Thursday, July 28, 2011

Day 4

Day 4 (27 July)
If there is one reason to visit Punakha, it would be the Punakha Dzong. Historically, a dzong is a military fortress. Today it has kept its relevance performing a unique role of marrying the political and spiritual leadership functions ie government offices and monastery reside in a shared compound.  It is also an architectural masterpiece (regarded as the most resplendent dzong) - built in 1637, painfully restored after run-ins with fires and glacial floods.  

Other places visited - Namgyal Chorten and Chhimi Lhakhang (another chorten/temple) were also interesting.... though I still think of the 76km hair-standing-on-end journey to get to these sites.....

Between the two, the Chhimi Lhakhang has perhaps a more colourful story. It was built to commemorate the Divine Madman's (Drukpa Kuenlay) very unorthodox slaying of the village demon/ness (unclear) using a particular appendage. It is also now apparently a pilgrim site for barren women - I wonder why the travel planners would think i'm a fit?! Nonetheless, the visit was useful and insightful in helping me understand why a number of houses are adorned with large drawings of phallic symbols (well, they are actually more graphic than just symbols) flanking the main entrance.

The trip back to Paro involved the Paro-Thimphu highway (yes, this is a proper one) which offered a different sort of entertainment. Instead of giving clear, specific instructions like 'slow down, steep slope ahead', etc; the road signs are more....err, philosophical and poetic in nature:

Keep your nerves,
On sharp curves.....(sounds more like a tip to a race car driver...and truck drivers who seem to take it to heart trying to better their time at the next bend)

Life is a journey,
Complete it.......(could spend a lifetime pondering that, and I wonder what an octogenarian driving down the highway might think....)

Don't be gama,
In the land of the lama...(even the Bhutanese don't know what in the world a 'gama' is!)

I've had oodles of time to observe and reflect these last few days. Without sounding like I would even begin to know enough, would venture to share among friends, what seems to make Bhutan and Bhutanese endearing, is that they are dignified yet light-hearted, truly believe in making an honest living, have a half-full glass attitude and live by a kindness begets kindness ethos.

The happiest and most pleasing moments of the day were watching Tobgay and Tinley banter, haggle, and tease the many friends and strangers they met along the way.
 

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