QUEASY ARRIVAL AT THIMPHU –BHUTAN JOURNEY

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We reached Thimphu, which is Bhutan’s capital and occupies a valley in the country’s western interior. In addition to being the government seat, the city is well known for its famous Buddhist sites.
By now we started getting a queasy feeling and could make out that this was car sickness or motion sickness due to Bhutan's winding roads with constant hair pin bends, one is strongly advised to take along anti motion sickness medicine based on their doctor’s prescription

Other than in Thimpu and Paro, one never has a stretch of straight road for more than a few seconds which sounds incredible but is very true ,one also should brace up for decreased metabolism ,slow digestion and have fewer and smaller meals
We were travelling with some essentials like rain jacket and umbrella, hats for sun, sunglasses, Sunscreen lotion, insect repellent, anti-itch cream for bug bites, Flashlight, batteries and camera .
If one has a specific item - like artificial sweetener, pickle , sweets etc we can bring them along from home, however there are plenty of  shops stocking sweets, chips and cookies ,specially in main cities

We can even take small gifts like stationary items ,small trinkets ,coins etc to gift the kids,we found that the Bhutanese were very friendly but shy
My overall impression about Bhutan was that the country was like a very good  and sweet child , innocent ,not yet exposed to the  many vices rampant in the world. The Bhutanese  love ,adore and worship their king and his family. Having the good fortune of being brought up in such pristine ,unpolluted conditions they are like fresh exotic flowers exuding fragrance all around

Just like credit and debit cards, no foreign SIM card works once we enter Bhutan. There is no provision to set up international roaming facilities.
So our first stop was to get a SIM card . There are two GSM network providers in Bhutan. First is the government-owned B-mobile (Bhutan Telecom) and second is private Tashi Cell. SIM card of both companies can be purchased quite easily.

Our guide took us to the Thimphu  Bhutan Telecom office and my husband took a SIM card ,he just needed his passport photo page scan and 200 Ngultrum (Nu). He got the SIM card purchased and activated in hardly 15 minutes. The vendor handled all necessities of activation process. While the process was going on, I had a quick look at the streets , various cars parked and vegetable market nearby. I found pasted on the wall the map of Thimphu

 Rice and cheese are the staple food of the Bhutanese. If one would like to try out the local cuisine the “Ema Datshi” is what would be optimal choice as it is the national food of Bhutan.
For the less adventurous, we can try to find familiar cuisines in Bhutan. There are multiple Indian restaurants throughout which we tried and got good Indian food ,there were buffet options too
If we are used to eat curds or yoghurt with every meal we are in for a shock in Bhutan as they are  hard to get in restaurants,  they don’t stock it nor do we get it in many of the shops so it is better that we inform in the hotel restaurants one day prior to our need
While visiting monasteries and places of religious interest it is always advisable to wear clothes that fully cover the body. Most places require everyone to wear full sleeved tops to cover the hands completely, using a scarf or jacket over the dress would also serve in most places.
Once we are in Bhutan we invariably start behaving with decorum ,lower our voices ,be friendly with all ,the influence of the locals is so much that we start relaxing ,not push things and not be in a hurry to get things done,no wonder many people want to retire and spend their retired life there
We then went to our hotel, the Ramada valley Thimphu  .

 We were greeted at the reception by two young girls traditionally dressed and given a welcome drink.

Luckily our room had a river view though the river flowing by was a mere brook.

 From our room through large windows we could see the views of hills capped by clouds ,roof tops and curving roads.

The room was adorned with local decorations

 and had a heater too, our room had a flat TV and wifi ,though we didn't seem to get many channels

There were 41 rooms,some suites ,altogether the hotel had a good ambiance

I particularly liked the arrangement made with simple metal cups to collect rain water

There was a fitness center, sauna, spa and massage facilities,Though we didn’t use them,every trip we take we religiously intend to use all these facilities but very rarely find time or energy! There was  a bar ,a meeting room ,private dining room and an outdoor river side restaurant
The hotel restaurant served local Bhutanese , Indian and continental dishes

We ordered a cup of tea after our dinner and savoured it sitting in the biting cold weather outside,it was a good experience

ON OUR WAY FROM PARO TO THIMPHU –BHUTAN JOURNEY

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From airport we sped on our way to Thimpu ,the distance of about 50 km from Paro airport to Thimpu takes around 1hour excluding the stops. We drove south following the Pa Chhu River heading to the river confluence at Chuzom.

