The Land of Gods and Goddesses

 
I have been extremely fortunate during my time in Bhutan to travel out of the 'big city' of Thimphu into it's outlying areas quite frequently. I have hiked up mountainsides and though valleys, driven across high mountain passes, visited many sacred and important sites such as Taksang monastery and Punakha Dzong and passed through numerous small towns and villages, catching a glimpse of Bhutanese life outside of the urban center. Recently I had the opportunity to travel further afield, out of the western region of the country with which I had become somewhat familiar and into the east. And what a wonderful journey it was!

The adventure began by traveling along the "Lateral Road", as the the main highway connecting east and west is known, from Thimphu to the town of Mongar in eastern Bhutan. For the record, I use the term 'highway' loosely. The roads here are all very similar...windy and narrow, with sheer drops of many hundreds (if not thousands) of feet. Not for the faint of heart, nor the queezy of stomach - there's a reason the local long distance buses are referred to as 'vomit comets'. Thankfully Kevin and I were in a car, and neither of us suffer from motion sickness :)

From Thimphu to Mongar was a very long ride indeed, taking two days with an overnight stop in a region known as Bumthang, but it was well worth it for the breathtaking scenery along the way. It amazed me the way in which the landscape changed as we ascended and descended mountains, the trees and plants varying according to the numerous micro-climates we passed through at different elevations. Dwarf bamboo, wild strawberries, countless species of conifers, a multitude of rhododendrons. The most dramatic by far was the change I saw after the Thrumshing La, the second highest mountain pass in Bhutan, which connects the central and eastern regions of the country. In a matter of hours we descend from elevations of approximately 12,500 ft down to less than 2,200 ft, transitioning from alpine forests into a semi-tropical valley dotted with banana, orange and mango trees.

Mongar is a beautiful spot, and quite unique in comparison to other towns I have visited in Bhutan. Whereas the villages in the western part of the country are all built in the depths of the valleys, Mongar, like most towns in the east, is built on the top of a mountain, positioning it's residents at eye level with the clouds and commanding magnificent views of the landscape below. I only had one afternoon and evening to enjoy wandering around this town, but I am so glad that I had the opportunity to experience it's charms!


Mongar Street Scene

The following morning I headed back to Bumthang, a district (or dzongkhag) consisting of the four neighbouring valleys of Chhume, Tang, Ura and Choekhor (a.k.a. Jakar); when most people say they are going to 'Bumthang', they are refering to Jakar valley/town, and this is exactly where I was headed.

Jakar Valley

Bumthang is known as the cultural and spiritual center of Bhutan, and it does indeed feel in many ways like the heart of the country. There are many important temples and monasteries which are nestled in these vallleys, particularly Jakar, and many significant events and personages that have roots here throughout Bhutan's fantastic past. Since arriving in Bhutan I have observed that history and mythology often intermingle, and nowhere has this been more evident to me than in Bumthang. The following quote (from the text 'Bumthang: Flower Garden of Celestial Beings' written by Kunkhyen Longchen Rabjam back in 1355), illustrates this nicely:

"A place where many renowned kings and ministers once lived

A place festooned with many awe-inspiring temples and monasteries

A place frequented by many spiritual masters and intellectuals of the past

You! Listen to the description of Bumthang, the land of gods and goddesses"

Guru Rinpoche

I was fortunate to be in Bumthang for a very special event, the birth anniversary of the great Guru Rinpoche, a celebration which spanned several days. Guru Rinpoche, also known as Padmasambhava or "the Second Buddha", is an important historical and religious figure (who also possessed miraculous powers including the ability to subdue demons) credited with introducing Tantric, or Vajrayana, Buddhism to Tibet and later Bhutan. In honour of the great Guru's birthday, a religious festival called a tsechu was held at Kurjey temple in Bumthang, which I had the great privilege of attending. The whole community turned out for the tsechu, all wearing their best kiras and gohs and watching with rapt attention the ceremonial dance~plays that unfolded before us.

A scene from Paro tsechu (photo taken by Kevin earlier in the year...I didn't have a camera with me at the Bumthang tsechu but wanted to give you an idea of what the event looked like)

Another highlight of my time in Bumthang was visiting the Pema Choling nunnery, home to a community of approximately 180 nuns ranging in age from 7 to 73. The nunnery serves as a boarding school where young women receive both secular and spiritual education; we met several of the students and teachers while we were there and I was deeply touched by the way they welcomed my travelling companions and I into their home. After receiving a full tour of the space in which the nuns live and study (including the kitchen which was quite remarkable...imagine how big the pots must be to feed 180 hungry nuns!), we were invited to come back the next day to attend a puja (religious ceremony) in honour of Guru Rinpoche's birthday. So we made our way back the following afternoon, and I must say that the puja was one of the most beautiful things I have ever experienced. The cadence of the nuns voices reciting Buddhist texts in harmonious union, along with the sound of the drums and horns that accompany the ceremony, was enchanting...an experience I won't soon forget.

  

 

In addition to being the spiritual centre of Bhutan, Bumthang is also an agricultural heartland. It's gently sloping hills and wide valleys are often referred to as "the Switzerland of Bhutan", making it oh so fitting that the region is famous for it's European style cheeses, beer and fruit infused liquors, all a result of Swiss influence in the area. In addition to these relatively recent additions to the local food scene, Bumthang is also well known for it's buckwheat production, a traditional staple food primarily eaten in the form of pancakes and handmade noodles. I had a quintessentially Bumthang breakfast on my last morning in Jakar...buckwheat pancakes, local gouda cheese, homemade wild strawberry jam and honey collected from a hive in the neighbouring valley. Ohhhhhhh SO delicious!

On our return journey westward, my friends Angela, Imee, Mia and I spent a night in a traditional Bhutanese farmhouse in the stunning PhobjikaValley where we caught a glimpse of farm life, feasted on homestyle Bhutanese cuisine and took a morning hike through the magnificent valley before making our way back to the urban metropolis of Thimphu.

It was a wonderful journey indeed, one which took me to the heart of Bhutan in more ways than one. While I am aware that there is still so much more to see and experience, I feel that I now know this beautiful country more deeply and intimately than I did a few weeks ago...and for this I am most grateful.