I had decided that treating myself to a
couple of nights at Linghar around my birthday would be a good treat, but
available time suggested that only one night would happen.
My hopes were raised when friend Zangmo
suggested that Saturday might be a holiday, but she had her dates mixed
up: Sunday would be the holiday.
So I checked that there would be a room for
me and arranged for collection of student work for marking to not give me a big
workload for the weekend.
Then I heard that there were roadwork
closures again. Trying to find out
details was interesting. My
conversation with the school admin officer went something like this:
“Do you know if there will be road closures
on Saturday?”
“Maybe”
“Where are the road closures?”
“Over the other side”
At this stage I broke into laughter and
told him it was a classically Bhutanese response and tried to elicit more
information.
“Are the road closures between Duksom and
Chasam”
No, they are on the Kheni access road
“Where”
Over there
I finally elicited that the roadwork
closures were about 2 km from the school and maybe or maybe not the road would
be open between 12 and 1.
I sought permission from the vice principal
to leave school after classes and not attend the quiz competition, in order to
ensure I got through this section while it was open, fended off last minute
student requests for their photo to be taken and printed (they get little
opportunity for this to happen) and raced home to change into travelling
clothes.
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| The Kulong Chhu at Duksum Bridge |
So walking boots and backpack donned, I set
off. I did my daily quota of
infant class English conversation practice “Good morning Madam” “How are you
Madam” “Where are you going Madam” “What is your name Madam” and waved to the
passing road workers as they enjoyed their journey to their next work site on
the back of a truck.
I walked for a while, enjoying the changing view. The river is cleaner and quieter than it was during the monsoons, but the landscape is drying quickly now rains have become less frequent. Harvesting of the rice has already been completed at some lower altitudes.
5 minutes later I caught up with the truck
as it attempted to negotiate its way past a badly parked 4 wheel drive. I walked past and provided guidance to
the driver and we both proceeded on our way.
I got a lift with a local man who said he was
only going 1km, but during this time, I think he attempted to ask me to
lunch. I vaguely discerned the
words “lunchee” and “curry”. I smiled and thanked him but shook my
head to decline and received the response “sorry, Madam”. It was kind of him, meals on time are
so important to the Bhutanese; my intense student Thinley had expressed great
concern that I would be travelling without having “taken lunch” first. I consoled him with promises that I
would eat momo on the way.
My driver stopped his vehicle at the road
works and got out to converse, so I assumed this was the end of this lift and
did likewise and immediately flagged down another car.
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| The confluence of the Drachme Chhu and the Kulong Chhu |
Any other place, I would not dream of
getting into a car with 5 young men in their 20s, but a lift is a
lift and I perceive that Butan is very safe, and my age allows me to get away with some things. The young man in the front
got out and squeezed into the back with his friends and we proceeded until a
short distance from the intersection and Zangpozor, where the car was stopped
and the driver got out to scout out the land. There was some concern that there may be traffic
police. Having established that
the problem was too many passengers (as opposed to unlicensed driver or
unregistered or untested vehicle) it would be a problem easily solved, but the
coast was clear so we proceeded to Duksom.
It seemed that the roadwork closures were
Duksom – Chasam. OK, hopefully I
would pick up another lift in good time.
I walked out of this tiny town, which
always reminds me of a film set for a wild west movie, and
crossed the bridge, which was lovely. The bridge is right at the confluence of 2 rivers, which all summer have been angry and brown with silt. They now paint a beautiful picture, which I was able to photograph.
A couple of vehicles pass without stopping,
then a taxi passes and I manage to flag it down. Quite a posh vehicle, with clean seat covers and only 2
passengers. It seems that I have
met one of the passengers before – did I remember, not really, but of course I
bluffed it.
I had been uncertain about going to
Trashigang on Saturday afternoon or Sunday, but given the taxi was going all
the way to Trashigang, the decision was easy. And since it was a taxi, negotiating payment was easy
also. I usually offer petrol money
if it is a private car, and it is usually rejected. The taxi fare in a shared car from Duksom to Trashigang is
Nu150. About AU$3.
Trashigang is a very pretty little town,
and it is worthwhile for any visitors to take time to explore.
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| Luxury at Linkhar |
My first stop in Trashigang was the photo
printing shop, and I was delighted with the young man organising what I wanted
printed and then suggesting I could go and do whatever else I needed to do
while the printer did its job. A
rare find: someone who appreciates good time management. Since the printers are slow and I had
around 40 photos of students to be printed, this was a bonus.
The ATM at the bank was functioning (not always a reliable occurrence) and the grocery store had some of the luxury items I wanted (honey, Indian snacks) and the shop that sells stationary items supplied me with glue sticks and graph paper - the latter only after I excavated it myself from where I knew it was kept from previous purchases.
