Three Girls On A Bhutan Road Trip With The Good Men Of The Country

I've been to monasteries before and every gompa has a spirit and character of it's own. Rumtek is all about the perfection, the perfect backdrop of the serene hills and flowing streams, the perfect calm and silence of the gompa and the awe-inspiring grandeur that leaves you wonderstruck as you walk through the huge courtyard.

Manisha di joined us to visit Hanuman tok and Ganesh Tok. The two temples overlooking the beautiful town of Gangtok seemed like two sacred silent spots where you could muse over the calmness of the town below. Interestingly, inside both the temples the priests were none other than the Indian Army Jawans, serving prashad, wearing the Indian Army uniforms.

The perfect way to travel is to travel with a local. I understood the fact completely when Chandu insisted on visiting the Enchey Monastery. My friend is a believer. She was filing documents for her Vietnam visa approval during those days where she wanted to travel to volunteer. She made a wish at the Gompa and offered her prayers at a small backdoor chamber where an old priest helped us with the rituals.

Chandu is volunteering in Vietnam currently. So here's one place I can recommend to the believers around me.

We spent the night planning the trip ahead. We studied the map thoroughly, calculated time and distance in the map of Bhutan over and over again. And that's all we did. The only plan was to hit the road next morning, EARLY.

Cross the border gate to Bhutan at Phuentsholing and you would be amazed at the stark difference. Bhutan's average population per sq km is 16. So the little crowd that we saw at Phuentsholing was also because of the clever Indian cab drivers who often entered the border to get some cheap fuel.

Indians don't need a passport or visa to travel to Bhutan. All you need is an id proof and couple of photographs and the permit is ready within minutes.

We had been cautioned that we might get cheated at a new place and were instructed to take it in the spirit.

So when we hired a taxi on our very arrival at Phuentsholing we were ready for it. I was bargaining Delhi style, quite unsuccessfully. You can't really haggle with Bhutanese people. They would put forth the loveliest smile and give you the most genuine excuses. The taxi we hired from Phuentsholing was charging us quite a amount for taking us to Thimphu at midnight. We got into the taxi reluctantly and told him to wait till we have dinner at a restaurant in Phuentsholing.

This was Manisha di tripping over the new currency at the restaurant at Phuentsholing.

Later this day, we visited the Takin Preserve. Takin is the national animal of Bhutan. According to a myth, when Drukpa Kunley, the Divine Madman of Bhutan, was asked to conjure a miracle, he ate a goat and a cow. It is said that he fixed the head of a goat into the skeleton of a cow. Sure he did.

Here's a photograph. Look at it closely.

Now came the most awaited moment of my trip. I really wanted to visit the stadium and watch archery. We went to the Changlimithang Stadium and I had my wish granted. We sat awestruck watching the Bakkhu-clad men showing some real talent on the ground.

Archery is the national sport of the country and it's quite correctly the true game of this land. On this trip I saw men practicing archery and darts by the riverside all by themselves almost everywhere in the country.

Time to introduce you to the night life in Bhutan.

Ugyen had it all planned out for us. His friend, S Tee, owned a bar cum karaoke place in Thimphu. It was time to meet the friends of friend and have a great night. I had the best wine ever and my friends sang their heart out. Manisha di called it her debut international performance and it was indeed quite a performance.

S Tee sang the best of songs and also got us fantastic steaks from outside when the kitchen was shut. S Teez is place I'd recommend to all the travellers in Bhutan. It's the best place to find cheerful young Bhutanese locals who would teach you how to party at the happiest country in the world.

That's the deal with the Bhutanese people. They go an extra mile only to make sure you have the best time.

To feel the madness of the moment we even had an ice cream in Thimphu on a December night. Later we went to the clock tower nearby. Lit in magical blue lights in the heart of the city, this was the perfect site to end the day.

It is believed that Guru Padmasambhava flew on a tigress' back to this location from Tibet. The first look at this monastery on a cliff would take you back in time and makes you wonder endlessly. We saw a monk hiking uphill with mattress tied to his back and on talking to him he told us that he'll be meditating at Taktshang for next 2 years. Now that's when travel experiences make you sit and wonder at the different lives people around us choose to live.

We were not allowed to take our cameras along inside Paro Taktshang. We entered one chamber after another and every corner of this cliffside monastery evokes some higher spiritual passion in every visitor. Every chamber is decorated with excellent craftsmanship and inspires a unique calmness.

After spending a couple of hours at the Gompa, we ran downhill. We were now ready to explore the beautiful city of Paro. I had previously heard a lot about the fascinating airstrip of Paro. It is considered one of the deadliest airstrip around the world owing to the high mountain ranges encircling the small city.

Here's a shot of the breathtaking Paro Airport.

Next on the plan was to explore the city of Paro. I believe we were in Paro at the best time of the year. Since it was the 4th King's birthday a couple of days back, every house in the city was decorated to celebrate the former King's special day. Ugyen helped buy some souvenirs for friends back home and the shopping experience in Paro was also our introduction to the fine handicrafts of the country.

The same evening we drove to Haa Valley. Ugyen lives in Haa and we wanted to visit his house and meet the family. Choten Agya was still with us driving the car through the snow covered road. We crossed the Chelela Pass at night and it was only the excitement of the journey that made us step out of the car in the chilly December night and get a photograph here.

Later that night, the three of us went for a stone bath. I would recommend this one experience to every person who travels to Bhutan.

We went to Indian army camps in the valley and watched the officers enjoy Golf on the sunny winter day. They were indeed having a good time away from their homeland at this hidden magical valley. We went to a helipad later and sat on the bank of Haa Chu for hours, overwhelmed by the surreal mountains encircling this small town of Haa.

Choten Agya came to the helipad in sometime and there we were bidding goodbye to Ugyen who was the man of the trip. We were on our way to Phuentsholing from Haa Valley now. The whole route was snow covered and we had never thought that taking Bhutan road trip during an off-season would be the best decision we ever made.

That's my last shot from the happiest country in the world and that's how I'd love to remember it. A country of endless smiles, warm sun and the warmest people.

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