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BHUTAN DIARY 2 
                                

  2014 - 2015    

 Map + Plan  

 Photos  

   Diary 1  2  3  
 

After the central part 1, we now head out east.

8/1. Somehow, I have manages to delete the entire diary from the 8. and this is merely a short reconstruction. It was the first night I didn't make back-up, and one of the very few evenings without Wi-Fi and upload to the internet site. I remember one phrase from the original: "If this was not my best day of travelling ever, it is for sure among the three best!". I worked on it this morning around five, but now I only have a blank page. Five or six hours of intense work and loads of breath memories gone!

Pema is ready and almost drags me out from my breakfast, Bishnu Lal on the other hand, is nowhere to be found. He turns up shortly after, and we head off towards Gangtey. We gas the car and pass under the huge fort, which unfortunately burned in 2013, along with all the treasures kept in it. It use to be the oldest Dzong; fortress, and the walls still look impressing. It is in the process of being rebuild.
We follow a river as usual, and numerous decorative farmhouses passes us by. The hills are covered in forest, and they get bigger and bigger for every twist and turn the road does. I call for a lot of stops, but Pema & Bishnu Lal seems a bit stressed. I find out why, when we reach a blocked road, due to road work. We are a few minutes too late, and have to wait for two hours. Pema & Bishnu Lal does their best, and I get the impression, I'm an old grumpy fart, making their life a living hell. The officer let us pass, but we have to negotiate some heavy machinery along the road.
Here are several small waterfalls, cubic meter clusters of orchids in the trees, especially when we pass 2500 meters. The sun is on one side, the other have frost on the ground.

We reach an stretch where the Himalayas dominate the northern horizon. In a small village Nobding, we stop for tea, served in the yard. The view to the mountains, the village, the valley and the people are indescribable. I peak inside the restaurant, and they like colours around here! A single vulture passes high over us, while numerous small birds tweaks around us.
We reach a dense forest area with rather broad leaved trees. Here are 46 different species of Rhododendron, and it must be awesome, when they are in flower! Then some massive conifers takes over. Their stems are almost two meters in diameter and perhaps 40 meters tall. We reach a northbound area, where the trees has snow on them. So does the road, and we have slicks on - not the best combination.
We are now on height with the other snow covered mountains, and it is a bit nippy in the shade. I am totally over-loaded with motives, and I am sure I never, ever have seen so much awesome motives, beautiful sights, fantastic views - or takes so many useless photos. It is absolutely impossible to capture the magnificence of this. Either, it is like looking out at the world through a straw, or everything is in the photo, looking like a blue and brown or green half - no details at all.

We reach 3000 meters height, and the snow is more persistent. That does not spoil the sights at all. The forest is almost all made up by the giant conifers, and open areas start to show. When we reach the Lawala Pass at 3300 meters, some yaks stands along the road. It is the domesticated form, but I love them. The vegetation is clearly formed by the cattle. Only short, yellow grass and few herbs that are bitten deep down. We follow the snow covered road down into the Phobjikha valley, which seems to only have cattle. It stretches from 2800 meters to the Lawala Pass, 3300 meters above.
We drive through the village of Gangtev and end up at a huge monastery of Gangtev. We walk around and then through it, and visits it wood carving room and the painter, responsible for the fantastic decorations of the carved wood. Besides from that, he sell some fantastic detailed paintings of religious motives. In their courtyard, some slate plates has been worked in to reliefs, and the entire inner of the huge building is art!
We walk back through the village, and I make a lot of photos. It is almost the new houses that are the most artistic. The wood work and the drawings on the walls. New houses have a wooden penis and a sword hanging in each corner, and the walls are decorated with detailed pictures of tigers, dragons, penises and monsters. This is both here, but other other places we have visited.
 On the other side of the village, some huge fields are the winter quarters for the rare Black Necked Cranes; Grus nigricollis. Within long Pema have located two, quite close to the road. I get some dissent shots, but it is when a small group flies over some distant fields, and I hear their characteristic calls, I "get the experience". Words can't describe it!

