It is Sunday, February 11, 2007. Pat and I are on a Cathy Pacific Airlines flight that is taking us to Hong Kong for a direct connection to Bangkok. We stop there to recover from jet lag and to meet the other 14 members of our tour group who are arriving at different times from different places. The next stage begins with a very early wake-up call to catch a 6:30 a.m. flight to Bhutan.

When we tell people we are going to Bhutan, the first questions is almost always: "Where's that?" It is on the China/India border on the southern slope of the Himalayan Mountains about 200 miles east of Mount Everest as the crow flies. The second question is almost always: "What is there to see and do?" There are no grand sights like the Eiffel Tower or Taj Mahal, but there is spectacular scenery. There are also things to see and stories to hear that tease the western mind and dare us to try to understand. Just when we think we understand a bit, there is something new.

This morning's flight is on Druk Air. Shortly after takeoff they serve breakfast then make a scheduled stop in Dacca, the capital of Bangladesh. Local passengers disembark and we sit, and then we sit some more. After a while they tell us the flight is delayed and invite us to have a second breakfast in the airport restaurant. Two hours later they serve us lunch. Landings at Paro, the airport in Bhutan, must use Visual Flight Rules (no instrument landings) and there is a storm that is limiting visibility. If we can't get there before 5:30 this afternoon it will be too dark to land.

At last they ask us to board and we are off. About an hour later we begin the decent past spectacular mountain peaks and then down through broken clouds that offer glimpses of the valley below. We fly low over the town and then continue to let down onto the runway. At the end of the runway there is a view of a mountain poking through the clouds with a fresh coat of snow from this afternoon's storm. We are in Paro at 4:45 p.m.

Paro

Karma, our Bhutanese guide, meets us at the airport and takes us to our hotel where yet another meal is waiting for us.

The next morning our bus takes us to a bank in town to change dollars to ngultrum or "nu" and to the post office to buy stamps for post cards. We then head north to visit our first of many dzongs. What's a dzong? Dzongs were originally built as forts, most of them by a Tibetan lama and military leader who escaped political foes in Tibet and arrived in Bhutan in 1616. Some are in various stages of decay, some are being restored and some have been maintained and are in daily use. Those that are being used are shared for spiritual activities such as monasteries and the location for religious festivals and for administrative activities such as government offices and courtrooms.

It rained in Paro last night and snowed at higher elevations. Our bus takes us up to the snow and on up to the Drukgyal Dzong which was built in 1649 to celebrate victory over a Tibetan invasion. It was destroyed by fire in 1951 but the massive walls, the heavier parts of the structure and a few of the roofs remain. We are in shallow snow but the sun is bright and there is an occasional thud as a chunk of melting snow slides from a roof and lands nearby.

We are in the Himalayas in February so weather is part of the story. Most of the people in Bhutan are farmers and many of their fields are terraced down the sides of mountains. As shown in the photos below there is snow on the terraced fields near the Drukgyal Dzong. Other terraces are dry near the middle of our trip and green near the end.

After visiting the dzong we head back to Paro and then up a side road into the foothills to Ta Dzong which was built in 1656 as a watch tower. In 1968 in it was converted to the National Museum. The museum provides a good introduction into Bhutan's history and culture including several types of Bhuddism, one of which is defiantly adult rated -- sorry, no photos in the museum. From the museum there is a spectacular view of the Paro valley including the city to the north and the airport to the south.

From the museum we continue south to a "T" intersection at the primary east-west road. We have seen a few chortens which are memorials to the teachings of the Buddha. Sometimes there are relics inside but that is not required. At this intersection there are three types of chortens or stupas: Nepalese, Tibetan and Bhutanese. We see each of the three forms at various times during our trip, but usually only one form at a time. If you take the road to the right you will go to India and to the left you go to Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan. We go left and will travel on this east-west road for most of our trip.

Bhutan has an extensive network of paved roads that are just wide enough to allow two cars to pass if both of them slow down -- sometimes one has to stop. The road from Paro to Thimphu is being widened in anticipation of the coronation of the new king and the proclamation of the new constitution in 2008. Construction slows our progress but gives us more time to look at the spectacular scenery as it unfolds.

Most valleys in Bhutan are very narrow with only enough room at the bottom for a river -- no room for a road. The mountains on either side have gullys carved by streams that carry snow water and monsoon rains down to the river. Roads are cut into the side of the mountain and follow its surface into each gully, across a bridge over a stream then back out and around the next bend and into the next gully. Travel is relatively slow by American standards but the view is constantly changing which keeps it interesting.

Thimphu

Thimphu is the capital city of Bhutan and has a population of about 30,000 people. Our hotel is within a block of the center of the city. It is dark when we arrive and again dinner is waiting.

