ARRIVED IN BHUTAN  JAN. 10

Call was at 5:30 a.m. today, suitcase outside door by 5:45 and down in the lobby by 6. We picked up our box breakfast, had some juice or coffee and headed onto the bus. The weather was cooperative so there was no delay in our flight. Our guide only took us to the outside part of the airport so he put Suzanne in charge of the group, to get us through the checkin. All went smoothly and we rode the bus out to the tarmac to load onto our Bhutan Airlines DRUKAN (the country calls itself Drukyul, meaning Land of the Thunder Dragon; India and Tibet gave it the name Bhutan) One story is that Bhutan means mountain people. The other story is it means Tail of Tibet. Both sound logical! 

 Bhutan was only opened to tourism in 1974 and they had to arrive from India overland. Not until 1983 was Paro International Airport opened. Pilots rate Paro as the 8th scariest airport to land at because there can only be a visual landing, no radar because of the mountains. We swooped through and around mountains down into the valley to land. If it’s rainy or overcast, the flight is delayed at the departure. Apparently taking off is not the same as they just ascend and are above the mountains.

The flight was not full so I was able to leave my middle assigned seat and have a row to myself, on the left side, as I was told that was the best view. True enough, there was a spectacular view of Mt. Everest and the Himalaya range for maybe the last 1/2 hour of the flight. While we were loading into the back of the plane, a red carpet was being spread leading to the front door. Many people were lining both sides, with flowers, dressed in the gho outfits the men in Bhutan wear (knee socks, dress to the knees kind of like a kilt with long sleeves with white long cuffs at the sleeves.  Turns out the Prime Minister (in his 50s) was on board up in First Class. Apparently later he came back to coach and was talking to my group, I was looking out the window and never saw him! He spoke good English, wanted to know where they were all from. Bhutanese on the plane said he frequently does this, doesn’t like all the pomp of his office and is very friendly. 

It was a quick hour and a half flight and smooth landing. Quickly through customs, our guide, C Ring and driver Nima (this is just how to say them, not what the real name is) were there to greet us, load us into the van and off we went. 

Our first stop was Long Darts, a favorite game played on teams, with 40 meters between targets and different weighted darts thrown to a quite small target. If it hits, the man choose a colored cloth to hang from his belt. Some men had two or three hanging but we didn’t see anyone hit the target. The contest goes on all day. When someone hits the target, the team does a song/dance which we observed. The winner reaches 15 hits.

 Today was not only Sunday but “New Years” in this part of Bhutan. C Ring said there are five different New Years in various parts of the country. This was the reason, becase both Sunday and New Years that I was unable to meet with friends of Doug’s who work in the Gross National Happiness Center in Thimpu as it was closed and they were celebrating with their family. Oh, well! They had sent me very welcoming emails. Las, who had actually visited my home with the group, in Wellfleet was home with his family in Holland. Lise and her husband were back in Switzerland for the holidays but they had asked one of their coworkers to contact me and he did but we couldn’t meet up.

Next stop was Archery, the national sport of Bhutan. They used to use bamboo bows but now import compound ones. Now the target is WAY far away. We could only tell where it landed by a dust bunny created on the ground. Only men do this, whereas some women do the long darts. We didn’t see any. 

Some facts:  Main diet is rice and chilies, for breakfast, lunch and dinner!!

85% are Buddhists.

Before the 8th century, the Bon religion was dominant.

They DO eat meat, not strictly vegetarian. 

C Ring said Buddhism is more a way of life, rather than a religion. He didn’t know much about Buddhism growing up as they just learned from their parents and other family, nothing in school. They just followed family traditions. So he learned when he became a tour guide 8 years ago. 

History of Bhutan began 659 AD when a Tibetan King came and settled. (there was no written language, this is only stories handed down). There was an ogress in Tibet and to get rid of her, he built 108 temples. The two in Bhutan are on the knees of the ogress. Apparently it got rid of her!!

Colorful prayer flags abound. White ones (for the dead) were all over the hillsides and are left until they disintigrate. The ones like in my back yard represent: Yellow for earth, green for water, white for air, blue for space and red for fire.

Only 3% of its land is cultivated, with planting in May, flooding the rice paddies and harvest in October. Altitude ranges from 200 ft. above sea level to 25,000. So they must import a lot of food, although they are adding greenhouses. We will be in the Inner Himalayas; then there are the Greater, and then Lower.

The many rivers provide its main resource, hydropower that it sells to India providing 45% of the GNP. Tourism is another 25%. We passed the confluence of two rivers, where there were 3 stupas, one in Nepalese style, one Tibetan style and the kind of square Bhutanese style. It is believed that this is an evil spot at a confluence and the stupas ward off the evil spirits. 

Arriving at Paro Airport

Gross National Happiness sign!

Our group with C Ring our guide on the right. 

Long Darts competition! See their gho, the men's outfit with the white cuffs.

They are 40 meters apart with a little white target. Play all day!

Archery competition - national sport.

Things have changed dramatically in the past 20 years. I had always heard they had a quota on tourists. It really had to do with lack of infrastructure that has improved. Life expectancy in the 1960s was 35; now it’s 68 for both men and women. They have a monarchy and the current 5th king is 35. When his father abdicated, he stated that the monarchy should end and democracy should be installed. People objected but I think there is a time limit on the monarchy. 

The oldest monastery in Bhutan

A stupa outside the temple

Prayer Wheels - turn them clockwise, prayers inside.

Stray dogs - there are 7000 of them just in Thimpu. All males are being fixed! Everyone feeds them.

Larry, Art, Mary Alice, Suzanne and Debbie - from left to right

The flag has yellow, for the power of the King, and orange for the power of the Buddhist abbott. There is a line between, showing complete separation of church and state. Monks do not vote and have their own separate rules. The Prime Minister can have two terms only. Two houses of the legislature - the upper house has 25 members (1 woman), ; the lower house has 47 (8 women), one for each county. The voting, marriage, drinking age is 18. No mandatory military. They have an all volunteer army of 6,000. They have to be very politically correct in their foreign relations, squashed between China and India who often don’t get along.

White prayer flags for the dead on the hillsides.

Rice paddies - they'll be flooded in June.

Three stupas at the conflunce to ward off evil spirits - Nepalese, Tibetan and Bhutanese, from left to right.

Takin - National animal

Lastly we visited the Takin Reserve, their national animal, only found in China, Myanmar and here. He called it a goat/antelope but it kind of looked like a buffalo body and moose head but only two horns. Only one zoo in America has one. 

Our hotel got switched from the schedule - we are at the Hotel Kisa. Very nice, not as luxurious! Actually has a room KEY - metal no less! Dinner was delicious! Off tomorrow at 8 after breakfast to see Thimphu. 

More takin

Congress buildings

Small one in the center royal palace.

Only golf course in Bhutan, in Thimphu