by PRATAP KUMAR M S
Fancy looking down at Mount Everest from an Aircraft…add to it a heart thumping experience of making the most difficult landing in the world, all this only to step out into a land of peace and silence. “WELCOME TO BHUTAN”.
Mountains have many challenges to overcome, the terrain is rough, the weather is all over the place and sometimes the facilities are not adequate, but that being said, they are also a place of extreme calm and tranquility. From the picturesque scenery to the winding roads, from the fresh air and water streams to the locals with their warm smiles and colorful traditions, the mountains have a lot to offer.
Bhutan fills all the above descriptions in totality plus the additional advantage of being a country which is “Carbon negative” and ranks high in the ‘Gross National Happiness” Index.
Preparations…
Being a part of the Organizing committee, I was involved in this trip from the very beginning. We first addressed the issue of finding a suitable date for the trip knowing Bhutan’s unpredictable weather throughout the year. Bhutan is also called the “Land of Thunderbolt’, due to its extreme weather conditions and large Thunderstorms.
We selected a relatively new Tour Operator, an agency well versed with the local conditions. We came to know that even big operators ultimately subcontract to such agencies, and hence directly approaching them would be a cheaper and safer option. After some protracted discussions with the agency and our group, we finalized the dates between 2nd October – 06th October 2019. KPC designed a catchy Logo which we got printed in our T ‘shirts and Program Manual.
We also found out that Bhutan has limited Air options, so asking people from overseas to reach Bhutan directly may not work out. We decided to therefore assemble at Delhi the and travel together from there.
Everyone was excited as it was our first visit to the country. We were continuously checking all aspects of the tour to ensure that nothing was missed out. Our classmates who have organized such tours in the past offered all their support which was of major help.
Take off from Delhi
Many of us reached Delhi the previous day and stayed with our friends/relatives. Some of us took this opportunity to move around the city and refresh our memories.
At Delhi Airport everyone was in a jovial mood. The morning weather report from Bhutan was fine, and Paro Airport was ready to receive us from Delhi. While some of us reached very early at the Airport, some patiently waited for their spouses to arrive. We boarded Bhutan Airlines Flight B3734 from Delhi. The sight of all of us in a single flight was reminiscent of the tours we did together during our College days.
Our flight took off on time and the roof tops of Delhi soon gave way to a clear view of the sky, with small puffy clouds floating beneath us. Halfway through we heard the pilot telling us “On your left side you can see Mount Everest with Mount Makalu and other peaks”. People from the right moved towards the left to have the priceless view of the great peaks. Many peaks stood out like huge white cones floating in the sky. It was a privilege to get an aerial view of Mount Everest.
Soon we were in the midst of mighty mountains and our pilot started descending into the narrow valley of Paro. We felt the skillful maneuvers of the pilot when we saw the wings of the Aircraft almost scraping the edge of these mountains. Below was a spectacular field of green intertwined with small streams. Our flight stopped and we stepped out into a land of tranquility and peace.
Jen Pa Leg Sho- at PARO
Paro airport lacked the hustle and bustle of a normal international airport. In fact it was so quiet, we felt like walking in to a remote local Airport in India. The parking lot had only one more Aircraft parked apart from ours. We walked into a beautiful terminal building, and had our first glimpse of Bhutan’s rich cultural heritage. Frescos and Carvings occupied every nook and corner of the building and it was very well maintained.
“Jen Pa Leg Sho” is the Bhutanese word for Welcome. Outside the Airport our Tour operator welcomed us in their traditional manner by offering white silk scarf’s to all of us. Three young Guides Kharka, Navin and Jamyang dressed in their traditional attire’s joined us and soon we were on our way to Thimpu in 3 Buses. These guides stayed with us for the entire tour and were a joy to be with.
Towards >>>> Thimpu
After a quick lunch we started our road journey to Thimpu along with river “Pachu” with its clean water on our side. All of us were glued to the beautiful scenery outside and on being caressed by the fresh air we felt relaxed and refreshed. At times the mountains gave way to extensive rice paddies and several but beautifully decorated old houses. Colourful prayer flags of various shapes and sizes greeted us everywhere adding to the spiritual vibrancy of the place. The Guides opened up and started describing the specialties of the various villages that we crossed and important land marks.
The fifty odd km journey to Thimpu was as smooth as the roads in Bhutan. By around 4PM we reached our first destination Taschichho Dzong. We stepped down to watch a ceremony which is a proud display of Bhutanese culture and Nationalism.
Flag lowering at Taschichho Dzong
Taschichho Dzong or the Fortress of the Glorious Religion which is the seat of the Govt and Head Quarters of the clergy, is situated on the banks of Wangchu river. One cannot visit Thimpu without having a visit to this majestic fortress. It is an impressive structure with lush green lawns and Gardens. We had a distant view of the flag hoisting ceremony. The National flag of Sovereign Bhutan is lowered in a disciplined manner, at the end of the day, and the event is completed with full honor and seriousness of a National event. The lowered flag is then folded by Guards and taken inside the palace in a traditional style. A light drizzle and setting sun signaled the end of the day and we packed up and left for Hotel.
Our hotel was nearby and we reached there quickly.
Evening at Ramada Valley Hotel
Our Hotel was tucked into the valley by a free-flowing river, and had tastefully decorated rooms with all modern facilities. After the Check-in we assembled in the hotel’s meeting room for our customary introduction and briefing by our tour operator’s representative. The briefing was interesting and cleared most of our doubts about the rules and regulations of the country. While most of us retired to our rooms after dinner, our Thiruvathirakali group was seen using the time for a bit of practice for our upcoming cultural evening. The first day ended in a positive note, leaving us thrilled and curious to know more about this little known, but unique country.
To be continued…. Call of the Celestial Mountains – Part 2
Nostalgia EE 84 