WARNING: the following post contains rambling gushing fangirl-like tendencies.
I'm creating a new category of fangirl, the one who obsesses over where to take her suitcase. In this instance, I'm obsessing over the tiny mountain paradise better know as Bhutan. It took me all of an hour to fall in love with the country, but I'll try to tone it down for your sake.
Bhutan is a small country (slightly larger than Maryland) nestled between India, China, and the Himalayas. It is known as the Land of the Thunder Dragon and colorful dragons are often painted around doorways to protect homes. The state religion is Vajrayana Buddhism, and gorgeous old monasteries can be found across the country. Although previously an absolute monarchy, the country transitioned to a constitutional monarchy in 2008. Pictures displaying the current [5th Dragon] King and Queen can be found in shops, hotels, public squares, and even pinned to the clothing of residents.
Bhutan operates on the principle of Gross National Happiness, which was coined by the 4th Dragon King, Jigme Singya Wangchuck, when he famously stated, "Gross national happiness is more important that Gross National Product." GNH has four tenets: the promotion of sustainable development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, conservation of the natural environment, and establishment of good governance. Something I really love about the country is their strict ban on smoking and tobacco products in public places. Being caught results in a hefty fine. Needless to say, the country is pristine.
Before I go on and on about my Bhutanese adventure, let's talk logistics. Getting a visa for Bhutan is a colossal pain in the tuckus. Unless you hail from India, Maldives, or Bangladesh, prepare for frustration and shelling out some cash. Foreign nationals can expect to spend $200-250 per night for their visa to Bhutan. Don't even bother looking for plane ticket prices online because you can only book a ticket through the two national airlines once you have visa in hand. You are required to go through one of the government approved tour operators, who will take care of everything--plane tickets, hotel stay, guide, transportation, travel permits, and meals. My visa was literally approved and then I was airborne 36 hours later. It should be noted that the visa price includes everything--food, guide, car, hotel. There is no backpacking or hostels in Bhutan. You have requirement to stay in a minimum of a 3 star hotel, and you cannot leave your designated city unless you have an approved travel permit. Yes, the whole thing seems excessive, but the government wants to promote "high value, low impact" as their tourism policy. Despite the visa rigamaroo, Bhutan did not disappoint!
If you get car sick, I would highly recommend bringing some Dramamine. The roads twist and turn through the mountains, offering breath-taking views of the countryside.
You can also expect to see an abundance of colorful flags dotting the land. These are prayer flags, and the colors have significance (i.e. multi-colored flags are for good fortune; clustered white flags are for healing).
I spent my 4 days in Bhutan at Mountain Echoes, a literature, art, and cultural festival hosted in the capital city of Thimphu. The city is nestled in a valley with traditional architecture and has not a single traffic light. The main road has a policeman directing traffic, although I prefer the term "traffic maestro". I spent an afternoon wandering through shops and watching him direct traffic as if he were conducting a symphony.
Although I spent most of my time at the festival, I did have the opportunity to do some sightseeing. I spent a morning visiting Buddha Dordenma, the world's largest sitting Buddha (169 ft). Traditionally, people associate Buddha with the laughing figure whose big belly you rub:
That is actually the Hotei/Budai Buddha (his big belly symbolizes that he is full of love and compassion), just not the original Buddha. The original Buddha is Siddhartha Gautama (also called Shakyamuni). [Shakyamuni] Buddha Dordenma sits on top of a hillside near Thimphu. The gate to the statue was closed the morning I went, so I ended up hiking up a side path. The statue is meant to bestow blessings, peace, and happiness on the world.
I also had the chance to visit two Buddhist temples. I had hoped to visit some monasteries, but I didn't have the necessary travel permits. My first stop was Changangkha Lhakhang, a 12th century temple overlooking Thimphu. I happened to be there on the day in which the religious texts are picked up by school boys and taken to the schools across the region for people to receive blessings. Several stoop-backed elderly men and women waited for them to pass, gently bumping their head on the underside of the texts. The temple is for worship of Chenrezig, the 11 headed, 1000 eyed, 1000 armed manifestation of Avolokitesawara, the Lord of Compassion. I was only allowed to take pictures of the exterior, but the interior of the temple housed gorgeous frescoes depicting Buddhist teachings and a large golden and white statue of Chenrezig.
