Bhutan: The Land of the Thunder Dragon

I have put off writing this blog simply because I feared I could never find adequate words to describe such a wondrous place. Bhutan is a veritable Shangrila, a paradise largely untouched by the outside world, a place where tourists were forbidden from visiting until the 1960's, a place where the internet and television have only emerged in the last twenty years. This is a place where dragons do exist, where cigarettes are banned and where Grandma's house is protected by gigantic murals of ornamental penises. Bhutan is where dreams and reality reside in harmony. 

Although Bhutan has opened its doors to tourism in the past fifty years, one can only fly in from a few surrounding cities with Delhi, Kathmandu, Singapore and Bangkok being the main departure points. Moreover, once you arrive, expect to pay $250 USD per person per day in order to enjoy one of the most isolated and beautiful places on planet earth. This fee, however, covers hotel, food, and tour guide and in my opinion, is more than worth the cost. Luckily for us, we have wonderful Bhutanese friends who sponsored our arrival and provided us diplomatic immunity from any tourist fees. These are friends in "high places" (the highest places on earth are in the Himalayas in case you didn't get what I meant and now I've ruined this with over-explanation).

Jigmai and Penelope became quick best friends two years earlier when we all lived and worked in Jakarta, Indonesia. Watching their friendship blossom has been one of the joys of our lives. Getting these two reunited in Bhutan was the most important part of the trip. This photo was taken in Paro, where the main airport is located.

After a 90 minute drive from Paro to the capital city of Thimphu, we enjoyed a lovely traditional meal with our friends. Rice, veggies, curries, and spicy meat were on the menu. You really couldn't ask for more fresh or delicious cuisine. Ema datshi was by far my favorite dish, however; spicy green chili peppers stewing in a cheesy sauce served with rice. Mmmmmmm...

Pictured behind Penelope and Jigmai are the many rice fields you see while traveling around Thimphu Valley. Rice is a major industry in Bhutan and is served with every meal. As a Tice, I appreciate the rice.

This is the official national animal of Bhutan known as a "Takin." The animal was said to be manifested by a Tibetan saint some five hundred years earlier. How cool is that guy - creating a whole new creature? 

As you drive along the valleys, you'll notice thousands of tiny stupas adorning the highway passes. These are in Memorium of lost friends and family with 108 sacred miniature stupas placed carefully for each deceased loved one.

A must-see stop in Thimphu is the massive Great Buddha Dordenma, a recently completed homage to the Enlightened One sitting at well over 50 meters in height. 

Inside the Buddha, there are over 120,000 tiny Buddha figurines. Outside the Buddha, there are two tiny little girls. 

The views surrounding this monument are equally impressive.

Sight-seeing can be thirsty work. Here, our friend Penjor is pouring us some fermented rice drink called "Ara". It tastes similar to other rice liquors and wines such as Sake, but it is a bit stronger. 

Momos, paa, maroo, rice and delicious suja (butter tea) to wash it all down. Eating delicious home-cooked meals with our friends was a major highlight of our experience.

On the road again. From Thimphu, we began a road trip to Panakha. Along the way, we stopped by what is known as the Dochula Pass, a gorgeous monument in commemoration of those lives lost in Bhutan's successful defense against an attack from Indian militants in 2003. Bhutan has had a long and largely successful history of staving off hostile outsiders. It is one of the few countries in the world that has managed such success. 

And with this sovereignty, Bhutan has retained its unique and beautiful cultural heritage. That's worth a hug I think. 

This is pretty much how we looked the entire trip; nothing but smiles! Unlike the Western regions of the world, Bhutan's government is guided by what is known as "Gross National Happiness." The happiness of the people is weighted above all else, while GDP hardly enters the equation. The GNH, alternatively, focuses on the importance of things like living conditions, health care, and education. This is a country where the government truly cares about its citizens, and as a result, there is great reverence for the governing forces with every home decorated with pictures of the royal family. 

In many ways, Bhutan is a utopia. 

On a lengthy road trip, snack stops were required. Bhutan is one of the few places on Earth where 7-11, Starbucks or McDonald's have yet to invade. The only semblance of a fast-food chain was a house adorned with a fake Pizza Hut sign - It turned out to be someone's house that did not, in fact, serve pizza. As it turns out, Bhutan was also a vacation away from the corporate empires that now monopolize the planet and spread like an unstoppable disease of generic consumerism; with the exception of Taco Bell of course...love those guys. 

This might be the roasted corn talking, but we love Bhutan!

Along our journey through the Punakha Valley, we stopped for a brief photo op at the magnificent Punakha Dzong. Built nearly five hundred years ago, this sacred fortress rests at the meeting point of the Mo Chhu (female water) and Po Chhu (male water) rivers. Dzongs, as we understand them, serve both the government administration as well as Buddhist religious interests. 

