect place to camp out for a bit and pass the time.  Even at inflated airport prices, for a pretty bloody good 2hr massage, it was only $28!  Bargain!  So i blissed out for a bit, then headed to the food court to enjoy some green tea noodles and duck and a bowl of wonton soup, until FINALLY it was time to go to the check-in counter for Druk Air and initiate the Final Phase of my TransGlobal Adventure.

And that's where the wheels promptly fell off my Party Bus.

I spent most of yesterday raging about what happened (I did not take it well) so i'll keep it pretty brief now, cos i dont want to get all pissed off again.  Basically the travel agency who booked my whole tour (itinerary, air tickets, visa, road permit) from soup to nuts managed somehow to neglect one rather important detail.  Check the date on the Visa that allows you entry to the country actually matches the date on your flight ticket.  Trying to fly to Bhutan on the 4th of June when the Visa allows you entry from the 5th of June is not a winning combination.  Pretty basic detail you'd think they would have got right, yes?

Anyway, i'm sure you can imagine this did not go down well with me.  There was absolutely nothing i could do about it and there was nothing the airline could do about it, so i found myself completely and utterly stuck.  I was absolutely devastated - having to spend the day in Bangkok was bad enough (I'm not a fan of the city) but it was missing out a whole day of my trip in Bhutan that i was more upset about.  I've been looking forward to every single little bit of that trip for so many months now, that missing out on any of it heart-breaking.  My angst (and anger) was made worse by the fact that i wasnt able to get through to the f*ckwit travel agent who'd made all the arrangements - i kept trying the phone numbers on the email and travel website and kept getting the message that the number was incorrect.  by this stage, i was starting to wonder if the travel agent was actually real or not, or whether i'd been duped in a big scam and that Yetis and Dragons Travel Agency was actually some spotty youth wunderkind master criminal, sitting in his parent's garage basement, mercilessly defrauding hapless would-be travelers out of their hard-earned cash.

But no.  Fortunately that wasnt the case and i finally got through to the travel agency via the US number they'd listed on their website (go figure), so i expressed my extreme displeasure at the state of affairs.  He was very apologetic, said they'd cover all my expenses for my unintended stay in Bangkok and that everything would be sorted out.  So i rebooked my flight for tomorrow and then tried to make the best of a bad job for the rest of the day.

I ended up staying at the Novotel at the airport, so checked in, had a couple hours sleep, then got up intending to take an afternoon cruise on a Rice Barge which left the River City Pier at 2pm for a couple hours sailing.   I still hadnt been able to call Mum and tell her what had happened and get a little pep talk, and no one in the hotel seemed to have the faintest idea as to what telephone codes i needed to use to be able to dial out.  How is that possible???  Also, i needed to call the bank too as I'd just tried to get some cash out of an ATM with my debit card and that wasnt working (something else to add to the stress quotient).  The automated HSBC debit and credit card systems are enough to instantly piss you off on a normal day, so to have to deal with that (after taking a good 40mins to figure out the correct dialing number) when jetlagged, upset and generally really annoyed, did nothing to improve my mood AT ALL.

However, determined to push on and try and make lemonade, I took a cab from the hotel to the city - and immediately got into an argument with the cab driver over the fare.  The hotel said it would be about 300 Baht on the meter - the cabbie didnt put the meter on at first, so when i asked him to, he said it was 500 flat rate.  I protested and said that was too expensive and why wasnt the meter on - to which he started going into this whole spiel about how i could have the meter on but then the roads werent included or i could pay the flat rate and they were or something like that.  My choice, it's up to you he said - what do you want to do?  Well, I dont bloody know, do i???  I'm just here for today and all i want is a very simple, stress-free cab ride into town for this cruise I feel almost obliged to do, so that I could look back and say "I made the best of a bad job - see?  I took a cruise to explore!"  But no.  Not with the kinda day i was having.  Not knowing if we were going to hit traffic and then i'd be sitting staring at the meter ticking ever upwards, i went with the flat rate.  I was simply too exhausted, jet lagged, sleep deprived and beaten down to care by that stage.

So, we got to the place where I could buy my ticket for the River Cruise - I think the cabbie felt sorry for me by this stage, so he led the way to the ticket place.  Which existed.  But the cruise I'd seen advertised didn't.  That ticket desk was only offering Evening Dinner Cruises With Local Entertainment which I would have to had to have been almost near death to have considered.  By this stage i'm thinking the non-existant Gods have really got it in for me, so i go for a different kind of spiritual counsel, and go have a Watermelon Vodka cocktail, sitting outside on a terrace overlooking the river.  I begin to start to unwind and think what i could do to turn the day around.  Naturally, my thoughts turn to shopping (I've already done all the temples, Palaces, enormous Buddhas etc on one of my previous visits and i'm waaaay too knackered to schlep round these places again, in the heat and humidity).  I remember this fantastic shopping centre i went to before, so get the address from the waitress and head over to the taxi rank to grab a cab over there.  Apparently it should cost about 30 Baht, but when i ask the guy to take me there, he says "how much you want to pay?".  Errr... several answers pop into my mind.  One was "Nothing.  Take me for free, you f*ckwit".  Another was "Here - here's my wallet.  Why dont you just open it and help yourself, while i just sit over here and watch".   The others had too many expletives that were so imaginative, i probably couldnt even spell them.  Instead, i opted for the rather more moderated response of "Well, you tell me!".   Which he did.  And quoted me 300 baht.   Really?  REALLY?  I said that was too expensive and i'd been told 30 baht - he kinda laughed and then said "30 baht and I take you to one stop to a tailor store or a jewelery store".  Err...thanks, but no thanks.  I really dont need to go to your mate's tailor shop and suffer through a hard sell, just cos I want to take a frigging taxi to a shopping mall.  That pretty much the last straw, so I just walked away in disgust. Come on, Bangkok - is it REALLY that hard to get a taxi and just pay what i should pay, without absolutely everyone trying to rip me off?   Or is that against some local by-law that i should be aware of?  On a normal day, it would be totally "whatever" but today, i'd just had enough.

