2013 Bhutan by Bike

It was a very early start (and very little sleep) as we gathered back at Bangkok Airport at 4 am for the early flight to Paro Airport in Bhutan. There was only airline that was equipped for landings at the tiny airport situated high in the Himalayas, and only around 7 pilots who were certified for the very tricky landing.

And so began my first flight with Druk Airlines (aka Royal Bhutan). I had heard all about how dangerous the landing at Paro Airport was, and I have to admit that I was experiencing some anxiety as we flew closer and closer to the towering mountains.

As the plane tilted and turned, seemingly almost touching the ridges, all the passengers were holding their collective breaths. Eventually I caught my first glimpse of the tiny landing strip and wondered just how hard the pilot would have to work to land the plane safely.

The final couple of minutes of the flight were particularly hair raising as we narrowly missed the houses perched on the top of the final ridge. Then we dropped sharpy and aimed straight for the runway. Once the wheels touched, it was a full brake power screaming stop. But at least we were safely on the ground. So far, so good I thought.

We climbed down the stairs from the plane and walked across the tarmac to the small terminal building. Fortunately our luggage also made the journey safely, and soon we were all sitting in a bus and heading towards our first hotel.

There was not much conversation as we all had our faces glued to the windows, mesmerized by the unfamiliar sights that were all around us. Bhutanese people still nearly all wear the traditional costume of a loosely fitting tunic, with long sleeves and knee high socks. It was a sight we were to see continually over the next ten days.

Since our flight had arrived before noon, we had the afternoon free to explore the city of Paro. . We even got to visit your first dzong. A dzong is a Bhutanese fortress which were constructed at strategic locations throughout the country. They contain both temple and administrative offices of the district government.

Almost every town that we stayed in on the trip had a dzong and the local governments still work within their grand walls. Dzong are built with high sloping walls, inside we found detailed woodwork and courtyards. The main dzong in Paro was constructed in the 15th century and still houses the administrative offices of Paro.

What was once the watchtower for the dzong is now the national museum and this was our next stop. The museum holds a great collection of artefacts from Bhutanese history.

The Bhutanese Buddhist belief is full of gods, demons, saints, historical figures and kings. It was a fascinating introduction to the country, but it had been a very long day and I was so glad to finally hit the bed.

My diary entry reads:
We have now had a few hours to explore Paro and the more we see the more we fell in love with this place. It is just so magical that it is like we have left the earth and landed on another planet. The people have been so welcoming that we immediately felt at home, the streets are clean, the buildings are beautiful and the valley is breathtaking. I guess the fact that we are at an altitude of 2200 m also has something to do with the lack of breath. This afternoon we tried out our bikes for the first time and tomorrow we start riding - that will be the first big test.Read more