On the Road

Thursday 5^th  - Sunday 8^th February

Punakah Dzong

While Fraser and Alex had an early start for Dagana on Thursday morning, breakfast was available to the rest of us at a reasonable hour before starting out in convoy of 2 buses (22 seater, anything larger would not cope with the majority of the roads), one smaller van and the BCF 4WD.  All loaded to the gunnels.

With overnights in the Punaka Valley, Bumthang and Mongar, the trip was broken, however there was a lot of driving time; the only place we really had time for any sightseeing was Punaka, with a visit to the Dzong, which is one of Bhutan’s loveliest.  The hotel at Punaka was delightful – spacious rooms and showers with excellent water pressure – such commodities are becoming very precious!

The view from hotel room at Punakah

Overall impressions of the journey, one I have done before, albeit in the opposite direction and at a more leisurely pace, is that of narrow roads carved out of the hillside (I remember being told they are not mountains….) snaking their way up to and down from the high passes.  Bends sometimes so tight that it seems that the front of the bus is going into the next bend before the tail of the bus has cleared the last.  And precipitous cliffs.

The climate varies considerably as we ascend and descend from these high passes, and clothing is added and shed with regularity.  The ecosystems change regularly – there seems to be an absolute multitude of these.  And at many of the road cuttings, the tortured geological evidence of the forces that shaped this landscape can bee seen.

Stringing prayer flags on Dochu La

It is either mistier than when I was here in November or there are forest fires clouding the views, but the impressions of row upon row of hills, fading into the distance, with plunging river valleys, sometimes perhaps dropping 1000 metres or more in a very short horizontal distance, has a unique beauty.

I buy prayer flags and string them on Dochu La, adding to the multicolour fluttering on this high pass, with thoughts of friends and family who have parents and grandparents no longer with us.  While many of the peaks of the Himalayas are obscured by cloud, some are evident and the view is stunning.

Snaking roads on precipitous hills

First glimpses of rhododendrons starting to open their buds are seen, hints of red and white, and later other colours, along with what may have been a daphne.  And seed heads of dormant clematis.  As we descend to the lower of the valleys, the vegetation becomes almost sub tropical – poinsettia trees in flower, strangler figs, banana and papaya, avocado and mango trees.

Frosted trees on one of the passes

Road works and improvements are ongoing and we take advantage of a new route over Thrumsing La, but need to time our departures on some days to ensure that we get to road work sites when the road is open rather than needing to wait for 2 or more hours while work is in progress.

On the approaches to the higher passes, snow is evident, first in small patches in shaded sections of the road, but later encroaching on the road and in much larger patches elsewhere.  There are also frozen streams and waterfalls and some fabulous icicles.  Seeing snow around rhododendron forests seems somehow incongruous.   Megan and Dillon, from South Africa, are rapt to be in the snow, not having had any previous experience of it.

Ridges after Ridges - one of the clearer moments

Those with placements closer to Thimpu take advantage of the opportunity to travel further with the group and see a little more of the country.  In many cases, as we get to destinations late in the day, although luggage and household purchases are taken to accommodation, individuals return to the hotel for the night as there is insufficient time to get organised.  We all get to assist in carrying Becky ‘s things to her house and she is very pleased to have wooden floors, which are less cold than cement, and some of us are envious of her western toilet (actually, she has a choice..) and hot running water in the bathroom.  Others report various configurations, some with showers, some with hot water, some with western toilets, some with some furniture, some with none of the above.  A few have adopted my idea and purchased a camp shower in Thimpu. 

Roadside cornflake factory

A roadside stop by a cornflake “factory” was rather delightful.  Nothing like cutting out the middle man as we watched the dried corn being roasted in large pans over an open fire then fed into the motorised gadget that pounded it into flakes.  These local cornflakes are a little more substantial than Kellogg’s – actually quite hard and tough, but lots of flavour and a bag will be a good standby for breakfast when I want a change from porridge or omelette.

From the road to Trashiyangtse

On Sunday, I leave the group after breakfast, after supervising the removal from the bus of all my goods and chattels (checking against my list) and leave it to be loaded into the Ministry of Education HiLux, as I race downtown to the Mongar vegetable market – a little early, only one lady is displaying her produce, so she gets all my business as I stock up on vegetable to last me a couple of weeks.  At least my fridge will keep them fresh.  As we turn off towards Trashiyangtse just before Trashigang, I am on a road I have not travelled before and am most impressed with the landscape.  I have already met Scott Harris, a repeat BCF teacher, in Yadi and we call by Tshencarla MSS to collect papers from Tim, my nearest BCF neighbour.  From Tim’s accommodation I get my first good view of Kheni, on the next ridge, with a couple more ridges, a stunning river valley, then a ridge that is identified to me as the Indian border.

Temporary quarters in the Principal's House

A quick stop in my local shopping metropolis to procure eggs – quite expensive for here at 460Nu for a tray of 30 – converts to around $3-4 per dozen - and some locally grown mandarins. 

The valley and school prayer wheel

I start to feel really excited as we approach Kheni, my home for the next year, and we are met by the principal and his friend and taken to see my new accommodation, not yet finished – just 2-3 days.  We look at some alternative temporary quarters and Karma makes the offer that if I like I can go back to Trashigang with him for a couple of days until my accommodation is ready.  Nancy has already offered that if it was too late for me to settle in today, I could go and spend the night in Trashigang with the two who still have further to travel, but it seems to be that it would be better all round to be here for the first day of school on Tuesday, so the second option I am shown is suggested as the best, if it is suitable for me, and after lunch with the principal, Karma leaves me in the hands of my new principal, his friend and a fellow teacher and a multitude of people appear to help me remove my new purchases from boxes, set up my gas stove, find me a bed base, some tables and some chairs (all school property) and generally get me organized. 

The river that will dominate my view for the next year

So, I am in the principal’s residence while he is in temporary quarters in the sick room.  Somewhat ironic as it is often the BCF teachers who end up in the boarding house sick room as their accommodation for at least part the year.  To clarify, the principal had already moved into the sick room as his house is to be renovated, the flooring needs replacing, but I am now quite cosy for a couple of days, set up in 2 rooms with use of the washroom and the washing machine!  I have worked out my water filter, cooked my first meal and taken a mandi bath (basin of warm water, from my water boiler (small urn) which gets baled over me with a plastic jug.)  I am still essentially living out of a suitcase, but have needed to unpack most of my kitchen goods, although have left the non perishable food in plastic lidded buckets as some protection against the house’s other resident/s.

The principal is keen to help me procure a sewing machine, especially knowing that it is my intent to donate it to the school community at the end of my contract and has asked whether I would be prepared to teach people from the broader community as well as take a sewing club at school. More than happy, of course.