So i gave that idea up for a bit and decided to just give up altogether for a bit, and go and have some food.  So found myself back sitting outside along the river, on a different terrace, having spring rolls and a green pork curry and 2 glasses of chilled white wine (intolerance be damned today).  And that's where the little bright spark in my shit-fest of a day happened - there was a retired Aussie chap having lunch a table over from me, so we ended up chatting for a bit and i explained what had happened.  He was very sympathetic but kinda echoed the sentiment of "well, you're here now so make the best of it" - i didnt really feel in the mood to talk, but was practicing talking without bursting into tears, so it was good for me.  He finishes up, gets his cheque and we say good bye - i then get my cheque, to find he'd already picked up the tab for me.  This complete random stranger did a lovely thing and bought my lunch as a random act of kindness.  I called out after him to say thank you and he waved at my over his shoulder as he walked out of my line of vision (enjoying, as he should, the feeling of having done something very nice for no reason) - but then had to come back as i think he'd forgotten something!  Kinda spoiled the dramatic exit, i think, but it did give me the chance to shake his hand and thank him face to face.

And with that, I gave up trying to make anything of the day other than it was.  An unfortunate episode in the beginning of what should still be a trip of a lifetime.  I called the same cabbie who brought me in to take me back (at least i was getting fleeced by a face i knew) and simply headed back to the hotel.  I managed to get online and as a very last act, installed Skype on my mac to see if that would work to call Mum - and it did!!  So, we talked (well, i mainly raged) for a good 45 mins before I'd completely exhausted myself, called it a day and went to bed.

So now, Phase III Take Two.  Am heading off to the airport in a few minutes - lets just start this again, Bhutan, shall we?

Phase One of Operation Birthday GlobeTrot Complete.....
One leg down, two to go.  Am writing this sitting in the United Airlines lounge here at Tokyo's Narita airport, drinking sake and listening to the Bee Gees, mildly curious how much its costing to update my Facebook status on my Blackberry.  Am having a bloody lovely time so far, enjoying every single minute and seemingly eating everything that comes into visual range.

After an early morning start (awake at 4.30am, courtesy of East Coast jetlag), it was FINALLY time to jump in a cab and head off to the airport.  And YEY for business class, not working, drinking champagne and watching back to back movies for 10hrs!!!  After having endured economy for the last 3yrs, its hard to believe i used to travel like this all the time when i worked for Pfizer!  So the United biz lounge at SFO was no great shakes, so I ambled round the concourse instead and succumbed to a new pair of Gucci sunnies.  Then it was time to swan onto the plane for my 10hr ride to Tokyo - with my swanky-pants biz class ticket, i finally made the elusive Boarding Group 1.  BOOOYAH!   I chose to sit on the upper deck and had a window seat so that I could see at least a little bit of Japan when coming in for landing.  Note to self, though - don't crack open the window shade mid-flight to have a look to see where you are.   You will get a retina full of sun for your troubles and thus be unable to see anything other than a window shade for the next 5 minutes.  *sigh*

So to make sure i got my full value for money, i think i ate pretty much everything on offer (i can only imagine the state my poor little IgE antibodies are in right now).  The food was OK (Mum - you'll be pleased to know that Turkish Airlines food is MUCH better) - shrimp hor d'oeuvres and salad thing, bread, then chicken and rice, cheese plate and cheesecake - all washed down with lots of champagne, wine, port and coffee.  Then time for a quick nap (flat bed!!  FLAT BED!!!) before a mid flight snack then breakfast of cereal, croissants and tea.  With that little lot of refined carbs on board, its no wonder i'm sitting here in a quiet corner of the lounge farting my head off.

Anyway, its a four and a half hour stopover here in Narita.  I had a quick wander round the shops and there's some lovely stuff in there that i'll have to do some damage on, on my return trip.  Sitting in the lounge, i'm starting to feel a little bit tired and spacey (though that could be from self-inflicted biogas poisoning) and i've exhausted the particular food and drink options in the lounge, so its obviously time to be on the move again soon.  My next flight is from Tokyo to Bangkok and this one is just under 6hrs.  I get into Bangkok just before midnight and my flight to Bhutan leaves at 6am the next morning.  I dont have a hotel room booked as it didnt really seem worth it for just a couple of hours but i'm wondering if it might not be a bad idea, so i can at least get a shower, if not any sleep.  A couple hundred bucks for a shower is quite steep, though, so i'll probably just suck it up and loiter by the Druk Air check-in desk for a few hours and see if i can talk them into giving me an upgrade cos its my 40th birthday....