India-wards to Phuentsholing

As my time in the land of happiness was coming to an end, I headed towards Phuentsholing on the Indo - Bhutan border. I took an early morning bus from Thimpu and reached Phuentsholing 7 hours later. It was hot, dusty, dirty and a traffic jam ensued right outside the bus station. A stark contrast from the otherwise serene Bhutanese countryside I was used to. I hailed a cab and went looking for a budget hotel.

The cab driver took me to a few hotels, most of which were shady. I finally decided on one budget hotel called Everest, where some families were staying. The room was clean, airy and had a view of the high grill separating India and Bhutan on on side and mountains on the other. If I walked about 200 steps, I would be in India, half an hour ahead of Bhutan local time.

                   View from my room

Chicken Ema Datshi

Exhausted from all the travel, I slept through the afternoon. In the evening, I crossed over to India to turn on my Indian SIM card and call home. I felt like a time traveller when I crossed into India and back to the hotel, saving and losing time. My mother had asked for some Bhutanese tea cups and I went all over looking for them. Sadly, I could only find Chinese tea cups.

Entry to Bhutan from Jaigaon - India side

It suddenly dawned on me that I needed to get a stamp before exiting Bhutan. I went down to the immigration office where scores of fellow Indians had lined up to get a visa. It didn't take me much time to get the formalities done. I was told by a Bhutanese friend that I would not be able to enter Bhutan again in case my passport didn't have this stamp. I really didn't want to risk that as I am yet to explore Central and Eastern Bhutan on my next trip there.

I ordered Maroo chicken and rice for dinner, sipped on Takin wine while watching a documentary on Buddhism. I turned in for the night fairly early in order to catch my early morning bus to Darjeeling.

  

Punakha - A Riverside Retreat

Punakha Dzong

Confusion ensued early morning when the driver called to inform me that he won't be able to take me to Punakha due to some official work that had unexpectedly cropped up. For the next half hour, I tried negotiating a good rate with other taxis and finally managed to strike a good deal. This last minute confusion delayed my departure by an hour. All's well that ends well, I thought.

The three hour drive was extremely bumpy and dusty due to massive potholes on the road or whatever was left of it. Shortly after the immigration check point, we reached DoChula Pass (3,100 mt) offering sweeping, panoramic views of the Eastern Himalayas. 108 chortens built by Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk, the eldest Queen Mother provided the perfect backdrop for many photographs. Being a clear day, I even caught a glimpse of the mighty Gangkar Puensum peak (7570 mts), the highest mountain in Bhutan and incidentally, the highest unclimbed mountain in the world. 

A two hour bumpy ride later, we reached Lobesa valley. We visited Chimi Lhakhang, a well known fertility temple, popular amongst childless Bhutanes couples. On your way to the temple, we passed some houses and shops which had huge phallus paintings on them, in all shapes and sizes. I posed for a couple of photographs, much to the amusement of my guide. It was completely bizarre and nothing like I had ever seen before. 

Phallus paintings

Welcome sign outside a shop

The temple was on a hillock, with great views of Punakha valley. On our way back to the car, I even got to sample some freshly brewed home wine right out of the pot. It was lukewarm, with a kick.
Half an hour later, we reached Khuruthang (Punakha) where I checked into Damchen Resort. It was a lovely riverside resort owned by the King's maternal grandfather. Luckily, I got upgraded to a river view room. I was tired, sweaty, full of dust and desperately needed a shower. After freshening up, I ordered some chicken chowmein and hogged on it. The taxi driver was waiting to take me to Punakha Dzong – Bhutan’s oldest; built on a confluence of two rivers. 

Outside Punakha Dzong

Steeped in history and structural beauty, it is undoubtedly the most beautiful Dzong in Bhutan. It is the main sight to see in Punakha. I spent about an hour wandering around inside, watching monks go by their daily lives. In the evening, I sat at the river bank, observing ripples on water. I felt much at peace and happy, being one with nature. 

Thimpu: Modern Bhutan

Buddha Dornema Statue

The capital city of Thimpu is a 4 hour local bus ride or 2 hours by taxi away from Paro. I opted for the 70 BTN bus ride, where I had some college going girls for company. The journey took us through lush green valleys, with mighty mountains in the backdrop; intricately designed Bhutanese homes, chortens and prayer wheels. My eyes were peeled outside throughout the journey, with my favourite songs playing in the background.

A huge billboard of the King & the Queen welcomed us to the vibrant city of Thimpu. This was the only place in Bhutan where I encountered plenty of people and traffic. I stayed at IMTRAT, the Indian army quarters bang in the centre of the city. After freshening up, I hired a cab and started my sightseeing tour. The City Palace, Buddha Dornema Statue, Tashichho Dzong and Takin Zoo were some of the places I visited on the first day. I could have gazed at the world’s largest Buddha statue for hours. Tashichho Dzong was enchanting, the largest Dzong I visited there. Takin – Bhutan’s national animal, a goat-cow hybrid is indeed a unique beast; unlike any other mammal I had ever seen. 

Dzong Courtyard

Takin

The next day I took a stroll around the city, visiting the National Archives library and the nearby Folk Heritage museum, offering an insight into rural Bhutan. I wandered around for a bit, trying to find my way to Little Bhutan museum. After walking around in circles, I finally got there. I was famished and decided to have a quick bite at their café. This museum was definitely worth the effort; I got to wear the national dress and try my hand at Bhutan’s national sport – Archery. 

Trying my hand at Archery

I even visited Junghi Handmade Paper factory and got a chance to learn about how paper is made. You can buy intricately designed diaries, cards and handmade paintings at subsidized rates here. I picked up a beautiful card on which the Bhutanese flag had been painted. My shopping didn’t end there; I bought some traditional crafts and souvenirs at the Handicrafts Market. Ambient café in the city centre was the perfect place to unwind after a tiring day, with some Bhutanese pasta and Italian coffee!

The helpful staff at IMTRAT had arranged for my Punakha permit saving me a lot of trouble. Back at the room, I quickly penned down events from the day, packed my bags, read a little and then called it a night.