Hi! We are currently in Trongsa, Bhutan, and this is the first internet access we've had since our trip began. Everything is wonderful. We have a great guide named Dorji and we are really bonding with him.
We started out in Paro and went to a dzong (monastery) and an incredible medieval fortress-turned-museum. Then it was off to the capital city of Thimpu where we visited another even more spectacular dzong (they have so many adornments - almost every square inch is elaborately painted, there are awe-inspiring brightly colored wood carvings, butter sculptures, musical instruments, gorgeous silk textiles, a 30 foot golden Buddha statue...you could spend hours and hours in every dzong, and there is one in every district of the country).
Dzong in Thimpu
We went to an artisan school where high school students were learning traditional arts (painting, weaving, sculpting, carving, sewing, etc). We went to the "zoo", which is really just a fenced-in area for the endangered national animal, the takin. There is a legend that the second Buddha (Guru Rinpoche) created it with the head of a goat and body of a cow. Even taxonomists have given up trying to classify it and have put it in a category all its own.
View of capital city Thimpu
We were supposed to hike over a very high (14,400 foot) mountain pass to get to the village of Shelmakha for their yearly festival, but the altitude was really getting to Craig. When he felt disoriented and dizzy, needing to lay down before lunch on the first day, we decided a change in plans was in order. Sometimes things happen for a reason. We ended up camping right next to the hostel for a local boarding school. The students immediately befriended us and won our hearts. they took us up to show us their rooms and how they live. We carry a little album of photos from home and they wanted to keep pictures of us. They were really sweet and we were so glad to have met them. They brought down their photo albums for us and presented us with a photo to keep.
Our friends from Genekha Lower Secondary School - Passang Dem (Class 7) and Phub Dem (Class 8 school captain)
We decided we were still determined to get to Shelmakha on foot, so we "hiked" and camped along the mostly dirt roads. When we finally reached Shelmakha, it was goreous. We arrived a day early and got to see festival preparations.
Dasho Karma Dorjee and one of the festival dancers in Shelmakha
Here we met (Dasho) Karma Dorjee, the Bhutanese Secretary of Industry and Tourism. He is a very important man who was raised in Shelmakha and returned for the festival. It was raining lightly the day prior to the festival and he was carrying a Today Show umbrella that he got from Matt Lauer's crew when the NBC show was here earlier this year. He took us under his wing for the next two days and explained everything to us and treated us like dignitaries.
"The Peekaboo Crew" - who kept us entertained while watching the festival
The weather cleared up for the festival for the first time in 3 years. We met a lot of wonderful people including children who were so generous and were always presenting us with gifts of food. The dancing and singing at the festival were amazing.
"Angel Dance" at Shelmakha Festival
At night they had a campfire and taught us some dances (and yes, Craig even danced! When the Secretary asked, he jumped right in. You don't say no to Dasho!) They insisted that we teach them "one of our cultural dances". Ummm...we were put on the spot and all the kids kept encouraging us. They wanted to learn a dance from the USA. What were we to do? The Electric Slide to the rescue (I never thought I would ever use those words together!) The kids LOVED it.
Our friend Phub Lham (affectionately known as "Apple") and her friend in Shelmakha, who shared various foods with us
We camped for 3 nights in Shelmakha and then stayed in a farmhouse for two nights with a local family. We attened a community HIV-awareness comedy/musical show (2 hours and 45 minutes of live entertainment for $1.50 - you can't beat that) and everyone seemed totally happy that we stayed in town for a couple of days.
HIV Awareness show at the school auditorium
On our free day in Shelmakha we brought a Frisbee and played with the kids for hours. It was a big success. We presented the Frisbee to the family we stayed with and the young boy held it to his heart and gave it a kiss. We were then invited into someone's home for tea and a movie ("Enter the Dragon" with Bruce Lee). It was sad to leave the village, but we had to move on.
Out host family in their altar room
Next we went to Punakha, our guide Dorji's hometown. We met his twin brother and his little 12 year old brother. We went to his mother's house and she prepared an authentic Bhutanese meal for us. The chilies and cheese are so delicious but talk about hot! Almost as hot as the weather!
Dorji Pelzang, his mother Tashi Choden, younger brother Pema Rabgay, and twin brother Dawa Dorji
We went to Punakha dzong and the temple of the Divine Madman (who is famous for having subdued a demon with his phallus). We hiked up to a gorgeous Buddhist stupa (aka chorten) which is a momument containing holy statues and texts. We climbed to the top and had a gorgeous view of the valley and river below. Today we drove through WhangduePhodrang and visited their dzong, and then continued on our 5 hour car journey to Trongsa.
