THE KINGDOM of the THUNDER DRAGON
Bhutan Meet, 14th - 30th April 2011
by Pamela Harris-Andrews

ASSOCIATION OF THE BRITISH MEMBERS OF THE SWISS ALPINE CLUB (ABMSAC)

A year or so after our 2007 trek in the Everest region of Nepal some of us started talking about another Himalayan meet, but something less strenuous, at a lower altitude, and with more comfortable accommodation. Bhutan seemed the ideal choice as it has spectacular mountain scenery and a fascinating Buddhist culture, yet is still unspoilt and little visited. Rather than using a UK agency we decided to deal directly with a Bhutanese tour operator as this would give us the opportunity to individualise our programme. Boonserm Tours, run by Tashi Namgay and his elder brother, had been personally recommended, and Tashi arranged a customised itinerary with a short three day camping trek to get closer to the mountains and comfortable hotels for the other nights from where we could do a variety of day hikes.

Once in Bhutan we soon appreciated how lucky we were to have found Tashi and his company. Everything had been efficiently organised well in advance, and nothing was too much trouble for him: we were even accompanied throughout by a cameraman making a DVD of us and our trip. His knowledge and enthusiasm for his country and its culture were evident, and we all agreed that his leadership was a major factor in our enjoyment of the trip.

The short flight from Kathmandu was spectacular as we flew along the chain of the highest Himalayan peaks past Everest and Lhotse, then Makalu and Kanchenjunga – though we had to wait for the return flight to get window seats on the right side of the plane - and spiralled down into the Paro valley to land at the tiny airstrip. As we walked out of the plane we realised at once what a special country this was: the airport building looked like a brightly painted medieval palace, and in the distance we could see the first of the many fortress-like dzongs we were to visit and the watchtower on the hill above it. Ours was the only plane, and it was all very quiet and peaceful, even more so in contrast to the noisy, crowded streets we had just left in Kathmandu. Our hotel was nearby, also beautifully painted and decorated, with large rooms, modern en-suite facilities and splendid views.

As we walked around Paro we soon got used to seeing the Bhutanese, including the schoolchildren, in traditional dress, part of the country’s policy to preserve its cultural heritage. For men this is a gho, a knee length robe belted at the waist with large white detachable cuffs, and for women a kira, a long skirt with a short jacket, elegant and often brightly patterned. For formal occasions, including visits to dzongs, a scarf has to be draped over the shoulder in a special way – not easy to arrange, nor to keep in place.

We called in at the weekly open-air market first where the local produce was displayed on the ground: hard chunks of yak cheese and the many vegetables we were to taste in all our meals, including curly fern fronds and the ubiquitous chillies which, together with red rice, form the basis of the Bhutanese diet. Nearby an archery contest was taking place, the participants in brightly coloured ghos. Archery is the national sport, and though taken very seriously is great entertainment. Powerful metal bows fired arrows at an amazing speed towards a small target 150 metres away, yet the target was frequently hit; when one team did miss, their opponents delightedly mocked them with a derisory song and dance.

We set out the following day for ‘Tiger’s Nest’ Monastery, perhaps Bhutan’s most famous site, clinging to the side of a sheer cliff high above us in a dramatic location. The trail was steep and dusty through a forest of red rhododendrons, and we were occasionally overtaken by those less active than ourselves riding ponies. As we passed prayer-wheels and many brightly coloured prayer-flags, it became increasingly evident how integral a part of everyday life Buddhism is. All Bhutanese monasteries are beautifully carved and painted outside, with statues of Buddha and even more splendid paintings within, and this was no exception. Tashi explained how the Guru Rinpoche had flown here from Tibet on the back of a tigress to subdue a local demon and bring Buddhism to the valley, hence the monastery’s name.

On our return to the valley we visited the ruined fort guarding its entrance, and were invited into a local farmhouse nearby to see the hot-stone baths in the outhouse, and for drinks of butter tea and ara, the local firewater. A few bowls of this helped us to get to know each other, and we soon became a most harmonious group, most of us past retirement age. With some resident in the UK and others in the Nyon region of Switzerland, there was always someone different to talk to and something different to talk about.