Our first stop in the morning is the Institute for Traditional Medicine Services. Unfortunately, it is a holiday and there is no-one to show us around. The facility is open for patients but not for tours.

The next stop is the Folk Heritage Museum. Their major exhibit is a "middle ages home" that is still the model for most homes in the countryside. It is made of compacted mud with thick walls and solid plank floors. The ground floor is used for the storage of tools. In the old days it provided shelter to animals but that is now discouraged for health reasons. The second floor has the kitchen and other work areas that may include a loom and tools for wood working, leather working and the making of arrows. The third floor is where people sleep and there is usually a room for special guests. This house has a toilet-shaft from the third floor to the ground. Not quite indoor plumbing but better than climbing down and then back up three flights of steep stairs in the middle of the night. The fourth floor is open on the sides and covered by the roof of the house. It is used to dry grain, meat and clothes. Most of the homes we see and almost all of the buildings have this open top-floor format although some are lightly closed in to keep out nesting birds.

Then we stop at the Textile Museum. There are interesting exhibits on the history of weaving in Bhutan which includes both wool and silk and several women using looms. Weaving is one of their traditional arts and is being sustained, in part, by the requirement that Bhutanese people wear traditional clothing most of the time. The clothes for both men and women are hand woven using traditional patterns and colors.

Down the street there is a "meat shop." We see a number of them, particularly in Thimphu. Our restaurants serve meat with every lunch and dinner except for the meals in one hotel which is strictly vegetarian. Bhutan is a Bhuddist country which means they do not believe in killing any sentient being (anything that can feel pain.) So where does the meat come from? One more thing for Western minds to ponder. Part of the answer is India.

There is a small monastery on the north side of town. This is the first of several where we are able observe religious services in process which makes the visit much more interesting.

Today the monks are conducting a monthly general prayer. The room is only about 20 by 30 feet. The senior monk sits cross legged on a raised platform with a book of scripture on a small desk. There are twelve young monks sitting six on either side and in front of him. He recites and they respond from scriptures in front of them. Intermittently, several monks beat on two drums and/or blow on two conch shells, two short horns or two long horns. The first time the long horns blow a cat dashes from under the senior monk's platform and is out the door in the blink of an eye.

There are about 20 people sitting on both sides of the room. Most of them are seniors who are spinning their prayer wheels. One of the ladies has a beautiful prayer wheel about the size of a grapefruit. There is a shaft of filtered sunlight directly on the prayer wheel that is creating the perfect photograph, but no photos are allowed inside monasteries. There are also a few young children. Karma later explains that people often take their sick children to a monastery before taking them to a doctor. If the child is very sick they will take them to a monastery in the city where the child was born, even if it is far away, to get full benefit of the spirituality of the child's birthplace.

Our next stop is a nearby nunnery. There is a prayer session in progress for a local family. Here we are introduced to an art form that is common in monasteries in Bhutan but we have not seen it anywhere else. They are usually round and almost always flat like a painted picture and range in size from about six inches across to two feet although we see a few that are even larger. The medium is butter. They color it with dye and use it to create religious pictures. The background and edges are swirled to provide a shallow three dimensional effect. We only see them in monasteries and by now you know the rule about pictures in monasteries.

The general rule about photos in Bhutan seems to be that it is OK to take pictures except inside monasteries and a few other buildings. Occasionally I ask someone if it is OK to take their picture and almost all of them smile and say yes. Some of them, particularly children, insist on posing, often with a very serious look on their faces. The simple solution is to take a picture and then take a couple more when they relax and smile.

The itinerary provides time to shop during the late afternoon. Some countries have a great deal of "local craftsmanship" that is inexpensive and looks like it. Bhutan prides itself on its historic craftsmanship. Many of the things to buy are more expensive than we would expect, but the quality is also much better.

The shoppers in the group spread out to explore. We cross paths occasionally to share what we have found. One of the values of group travel is there are more of us to find and share the best products and prices. We brought home several hand woven items purchases in Thimphu and elsewhere for our own use and for gifts.

Our hotel, like most of the hotels on this trip but not all, has Internet access. Access is limited to dial-up and it works most of the time.

Punakh Valley

The next day we head eastward to the Punakha Valley. The road winds through pine forests and small villages. At a roadside stand we treat ourselves to walnuts that have to be shelled and Lay's potato chips -- made in India. The road passes by chortens and prayer flags before heading up to Dochula Pass (10,000 feet) and Druk Wangyal Khangzang Chortens. This is a unique cluster of 108 chortens that spiral up to form a main monument. It was build as a tribute and monument to the selfless service and visionary leadership of His Majesty the King. Today it is covered by fog which creates an opportunity for some creative photography.
Just beyond the pass we stop for a late lunch. It is fairly warm in the restaurant but the toilets are at the back of the building and there is ice on the floor. Outside there is still snow on the ground but the fog has lifted a bit.

