Day 2: 15th December 2015 Compared to other Asian cities, 8am in Thimphu is quiet and non-chaotic. Like the country, the Capital City is easygoing and laid-back. After breakfast, we headed to the North of the city (15km drive) to visit Chagri Dorjeden (Buddhist) Monastery also called Cheri Monastery. The drive took me past a nice painting, crystal clear chu (water) and a few local houses with ever-fluttering prayer flags. I have the urge to cover every building in the thongdrel – maybe I can pinch one ? but then I don’t want to end up on the blacklist. XXXXX, annoying foreigner, never allowed to set for in Bhutan. Reason: a thiefThe bridge marks the start of the hike up to Cheri Monastery. A long wooden structure- the bridge allow all visitors to admire the crystal clear water that runs below through the valley. Mini-stupas sits quietly along the window sills.…
Posts Tagged with Thimphu
Bhutan: Celebrating National Day
17th December 2015 The locals are attractive in their own unique way. Victoria and I can’t compete in that fashion but we still looked our best for the big celebration. The wonderful hotel staff helped us with our kiras then we headed towards the celebration. Unfortunately, no phones and cameras so although it was a fantastic opportunity, we did not get the chance to take any photos. The line was long and the locals came with their families and packed food and made sure that everyone is in their best ghos and kiras. We were the few foreigners in the Bhutanese national costume. After receiving a free pin featuring the Fourth and Fifth King, we had to wait …for a long time. Victoria rocked up to a military vehicle, stuck her head in and asked whether or not we can get a ride in. They paused for a second then politely…
Bhutan: Kuzuzangpola Thunder dragon!
Day 1: 14th December 2015 After saying goodbye to my Bangladeshi family, the tuktuk raced towards the airport and I realised that perhaps, it will be a while before I set foot in Bangladesh again. Transient- yep, this is what all my travels are like. I come, I see, I love then I cry because I leave and I ponder if I’ll return. The check-in process at Dhaka’s run-down airport was relatively quick and the staff was lovely. The waiting hall at Gate 16 for Druk Air was empty and apart from other regional tourists (referring to those who do not need a pre-arranged visa), it was quite an empty flight. From the first moment I stepped on board Bhutan’s DrukAir, the in-flight magazine reminded me that I was on my way to a unique world where culture and tradition is strong and alive. Even the mango juice carton had GNH on…
Bhutan: Why? and So?
You will not understand a country unless you see it for yourself I love travelling and despite my rants about the nonsense that goes on in the world, I love all the different places that exist on our planet. Like many other countries in the world, I fell in love with Bhutan before setting foot in the country. I first heard of this mysterious kingdom whilst flipping through an atlas in Year 4. I was fascinated by geography and particularly enjoyed looking at Asia. During high school, whilst researching on architecture, I stumbled across the Tiger’s Nest Monastery. Anything with deep history, culture + fantastic architectural design gets my vote. It wasn’t until 2009, when I first caught the travel bug, that I started to write down and conduct research on all the countries that I wish to visit. Bhutan along with many unorthodox and war-torn countries became a part of the list. So…