The ArrivalHere At Last

Here At Last

There was a cold drizzle when we arrived in Paradise, who knew the Himalayas would be cold in winter? In contrast to the flatlands of Kolkata we are wrapped up in mountains. At first it is hard to see them through the mist but as the mists lift it is clear we are in a different world. There is a large billboard celebrating the big royal wedding last year, didn’t we all watch it on CNN? I mean the Royal wedding of the King of Bhutan, of course.

Royal Event

 We meet our guide and drive the hour from the airport at Paro to Thimphu the capital. It is growing fast, now 120,000 population.  When Aaron visited here nearly 20 years ago it was much smaller. Building is going on everywhere you look, but at a controlled rate and all buildings must reflect a national style of architecture.  Our guide and all government officials wear the national dress which is charming with the ‘world‘s biggest pocket’ in the front. Our guide points out ancient bridges and the architectural difference between Nepalese, Tibetan and Bhutanese designs. All of these countries have interacted over long periods of history. The current type of Buddhism which is the national religion came from a Tibetan origin although there are other forms practiced in Bhutan as well. All the buildings are decorated with colorful images. We have lunch and have our first experience with the local food which has the reputation of being the hottest in the world. It is really hot although I have fried my tongue as well with some Indian and Thai food. It looks like hot chilies are used all the time in all the meals and while I like spicy food I will look for milder things to balance out the fire.

Unlike the bustle of Indian cities life has a more moderate pace in Thimphu. People are polite, traffic actually stops when someone is in a crosswalk, there are greatly lesser amounts of litter and there are no traffic lights in the entire country. One traffic policeman controlling traffic in the main downtown intersection is sufficient. One thing we have read about and are not looking forward to is the noise of barking dogs at night. All day the dogs seem to sleep or roam around looking for food and not causing any problems. But at night they all compete for territory.

There is a terrific book about contemporary Bhutan called “Radio Shangra La”. The writer came to help set up the radio station in Bhutan. She recounts being in a nice hotel with two layers of clothing on under the covers in bed and not wanting to get up in the night. We understand that now as our hotel seems to be modern but there are air gaps around the windows, the central sitting area has outdoor type space heaters and each room has one electric heater on the wall which is only on when someone is in the room. But we are blessed to be here.  

I Could Barely See The Target

We walk past their central park and locals are participating in their national sport--archery. They are shooting and hitting a target so far away I can hardly see it. And they walk up and down along the shooting range trusting the skills of their citizens. They would need to clear the park if I were shooting.