We sleep in one hotel; Dewachen, but another has better lunch. When we get there, the owner, a giant man in all ways, greets us. He is having his annual religious party, and we are invited. It is a friend of Pema, and he ask, if I would like to take part. I think it is great, and we a placed on some small benches in a rather barren room. But: It does have a live stove, and I find it great.
We are served a big mug of his moonshine, which is a real well made alcohol on around 25-30%. Then we get a lot of different, real tasty dishes. As a special treat, I get to taste his special moonshine. I get a rice bawl, and it is filed to the edge. It is rice vine with butter and raw egg, but rather warm. As I start to drink, he signals to me; it had to be emptied in once. And I can taste, it is somewhere around 40% proff. Well, I raised as a polite boy, and I finish it, in one go. Somehow, the conservation turns into who is married, and it turns out; he has an unmarried daughter. Good thing I'm a monk....
Then we are shown into another room, where more of the guests sits on the floor. From the next room again, the song and music from seven monks can be heard. Two on drums, two on small horns and two on the real long horns. I try to video it, but I disabled that function some time ago, and the rice-vine does not help reinstalling it on my new camera!
In the other room, some people are preparing some baskets with all kind of delicatessens. When they are filled, they are placed by the alter in the monk's room, and blessed. Later, they are distributed among the guests. We promises to return, but here are things in the valley I would like to see - and not double.

First, we drive out of a real bad, frozen, muddy road, which have all the tell-tails of a "you are utterly lost, and you will never return" signs. At some point, out car gives up, it can't make the climb. We walk the last bit, and end up at a huge, fancy and modern hotel. The phone at the room is a cell-phone, the bathroom has not only warm water, here are shower-caps, sewing-set, dental kits, and a comb in each little box with the hotels name on, along with soap, shampoo, conditioner and skin-lotion. AND, mostly appresiated: My own stove, complete with petrol-soaked sawdust, plenty of dry wood and matches. The bellboy offers to fire up, but I recon; I'll be gone for a long time. One set of windows face the courtyard, the other the almost endless valley and the snow covered mountains. I drop my bag, and join with Pema & Bishnu Lal.

We head further out in the valley to a Crane Preservation Area and a newly build monastery; Tangjey. First through farmers houses - it is not huts in Bhutan! Then some moors and a fantastic, hilly landscape. Pema tells me, it is used time and time again in Buddhist movies, and the amount of flags for the dead tell its story. We do some extensive walking, me the one NOT freezing, mainly because of my unpacked Michelin-man suit and duvet gloves.
Here are really not much to botanize at all: The cows has been here way too long, and it is mid winter. The empty, newly build Tangjey monastery is not that big, but very colourful outside.
The northern side of the mountains are bluish-white, while the southern melted and a bit spring-like.
As we drive back, a huge vulture crosses the road. Then we spot a group on the field, right next to the road. Pema & Bishnu Lal have never seen them before, but a local confirms; they turn up when something have died. They might be Himalayan Vulture, Gyps himalayensis.
On another field, around 30 black necked cranes has gathered. A smaller group flies around, and again, I hear their calls. Despite they are several hundred meters away, the silence of the valley make their sounds so present, and my entire body is covered in goosespots.
The fare side of the valley are getting snow. If we do, we might likely be stocked here!

Back to work a bit next to the receptions stove, before we drive off to the party. First we are served moonshine, then some of the offerings and then food in waste amounts. It is all so tasteful. Then we move into the room next door, and the sinning and dancing begins. They want me to sing an English song - I tell them: They won't.
All the sinning-dancing is in a circle, and despite the dance look simple, it is fare from. One of the host's sons never dance either, but his father want him to. We end up inviting each other up, and that causes for some discrete smiles - and loud laughs. Pema was borne to this, while Bishnu Lal seems to find it even more difficult than I. To his defence, it has to be said: He is sober. Booze, betel nuts and others are frequently offered round, and everyone seems to have a great time. I make some photos and videos, despite the lack of light. Bishnu Lal drags us with him, but we get to thank the host properly.

Back at my room, I lit the stove and start to work. It has been such a fantastic day. I have seen so many absolutely magnificent mountain views, yaks, temples, cranes, vultures, a mess with the huge horns and taken part of a party. Around midnight, I set the alarm to five.

This fantastic day get its own slideshow, with all the villages, passes, yaks, monks, cranes, parties, houses and vultures in a strange mix.

