My Happy Connection with the Land of Thunder Dragons

 

                            

Bhutan had been on my list for as long as I can remember, and yet again when it came to planning the trip, it simply happened in the month of December’18. I was lucky to have seen both sides of it, with the bone numbing cold and the much loved pleasant weather with the sunshine tickling your face with a goodbye blessing of first snowfall of the season.

The land of the Thunder Dragon as it is fondly called, Bhutan is majestic. With its very distinct architectural style, intricate wood work with folklore etched into facades of buildings, bright colours and a sense of peace and happiness when it comes to its people.

 Let’s start with a little story…

 You crave the kind of feeling you get when you reach a place you admired the most through pictures of Instagram. But for me, that feeling starts right after I leave for the Airport. Although, I had planned an extensive itinerary on the mighty internet with the help of travel blogs. As per our plan, we should have reached Phuentsholing-gateway to Royal Kingdom of Bhutan latest by 3:30 PM and we should have taken our permits and headed to Thimpu where we had our hotel booking and further plans. But plans generally tend to fail when you travel and ergo, we reached there by 16:00. After reaching we were told that permit office is closed now due to winter season and we will get our permits only next morning. This was a bit of a setback but we have to take life as and when it comes. I told my friend that we will be able to manage the rest of plans as we had an extra day so we will move as per our hotel bookings and then we can decide what to do on last day. We decided to find a hotel here only as we don’t require permit to stay in this town of Bhutan.

I knew there had to be a happy encounter in the trip and then suddenly, a young man in his thirties asked us that if we had any problems. He told him that we are looking for a hotel for night stay, and he obliged us by telling that he had contacts in certain hotels and he will help us to book hotels at good price and we went with him in our search of hotel. Although, we had heard and read about the polite and truthful nature of people in Bhutan we were still in a dilemma and believed that he will ask for his commission at end. But our dilemma went out of the picture as he not only helped us book a good hotel but also sat down with us for tea and talked to us for almost 2 hours. He told us a lot about people, rules etc. of this country and that was ‘my happy connection’ to this country of Thunder Dragons. We exchanged our contacts and we have promised him to meet him in Paro and we did. It was snowing and we roamed around the city with him and his two cute kids.
This connection and story will always be our favourite since it truly defined Bhutan i.e. the happiest country in the world for us. It was the first time we were travelling to a different nation altogether and the journey from being nervous visitors to satiated and happy travelers was completely worthwhile.

Coming back to the trip whilst the drive to Phuentsholing, one can sense the shift in the air. The air is a lot cleaner, no noise from car horns, families with playful younger ones sit and chat in the park while tourists walk about the small town. As we driven further towards Thimpu, we were mesmerized by the long winding roads have small stalls selling vegetables and fruit. The drive includes slow local music and SRK songs (Yes they are into Bollywood and like rest of the world SRK is king of hearts here also: P).  It all looks like a beautiful movie set but this is how the country really is steeped in tradition and more than happy to embrace it. With their fabulous skin and welcoming smiles, it’s hard to miss the positive vibe the country emits. 

The aim is for the Bhutanese to be extensively or deeply happy. Wow!

 

Buddhism is the prominent religion with coloured flags, stupas, and prayer wheels mark main spots in the architecture of cities and towns. Although it’s a very small country but the happiness and positivizes that it enriches his huge in terms of the lifestyle. People engage in trade, run food joints with family members as primary task-force and majorly work for tourism and the government. Female employment is strongly evident and that speaks a lot of people, culture and governance of any place.

Our first stop Thimphu, the capital and largest city in Bhutan. As we drive down into the city, it’s hard to miss the gigantic Buddha statue up in the mountains. Standing tall at a 169 feet and made of bronze and gilded gold, this one is a must see. The main town is charming to say the least. With a large town square with people pausing for a quick chat with friends or just for some good old soul searching, most public events take place here. I was amazed (and shocked) to see that Thimphu has no traffic signals and there are still traffic policemen gracefully directing traffic. They are very strict about traffic rules though, one must and absolutely must use the zebra crossing or simply walk back to one, from wherever you are. Yes, the vehicles stop here for the pedestrians!!

 

We drove to Punakha from Thimpu, via the Dochula Pass. Not only does one see a 360 degree view of the Himalayas but the mountains act as a stunning backdrop to the 108 Chortens gracing the mountain pass. Standing at the confluence of two major rivers, Mo Chhu and Po Chhu, Punakha Dzongkhag or the Palace of Happiness, is by far one of the most stunning architectural structures I’ve ever seen. Once the Palace of the King of Bhutan, now serves as the Winter Capital for the monastic body of the country. The suspension bridge connecting Punakha to other small villages, gives one a stunning view of the mountains with the Pho Chhu River flowing right under.

 After that we reached Paro, the town with beautiful valleys and peaceful streets. You will not be tired roaming around here. And as we hiked to reach the majestic Tiger’s nest Monastery, after a well trek of 3 hours and have to capture the breathtaking view through your eyes. Once you have a look you will not ask for pictures to remember the stupefying scene. There are some places which make you speechless and you just wonder at them, it is among those places. The entire experience of the Tiger’s Nest is fulfilling and challenging where you are rewarded with beautiful, picturesque sceneries along the way. This is undoubtedly the most famous and soothing place in Bhutan.

 

 

So far it had been a fabulous trip and on our last day in Bhutan we haven’t touched snow yet, so we decided to head towards the hidden gem- Haa Valley via Chelela Pass. Chelela pass separates Haa and Paro valley at 3988 meter and is the highest motorable pass in Bhutan. As we moved up the weather became more and chillier but we got only chilly winds filtered through serene colourful flags of the hill top. At that point I realized that no matter wherever you are you will be at peace in the laps of the mountains and happier if you are in Bhutan. So the interesting thing of Haa Valley is not the Black & White temple famous among locals but the India army military base with their small canteen that serves Samosa: D. It feels so good to chat with the army people and get insights about the people of other country, and when Indian Army says that a country is happy then who are you to question them: P

 

Evenings are really quiet. You want to sit by a balcony, watch the sun go down. It’s a watercolor painting coming to life. With the echoing sound of the prayer wheel and the constant hum of the wind, you’re left with your thoughts. Take a little stroll to the market, streets and cafes and if possible to their Saturday dance night sipping unique wines (That will cost only Rs 450 for one bottle: D). Perfect indeed!!

 

 

It all came to the last day, and since there was nothing much to do we thought to relax and will roam around Paro later in the afternoon. But as luck stands by your side, it was snowing and it was the first snow season which is considered as blissful. It snowed and suddenly everything became white carpet. We came out of our hotel rooms and in the spur of moment some other travelers along with the hotel staff just started playing snow fight and it was awesome. Such craziness .!! Then you already know about our friend with who we visited local cafes and streets. It was a perfect way to end our Bhutan trip and say goodbye to the “Land of Thunder Dragon” and its breathtaking and astonishing natural beauty.

 

As I stood just looking up at the clear blue sky on the last day to leave for home, I knew that I would have to come back. There is too much to soak in, too much to experience and Bhutan thankfully, is in no hurry. With its people enjoying every minute, savoring each moment. Where happiness is the ideology of a nation, steeped in spirituality, it’s hard not to find your happiness quotient.