The school supplies of graph paper are
limited, and are being held in reserve for exams, and students are unable to
purchase locally, so I have taken to buying and providing it to the students,
one page at a time. Similarly with
the glue sticks; I can buy pots of glue in the local shops, but it is
inefficient and wasteful in the absence of anything really useful to use for
applying it. Glue sticks are not
available locally, and finding them in Trashigang was a real bonus, although I
am finding the necessity of teaching the students that a piece of paper does
not need to have every square millimeter thickly coated for it to stick in
their notebooks.
I checked out a couple of shops with
thoughts of small gifts for those back home when I return, but the recommended
shop had nothing and the handcraft shop charges tourist prices on steroids.
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| Decorative haystacks at Linkhar |
I vaguely thought about some clothing: much of what I brought with me is
either wearing out or is 2 sizes too big.
I decided against this also.
The quality is generally not good and the textiles are not what I would
choose: nylon knits or brushed
cotton that looks as if it was designed to be made into children’s pyjamas. If I have to wear kira more often, it’s
a perfectly acceptable option.
My printing was ready when I returned: 1 hour to complete my chores in
Trashigang was pretty good timing, so time for lunch. There is one tiny café that serves momo (steamed dumplings
served with chilli sauce), so I headed there.
It’s the sort of place that anywhere else I
would not go into: 8-10 men,
sitting and drinking beer and watching sport on TV. However, I established that meat momo were available so
ordered 2 “plates” (serves: 1 serve being 5 momo) to eat there. I established that 2 plates on 1 plate
would be fine – much to the amusement of those assembled and as lunch was served I talked and joked
with one of the young men – others listened, and I gather from their laughter
understood at least some of my conversation – although did not have the confidence
to join in.
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| The view from Linkhar |
I paid the extortionate amount of Nu120
(about AU$2.40 – and that had included a mango juice) and, once again received
help with putting on my backpack, the weight of which again received comment.
My destination and method of transport were
inquired about, and expressions of surprise, as is usual, about my intent to
start to walk, ensued.
Some interesting and confusing
conversations about whether I remembered the driver – so I mixed him up with
someone else and asked about his last visit to his family, but it seemed he had
me mixed up with another BCF teacher,
Judy, as he inquired as to whether my daughter had returned.
Introductions were made and I asked about the
driver’s second name, Samuel not being a common name in Bhutan and received a
long story about his brother’s health as a small child and a very successful
Christian faith healing following a conversion.
In due course we encountered road works, or
more to the point what looked like an effort to dig out half the hillside and
pile it onto the road. We sat on
the side of the road sharing photos of family and I find out that the driver’s
brother has been living in Hobart for the past few years. Coincidences!!
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| Staff at Linkhar lining up to receive the Rinpoche |
Eventually I arrive at Linkhar, after
having exchanged contact details, and am shown to my room. I think I have the upgrade: a bathtub and access to the living room
between 2 adjoining rooms. Lounge
chairs, coffee table, dining table and chairs….luxury!!
So, first a bath to remove the dust of
travel, then a visit to the dining room to find a nip of Gordon’s gin to
accompany the last of the cans of tonic I brought with me from Thimpu. I had not considered it worth wasting
the tonic on local gin. Let’s just
say that I like the way the staff pour a nip of gin. It suited the amount of tonic on one can very nicely.
After dinner I elect to set my breakfast
time for 9:30 for Sunday. Not
waking at 6 to the sound of barking dogs, general domestic noise, screaming
toddlers etc is another luxury!
So by 9:30 I am breakfasting alone, no
great hardship, I do a little internet communication, and have a generally lazy
morning before contacting Nancy Strickland to see what time she will be
arriving – as she is bringing with her the solar kits to light the MPH at
school, kits for which I was successful in submitting for funding and for
raising additional funds so the lighting would be for both sides of the hall, not
just one.
Nancy suggests I should stay another night,
and travel with the kits to school the following morning. As our school principal is agreeable to
this suggestion, plans are laid accordingly.
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| Monks and others visiting to receive the Rinpoche |
I watch activities in the car park: many
people arrive and from the colour of the Kabney, important people. One very important Rinpoche (Guru) is
expected to visit, so monks have come, and various other people. Unfortunately the Rinpoche does not
visit. However many adjourn for
lunch in the dining room.
I meet the principal of Phongme school, and
receive an invitation to visit Phongme with him for the night. I am not terribly sure of the nature and
intent of the invitation, but since I will be leaving Linkhar for Kheni early
in the morning, I have to decline anyway.
So ready now to bathe and change for dinner
with Nancy and her guests and to see what further adventures tomorrow may
bring.