Coming from a city where even viewing a clear blue sky is a rarity ,it was a feast to our eyes to see sky blue sky with white clouds playing’ chasing’ and ‘catch me if you can’  games , the heavier, older and more mature clouds were trying to gather their naughty young ones under their sari pallus so they do not  get blown away in the flurry of their game.

 The river Pa Chhu  or Paro Chhu is a river of western Bhutan. It is a tributary of the Wong Chhu  and flows through the Paro Valley, site of one of Bhutan's main towns, Paro, and many important monasteries. As we went on, it accompanied us placidly

Our guide however informed us that it could certainly become ferocious at times , we could see green mountains on both sides with houses perched precariously .

As we traveled I was quizzing our guide on the culture and various other aspects of Bhutan . Luckily for us he spoke fluent English and a spatter of Hindi too to our surprise , he told us he had studied for 2 years in Delhi University.

 In Bhutanese families, inheritance generally passes  matrilineally  through the female rather than the male line. Daughters inherit their parents' house. A man is expected to make his own way in the world and often moves to his wife's home after marriage.

Love marriages are becoming more common in urban areas, but the tradition of arranged marriages among mutually known families is still prevalent in the rural areas. Although uncommon, polygamy is accepted, maybe to keep property in the family unit rather than dispersing to others,but the husband does need permission from the first wife

 The economy of the country is based on agriculture and forestry.The main livelihood for more than 60% of the population, agriculture consists largely of farming and animal husbandry. Rugged mountains make the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive, practically there are no railroads in Bhutan

Hydro power exports to India have boosted Bhutan's overall growth,all Bhutanese love India and value the friendship existing between the two countries and everywhere we went we could see people avidly watching our Hindi Saas Bahu serials ,Sharukh Khan ,Priyanka Chopra and Juhi Chawla are loved by all
Our guide told us we had come in the right season which was May ,as Autumn is from October to November when it's generally sunny with some snow at higher elevations. Late November to early March is dry with pre-monsoon showers starting in May.
The best time to visit Bhutan is during the spring months of March to May when the valleys come alive with flowers in bloom which we found true as we found flowers welcoming us with gay abandon throughout our stay

Along the way to Chunzom, we first passed villages like Bondey, Shaba and at Isuna, the road crossed bridge to the other side of river.
 About 18 KM southeast of Paro, our car stopped to the side and our guide asked us to step down .
We were a little apprehensive about leaving our bags with our passports in the car but the guide assured us that as long as we were in their country we were safe and our silent but smiling driver affirmed his statement vehemently
We had to walk down a mud road along a steep slope to see the Tamchog Lhakhang, a private temple owned by the descendents of famous Tibetan bridge-builder Thangtong Gyalpo.

Here I do have to tell my readers that our trip to Bhutan involved a lot of walking and climbing ,one needs sturdy shoes and a walking mind set because the Bhutanese walk everywhere and are as nimble as goats when climbing. Almost all the monasteries require climbing innumerable number of steep steps and require fair amount of patience to walk miles and miles
we sat for sometime on some logs there gazing  at the splendid views around us ,we could see some chilli fields being prepared for farming

We saw the Tachogang  Lhakhang Bridge, an iron-chain hanging bridge that crosses the Paro River and leads to the small  hilltop temple.

As history goes, the original bridge was erected in the 1400 s by the infamous “madman of Bhutan,” Thangthong Gyalpo  but was destroyed in 1969 by severe floods and  was rebuilt in 2005 using strands of chains from the old bridge.
 Thangtong Gyalpo(1385-1464) is very significant in Bhutan,he was a saint, blacksmith, architect, physician and an engineer. He built numerous iron suspension bridges and temples across Bhutan and Tibet which are still under use ,it is said that he used to nail the bridges with his bare hands. He was also the founder of Tibetan opera called ‘Ache Lhamo’. He traveled to Bhutan in 1433 from Tibet.

