February 2018. When I got out of the car and ran to the Indian Immigration Office in Jaigaon, it was six o'clock in the evening. The hard-looking Indian immigration officer repeatedly waved his hand, pointed to his watch, and memorized what he had said in stern English, simply saying, "Don't worry, Bapu, immigration is closed at six o'clock, it's off. It's time to say goodbye." " This is a problem for budget travelers like us.
No matter how much you want, there is no need to rent a jeep from Bangladesh border directly to Bhutan border for five thousand rupees. Necessarily from Burimari to Chandrabandha by auto, then bypass Mainaguri by local bus. But after standing in the sun for an hour and not getting any bus, he went back to the opposite direction and went to Mainaguri-Falakata. The India-Bhutan border is in this Jayagaon, 5 minutes late for that day which has not been crossed yet.
However, the Indo-Bhutan Open Border, when desired to enter from one country to another, there are no restrictions. It was not too late for the morning, I checked in at the hotel and ran through the Bhutan gate. Funtsoling is a small town in Bhutan. After crossing the gate, I have to stumble, where did I go, father! It's not just a concrete door, but some magic has brought you to another world! Only a few feet apart, but what a difference. The hustle and bustle of that side-the loud noise of the car the dirty rubbish-the stench-the polluted air, no trace of anything can be found in Funtsoling. The gleaming clear streets, the quiet quiet-buried surroundings all around, the distant shady hills and the red light in one of the wine shops on the side of the road seem to tell you indistinctly, "Welcome to the land of peace."
However, you can stumble on the dining table! The most popular dish of Bhutanese is 'Thupka'. This is a strange thing; Rice-Noodles-Fish-Meat-Vegetables-Curry-Soup Everything is made by mixing it together. Pork is very common here, they usually understand pork as meat, so if you have a choice about food, the best option is to eat chaomin or just a bunch of vegetables. The next morning, after finishing immigration, I reserved an eight-seater Balero jeep and left for Thimphu.
This six-hour journey was one of the best road journeys of my life, I can say. Plains-hills-forests-valleys-rivers-what is not on the way! Along the way you will find some public awareness signboards of the Bhutanese government every two to one kilometers. The purpose of building this awareness is safe driving. In Bhutan this thing is taken very seriously, because it has almost all the roads cut through steep hills, with all the sharp bends; As well as playing car horns is completely forbidden in this country except in some very urgent and exceptional cases! There are some more strange rules and folk customs. For example, although alcohol is legal, smoking is strictly prohibited throughout Bhutan.
Basically, this measure is to prevent environmental pollution. For the same reason, no heavy industry has developed in Bhutan. Even in this 21st century, the country is the only 'carbon negative' country in the world. In the midst of two industrialized 'Asian monsters' like India and China, the country is skillfully defending its natural balance. But economically, Bhutan is completely dependent on India. The extent of this dependence is such that the Indian rupee is more in circulation in the country than its own currency 'Gultram'!
Thimphu episode
Even in the late winter, the temperature in Thimphu drops to two or three degrees Celsius in the evening, which drops below freezing as the night progresses. So when I reached Thimphu and got out of the hotel, there were not many people on the road. Thimphu, as a capital city, would be like any of our district towns in terms of Culver. But the hundreds of cars parked neatly across the road and the strangely beautiful and colorful buildings on both sides of the road show the abundance of people here.
A capital city that can be so quiet and peaceful, no one will understand without coming to Thimphu. No hustle and bustle, no hustle and bustle. The whole of Bhutan, of course, does not need to shout at each other, laugh out loud or run around unless there is a great need. The city, the people of the city all live in a way that is quietly buried, as if immersed in deep spirituality. Of course, in a country where people's progress is not measured by money or economic indicators, but by peace of mind, it is natural for the country's capital to be like that!
The Druk Gallery and the Clock Tower can be seen as you walk along with the cool breeze of the night and the soft music floating from the corresponding nightclub or karaoke. It is worth mentioning that Bhutan is famous all over the world for the quality and cheap price of its brew. Excluding the big shops, even oil, salt, soap may not be available in the grocery stores on the side of the road, but you will find bottles of different brands of color! In this way you can walk to the National Archery Ground. This archery is the national sport of Bhutan. At night, in the light of just a few bulbs, the archers here hit one bulls eye after another at a target 50/60 meters away, which will amaze you at every moment. In Thimphu we also visited Buddha Point, Tashijo Jung, Simtokha Jung, Kings Memorial Churten, Kings Palace, a museum, the alleys of the city, the beautiful Dochu-la Pass and the Takin Reserve Zoo.
Buddha Point is a huge Buddha statue on a hill just outside Thimphu. From here, the whole city of Thimphu can be seen through the eyes of a bird, and the combination of the giant golden Buddha gives birth to a feeling of surreal smallness in the depths of the mind. Tashijo Jung is the most important Jung of Bhutan and Simtokha Jung is the oldest Jung. Rust refers to an installation where the work of temples and important government offices or ministries is carried out simultaneously.
