Kora: Circular Journey

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Kora means circular journey which is what they call it when guests go to each of the lodges. As a new employee and his wife, Shane and I also got to visit each lodge. There are five open now. We were to have a guide and driver who we met at the Thimphu lodge. Our guide was named Tsencho and our driver named Tomgay. They were both very nice. They had worked together in the past so they had a teasing relationship. Tomgay didn’t speak English very well but we were still able to communicate somehow. Our first day we went all the way to Bumthang. It took about 8-9 hours to go about 150 miles on a super curvy and bumpy road. Tsencho pointed things out along the way. We ate lunch on a grassy median halfway through the day. We ordered a picnic the day before and they arranged everything on a mat and served us. We didn’t have to lift a finger. It seemed a little unnecessary but hey we were living the good life for this week. The drive was really long. My biggest complaint would be the bathroom situation. I guess we could have stopped in the tiny villages along the way but since the other three were men we stopped along the side of the road. I tended to hold it until I thought I might burst. We made it to Bumthang around 7:00. The lodge host and a server were there to greet us with a warm welcome drink. We washed up and had a great dinner. The next day we went to a few monasteries. Bumthang is a very religious town with many temples. It is believed that Guru Rimpoche spent much time here. At the Tamshing Goemba (Monastery) there is a suit of chain-mail armour. It is said that if you wear it and walk around the inside path three times than all your sins were forgiven. Shane and I each did it so we should be good for a while. This Goemba is one of the most important in Bhutan. There are many old images on the wall that need to be restored desperately. That day we also went to two other Lhakhangs (temples) called the Jampey and the Kurjey. They are very old and auspicious. It is really moving to witness the old Bhutanese people walking, prostrating, and chanting within and around these buildings.

We went on a couple short walks. It is a very quiet community and with the sun out it was great to walk around and stretch our legs after being in the car for so long the day before. We went to the Swiss Guest House for dinner. This was the first hotel/restaurant created by a foreigner in Bhutan and is quite famous for their food and Red Panda. Red Panda is a beer they brew there. They cook Swiss food but we were more in the mood for Bhutanese because we wanted to try some local specialties, like buckwheat noodles. By the way, I am now a fan of the chili here and like to have them in most of the dishes I eat. We invited our guide and driver to eat with us and they happily came along. Red Panda is strong and we headed back to the lodge to sleep shortly after finishing.

The next day we went to the Tang valley. It was a very bumpy drive and took about two hours. It was clear that the people there do not see many foreigners. They were staring into our car with amazement. We went on a walk up to the Ogyen Chholing Palace which has been turned into a museum. They had very interesting historical items and the rooms were situated like traditional Bhutanese houses. When we were done looking in the museum we were invited to have tea in the courtyard. Much to my surprise a lady name Kunzang was there and is apparently the proprietor of the guest house. I know her from my time volunteering at the library and she is the author of some famous Bhutanese books. How surprising to see someone I know about ten hours and a good hike away from where we live. We headed back to have some lunch which of course was already prepared and laid out for us by our driver. We will be spoiled by the time we go back home. On our way back we stopped at Membartsho or the Burning Lake. It’s a very nice pool in the Tang River. The short story goes that an important historical religious figure, Pema Lingpa dove into the pool while carrying a candle and emerged with treasures and the candle still burning. Many people go here to pray. While in Bumthang we also spent some time wondering the small stores which specialize in wool and went to the Jakar Dzong. We were to spend the next two nights in Gangtey but the lodge filled up. We headed there to eat lunch anyway and to see the lodge. On the way we stopped at the Trongsa Dzong, which has been the most impressive I have seen so far. It is the longest in all of Bhutan and is quite large. It had a memorable painting of the Bhutanese circle of life that our guide gave an explanation of. The drive on this day seemed extra long and we didn’t make it to Gangtey until 2:30 or we were starving. Actually our driver had to make a quick stop for some momos because he was getting dizzy. The Gangtey lodge is pretty small but has an excellent view of the valley. We had a nice lunch and then headed out to see the black necked cranes. They are a very rare bird that seems to migrate to the Gangtey region in the winter months. There was an information center with a telescope so we could see them better. They are beautiful creatures.

We then headed out to Punakha which took a couple of hours. We arrived at the lodge around 7:00 and were greeted by our friend Rob and a couple of the other employees with welcome drinks. Rob is the chef at the Punakha lodge and we actually lived with him in Las Vegas a while back. This was definitely my favorite lodge. The weather was much warmer as you drop in elevation considerably. When you arrive you first must cross the river on a foot bridge and then take a buggy up to the lodge. Our luggage was carried on the back of one of the male employees, even though there are wheels. It is definitely the coziest with a nice outdoor sitting area and a traditional farmhouse where the dining room is situated. Shane had touted this trip as our honeymoon and Rob hooked us up. We had the nicest room. It was secluded and had its own little outdoor seating area. He also set up a romantic dinner on the top floor of the farmhouse. We had a 7-course Bhutanese meal which was excellent.

I was sick of being in the car so the next day we decided to walk around Punakha and take in some of the sites. Our guide let us on a walk directly from the lodge. It was warm and somewhat flat so very pleasant. It had rained the night before so it was muddy and I accidentally stuck my foot in a ditch of mud. We then hiked up to a chorten built for the 5th king by one of the Queens. It was beautifully built with nice stairs, unlike the uncomfortable ladders in most. You can climb to the roof which has a nice view of the valley. A little further up the hill is the house the Queen stays in when she is visiting. No one was there at the time so we peaked in the windows. I couldn’t help but think it wasn’t too special. The toilets and bath were outside and the house was pretty small. It was a nice plot of land and I’m sure very special to those that stay there. Later in the afternoon we walked to the Punakha Dzong, the tallest in all of Bhutan. We thought it also had the most impressive temple. It was very large as there are around 1000 monks who live there. We got picked up across this REALLY old bridge. There were slabs of wood every other step and it was shaky. We luckily made it across. Our Kora was ending the next day. We headed back to Thimphu but first stopped at the Divine Madman Temple, Chimi Lhakahng. He is the one whole phallic image is all over Bhutan. He is a protective deity. Childless women can go there to receive a blessing and mothers-to-be go to pick their unborn child’s name.

We s topped for lunch outside of Dochu La in a little area owned by Aman just up from another cafeteria. Tsencho and Tomgay, of course, set everything up. We ate and said a goodbye toast with Tiger beers and headed back to the “big city”.

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Photos

Bumthang
Women Praying and Meditating

Bumthang
Top of a Monastery

Gangtey
Black Neck Cranes

Comments

[Janet Paul]

So Interesting
Love reading your blog Rebecca. It's so interesting and really gives us a glimpse into the life in Bhutan. Definitely think you and Shane should write a book when you come back!! Love, Mom

[Travis]

wow
This trip looks and sounds amazing! I emailed with Shane a while back and he said you both were doing good and that you were working. Congrats on the honeymoon. Love, ET