The legend of Thangtong Gyalpo says that the money needed to build his iron bridges was raised from his opera performances, such was his passion!
 The bridge was festooned with multi-colored Buddhist prayer flags and was supposed to move and sway dangerously when walked upon. Alas now no one was permitted to use it and was barred much to my utter disappointment , I got reminded of “ the road not taken “poem by Robert Frost ! The bridge was also shown in the movie Little Buddha by Bernardo Bertolucci
The ends of the bridge had white stucco structures that may have served as mini-forts to protect the bridge from invaders.

There was another bridge next to this iron bridge which was now being used by all. As we stepped on it, though it was not swaying dangerously, it was quite thrilling to watch the rapid flow of river waters under the bridge

Tachogang Lhakhang temple was built by Tangtong Gyelpo in the fifteenth century. While the Tibetan master was meditating here, he had a vision of a spiritual horse emanation of Avalokiteshvara and decided to build a temple as well as an iron suspension bridge at this location .Tachogang means ‘temple of the hill of the excellent horse’. The temple is privately run by the descendents of Thangtong Gyalpo now.
After we went across the bridge we entered the temple and climbed onto the top floor through a creaky wooden staircase ,there we could see statues of Lord Buddha, Guru  Padmasambhava and the walking stick of Tangtong Gyelpo  preserved .

We had a great view of the bridge, the rushing river, and the rows of prayer flags fluttering furiously in the wind.

Prayer flags are  dominantly seen across every river, bridge, mountain road or open space in Bhutan. Fresh colorful strings represent all five elements the air, wind, water, fire,wood  for luck and for prayers
 People hang the prayers where there are strong winds, an image of the wind horse in the center representing the power of the wind to carry the prayers fast and wide. They consult astrologers for the best place, and hang tall flags in front of their houses representing  their own element, or a local protector

Everywhere near Monasteries and temples in Bhutan we find prayer wheels which have to be rotated clockwise and these have a lot of religious significance in Budhism  

I found many tiny stupa shaped clay vessels called tsatsas  near the temple and all around it ,tucked under the rocks and everywhere ,I happened to see them all over Bhutan near monasteries and temples. They contain the ashes of loved ones and are placed by their relatives at holy places to liberate their souls

Chhuzom (Confluence) is the juncture of Thimphu river (Wang Chu) and Paro river . Chuzom is also a major road junction, with southwest road leading to Haa (79km), south road to Phuntsholing (141km) and northeast to Thimphu (30km).
There we stopped for a while ,I liked the board displayed there

.Everywhere in Bhutan we could see many dogs which apparently are revered as God’s messengers and they appeared tame
I  also found many improvised dustbins which cost mere pittance

From Chuzom, the road followed Wangchu River upstream as we passed through villages and suburbs to the capital, Thimphu. There were extensive rice paddies, apple orchards and several old houses.

DARING FLIGHT TO PARO - BHUTAN JOURNEY

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We reached Kolkata one day before and had a restful sleep. We went to the airport early ,checked in and asked for window side seats on left side as that would be the best place to view the mighty Himalayas. As seats are allocated on a first come first served basis it is advisable to go early and book these precious seats.

 While checking in I noticed that we were the only senior people, all the others were either big family groups or newly married couples with the girls with mehendi still fresh on the hands and feet , dozens of glass bangles on their hands  and their husbands protectively guarding their new wives with hands around their shoulders ! 

After checking in our luggage we went exploring around the airport which had quaint shops and window displays .

We sauntered to our gate and waited for boarding call .We could see the Bhutan airlines flight getting loaded up with luggage and food

Once called in we entered the flight ,though it was a small one we found that the seats were comfortable ,with enough leg space and push back facility.

There were in flight magazines with lot of information about the country.

 In no time refreshments were served ,fresh and wholesome sandwiches ,fruit bread ,pea nuts and orange juice .

