Bhutan
Tashi Chho Dzong

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    • Day 5

      Climbing Higher

      May 9, 2013 in Bhutan

      Yesterday we rode from Paro to Thimpu. It was an undulating route and the thin air combined with the frequent climbs made the ride quite challenging. By the time we arrived at Thimpu we were relieved when we finally reached our hotel.
      Thimpu is the capital city of Bhutan and the seat of government for 6 months of the year. There appears to be a building boom in progress with dozens of large new buildings unde construction everywhere you look. Our hotel (The Riverview Hotel - find it on the Internet) has a great vantage point down to the rapidly flowing river and across to the city on the opposite side.

      In the afternoon we went to see the ceremonial lowering of the flag at the main Dzong (seat of government). It is also where the king has his office and his modest palace. I thought that he might have heard that the Ghostriders were in town and come to say hello, but there was no sign of him.

      This morning we climbed back on the bikes for a ride higher into the mountains. It had a few really gut busting climbs at around 12 to 15% which had everyone searching for the lowest possible granny gear while trying to grab lungful's of air.
      At one point we had to stop because the army was practising with large calibre weapons. It was almost the first time that the Ghostriders had found themselves in a war zone. The sound of the explosions booming through the mountains was quite impressive. At the summit of the climb, we left the bikes and climbed (staggered) up the side of a cliff face to a temple perched on the very top of a mountain. The views from the top made all the effort worthwhile and the downhill slide was easier than the going up. After a picnic lunch and game of Bhutanese darts in the sunshine we returned to our hotel - tired but happy.

      Our adventure will continue tomorrow with the longest ride of the trip. How will we fare ? Time will tell, I guess.
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    • Day 13

      Our 2nd day in Thimpu

      January 2, 2018 in Bhutan ⋅ ☀️ -3 °C

      We had breakfast at our usual time. Followed by a group of schools children singing a traditional song to welcome the new year and the winter solstice. Craig and I then proceeded to a nice hike up the ridge by the broadcast antenna that led to a temple being renovated and a group of locals playing this traditional outdoor darts. The ridge had spectacular view views of the valley and the Dzong. We had lunch and and went to a traditional art and weaving studio where we purchased a few items.Read more

    • Day 25

      Thimphu Fortress

      November 15, 2019 in Bhutan ⋅ ☀️ 4 °C

      The fortress is also a temple. In Bhutan this is done consistently, every fortress has a temple inside that you can’t take photos of. You also have to remove your shoes to go inside the temple.

    • Day 21

      National Institute for Zorig Chusum

      May 21, 2019 in Bhutan ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

      National Institute for Zorig Chusum provides instruction on Bhutan's 13 traditional arts.

      This was quite interesting watching the students, wood carve, paint, sew, embroid and make statues from clay.

    • Day 42

      Bhutan Frontier

      June 12, 2023 in Bhutan ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

      Next leg of the trip: Bhutan!

      Places my first Grab aka Asia Uber booking today, first Uber ever for that matter. It was cheaper than a taxi too. I left the hotel at 1am to get to the airport for my 5am flight. Managed to snag a 2 hour nap but the flight was a struggle.

      The plane wasn’t full and I had my own row. Caught a short nap before we were awoken for breakfast. I’d actually scarfed down some McDonald’s before boarding so wasn’t hungry at all. We made a quick stop in Dhaka, Bangladesh to pick up more passengers before continuing on.

      More food came and I ate even less. The sun is now up and not much of flying time left so couldn’t sleep more. The Paro airport is small but the descent is quite cool as we coast into the valley. The mountains looked close enough to touch.

      All our meals are included so after lunch a few of us wandered into town. Thimphu is the capital city but it feels like a mountain town. It is definitely bigger than we could see but we only wandered the Main Street.

      Met the rest of our group tonight and received a great culture lesson from our tour leader right off the bat. There’s certainly things here we never expected. For one, the tradition of night hunting. This is where during the day boys would ask girls where their houses/rooms were so they could sneak in at night. It seems like a very open society here and you got married if you stayed the whole night and the parents caught you the next morning. Apparently divorce is practical just as easy. People could have as many wives/husbands though likely just one at a time.

      It’s a very matriarchal society as assets are passed down the female line. Daughters are the treasures as they bring the boys in and everything the boys earn becomes the girl’s. Its also common for brothers to share a wife especially in rural areas where one has to move their flocks. There’s also cases where 2 sisters might share a husband so the family’s assets don’t get split.

      We also learned where our tourist fee ($200 per day) goes. The government collects it but it goes right back to the people as education and health care are state provided. Citizens also get subsidies to travel for medical procedures and post secondary education.
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    • Day 43

      Thimphu the capital

      June 13, 2023 in Bhutan ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

      We took a city tour to visit a few of the sights, beginning with the zoo to see the takin which is the national animal. It’s a cross between a goat and an antelope. It’s less a zoo though and more of a rehabilitation centre so eventually release the takin.

      Next stop, Buddha Point where a 51m sitting Buddha can be seen kilometres across Thimphu. Once complete this will be the tallest sitting Buddha.

      National Memorial Chhorten next. This is a beautiful stupa where lots of elderly people visit and worship. We joined the circle to make the rounds for positive energy. The site is quite beautiful and definitely serene in its own way.

      Post Office Museum and markets in the afternoon. In Bhutan, you can print your face on stamps and the stamps are actually functional so you can put them on postcards to send home. There’s also a great collection for those who collect stamps. We then checked out the weekend market which is mostly fruit, veggies and yak cheese (though it wasn’t a weekend) before walking along the river.

      A little free time and then it was off to Tashichho Dzong which is where the king and the religious head work. The complex is beautiful and reminds me of places I’ve visited in Tibet. We arrived in time to watch the flag come down, signalling the end of the workday.
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