A camp along the Mo Chhu River? Cool! Wangyel, Jigmai and Pea were ready for anything. It would rain hard that night, but the weather would hold up for our raft ride the next day. 

Tashi Delek! (In the language of Dzongkha, this means cheers or good luck) A little Ara before bed never hurt anyone. Plus, you have to stay warm in that cold mountain rain. 

Buddhist prayer flags were evident throughout Bhutan. Bhutanese people are truly reverent and wonderful people. 

Moments later, I would fall into this shockingly cold mountain river. Glad I wore that vest! Good in-vest-ment! I apologize for that, but there aren't nearly enough dad jokes in this blog. 

Rafting in Bhutan was a serene and wonderful experience...that is, until I flew out of my seat...twice. 

After a riveting ride on the river rapids (I can alliterate with the best of em), we found our way up a large hill to Jigmai's Grandparents house. Like other traditional Bhutanese homes, this beautiful home featured a grain/rice storage area on the bottom floor and religious rooms in the upper levels along with some bedrooms. As Bhutanese homes are scattered throughout the mountains and some of them in some very remote areas (8-10 days of walking to even reach), there is a wonderful tradition of helping strangers in need. If I were a citizen of Bhutan and needed a bed to sleep in or a warm meal, I could knock on any door of any house and be immediately welcomed in. This type of hospitality does not exist anywhere else. 

Bhutanese homes also feature stunning and elaborate decorations and designs. 

Bhutanese homes are all painted with large phalluses (fancy word for penises). These are meant to ward off evil spirits. With that said, if I had this painted on my house in the USA, I think it might welcome some evil spirits. 

This is Bhutan, incredibly scenic everywhere you go. This is the view from Jigmai's Grandmother's house where we picnicked outside. Amazing!

Jigmai and Penelope pose in their kiras (traditional Bhutanese dress for women). We dressed in our best clothes getting ready to go inside the aforementioned Punakha Dzong. Getting the girls to pose seriously proved to be quite the challenge!

Punakha Dzong was built in 1637 and is one of the largest and oldest Dzongs in all of Bhutan. It was the center capital building of all of Bhutan until about half-way through the twentieth century when it was moved to Thimphu. In recent years, it has become a frequently visited site for tourists and has served as a location for some religious festivals and even marriages in the royal family. 

Once inside the Dzong, you will enjoy seeing this handsome man. Actually, I'm not always there, but when I am, you will be lucky to see me and I will look just like that. 

And the award for cutest little girls on the planet goes to Jigmai and Penelope! Congrats girls! You get ice cream. 

Next stop was the majestic Phobjikha Valley. Captured in the photo is the national bird of Bhutan: the raven. This is a highly revered animal and at one point it was a criminal offense to kill one. 

This was the perfect stomping ground for two adventurous girls. There were definitely some prime rolling down the hill opportunities (despite cow dung), and plenty of flowers to pick and smell. 

Tiny Wild Strawberry Fields Forever. These were numerous and quite delicious. 

These 108 white flags honoring the dead were another example of the number 108 which is sacred in Buddhism. 

As you wander the hills, you run into very friendly locals, and many cows as well.

We stayed at the beautiful Dewachen Hotel which was owned and operated by our friend Tshering's uncle. This was a luxurious stay with an incredible spa and magnificent views of the Phobjikha Valley. 

After an incredible road trip through Bhutan, we wound our way back to where we started in Paro. At first, Penelope was very excited for our 7-8 hour hike to the Tiger's Nest.

Then reality hit. 

Dad to the rescue with M&M's, the age-old chocolate candy bribery works again!

Aaaaaaand we made it to the glorious Tiger's Nest. The monastery itself was built at the end of the 17th century, but the Tiger Cave has much older origins. It is said that a legendary Guru flew a tiger from Tibet to this location and meditated as early as the 8th century. It has been a holy site and a place of pilgrimage ever since.

There were many monks traveling to the monastery as well as monks living inside of it. According to one of them, they spend about a month shift meditating and taking care of the Tiger's Nest and then transfer to other areas in Bhutan. 

What goes up must come down. Penelope ended up taking a nap on my shoulder for a good several hours on the way down. 

And then it was time to head out. This week in Bhutan ranks as one of the best experiences of our lives. This was a joyful and truly authentic experience road tripping with our friends Penjor, Tshering, Wangyel and little Jigmai. As a country of only 700,000 people, our friends seemed to know just about every person we ran across. Their hospitality and kindness will never be forgotten. We just hope we can return the favor someday.  Kadrin Chey la!

Bhutan is an extremely special place, an ideal society where nature is worshipped (they are carbon negative), where happiness is mandated, and where druks or dragons are real. If I was to recommend any country to visit, Bhutan would rank #1 out of the 37 countries I have been to.