Land of the Thunder Dragon

Departing for the Bhutanese border town of Phuentsholing we drove for almost 6 hours through the vast tea estates of the Gangetic plains of Bengal - approximately one quarter of India’s tea is grown in West Bengal state.

The Indian border town of Jaigaon is the conduit through which the majority of goods are traded into Bhutan, and as it hosts the most accessible Indian marketplace to Bhutan It is bustling and loud, similar to many other West Bengal centres of commerce, albeit with many conspicuous Bhutanese shoppers.

The Thunder Dragon

We went through the exit process at an office in the middle of town some way from the border but the actual crossing ws marked by a very impressive Tibetan-style gate manned by Bhutanese Army guards. With little formality, we passed through it into the Indian town of Jaigaon and crossed into Bhutan and the town of Phuentsholing. There was a stark contrast in the culture as we crossed the border - it clearly separates two very different peoples and cultures. Phuntsholing is distinctly far more quiet and orderly than its neighbour.

It's a very small place and soon explored. There was a crocodile farm which I didn't attempt to find and an archery ground (it's the country's national sport) which I searched for without any luck. I did walk down the side of the largely dry river, which smelt more like a sewer, and ended up in an area of town which was devoted to heavy haulage and army camps : not the most beautiful of areas. Threading my way back towards the centre, I came across a metal fence with pedestrian doors through small towers every so often in the bars. Life looked much more interesting on the other side, so without any real thought or problem, I went through one to continue exploring.

Then I realised i was back in India !    Swiftly retracing my steps, I was refused re-entry at my crossing point by what I now noticed were emigration staff snoozing on seats. Evidently, this was only a Bhutan to India crossing point and I would have to go to the next one to get back into Bhutan. At the next crossing point the staff were much more lively and it took ten minutes of talking to gain entry. The process wasn't helped by the fact that I couldn't produce my passport (the hotel reception had demanded it) but my credit card sized laminated colour copy seemed to help.

From here we proceeded to Thimpu along serpentine roads, passing paddy fields, apple orchards, pine forests and small hamlets, ‘protected’ by sculptures of the eight auspicious signs of the Tashi Tagye. This is the capitol and largest city with a population of over 80,000, some of Bhutan's only dual carriageway and its only flyover.

Thimpu

The city spreads in a north-south direction on the west bank of the valley formed by the Wang Chuu River at an altitude of between 7,300 ft and 8,700 ft. Unusually for a capital city, Thimphu is not served by an airport, but relies on the airport at Paro some 34 miles away. The town / city contains most of the important political buildings in Bhutan, including the National Assembly of the newly formed parliamentary democracy and Dechencholing Palace, the official residence of the King, located to the north of the city.

Tourism, though the major contributor to the economy, is strictly regulated as the country seeks to maintain a balance between the traditional and development & modernisation. TV only arrived in 1996 and all tourists have to pay a hefty daily levy to visit, no independent (backpacker) travel is allowed - everybody must have a local guide. Having said that, the country has recognised the importance of tourism and aims to increase it many fold in the near future.

The culture of Bhutan is fully reflected in Thimphu in respect of literature, religion, customs, and national dress code, the monastic practices of the monasteries, music, dance, literature and in the media.

We visited the Tashichhoedzong - a Buddhist monastery and fortress on the northern edge of the city. This impressive edifice has traditionally been the seat of the Druk Desi (or "Dharma Raja"), the head of Bhutan's civil government, an office which has been combined with the kingship since the creation of the monarchy in 1907, and summer capital of the country.

Tashichhoedzong

The main structure of the white-washed building is two-storied with three-storied towers at each of the four corners topped by triple-tiered golden roofs. There is also a large central tower or utse. It has been the seat of Bhutan's government since 1952 and presently houses the throne room and offices of the king, the secretariat and the ministries of home affairs and finance. Other government departments are housed in buildings nearby. As the un set we wandered around the courtyard of Bhutan's equivalent of a combination of the UK's Parliament and Westminster Abbey. The large courtyard was only open to us visitors once the civil servants had finished for the day leaving only a few red robed monks and swirling flocks of pigeons.

In 1953 the royal family took up residence in the nearby newly built Dechencholing Palace. The royal palace was definitely very modest - not large and imposing but of a domestic scale : perhaps a clear indication of the current King's approach to his role & responsibilities. Some of the party - who shall be nameless - seemed to think that it was a waste that such an elligible bachelor was still officially unattached.

National Chorten

We also made brief visit to the National Memorial Chorten - a large white structure with a golden spire crowning it and a smaller golden spire above the front porch. It is approached through a small garden and a gate decorated with three slate carvings. On the exterior of the gate are representations of the three protective Bodhisattvas – Avalokiteshvara (the symbol of compassion), Manjushri (the symbol of knowledge) and Vajrapani, the symbol of power. We were there early in the morning and there were icicles on the fountain and people combining devotion with daily exercise by jogging around the main chorten. Just in side there were three large red prayer wheels as usual being propelled in a clockwise direction by a succession of locals - each complete circle automatically ringing a bell. Here there were also a couple of elderly ladies who seemed to be camped there - complete complete with a little stove for making tea - whose aim seemed to be to ensure their wheel never ceased moving.

On the interior are slates engraved with the image of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the historical Buddha and Guru Rinpoche. The chorten, built in 1974 by the King’s mother to honour her son, the 3rd King of Bhutan, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck (1928–1972) - in 2008 it underwent extensive renovation. It is popularly known as "the most visible religious landmark in Bhutan". It is unlike other chortens in that it does not enshrine the mortal remains of the late King. Only the King’s photo in a ceremonial dress adorns a hall in the ground floor.

The Takin is a Goat/Antelope - found in the Eastern Himalayas - is the national animal of Bhutan. We made a brief visit to these unusual creatures – standing 39” to 51” at the shoulder and weighing up to 770 lb. - they have been likened to a "bee-stung moose", because of the swollen appearance of the face. They are covered in a thick golden wool which turns black on the under-belly. Both sexes have small horns which run parallel to the skull and then turn upwards in a short point, these are around 12 in long. Takin are found in bamboo forests at altitudes of 3,300 to 15,000 ft, where they eat grass, buds and leaves but today, although hunting (including fishing) is banned, most are now confined to the small fenced reserve on the edge of town.

Handicraft School

We were also taken to visit the School of the Thirteen Crafts (aka National Handicraft / Craft School) were young people are instructed by masters in various skills - we sat in on classes in drawing, sculpture and needlework. This is another reflection of the county's keen connection with its traditions - however, with the projected great increase in tourism, graduates will no doubt be kept busy making 'genuine' high quality souvenirs.

I spent some time wandering around the small town centre - it must have taken all of about twenty minutes from one end to the other - there was an excellent small cafe with succulent cake : it appeared to be a focus for ex-pats.

Just outside the centre was the archery field - I saw it on the drive into town, so this time I had no problem finding it. There was a little pavilion belonging to the National Archery Association and two 'lanes' - about the length of a football pitch - on which competitions were held. Whilst I was there only one of the 'lanes' was in use. There were about a dozen contestants who each seemed to put money into the 'pot' as an entry fee - the more money the more arrows they were allowed. The bows they were using weren't the expected traditional ones but hi-tech ones comprising of carbon fibre and a series of pulleys. The target was about the size of The Times newspaper - it looked very small from the other end - most got close putting up a little puff of sand or skittering into the rear mud wall but once in a while an arrow thuds home.