The road is very winding, it is gradually getting dark and it has started to snow. We turn off onto a road to the right, our first excursion off of the primary east-west road. We begin to climb. The snow is beginning to stick to the road and ... yes, we get stuck. The snow isn't very deep but it is slick. Our driver and guide get some material to put under the tires and some of the group help push. That is just enough to get us moving. We crawl slowly up the hill and over the pass to the next valley. It is now downhill from here to the hotel. Dinner and a warm fire are waiting when we arrive just a bit late.

This is a new hotel that relies on solar electricity. All of our hotels except this one and one other use electric radiators that use locally generated hydro-electric power to heat the rooms. This hotel and the other one have iron stoves. After dinner we ask for help in lighting the stove and it throws of wonderful heat for about an hour before the soft pine wood is all burned. The hotel also provides a hot water bottle for each guest. Before we left home Pat bought a hot water bottle and has used it every night. Tonight she has two. It has been a very long time since I slept with a hot water bottle. I thoroughly enjoy it tonight.

By morning the clouds are almost gone, the sun is out and there is snow only in the shadows of trees and buildings. We walk back up the road we came in on to enjoy the scenery at a leisurely pace. We pass two boys with homemade bows shooting at a target. Archery is the national sport; Bhutan has been represented in the Olympics by their archery team since 1984.

There is a flock of 200 to 300 rare and endangered Black Neck Cranes that fly from Tibet, China and Siberia to spend their winter in this valley. They are some of only 5,000 left in the world. A Nature Study Center was established here in 1996 by the Government of Bhutan with assistance from the World Wildlife Foundation. We walk past the Center but it is closed. Just a little way down the road we see a bunch of cranes flying low across the valley and others in the fields.

There are a number of new homes in the valley and we stop to watch one being built. It is similar in layout to the middle ages home we saw in Thimphu. At this stage it is all timbers and decorative carvings. The construction is all tongue-and-groove, no nails. Karma later tells us that anyone who wants a home buys the materials and their extended family and friends pitch in to build the house between planting, harvesting and all of their other chores.

From the house we climb almost straight up a hill to the top where a monastery is being re-built. We take a quick tour and admire the workmanship. The bus meets us there and we head for the main highway.

Along the way there are children beside the road and Karma stops the bus to buy a shoulder bag made of yak hair. Several people in our group decide to also buy one. The children wave to someone and in just a few minutes a young girl and another child arrive with more bags and we are in a spontaneous roadside bazaar. Tourists and young merchants are happy and we take off again. There are a number of yaks right at the side of the road as we pass. By now the sun is bright and is reflecting off of some snow left on the trees; it is spectacular. Back at the main road we turn east again heading for Trongsa.

Trongsa

The hotel in Trongsa is perched on the side of a mountain outside of town. This one has a great shower, electric receptacles with openings for multiple types of plugs and a number of features to appeal to western travelers.

The next day we walk to town. The dry terrace in the middle picture above was taken along this road. The Trongsa Dzong was built in 1644. It was restored after an earth quake damaged it 1897. In those days the trail from Eastern Bhutan to Western Bhutan -- more or less parallel with the road we are following -- went through the Dzong. We are told the travelers had to pay a tax to pass in either direction.

We enter the dzong to find that a three day ceremony is in progress. We are between sessions and the monks are taking a break in the sun. The monks in their maroon robes in front of whitewashed walls and the decorated facades of the monastery provide a perfect photo opportunity.

Jakar

The next day takes us to our eastern most destination: Jakar and the Bumthang Valley. The bus climbs through several passes over winding roads and finally enters the valley. Like the valley where we saw the black necked cranes, this valley is broad and fairly flat. Both were probably formed by glaciers rather than carved by rivers.

Our hotel is the second one that has an iron stove. One of the employees teaches me how to use kerosene to light the fire. Over the next two nights and mornings my results are mixed. By the time the fire is roaring we are usually dressed or in bed.

We walk to town and notice lots of advertising signs, all in English. Karma tells me that when Bhutan created its school system and people began to learn to read, they also began to learn English. English provides a way to deal with multiple and quite different dialects across the country. Signs other than advertisements are usually in English with a smaller version in sanskrit for the priests who do not learn English as part of their training.

We visit Jambay Lhakang, a small monastery that was built in 659 and is one of the oldest in Bhutan. It was one of 108 temples built in the 7th century to consecrate the entire Himalayan region -- another of those stories that just doesn't fit the western mind but is part of the wonder of Bhutan. The sun is out so we hike to Kurjey Lhakhang. During the 8th century a king from Bumthang invited Guru Rimpoche, who brought Buddhism into Bhutan, to cure him from a dreadful disease. The Guru meditated at Kurjey for three months and then subdued the local deities that caused the King's disease. There are four temples here dating from 1652, 1900, 1984 and one under construction. They are surrounded by, you guessed it, 180 chortens.