The second temple I visited was the Thangtong Dewachen Dupthop, home to 20 Buddhist nuns. It is much smaller than the Changangkha Lhakhang, but is commonly used for prayer ceremonies such as healings or naming of a newborn. The nuns were engaged in a chanting ritual while I was there and several people were spinning the prayer wheels and doing their mantras.
I certainly can't visit a new and exotic locale without sitting down for a traditional meal. I made my way over to the Folk and Heritage Center for a huge feast. The meal started out with butter tea (imagine liquid buttered popcorn) and bowls of crunchy cereal-like food. I couldn't tell you the names of everything I had, but it included red rice, buckwheat pancakes, potato, asparagus, and emadatshi (green chilies with yak cheese). The dessert was fruit with green tea.
I would be remiss to not mention the incredible people of Bhutan. Everyone I met was friendly, humble, and extremely patient with me. The highlight of my trip was a very exclusive dinner at the palace of the Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck. She is the chief patron of the literature festival I was attending and a huge supporter of literacy and an author in her own right.
I didn't feel comfortable snapping photos at her palace, so you'll just have to use your imagination! Her palace is on a hillside surrounded by a garden with huge pink and white azalea bushes. The building was traditional Bhutanese architecture with white exterior walls, arched wooden windows and sloped roof. The tall ceilings were wooden, hand-carved, and inlaid with gold. The walls were covered with scenic landscapes and intricately woven tapestries.
The Queen Mother personally greeted me with a hug and kissed my cheeks, and then proceeded to chat with me about my job and education of deaf students in her country. As if dinner wasn't surreal enough, her demeanor and humility was the icing on the cake. She truly epitomized the grace and spirit of Bhutanese people. I had a chance to mingle with the various presenters and government officials. I complimented a kind gentleman on his gorgeous traditional Bhutanese boots, only to realize I was talking to the Prime Minister.
At the end of the evening the bus taking us back was full, so I found myself waiting for a second bus to come. I was kindly offered a ride by one of the dignitaries at the dinner. We chatted about his mission to spread awareness about drug and alcohol abuse across the country, as well as his desire (and active work) to bring electric cars to the country. It wasn't until he dropped me at my hotel that I found out I had been given a ride by the favorite cousin of the king! Hands down, Bhutan has some of the most amazing people I have ever met among my travels.
My flight back to India offered me an amazing a view of Mt. Everest, which mainly served as a cruel reminder that I would soon be returning to the very hot desert.
My time in Bhutan was far to short. If I had a chance to do it all over again, I would add a few extra days with additional travel permits so I could go river rafting and visit some of the monasteries. It is a beautiful country with beautiful people!
I'm creating a new category of fangirl, the one who obsesses over where to take her suitcase. In this instance, I'm obsessing over the tiny mountain paradise better know as Bhutan. It took me all of an hour to fall in love with the country, but I'll try to tone it down for your sake.
Bhutan is a small country (slightly larger than Maryland) nestled between India, China, and the Himalayas. It is known as the Land of the Thunder Dragon and colorful dragons are often painted around doorways to protect homes. The state religion is Vajrayana Buddhism, and gorgeous old monasteries can be found across the country. Although previously an absolute monarchy, the country transitioned to a constitutional monarchy in 2008. Pictures displaying the current [5th Dragon] King and Queen can be found in shops, hotels, public squares, and even pinned to the clothing of residents.
Before I go on and on about my Bhutanese adventure, let's talk logistics. Getting a visa for Bhutan is a colossal pain in the tuckus. Unless you hail from India, Maldives, or Bangladesh, prepare for frustration and shelling out some cash. Foreign nationals can expect to spend $200-250 per night for their visa to Bhutan. Don't even bother looking for plane ticket prices online because you can only book a ticket through the two national airlines once you have visa in hand. You are required to go through one of the government approved tour operators, who will take care of everything--plane tickets, hotel stay, guide, transportation, travel permits, and meals. My visa was literally approved and then I was airborne 36 hours later. It should be noted that the visa price includes everything--food, guide, car, hotel. There is no backpacking or hostels in Bhutan. You have requirement to stay in a minimum of a 3 star hotel, and you cannot leave your designated city unless you have an approved travel permit. Yes, the whole thing seems excessive, but the government wants to promote "high value, low impact" as their tourism policy. Despite the visa rigamaroo, Bhutan did not disappoint!
If you get car sick, I would highly recommend bringing some Dramamine. The roads twist and turn through the mountains, offering breath-taking views of the countryside.
You can also expect to see an abundance of colorful flags dotting the land. These are prayer flags, and the colors have significance (i.e. multi-colored flags are for good fortune; clustered white flags are for healing).