Takin Reserve Zoo is actually a zoo by name, in reality there is nothing but a 'takin'. This 'Takin' is a herbivore that looks a lot like our Ramchagal, which is the national animal of Bhutan. Not knowing the real thing beforehand, "Goats are roaming in the field, eating grass" - we each bought a ticket for 75 rupees to see this thing, every time I think of it, I think of myself as a new goat!
Punakha episode
Punakha, the former capital of Bhutan. When the temperature of the whole country is around zero or below, in Punakha, in Punakha it is still 20-25 degree Celsius. This is the reason why Punakha is so diverse even in winter. A beautiful green valley in the middle of all the big mountains around, with a clear rapids of greenish blue water - a complete package! Bhutan's biggest rust is in this re-sector. Inside an environment so beautiful-buried-beaver. Although the country as a whole seems to be in a state of deep meditation, Punakha Jung seems to be more than that; Spiritual beauty and "Om Namah Padme Hem" in the voices of the newly-adopted child monks is like another world, a real Sangrila!
Even if people like 'Bill Gates' or 'Carlos Buffett' are left in it for a week, they too seem to have forgotten all about day-world-business-trade and closed their eyes and eyes in Padmasana chanting "Nirvana Absolute Happiness, Nirvana Absolute Peace". Will fall! There are two rivers in Pune - Mo-Chu (Female River) and Fo-Chu (Mail River). Above Mo-chu is the Punakha Bridge - the longest suspension bridge in the world. The bridge is so unusually beautiful. It would be like sitting in the middle of the wind blowing the world over the bridge and crossing it all day! In fact, how to spend the whole day in the water of the bridge and the river, you will not even know.
This afternoon and evening may be your best moment in Bhutan. ঐ You can spend the whole afternoon rafting in the winding mountain river of the Himalayan ice melt currents on the hilly terrain. If you are lucky, you may find an instructor like us, whose meditation is all about floating the raft in the most dangerous places in the world! With his command, when you take a turn and go downhill, and the current of madness will literally throw your raft into the air a little at a time - I can promise, you will return home with a memory to remember for a lifetime.
Paro episode
Paro is one of the coldest places in Bhutan. Even after the end of winter, the temperature is minus four / five degrees Celsius. The main attraction of Paro is Chelala Pass and Tigers Nest. Chelala Pass is the highest motorable road in Bhutan, at an altitude of about 12,000 feet. If you take gloves without gloves for more than 5/6 seconds to take pictures in the cold, rubbing the palms of both hands for one-and-a-half minutes seemed to bring back the fertilizer! However, the road leading to this Chelala Pass was almost heavenly, and soon after, we could see 'God's Ray' and frozen fountains. That day was February 21; On this occasion, I will remember for a long time that the driver of the car suddenly changed his Bhutanese song and caught 'Bangladesh Betar Rangpur' on FM.
The next day you can do a short trek to Tigers Nest. It is a strangely beautiful monastery or ashram of saints at an altitude of about 10 thousand feet. The whole installation is literally hanging on a cliff! One of the oldest monasteries in Bhutan. How did you make this thing on a 90 degree steep hill so high 330 years ago - the whole trek will end just by thinking, but the thought will not end! So just thinking about it, you can come a little before the end and go up the wrong path to the top of another hill. But the fatigue of that extra hour of walking will go away getting an impossibly beautiful bird's eye view of 'Tigers Nest' from the top. So, from this rare angle, you can at least step into the trap of this deliberate mistake, even if it is to get a picture of a millennial ancient monastery or to see the whole valley below from the highest peak.
Then just come back - from Paro to Thimphu. Thimphu is the only airport in Bhutan. Surrounded by high mountain ranges, the airport is one of the most dangerous in the world, with only a handful of pilots in the world and only a handful of Druk Airways pilots without the necessary skills to land! If you have time, you can wait for a while and see the thrilling scene of landing at the airport. Then run again- Funtsoling from Thimphu. After the immigration to Jaigaon again, Dhaka became Chandrabandha-Burimari locally. Return, but in the depths of your heart you will remember the wonderful wild beauty of Bhutan; The people of the happiest countries in Asia - those who have no ambition, no competition or frustration in life, strange life philosophy, outstanding politeness; Hundreds of people will say 'thank you' for your unwanted or wrong behavior with a sweet smile on their face.
Those who stop with endless patience will not give up until you cross the zebra crossing, no matter how long it takes, even a small horn in annoyance. If you are standing across the sidewalk, your head will be bowed respectfully in front of you, but you will not be asked to move your face - lest you suffer! There is only one thing that they have wanted all their lives - peace, pure peace.
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