Disclaimer: This post was started in 2013 but being the lazy ass that I am, took more than a decade to complete. The gestation period might have spoiled the narrative and things went missing, so kindly excuse if you don't get the practical info that you might be looking for in a travelogue.
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It all started as one more holiday trip planner. This time we had days at our disposal and bunking classes for 1-2 days in addition will put us in an excellent spot - travel-wise. So, there were easily 5 days in our hands, enabling us to venture for a longer trip. Darjeeling (I guessed), will be the best choice. Some nominated for Gangtok. And atlast came the most weird choice, out of the blue - Bhutan! We realised that it was a serious choice put up by Abhinav and sooner we found ourselves planning for it. After many discussions, budget estimates, unexpected twists and almost cancellation, the trip was on, with only 3 of us onboard.
The trio - Abhinav, Ashwin and I, started on Jan 31, 2013. After nearly 16 hours of train and 5 hours of bus, including rooftop journey (remember Ela machi machi song?), we were at the Indo-Bhutan frontier town - Jaigaon. Unfortunately, we were late by an hour, so we had to wait one more night to get into Bhutan legally. We spent the night in a hotel room and through local advice, we got the information that the Bhutan Immigration office will open by 9AM. There we were, standing in our hotel balcony, trying to look beyond the gates of the foreign country, trying hard to decipher what lays yonder through the darkness. But the tiredness of travel took the better of us and sooner we dozed off, trying to release all the strain we picked up from 24+ hours of travel.
The trio - Abhinav, Ashwin and I, started on Jan 31, 2013. After nearly 16 hours of train and 5 hours of bus, including rooftop journey (remember Ela machi machi song?), we were at the Indo-Bhutan frontier town - Jaigaon. Unfortunately, we were late by an hour, so we had to wait one more night to get into Bhutan legally. We spent the night in a hotel room and through local advice, we got the information that the Bhutan Immigration office will open by 9AM. There we were, standing in our hotel balcony, trying to look beyond the gates of the foreign country, trying hard to decipher what lays yonder through the darkness. But the tiredness of travel took the better of us and sooner we dozed off, trying to release all the strain we picked up from 24+ hours of travel.
Morning we entered the gates. Crossing the border by foot in this modern world where people fly and sail to foreign lands, this was a different feeling. We reached the office only to find that we had wasted 30 minutes inspite of our watches showing 9AM. Understand that time is a precious investment during unplanned journeys. The maximum you save, it will help you in the future. Later, Ashwin brilliantly solved the enigma - we were in a different country, following a different time zone. Theirs was 30 mins ahead of us. We got time-zoned!
The immigration procedure ended in just 15 mins and we were legally termed as 'foreign tourists'. There was one peculiar thing I noted in the immigration office and I confirmed it while negotiating with taxi drivers for hiring a taxi to Paro - All of them speak good English and even Hindi.
The immigration procedure ended in just 15 mins and we were legally termed as 'foreign tourists'. There was one peculiar thing I noted in the immigration office and I confirmed it while negotiating with taxi drivers for hiring a taxi to Paro - All of them speak good English and even Hindi.
We had some random breakfast in a Phuentsholing (bam! I spelled it right after all these years in the first try) joint. Best way to reach Paro was to get hitchhiked with locals who had come down to the plains for some work and are returning with spare seats. We made a good deal, the SUV was so good. Considering it was drive in the hill roads, the driving felt so rash. I force-slept to avoid the sickness and woke up after couple of hours. There we were, passing through random hills, clouds, rivers and everything looked so alien. That untold fear that you are in a new territory where things are not in your control creeped in. The only soothing thing for the mind was the song playing on the stereo - "Udayo Relaile", later I figured it was a Nepali song - still in my playlist. We learnt that India had a major role for laying and maintaing the roads, providing security and necessary goods, fuel to the country.
Paro was so cold when we alighted. The town looked so deserted and not a single soul moved around. We checked-in and Abhinav drilled us to get ready in no time. We went to nearby temples, while returning things did not go well with our taxi driver and he deserted us at a random spot. That creepy fears only got intensified. We walked back and retired in the home-stay.
Next day itinerary was Takstang or the Tiger's nest monastery. No taxis on the road - first Sundays were green and no vehicles inside town limit. We found a taxi guy outside the town limit, convinced him to store our luggages till the time we came down from the cliff. Abhinav was a man of determination, he helped Ashwin climb up too. I had no choice - it was my first ever trekking experience. The ~4 hours enroute the summit included lot of self-pity, unuttered curses on Abhinav, pitstops and loud, unpleasant breathing. But looking back, that IS one of a kind experience for me. Describing that in words is so tough - you go, you experience it!
Takstang made the trip look much better - we proceeded to Thimphu the same evening. Slept like a log. Last day we went straight to bus station - booked our return tickets for the evening. Then we found English - our cheerful taxi driver-cum-tour guide for the day. Trust me if you found a guy like English - all your trips are sorted. He introduced us to Ema Datshi - a tasty local soup. We toured the zoo, radio station, the Dzongs, National Post Office, Buddha Dodernma (Bhuddha Point) and finally saw the palace from a view-point. Thimphu had a lot of decorative, colorful phalluses in their houses and streets. They believe it brings good luck and wards off evil spirits.
We made friends with English on Facebook - Tshering Dorji (the story feels truly old now, do people use Fb still?) and bid good-bye. The bus journey was a decent travel - there was another stereo, another global song, surprisingly - "Why this Kolveri di?"
We came back safe and sound in one piece, after all the errors and experiments. When I was back in the KGP campus, I read more and was blown about GNH (Gross National Happiness) and Carbon Neutrality. Watch the video where their then PM talks about Carbon Negativity and that will inspire us in many ways.
The saddest part of the trip was we don't have any stamps in our passports. A small, land-locked country nestled in the Himalayas never to be discounted for, as it had all the beauty, pristine nature as strongholds. I always keep thinking - will I be able to make the climb up in Takstang or proceed to Bumthang & Dochu La if I ever get to go again. The breathtaking landscapes will forever linger in my heart.
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