The following morning we visited the National Museum in the old Ta Dzong watch tower, then the huge Rinpung Dzong, once a fortress but now an administrative and monastic centre, again with beautiful carvings. After lunch we started on our trek into the unspoilt Haa valley, part of the ancient trade route to the Chumbi Valley in Tibet and not opened to tourists until 2004. We met no other trekkers in the three days we were there, a welcome contrast to the crowded trails of Nepal. The ponies had left earlier with our gear, and we arrived after a gentle two hour walk to find the tents already up, including a large dining tent with tables and chairs. We were quickly served tea and biscuits, and bottles of whisky and brandy were produced later before a delicious dinner. The following morning we were brought ‘bed tea’ and a bowl of warm washing water before an al fresco breakfast.

The hardest day was the next with a steep ascent of over 800 metres through rhododendron forest to the Saga La at 3725 metres, with prayer flags blowing in the strong wind and views of the distant high peaks. Then it was downhill to a picnic lunch and our next campsite, an idyllic spot carpeted with sheets of purple primula denticulata, with a baby yak and its mother grazing nearby. It quickly grew colder as this was 3350 metres, and that night the temperature dropped to -4°C and the ground the next morning was covered in frost. But we soon warmed up once the sun rose, and as we ate breakfast we were rewarded with clear views of the snow-capped peaks across the valley. It was a gentle trek downhill past more primulas, white rhododendrons tinged with pink and sweet smelling daphne, with our other guide Karma at hand to identify the flowers and birds for us. We wandered through small villages, past women working in the fields in their long kiras and a family building a house in the traditional way, with rammed earth walls and carved wooden frames and windows. Once it was finished the house would be decorated with paintings of animals, flowers, or even a large phallus, part of the cult of the ‘divine madman’ to ward off evil spirits.

That afternoon we drove to the capital Thimphu for a two night stay in another splendid hotel, and then for a further two nights at the old capital of Punakha, its beautifully situated dzong at the confluence of two rivers. Our days consisted of a variety of walks, some steeply uphill to a brightly painted temple or monastery high on a ridge, others through terraced fields of rice and wheat, with oxen ploughing as in medieval times. The flowers were always lovely, with huge rhododendron, magnolia, and poinsettia trees all in flower, and tiny primulas and gentians at the side of the trail. We visited many spectacular dzongs, learned to walk clockwise round all Buddhist monuments, heard the fable of the Four Friends, listened to boy monks practising musical instruments, marvelled at the 108 stupas at the Dochu La, and saw the strangely shaped takin, the national animal of Bhutan. We were all impressed by our visit to the Choki Traditional Art School, started by Tashi’s father and now directed by his sister Sonam. Here economically disadvantaged students were given the chance to learn the traditional skills of painting, carving, weaving and embroidery which would enable them to earn a good living back in their home villages, and as we toured the various classrooms we could see the progress they made over their years of disciplined training.

The furthest east we visited was the Phobjikha Valley where our hotel rooms were heated with wood-burning stoves – not easy to keep alight. The valley is renowned for the rare black-necked cranes which spend the winter months here, flying back to Tibet for the summer, and there was great excitement as we hiked along the Nature Trail and spotted the one crane which this year had remained behind.  We saw a film about these birds at the Black-Necked Crane Information Centre, and then walked up to the Gangtey monastery which these birds circle three times when they first arrive in the valley every autumn. That afternoon we had our final hike up to the Shashi La at 3480m, with more rhododendrons, prayer flags and yaks on the summit, and more views of the distant peaks.

All too soon it was our last day and time for the drive westwards back to Paro.  Bhutan is not a large country, about the size of Switzerland, but our drive took several hours as all roads are very slow, being poorly surfaced, narrow and winding , often over high passes; it is said that the longest straight stretch of road in the country is the runway at Paro airport. We were blessed with clear skies for our final drive, and as we crossed the 3350 metre Lawa La we could see the highest snow-capped peaks of Bhutan, including Jhomolhari, sparkling in the distance.

As a farewell Tashi had organised a cultural show for us where we were treated as honoured guests. We were presented with gifts of Bhutan tee-shirts, and sat down with aperitifs to enjoy the generous hospitality of Boonserm Tours and watch the traditional songs and folk dances, and the masked dances normally seen only at religious festivals. The dancers looked magnificent in their brightly coloured costumes, with huge animal or demon headed masks, and as they whirled increasingly faster to the music of horns, drums and cymbals we were caught up in the spell. As the evening drew to a close we appreciated once more how lucky we were to have visited such a special country, with such a special guide. Bhutan is indeed a magical place, a true ‘Shangri-La’.