The stories of Bhutan include many about monks subduing local deities and making them promise to protect the local people. The local deities coexist with Bhuddism and share many of the same facilities including Kurjey Lhahang.

It is a perfect day for a hike so we continue up the road, cross the river on a suspension bridge and them back down the other side to Tamshing Goemba which was established in 1501. There are unrestored frescoes that are said to be more than 500 years old and illustrate the history of Buddhism in Bhutan.

The hike takes us past a small shed with a stream running under it. The stream provides power to a wheel that grinds grain. You can put your grain in a funnel above the wheel and come back in an hour and it will be ground. A very ancient form of automation.

The bus takes us to the Flaming Lake where, legend has it, a blacksmith was led by mystic forces to discover spiritual treasures at the bottom of the lake (or more accurately a wide spot in the river.) To convince the disbelievers of the power of the treasure he jumped into the lake with a flaming oil lamp, dove to the bottom with the lamp, retrieved the treasure, and surfaced with the lamp still lit.

Our hotel in Jakar is family run and the owner's daughter is the chef. We have some of the best and most interesting food during the trip here. All meals on the trip are served buffet style. Almost every lunch and dinner offers rice, potatoes, spaghetti with a light sauce, meat and vegetables. In February the selection of vegetables is limited but they were always good. This hotel has a variety of interesting sauces. They have "Swiss" cheese from a local Swiss family. Not what we know as Swiss cheese but very good. They have local honey and wild strawberry preserves that are excellent. For breakfast they serve buckwheat pancakes as one of the options.

Punakha Festival

From Jakar we head west back along the same road to Punakha. Our hotel is beside a rushing river. There are lounge chairs on decks surrounded by bougainvillea and poinsettias where we can relax and listen to the water pound over rocks. This evening the sound lulls us to sleep.

The hotel has a strictly vegetarian kitchen and the food is delicious. The second evening we share travel stories with a group of 22 Australian motorcyclists who are riding across Bhutan.

The next day we take the bus north to the Punakha Dzong for the festival. This is our second venture off the east-west road, but not very far off. We are told that every Dzong has an annual festival and Punakha is one of the first each year. The festival lasts three days with religious and folk dancing in the courtyard of the dzong. We are there only for one day but that provides an excellent sampling of the dances. The religious dances are performed by monks. Some of their costumes are said to be more than 100 years old. The dancer's costumes are spectacular and well displayed as they whirl around the courtyard. The picture on the first page of this travelogue is of one of the monks whirling in his costume.

The Je Khempo or Chief Abbot is the senior religious leader in Bhutan and his winter residence is here. He and a number of other religious dignitaries are attending the festival. Crowd-watching is about as good as it gets. In addition to the dancers, there are local people in their finest clothes, soldiers in their dress uniforms, monks in their maroon robes and only a few tourists.

This dzong has been restored a number of times, most recently in 1994 following a flood. Its main religious areas now rival those of many western and middle eastern churches and mosques.

Thimphu and Paro

The next day we return to Thimphu for a special dinner to mark the approaching end of our trip. It is at the home of one of the owners of the tour company. We have a lovely evening and an opportunity for us to thank them and some of the other guests for sharing their country and culture, for making us feel welcome and for teasing our western minds with new ways of looking at our world.

The next day part of our group remains in Thimphu for some more shopping and some of us return to Paro in time to climb to the observation platform for Tiger's Nest. It rains lightly on-and-off during the hike up and then the sun comes out just in time for some great photos. The late afternoon sun is low in the sky so we do not have time to climb all the way to the monastery -- next time.

On our last day all we have time for is to get to the airport and then back on Druk Air to start the long trip home. We have seen spectacular scenery, met wonderful people who are delighted to share their country with us, and heard stories that forced us to suspend our western point of view and look at our world in some fascinating new ways. We are glad we came.

Our tour arrangements were made through the Sierra Club and and Mary O'Conner was our American tour leader. The arrangements in Bhutan were handled by Lingkor Tours & Treks and Karma Needup was our Bhutanese tour leader.

Tashi Delek

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You can get information about a wide variety of Bhutan related topics including the Australian motorcycle tour and a map showing where Bhutan is and our trip route at Bhutan Coordinates. If you have access to Google Earth you can get a view of where Bhutan is and a map of our route with detail down to the markings on the runway at Paro, the black crane research center, a clear view of a typical part of the very crooked roads, and our walk in Jakar. If you do not have Google Earth, you can down load it free from Google Earth