View from the top of the Khamsum Yuly Namgyal Chorten
Painting Detail in Punakha Dzong Courtyard
Now, here we are, in a really beautiful hotel. Our room overlooks Trongsa Dzong and the valley below. We even saw golden langur monkeys on the side of the road. We have dinner in about an hour and a half (it's 5:30 PM here now) and then a nice long sleep. We'll be up early tomorrow to head to the National Library, Trongsa Dzong, and then on to Bumthang Valley.
View of Tronsga Dzong from our hotel room
We have already taken over 2100 photos. Luckily we still have lots of memory cards left. We have about 6 more days in Bhutan and then we are off to the Taj Mahal. Home on the 26th.
I don't know if we'll have another chance to write (I kind of doubt it) but please know that we are safe and having the time of our lives!
Love,
Steph & Craig
PS Sorry for any typos!
We went to an artisan school where high school students were learning traditional arts (painting, weaving, sculpting, carving, sewing, etc). We went to the "zoo", which is really just a fenced-in area for the endangered national animal, the takin. There is a legend that the second Buddha (Guru Rinpoche) created it with the head of a goat and body of a cow. Even taxonomists have given up trying to classify it and have put it in a category all its own.
We were supposed to hike over a very high (14,400 foot) mountain pass to get to the village of Shelmakha for their yearly festival, but the altitude was really getting to Craig. When he felt disoriented and dizzy, needing to lay down before lunch on the first day, we decided a change in plans was in order. Sometimes things happen for a reason. We ended up camping right next to the hostel for a local boarding school. The students immediately befriended us and won our hearts. they took us up to show us their rooms and how they live. We carry a little album of photos from home and they wanted to keep pictures of us. They were really sweet and we were so glad to have met them. They brought down their photo albums for us and presented us with a photo to keep.
We decided we were still determined to get to Shelmakha on foot, so we "hiked" and camped along the mostly dirt roads. When we finally reached Shelmakha, it was goreous. We arrived a day early and got to see festival preparations.
Here we met (Dasho) Karma Dorjee, the Bhutanese Secretary of Industry and Tourism. He is a very important man who was raised in Shelmakha and returned for the festival. It was raining lightly the day prior to the festival and he was carrying a Today Show umbrella that he got from Matt Lauer's crew when the NBC show was here earlier this year. He took us under his wing for the next two days and explained everything to us and treated us like dignitaries.
The weather cleared up for the festival for the first time in 3 years. We met a lot of wonderful people including children who were so generous and were always presenting us with gifts of food. The dancing and singing at the festival were amazing.
At night they had a campfire and taught us some dances (and yes, Craig even danced! When the Secretary asked, he jumped right in. You don't say no to Dasho!) They insisted that we teach them "one of our cultural dances". Ummm...we were put on the spot and all the kids kept encouraging us. They wanted to learn a dance from the USA. What were we to do? The Electric Slide to the rescue (I never thought I would ever use those words together!) The kids LOVED it.
We camped for 3 nights in Shelmakha and then stayed in a farmhouse for two nights with a local family. We attened a community HIV-awareness comedy/musical show (2 hours and 45 minutes of live entertainment for $1.50 - you can't beat that) and everyone seemed totally happy that we stayed in town for a couple of days.
On our free day in Shelmakha we brought a Frisbee and played with the kids for hours. It was a big success. We presented the Frisbee to the family we stayed with and the young boy held it to his heart and gave it a kiss. We were then invited into someone's home for tea and a movie ("Enter the Dragon" with Bruce Lee). It was sad to leave the village, but we had to move on.
Next we went to Punakha, our guide Dorji's hometown. We met his twin brother and his little 12 year old brother. We went to his mother's house and she prepared an authentic Bhutanese meal for us. The chilies and cheese are so delicious but talk about hot! Almost as hot as the weather!
We went to Punakha dzong and the temple of the Divine Madman (who is famous for having subdued a demon with his phallus). We hiked up to a gorgeous Buddhist stupa (aka chorten) which is a momument containing holy statues and texts. We climbed to the top and had a gorgeous view of the valley and river below. Today we drove through WhangduePhodrang and visited their dzong, and then continued on our 5 hour car journey to Trongsa.
Now, here we are, in a really beautiful hotel. Our room overlooks Trongsa Dzong and the valley below. We even saw golden langur monkeys on the side of the road. We have dinner in about an hour and a half (it's 5:30 PM here now) and then a nice long sleep. We'll be up early tomorrow to head to the National Library, Trongsa Dzong, and then on to Bumthang Valley.
We have already taken over 2100 photos. Luckily we still have lots of memory cards left. We have about 6 more days in Bhutan and then we are off to the Taj Mahal. Home on the 26th.
I don't know if we'll have another chance to write (I kind of doubt it) but please know that we are safe and having the time of our lives!
Love,
Steph & Craig
PS Sorry for any typos!
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