Sunday, October 27, 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Back From Bhutan
It’s hard for me to admit that I’ve been back in Seattle for two weeks already and seem to have accomplished so little, that this is the first time I have posted any writing, although I have posted several black and white pictures, which I have enjoyed editing and converting from color. Looking back I have very fond memories of Bhutan, of the landscape, the people, and especially of the pace of life.
We had internet access and mobile phones, but I hardly ever got a phone call, and we had no postal service, so no one sent me junk mail or bills. Most days I finished at the hospital by early afternoon and came home to the apartment, called Nonnie, and walked down to meet her at the Ambient Cafe for a coffee and a recap of her day; which museum she visited, which monastery she found, which shopkeeper she met. After coffee we would walk around Thimphu, which was great because no one bothered us - no aggressive shopkeepers, no touts, no panhandlers - and only the rare dog showed any sign of hostility.
The Bhutanese may not be as happy as the western world wants to believe they are, but they certainly are polite and respectful. Almost every night we ate in one of the many restaurants in town - all politely served medium quality food in mostly empty rooms, and we often wondered how they all stayed in business. Dinner and a beer rarely was more than the equivalent of ten dollars. After dinner we would walk uphill half a mile, more or less, then down the muddy dirt road past a pack of dogs, and climb the three flights of stairs to our apartment, where we would sit down on the comfortable old couch and check our email. The next day we would do it all again.
Our last three days in Bhutan we changed our lives and became real tourists with a comfortable SUV, a driver, and a guide. Friday morning we said goodbye to Paul, our room mate from Alaska, and went to the Haa Valley, where few tourists ever go. The drive was very scenic and the road smooth, if narrow. That night we stayed at the Soadnam Zingkha Heritage Lodge, in fact we were the first people ever to spend the night there. Our room in the newly renovated farm house was small, clean, and pleasant with a great view of the neighboring village. The high ceiling and four foot thick mud walls reminded me of staying in a medieval castle in Europe. We ate our dinner and breakfast in the new dining room, where the food was great and the service attentive to say the least; I felt as if my every move was being watched by the young wait staff who were so eager to please.
The next day we left our hotel and drove to the summit of the Chelela Pass, which is just under 12,000 feet, and from there we hiked up and up, to what seemed to be the top of the world, where there were incredible views and forests of prayer flags. That night and the next night we stayed at the Nak Sel boutique hotel and resort in the hills above Paro, where we had a beautiful room with views in three directions over the valley below.
Our last full day in Bhutan we hiked up to Taktsang, the iconic Tiger’s Nest monastery, pictured in virtually every magazine article on Bhutan. The monastery is located on the side of a mountain about 3,000 feet above the valley floor, and the path is steep but well maintained. Since we were hiking on Sunday there were many people on the path, such as Bhutanese making a spiritual pilgrimage, Indian army soldiers making a conditioning run, and tourists checking off another box on their bucket lists. The hike was hard but fun and the views of the monastery were worth every bit of effort. I slept well that night. The next morning we went to the Paro airport and flew to Bangkok, to another reality.
Overall we had a brilliant time but we were glad not to pay the $250 per person per day minimum that is required to visit the country as a tourist. I took thousands of pictures and must now try to do something with them.
We had internet access and mobile phones, but I hardly ever got a phone call, and we had no postal service, so no one sent me junk mail or bills. Most days I finished at the hospital by early afternoon and came home to the apartment, called Nonnie, and walked down to meet her at the Ambient Cafe for a coffee and a recap of her day; which museum she visited, which monastery she found, which shopkeeper she met. After coffee we would walk around Thimphu, which was great because no one bothered us - no aggressive shopkeepers, no touts, no panhandlers - and only the rare dog showed any sign of hostility.
The Bhutanese may not be as happy as the western world wants to believe they are, but they certainly are polite and respectful. Almost every night we ate in one of the many restaurants in town - all politely served medium quality food in mostly empty rooms, and we often wondered how they all stayed in business. Dinner and a beer rarely was more than the equivalent of ten dollars. After dinner we would walk uphill half a mile, more or less, then down the muddy dirt road past a pack of dogs, and climb the three flights of stairs to our apartment, where we would sit down on the comfortable old couch and check our email. The next day we would do it all again.
Our last three days in Bhutan we changed our lives and became real tourists with a comfortable SUV, a driver, and a guide. Friday morning we said goodbye to Paul, our room mate from Alaska, and went to the Haa Valley, where few tourists ever go. The drive was very scenic and the road smooth, if narrow. That night we stayed at the Soadnam Zingkha Heritage Lodge, in fact we were the first people ever to spend the night there. Our room in the newly renovated farm house was small, clean, and pleasant with a great view of the neighboring village. The high ceiling and four foot thick mud walls reminded me of staying in a medieval castle in Europe. We ate our dinner and breakfast in the new dining room, where the food was great and the service attentive to say the least; I felt as if my every move was being watched by the young wait staff who were so eager to please.
The next day we left our hotel and drove to the summit of the Chelela Pass, which is just under 12,000 feet, and from there we hiked up and up, to what seemed to be the top of the world, where there were incredible views and forests of prayer flags. That night and the next night we stayed at the Nak Sel boutique hotel and resort in the hills above Paro, where we had a beautiful room with views in three directions over the valley below.
Our last full day in Bhutan we hiked up to Taktsang, the iconic Tiger’s Nest monastery, pictured in virtually every magazine article on Bhutan. The monastery is located on the side of a mountain about 3,000 feet above the valley floor, and the path is steep but well maintained. Since we were hiking on Sunday there were many people on the path, such as Bhutanese making a spiritual pilgrimage, Indian army soldiers making a conditioning run, and tourists checking off another box on their bucket lists. The hike was hard but fun and the views of the monastery were worth every bit of effort. I slept well that night. The next morning we went to the Paro airport and flew to Bangkok, to another reality.
Overall we had a brilliant time but we were glad not to pay the $250 per person per day minimum that is required to visit the country as a tourist. I took thousands of pictures and must now try to do something with them.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
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