9/1. Despite I worked till after midnight, I'm up at five to continue. A glimpse out the window reveals; it have not been snowing (much) during the night, and we should be able to leave this place. We meet in the pitch-dark night at the car, which is covered in a thick layer of clear ice.
Then Bishnu Lal drive us safely up through the pass and the sleeping yaks, and down the other side. After an hour, it starts to lightens, and after two, the sun can be seen on the high peaks. I might have dozed off a bit - along with Pema.
From the pass, it goes downhill through more forests of Rhododendron, fir and hemlock. Traverse through rice field and driving along the bank of the Punakha River. A short stop to at Metshina Village and a short walk through the rice fields to Chimi Lhakhang, which is a fertility temple dedicated to the Divine Madman or Lama Drukpa Kuenley. Climate allow invasive cacti, oranges and bamboo. Around ten, we stop here for breakfast. The view from the restaurant is fantastic, and the houses we pass to get to it not any less.
The road back towards Thimphu is just as fantastic as yesterday, but I try to restrict my trigger finger considerable. We reach a road-block, just as it opens, but the eager drivers from both sides make a new. It is fare from all places two vehicles can meet.
The Himalayas are clear to day, and I try desperately to capture them - unsuccessful. They are just too big! Pema list all the names, but I barely remember Mt. Gangchey Ta or Tiger Mountain. It is still frost, and some of the waterfalls are fantastic to watch.
We make another stop at Dochu La Pass, which now is crystal clear, and I get a few more icy peaks.

In Thimphu, we head straight for the other part of The Royal Botanical Garden: The "lowlands". It too look abandon, but again, we can sneak in. I'm sure it will be beautiful a summer's day, even now on cold winterday, it look good. I peak into the small tropical house, and that is enough. The Orchidarium, on the other hand, look so great - through the cracks. We can't find anyone, but Pema make a lot of calls, and get the manager located - in the hospital. They arrange for someone else to open later, and we head on.

Straight through the capital to a restaurant. On the way, we pass endless variations of their special form for house. The gasoline station, every shop, the national stadium - all! The restaurant serve classic Bhutanese food, and it is real close to Nepalese and what we got yesterday. Tasty and nice. After lunch, we head a bit up to the hills. On the way, we passes high court, the religious administration, the royal palace and a few cows.
Up in the pine forests, we find the
Motithang Takin Preserve. Is the old ZOO which was disbanded due to its conflicts with Bhutan's environmental and religious convictions. The animals were set free, but the national animal; the takin; Budorcas taxicolor like the area, and started wandering around in the streets of Thimphu. A three hectare area was fence, and now these strange cross between a goad and a cow - or is it a gnu and a bison? - thrive here. It is actually a real heavy build goat-antelope. A few other "wild" animals like the barking- and musk deer live here too.
Most of the animals can't be seen, but an old male rest nearby. Pema know a trick with some thorny bushes, and the big beast is as nimble as a poppy. I get a few photos (?), and the same from the strange looking Barking Deer.

Back to the Royal Botanical Garden, where the caretaker of the orchids just arrivals. It is a young collection, made by two Swedish scientists, but he do the daily caretaking. And he does a magnificent job! I have seen quite some collections, but never one this great taken care of. The plants are mounted on trees, most have name tags on, and it look so natural. Each and every plant seems to have it just perfect. He does not water during the winter, and only weekly during the summer. But, the plants are mounted on quite some moss. I find several plants, I have never seen before, but strangely enough, not the one we found yesterday. I take a lot of photos and even a video.

Then it is time to leave the capital, and head west to Paro. The road is now fully lit by the sun, and it is fantastic. We stop a few times, but if I had been alone, it would have taken me a day to drive the short distance. The rivers, the nearby mountains, the snow covered mountains, the buildings, the fields - all call for a photo. We passes some fruit - or rather apple stands.
We reach Paro and drive right through it - in a few minutes. The road around the airport is not sealed, and the landing strip look like any pilot's nightmare. We passes another huge dong; fortress and the centre of town, which have a hint of museum about it. I'm dumped way out in a remote hotel; Bhutan Metta while Pema & Bishnu Lal stay in the city. What have I done? Well, considering the amount of work I have to catch up with, it does not matter at all.

I try desperately to figure, how I can have deleted yesterday's work so effective, but I can neither find my work, nor an explanation. I sit in a real nice room, all heaters going, but my fingers are numb from the cold. I wished I could get a smaller room and a higher temperature. I still have the 567 photos from yesterday and I added a bit over 300 today. And the reconstruction of yesterday's diary is real time consuming too. Supper together with the German engineer I met in the airport, and later at the fortress. Actually rather cosy to dine with someone for once. Then it is back to work. The trick with the heaters AND the fan have paid off, and the room is almost comfortable. As I finish the writing and get to start on the 8-900 photos, I see it is midnight. I hate to push work, but I have to sleep. The photos end up in a slideshow from the day.

 The epic journey continues in Diary 3.

                         Diary 1  2  3