Goodbye Bhutan… for now
Our trip to Bhutan is finished but the acquaintance with this marvelous country has just started. May it be different in the place where all what we had only dreamed about came to our hands at once? Got sore throats after couple of cold nights and windy days in the mountains, asked our guide to find the pharmacy and the next hour we stopped on the mountain pass to buy strange root from the old woman (it was the only medicine she had). You know, it was the most effective thing from sore throat we’ve ever tried. Chatted about studying in traditional medicine college and met the Minister of Education occasionally the same day. Dreamed about helicopter flights within Bhutan and next evening we had a drink with the guy who started the aviation in Bhutan. Whom will you meet tomorrow in the county with about 700 000 inhabitants?
Old people in Bhutan looks mostly like good wizards or kind witches. They are sitting on the stone floor in front of the temples, praying and waiting for the death with the smiles on their winkled faces. They are almost 100-years old and their secret of long life is a lot of work and less desires.
One more their wisdom: the medicine is not the food, but the food we eat is the medicine.
In Bhutan it’s not allowed to sell the last piece of your land even if it seems you really need to do that. That land will always give you the source to live. Even more – the person who buys the last plot of land is considered as a criminal.
One more strange thing is the number of vagrant dogs that turn to real monsters at night. Lonely Planet travel guide suggests to take earplugs to your Bhutan travel, but we have not obeyed.
It’s hard to imagine, but Bhutan is cellophane package-free country and has several electric cars!
Being so lucky to spend there almost three weeks we got a lot of answers but even more new questions and reasons to come there again and again.
Our plane has just landed at the airport of Bangkok. The first thing that we notice – endless plain land around. 20 days in Himalayas and the eyes forgot about such perspective. It’s the last picture we made in Bhutan.
We’ve bought some fruits from the competitor of this old man. With smile he explained us that trade is very similar to love – everyone choose according to his heart.
It’s not so easy to come to Bhutan. Local deities and demons protects buddhists kingdom from the invasion of barbarians from the west with the power of high prices, thought tourism policy and low information flow. Sometimes people choose extra protection: ritual dance to cast out the evil from the village.
Government supports traditional medcine as well as western. Traditional medical practice is based on local herbs, astrology and positive Buddhism way of mind. The picture of Buddha is a mandatory part of interior of every traditional doctor in Bhutan.
Bhutan has countless temples located in high altitudes. Monk overlooking breathtaking view.
We are leaving Bhutan. Does this yak says “see you”?