Thimphu

We had an amazing buffet breakfast in the morning while waiting for Fifa. Lisa and I decided to go find a bank or an ATM to withdraw some cash since Fifa was still stuck in traffic. The bank we went to was in an impressive building that screamed traditional Bhutanese architecture. In fact, the whole town of Thimphu, despite being the capital city, was still extremely peaceful and clean. No tall buildings, rather they stayed quite true to their culture and most places had that distinct Bhutanese charm.

Since we didn't know how long Fifa would be stuck in traffic, we decided to just walk to Simply Bhutan, a suggestion from Thaye, and on the way, we ran into Fifa so it looked like we could now start with the day's itinerary.

Our first stop was Dechen Phodrang Monastic School. Our journey took us high into the mountain where we did a small hike to get to a monastery. Having our first taste of Vajrayana Buddhism in Bhutan. I was expecting to see plenty of child monks playing around here but it actually turned out to be a bit of an empty place. We went up to the main temple to pay respect to Guru Rinpoche. The monk here poured us this green water on our palms that we were supposed to drink. It was holy water and it tasted pretty limey. On the way back to the car, there was a phallus spouting out water. Fifa said that this too was holy water and it was safe to drink so why not?

The next place we went to was the Motithang Takin Preserve where we could see Bhutan's national animal, the Takin. A sacred animal with a connection to the Divine Madman, who was said to perform a miracle by combining a goat's head on to a cow's body. It was also Fifa's first time to see them so I was really happy for him too! The preserve had an elevated boardwalk which took us up close and personal with the gentle beasts. There were only a few left in number and they are also endangered so it was an honor to see them. There was an aviary at the end beside an ice cream shop where we sat for a while, basking in the sun shining from the top of the trees. Emily got me and Lisa some ice cream and we were able to enjoy some jolly conversations before walking back to the car.

Our next stop was Simply Bhutan, this time we made it. We had to wait at the courtyard but what was unique about this experience was that each group would have a dedicated in-house guide to take us across different aspects of Bhutanese history and culture. When it was finally our turn, we first started with drinking rice wine, well they did, not me as I don't drink alcohol. Our guide taught us how to drink it traditionally, by dipping the ring finger and flicking at the air while saying a phrase as an offering to the gods. She also introduced to us the previous and current kings. Right through the door, we got to see some men seeing traditional folk songs that they do during house building. They seriously had a tough job to be doing this the whole day again and again. We also got to see some masks and the phallus garden, which in Bhutan was considered a symbol of good luck and protection. We got to see how they made butter and made some wishes by throwing 5 coins into a floating pot on the water. Unfortunately, I didn't get any in. We also got to try archery, I was able to hit the target which warranted a victory dance which was really what they did apparently. From then, we were herded into a rest area where we were served butter tea and some small snacks while watching some ladies do some more traditional dances. We were also able to join in after a few numbers. I found our guide to be really cute and I guess Lisa was able to sense that, we were able to get a lot of laughs with that.

It started to drizzle a bit when we finished, and we decided to get some lunch. Fifa brought us to his friend's place and the food was more or less alright. I still had a bit of a sore throat so all the chili in the food was not helping at all. After lunch, we stopped by the National Memorial Chorten and took a few steps in only to find out that it was a whopping 500 ngultrum to enter. Well, we already got to see it and I was able to take some photos so we decided to just skip it and head up to the Buddha Dordenma.

Easily recognizable from anywhere around Thimphu, this giant golden Buddha statue can be overlooking the city on top of a mountain. We had to climb an ungodly amount of stairs but it was worth it, not only the views but being in the presence of such a magnificent figure was really humbling. We got to go inside as well and the interior truly matched the exterior, all golden and having some of the most intricate and ornate decor I have ever laid my eyes on. It was without people and a very intimate experience.

Since we were running out of time, we had to make a decision between Simtokha Dzong or Tashichho Dzong. Simtokha Dzong was already closing but I knew Tashiccho Dzong was open after 5:30 PM. Fifa said it wasn't but I insisted a bit before giving up. He made a call and turns out it was so we went there. To buy the tickets, we had to go through the neighborhood of the various government offices which were just these tiny houses. Tashiccho Dzong was also one of the only dzongs that had a security checkpoint where we had to submit our belongings and undergo a body check.

The Dzong itself was one of the most splendid and biggest ones we've seen so far. It functioned as both the government headquarters and a monastery for the monks. Only one temple was available for visitation and it housed a giant golden Buddha. With just a short window before it started to get dark, we were shoo'ed away so Fifa took us to the handicrafts street. I tried to find a bracelet but had no luck here.

We also had dinner scheduled with Thaye and he picked an awesome place for us. A traditional mud house that was converted into a restaurant, and the food was simply sublime. This time it was our treat after his generosity yesterday.En savoir plus