I spent my 4 days in Bhutan at Mountain Echoes, a literature, art, and cultural festival hosted in the capital city of Thimphu. The city is nestled in a valley with traditional architecture and has not a single traffic light. The main road has a policeman directing traffic, although I prefer the term "traffic maestro". I spent an afternoon wandering through shops and watching him direct traffic as if he were conducting a symphony.
Although I spent most of my time at the festival, I did have the opportunity to do some sightseeing. I spent a morning visiting Buddha Dordenma, the world's largest sitting Buddha (169 ft). Traditionally, people associate Buddha with the laughing figure whose big belly you rub:
That is actually the Hotei/Budai Buddha (his big belly symbolizes that he is full of love and compassion), just not the original Buddha. The original Buddha is Siddhartha Gautama (also called Shakyamuni). [Shakyamuni] Buddha Dordenma sits on top of a hillside near Thimphu. The gate to the statue was closed the morning I went, so I ended up hiking up a side path. The statue is meant to bestow blessings, peace, and happiness on the world.
I also had the chance to visit two Buddhist temples. I had hoped to visit some monasteries, but I didn't have the necessary travel permits. My first stop was Changangkha Lhakhang, a 12th century temple overlooking Thimphu. I happened to be there on the day in which the religious texts are picked up by school boys and taken to the schools across the region for people to receive blessings. Several stoop-backed elderly men and women waited for them to pass, gently bumping their head on the underside of the texts. The temple is for worship of Chenrezig, the 11 headed, 1000 eyed, 1000 armed manifestation of Avolokitesawara, the Lord of Compassion. I was only allowed to take pictures of the exterior, but the interior of the temple housed gorgeous frescoes depicting Buddhist teachings and a large golden and white statue of Chenrezig.
The second temple I visited was the Thangtong Dewachen Dupthop, home to 20 Buddhist nuns. It is much smaller than the Changangkha Lhakhang, but is commonly used for prayer ceremonies such as healings or naming of a newborn. The nuns were engaged in a chanting ritual while I was there and several people were spinning the prayer wheels and doing their mantras.
I certainly can't visit a new and exotic locale without sitting down for a traditional meal. I made my way over to the Folk and Heritage Center for a huge feast. The meal started out with butter tea (imagine liquid buttered popcorn) and bowls of crunchy cereal-like food. I couldn't tell you the names of everything I had, but it included red rice, buckwheat pancakes, potato, asparagus, and emadatshi (green chilies with yak cheese). The dessert was fruit with green tea.
I would be remiss to not mention the incredible people of Bhutan. Everyone I met was friendly, humble, and extremely patient with me. The highlight of my trip was a very exclusive dinner at the palace of the Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck. She is the chief patron of the literature festival I was attending and a huge supporter of literacy and an author in her own right.
I didn't feel comfortable snapping photos at her palace, so you'll just have to use your imagination! Her palace is on a hillside surrounded by a garden with huge pink and white azalea bushes. The building was traditional Bhutanese architecture with white exterior walls, arched wooden windows and sloped roof. The tall ceilings were wooden, hand-carved, and inlaid with gold. The walls were covered with scenic landscapes and intricately woven tapestries.
The Queen Mother personally greeted me with a hug and kissed my cheeks, and then proceeded to chat with me about my job and education of deaf students in her country. As if dinner wasn't surreal enough, her demeanor and humility was the icing on the cake. She truly epitomized the grace and spirit of Bhutanese people. I had a chance to mingle with the various presenters and government officials. I complimented a kind gentleman on his gorgeous traditional Bhutanese boots, only to realize I was talking to the Prime Minister.
At the end of the evening the bus taking us back was full, so I found myself waiting for a second bus to come. I was kindly offered a ride by one of the dignitaries at the dinner. We chatted about his mission to spread awareness about drug and alcohol abuse across the country, as well as his desire (and active work) to bring electric cars to the country. It wasn't until he dropped me at my hotel that I found out I had been given a ride by the favorite cousin of the king! Hands down, Bhutan has some of the most amazing people I have ever met among my travels.
My flight back to India offered me an amazing a view of Mt. Everest, which mainly served as a cruel reminder that I would soon be returning to the very hot desert.
My time in Bhutan was far to short. If I had a chance to do it all over again, I would add a few extra days with additional travel permits so I could go river rafting and visit some of the monasteries. It is a beautiful country with beautiful people!
