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After gaining the motorbike permit for Bhutan, we drove to the capital city of Thimpu largely along roads which were lined with teams of road crew - children, women and men breaking rocks, laying tar and fulfilling all their daily living needs next to the incomplete road. It fills you with pity to see the miserable existence that these families lead doing such backbreaking work. Even so, some stop to wave and give you a dirt stained smile.
Through thick white mists reminiscent of Vic (Mendo's hometown in Barcelona), hauntingly beautiful forests materialized from white clouds dripping in ghostly lichen. Finally out of the clouds we followed the sparkling river winding through valleys dotted with monasteries, surrounded by a patchwork of terraced fields in every shade of green. Dotted amongst the fields and along the road, double story houses caught our attention with their unique Bhutanese style, decorated with layers of beautifully carved wood, frequently painted in elaborate Buddhist motifs.
Arriving in Thimpu we were told that mum's plane was canceled due to a Managerial mistake and she would arrive the following day. This would make the whole tour a day late, but it wouldn't matter as we were all together and we were in Bhutan! So Mendo and I settled into the swanky hotel completely alien to us since we'd been staying in $6 hovels for 7 months. We ate a feast for dinner and the next day filled our time with observing archery and window shopping around the streets. Mumsy arrived in time for lunch and you can guess that was an emotionally happy reunion! Now we were about to something very foreign to Mendo and I, follow an itinerary! We were rather nervous about being regimented but it wasn't too bad ... one has no other choice in Bhutan, as the Government won't allow you into the country unless you have a guide and a special permit. First item on the agenda was a (and then we all went off to) visit to the local arts and crafts 'TAFE' where Mendo was lucky enough to score some drawings of the local types of art from the teacher and a chatty student (eg Garuda, Dragon, Buddha etc). We learnt that they study painting for 6 years. I assume this length of time is needed for those that paint the amazingly intricate murals in the monasteries and many shrines in the country. Afterwards we visited the weaving workshop, marveled at the speed and skill of the workers hands, and afterwards to the paper factory. We then ogled at the national animal, a Tarkin, which Mendo tried to pat. It reacted by trying to head but him (through the safety of the fence) ... where's your camera at moments like that! The next day was mostly taken up with the long drive to Bumthang. Mendo rode ahead on the bike, while Mum and I followed in a Pajero with our driver and guide. The road barely had a straight strip at all, constantly winding around the mountainsides. We crossed over 3 passes that day and enjoyed beautiful mountain scenery, with fields terraced wherever they could cling to a small leveled plot of land. We never tired of admiring the glorious magnolia and rhododendron trees dotting the higher slopes. Our destination was Jakar where we stayed in a GORGEOUS hotel next to a bubbling river with apple trees full of blossoms just outside our window. The beds were like clouds and mumsy evengot a special all-over body shower in her room. Not really what you would expect in Bhutan!
The next day feeling refreshed we headed to the Bumthang (Ura Yakchoe) festival. A website describes this as ´the imparting of moral lessons and the animation of ancient tales in the elaborately staged and choreographed dances´... possibly a bit of an overstatement! However, it was an interesting and quite vibrant festival, held in the courtyard of a lovely old monastery, where crowds of local villagers enjoyed the spectacle alongside international tourists. Women and girls wore traditional dress made from intricately woven silk while the men and boys wore plaid, coat style outfits with intricately decorated boots. As for ´the imparting of 'moral lessons' ... we were horrified to find that in the first dance, 2 little rogue boys ran amongst the dancers, 'shooting' them with toy pellet guns. Later, we saw other boys 'shooting' their guns from the monastery windows! Amazingly, and sadly, no-one was restricting them or even reprimanding them. After a speech by a professor from England, we asked why this was allowed to happen.He told us in hushed tones that it was because the government doesn´t regulate what people sell. Stalls were selling the toy guns outside the Monastery gate. One wonders about the loss of innocence in a society that has been protected from outside influences! Anyway, inside the monastery was a large, glorious statue of Buddha surrounded by 4 walls, vibrantly painted, depicting Buddha´s life and teachings. Mendo and I particularly admire the exquisite detail and style of the Bhutanese artwork. Afterwards we had lunch in a local home sitting on the ancient floorboards next to the cooker.
Although our excursion to the cheese factory ended in it being closed, we did get to buy some scrumptious Yak cheese. Actually, the unexpected highlight of the visit was a photo of a gigantic cheese penis (yummy!?). A strange phenomenon of Bhutanese house decoration, is the painting of large penises, decoratively wrapped in ribbons, prominently displayed alongside the front doors. We were told that the purpose is to protect one's house and belongings from the neighbours' envy! We wondered if the larger the penis, the more one had to protect, as some were at least 2 metres high! After another restfull night on beds like clouds we headed back towards Thimpu via a place where the black-necked crane supposedly resides (not when we were there) but we did witness a beautiful monastery in various stages of repair including intricate wood carvings and freshly painted decorations. International donations support the monumental restoration job.
Onwards to Punarka where we had a nice walk through the fields of wheat and rice to the Monastery of the Divine Mad Monk. He is still a bit of a mystery to us but the stories seem to indicate that he had an enormous sexual appetite and managed to invent devotional reasons for his excesses! Many women still make pilgrimages to the monastery, sleeping overnight in in the hope becoming pregnant.
That afternoon the locals taught us how to play Carrom, a very popular game played on a square table top. It's similiar to snooker but played by flicking discs into pockets with the fingers. Mendo gained great respect from the watching crowd, as he soon started to challenge the experienced skills of our guide and driver.The next day we ventured off to Paro, with Mendo taking Mumsy for another ride on the back of Shepa ... she loves the bike! When back in the car, she said it was like being closed in a cocoon, after the experience of the closeness of the passing scene on the bike! Our next excursion, to Taksing Monastery, was spectacular. Mumsy took the explorers way, riding on horse-back (a stubborn mule, actually), up, up, up to the high cliff where the Monastery is perched. One guide and Mendo found the going easy but I was a huffing, puffing mess (where was my horsey???) The views as we climbed were very impressive, looking up at the distant Monastery, perched precariously on the edge of such a high cliff, beside a waterfall with a lush forest falling into the valley below. Once at the Monastery we appreciated the intricate paintings and carvings of the typical Buddhist shrine, as well as the buena vista.
Unfortunately the next day we had to say our goodbyes to Mumsy. This left me a crying, blubbering mess for the whole beautiful ride back to the border of India. So Bhutan was a fantastic experience and we're both so glad that we got to share the experience with the best Mumsy in the World.
*Fantastically edited by Mumsy - what a champion.
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