Time passed very quickly ,I was  excited and waiting for the Himalayas to appear ,lo behold! there was an announcement from our pilot that we could start seeing the Himalayan mountain ranges on the left side, I nudged awake my husband who was happily dozing to stay awake and have a look at them

As the seat belt sign was off, lot of kids tried to crowd onto the left side only to be gently hushed away by the air hostess

It was surely a thrilling experience to see the 18,000 foot peaks of the serene Himalayas playing hide and seek with the white fluffy clouds, indeed my husband always appreciates my vivid imagination and child like enthusiasm  to appreciate even the most mundane things .

A few minutes later our pilot announced that the mighty Mount Everest would now be seen on our left side ,yes there it was ! majestic and mysterious ,I thanked God for giving me this opportunity to at least see it from far ,as I knew I can never climb it.

Paro Airport is sole international airport of the four airports in the kingdom of bhutan. It is 6 km from Paro in a deep valley on the bank of river Paro Chhu. With surrounding peaks as high as 18,000 ft, it is considered one of the world's most challenging and only a select number of pilots are certified to land at the airport and to my utter delight I came to know one was a woman pilot.

 In 1968, the Indian Border Roads Organisation built an airstrip in the Paro valley which was initially used for on-call helicopter operations by the Indian Armed Forces on behalf of the Royal Government of Bhutan. Bhutan's first airline, Drukair, was established by Royal Charter on 5th  April 1981.

At 6,500 feet long, the runway at Paro is actually shorter than its elevation. Besides the danger of flying through some of the world’s tallest peaks, the runway is carved out of the mountain foliage, and pilots must also account for vicious winds that sweep through the valley.

The landing and taking off is from both directions of the airports only runway

The airport is served by several airlines such as Druk Air and Bhutan Airlines. Druk Air has flights operating to several domestic and international locations such as Bagdogra, Delhi, Guwahati, Gaya, Kolkata, Mumbai, Dhaka, Bangkok, Gelephu, Jakarta, Kathmandu, and Singapore. Bhutan Airlines has carriers to Delhi, Kolkata, Kathmandu, and Bangkok. 

The last part of flight before landing at Paro took us through deep green Valleys through which aircraft took couple of turns with hills on both sides, throughout this part of flight I held my breath only releasing it when we landed safely as I was tensed up anticipating that the plane would crash into the hills or trees ,some times I could see right into the houses nearby.

 Visual flight rules call for the pilots to use their own judgement to maneuver the aircraft while landing and taking off .Since the decision is taken based on their knowledge of the terrain and landmarks in the valley, coupled with quality of visibility , needs an absolute clarity in the weather for a safe flight. 

While landing, the pilots hand-fly the plane with their local knowledge, navigating it mindful of the electric poles, roofs of the homes, trees, hill-sides etc. It is almost like the aircraft is being flown in the alleys.

Paro Airport is very interesting , with just 6-8 flights arriving at the airport daily , each flight is received with much care, the entire airport staff being activated to serve the plane in every aspect from immigration customs, security to baggage handlers

As we landed and got down I found that all of us were crazily clicking snaps of the flight, scenery around us and the hundreds of custom Bhutan buildings with largely wooden based architecture. Bhutanese ramp workers greeted us and obligingly took a snap of us both

Paro Airport is an exquisite place for architecture and is a place to be treasured.

Externally and internally the airport had Bhutanese in its design and feel, and was a beautiful place full of beautiful things.

Going through immigration was a pleasure and not the usual painful challenge normally experienced by us. The processing at the immigration counter was quite straight forward, we needed just our passports as our visas were already verified at the Kolkata airport where we boarded Bhutan Air Line flight. The immigration officers spoke excellent English and were quite polite.

 There were two terminals! The original 1999 terminal was joined by the newer slightly larger terminal that opened Mar 18, 2016 , is for arrivals only.

We could see beautiful cherry blossom trees and the animated flags flapping around in the wind.  We could see to North of the terminals and ramp areas a maintenance area with a large shared hanger for both Bhutan Airlines and Druk Air

 After clearing customs, we found the money exchange counter located at the right with the exchange rates listed on the board .

We came out of the airport where we could find a lot of people waiting in traditional dresses,our guide with our names written on a placard was waiting for us