Peripatetic Bhutan

We took a flight from India to Paro, Bhutan, a Buddhist land-locked kingdom north of India, bordering the Himalayas’ eastern edge, and south of China. This country is known for its Gross National Happiness index instead of a gross domestic product! This is the first carbon negative country in the world, banning plastic bags and cigarettes (although betel nut chewing is rampant), and by law maintaining >60% of the total country’s area to forests. Needless to say, this provides for a very happy population, forests everywhere, fresh air, monasteries, fortresses (or dzongs) and dramatic landscapes of steep mountains and lush valleys.

Bhutan is about 8000 feet above sea level on average, so we took Diamox to help us prevent altitude sickness, as we would not want to ruin the trip by getting sick (we got sick in Cuzco, Peru, altitude of 11,150 feet). Just so you know you cannot just fly in and take off. You MUST have secured a “tourist” package at about $250.00 per day, which keeps down the number of tourists, but also means you are not overwhelmed. That “fee” covers a car, driver, personal guide, hotels and all meals! So, all in all, it is not terrible. They took care of everything for us, from entries, to any requests about shopping or culture. Well worth it — but it does takes planning. A final aside: there are no billboards, only public service message about how to be a better person — posed by the Royal Family.

We started out visit to the Paro Rinpung Dzong, built in 1644. It is a very impressive multilevel grandiose building, rebuilt in 1907 after a major fire. A Dzong is a fortress, and so this one is exactly that, with a central guard tower and surround barracks. Of course it is used as an administrative building now, but that allows you to walk around the whole thing without entry problems. It actually means “Fortress on a heap of precious jewels”, so it is spectacular both day and night. It gives a great view of the surrounding valley.

Off to Thimphu, which is the capital of Bhutan, about 30 miles away, but via a “U” drive around the mountains. On the way there, our guide was explaining some of the Buddhist philosophy and rituals, and we were asked if we wanted to go to one! Absolutely!

So, we were soon in a small house in a village off one of the side roads, enjoying the music from monks as they blew their horns, conch shells and played the drums, chanting and humming in the background, while blessing the house for the coming year. We were served snacks, tea, and local beverages (the latter not at all too our liking), but what a great experience. This was a completely spontaneous and unplanned part of the trip.

Our hotel was a high rise (6 stories!) overlooking the National Memorial Chorten (a Chorten is a monument or stupa that is used as a place of meditation). People come to it as a pilgrimage, and then walk around the Stupa for 108 times. So, we watched out the hotel window as the people walked briskly around the buildings, ringing the prayer wheels as they went by. It was built in 1974 by the queen mother (consort), and is quite highly revered. We started our next morning there to see it during the daylight also, but it was a very meditative experience. We did go into the Chorten, but you cannot photograph any of the statues that are there.

A quick drive up the hill will take you to the Buddha Dordenma, which is a 51 meter statue that looks out of the city of Thimphu. It was finished in 2015, built with all sorts of donations, including 125,000 Buddha statues of various sizes and shapes inside. It is completely covered in gold mosaic tiling, so glints and glistens, reflecting the sunlight for miles around.

Without any other tourists there, we had a marvelous time walking the groups.

We then drove through the Dochula Pass, on our way to Punakha. At the 10,170 foot summit, after going through dozens of switchbacks in the road we were able to explore the 108 Chortens (shrines) overlooking the valley. All of these are for soldiers who died defending the country from an Indian attack in the past. It was very mystical with clouds, mist and rain, turning to snow as we walked around. We could not see the Himalayas, but if it had been clear we would have been able to. We dropped down the other side to Phunaka, where we were going to walk to Chimi Lhakhang (built in 1499), or the temple of the Divine Madman.

*****For the prudish, skip the paragraph and the pictures: if not read on.***

The village is lined with shops selling phallic symbols covered with paintings and art of giant cartoonlike penises. This is supposed to be a “fertility” and “welcoming” ritual, which of course was both surprising and amusing simultaneously.  Drupa Kunley was a monk who railed against the system, wanting to show that it is possible to become enlightened without giving up on earthly pleasures: his method involved “blessing” women with sex, so they could have children! Because of this, Bhutan is covered in phallic images painted onto houses, hanging outside the doorways, used as door knobs, and even on the tables as salt-and-pepper shakers (you can only imagine!).

Phallic images are said to ward off evil spirits. Ironically, when we finally made it through the village and up to the temple, there was nothing phallic on the walls at all — well, except for two things: Drupa Kunley’s own penis is referred to as the “Thunderbolt of Flaming Wisdom”, and the local priest hits you on the head with a brass version of his manhood as a blessing! Women who wish to conceive, must carry a three foot phallus around the temple three times, and this we did witness. No shame there! 

*** Back to PG rating now! ***

One of the most famous fortresses is in Punahka: the Phunaka Dzong (“Palace of Great Happiness”). This is a massive fortress and monastery complex by a confluence of two rivers (Po chhu and Mo chhu), with covered bridges to gain access. There are a myriad courtyards, offices, monks’ accommodations, sentry towers, and other rooms in this second oldest Dzong in Bhutan (1637). Talk about majestic! It is one of the administrative and religious centers of the area, supporting local Bhutanese life. It is so amazingly beautiful that the current king actually got married here in 2011.

Monks climb up and down the stairs and scroll through the hallways while you watch them meticulously refurbishing the painting of the bannisters and other wooden structures. The courtyards are open with Bodhi trees (sacred fig trees) sprinkled here and there. It is exceptionally serene and we were able to climb around and experience the fortress for its true beauty and tranquility, enjoying the murals, frescos and Buddhist symbols.

Afterwards we took a short walk to a suspension bridge (the longest at 525 feet) in Bhutan. We enjoyed the walk over the water, stepping aside for donkeys that were coming along the way, while enjoying the prayer flags tied to the suspension wires, flapping in the wind. After a long drive back over the Dochula Pass, we did some local site seeing and shopping in Paro, prepping for our climb up to Tiger’s Nest the next day.

The Paro Taktsang monastery (Tiger’s Nest) is probably one of the most iconic of landmarks for all of Bhutan. It is located just outside Paro about 3000 feet of climbing to reach the side of the mountain where the monastery seems to clings to cliffs above the forested Paro valley. It is a working monastery, with about 20 monks. No cameras are allowed inside, but it is the journey and climb up to it that make it an experience.

Legend has it that this location was chosen by a tigress who brought Guru Rinpoche (an important figure in the Buddhist religion) to the site to subdue a local demon. Pam rode a pony, while Lester climbed for the first half, and then both climbed and meandered through the trails and went up and down the 700 stairs up and the same number down to reach the monastery. While tiring, it was a beautiful setting with cool winds, great vistas, and plenty of places for photography in either direction.

After exploring, Lester climbed up to “Heaven on Earth”, a small temple on a separate peak that overlooks the Tiger’s Nest. After this climb, we were taken to a local farm, where we had lunch and a “hot stone” bath with fragrant herbs in the water. As the water cooled, you would just yell “One more stone please”, and a new hot rock would be added to warm the water. What a fabulously relaxing way to wind down our journal to a spectacular destination (where foreigners cannot buy real estate or live permanently!).