The Most Dangerous Landing in the World

Paro

Paro Airport in Bhutan is 1.5 miles (2.4km) above sea level and surrounded by sharp peaks of up to 18,000ft (5486 m) tall. It is enveloped by the mighty Himalayan mountains and is said to be the most dangerous airport in the world to land in. So treacherous is the landing that only eight pilots in the world are qualified to land there. Planes have to weave through the dozens of houses that are scattered across the mountainside – coming within feet of clipping the roofs. Strong winds whip through the valleys, often resulting in severe turbulence.

Wings clipping the mountainside … almost!

The research that I do before any trip can sometimes be more discouraging than inspiring. For all that, the landing in Paro, while clearly tricky, as the pilot had to manoeuvre through the mountains and valleys, wasn’t as terrifying as it was made out to be in all that I read and saw on YouTube. It was a good flight from Singapore with a brief fueling stop at Kolkata. The weather was clear and luckily there was hardly any turbulence. We flew over the vast Himalayan mountain range and as we managed to get seats on the left of the plane (research pays), we got a clear view of Mt. Everest which, even at that distance, was easy to spot for her sheer height!

The excitement of finally going to Bhutan was barely containable! The Land of the Thunder Dragon! Here we were at last! This trip was a few years in the planning, something or other had always come in the way. To be doing this at last was a dream come true.

The Paro airport is such a pretty airport that passengers on alighting, just milled around taking photos! The holiday began right there on the tarmac! We followed suit of course and couldn’t believe the sheer beauty of the place!

Paro airport

We were met by Rinzin Dorji, our guide, and Namgay Wangchuck, our driver – two friendly, polite, soft-spoken, eager-to-please young men who were going to be our travel companions for the next ten days.  They were dressed in the gho (the traditional attire for Bhutanese men) and their welcome and greeting were also traditional – draping a white scarf around our necks. With pleasantries exchanged, we got into a Hyundai four-wheel drive for the hour and a half drive to Thimpu, the capital of the kingdom. (The reason we didn’t start in Paro was its elevation 7,333ft (2,235 m) – to allow us to acclimatise, we started in Thimpu which is at a lower altitude than Paro.

We were told “to expect anything in Bhutan” and a short drive later, we met the unexpected – a landslide! That kept us on the mountain road with cars snaking their way on either side of the landslide. Instead of being stuck in the car, we got out and walked to a 15th century monastery which was located not too far from where we were. There was this most interesting wire bridge across the river from the monastery which I took a few tentative steps on but decided against crossing as it seemed a tad too precarious for me.

Landslide

Wire bridge

With the road cleared, we drove on to Thimpu and had lunch at the oddly-named “Edelweiss” restaurant.  We loved the Bhutanese food instantly! Red rice, a meat and lots of vegetables. I’ve never eaten more wonderfully prepared cauliflower ever (and it’s not a vegetable I am particularly fond of). The best part was the national dish – most use chillies as seasoning but here it’s the whole dish! Emadaste is the national dish and is a combination of chilli and cheese! As someone described it “it is a merciless dish” – but as a lover of spicy hot food, I instantly loved it! Yak cheese is used in almost every dish – yak cheese and mushrooms, yak cheese and potatoes …

After checking into our room with no view, we visited the Chorten Memorial and then went up to Buddha Point, so called because of the imposing 169 ft (51m) Buddha statue that was recently built up there. From Buddha Point one has a clear view of the magnificent valley below. It was blustery up there and I was pulling my jacket so tightly around me and treading very carefully taking one careful step at a time, planting my feet as firmly as I could on that sloping ground as the winds were very very strong indeed.

Chorten Memorial

Prayer

169ft Buddha

We then drove down to the beautiful Thimpu Dzong. A dzong is both the seat of local government and a monastery. Life in every town revolves around the dzong, it is the hub of the community.

Thimpu dzong

By the time we had dinner, we were so tired, having started our day very early to get our Druk Air flight from Singapore. Thimpu is known for stray dogs and their barking into the night … we didn’t hear any of it.

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Acclimatising in Thimpu

Thimpu

It is an odd-looking creature, the takin – head like that of a goat’s with a body of a cow! The takin is the ‘national animal’. It eyed us indifferently from a distance. We were at the Takin Reserve … not sure why this was on our list of places to visit. We had a full morning – visiting the Heritage Museum and the Folk Medicine hospital before hiking this short distance to the reserve. The hike itself was refreshing and we stopped along the way to buy scarves from a lady who was weaving them by the side of the path we were taking. It was quite captivating watching her do it with such deftness and speed.

Takin

Our itinerary then took us to the ‘BBS Tower’. The view of Thimpu from there was breathtaking. All the way up were the ubiquitous prayer flags virtually covering the mountainside. We stood there just taking in the mountain air.

Prayer flags

Thimpu is a small city and lies in a valley along the Wang Chuu (‘chuu’ meaning river). There are no traffic lights in Bhutan. Traffic lights were introduced in Thimpu at the main city intersection some years ago but was removed as the residents preferred a real person.

Our visit to the local market was most interesting – people were more than willing for us to take photos. After more touristy visits to a handicraft centre and a weaving centre, Shyam and I decided to treat Rinzin and Namgay to coffee and brownies at the “Karma Coffee”. Whoever said you can’t get good coffee in Bhutan had obviously not heard of Karma Coffee. The coffee was excellent and the brownies completed it beautifully. There was some contained excitement on the part of Rinzin and Namgay when the King’s brother walked in. Karma Coffee is a happening place.
We spent the evening in art galleries and ended up buying a couple of pieces directly from the artist. He had held successful exhibitions in Singapore and was delighted to see us!

All in all, a lovely day of acclimatising and tomorrow we get to higher altitudes and more amazing sights.

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‘Climb High, Sleep Low’

Punakha

It was a lovely sunny day and not too cold as we set off this morning. The roads were winding with numerous hairpin bends the likes of which we’ve never seen before. I was fully expecting to be car sick but to my relief and pleasant surprise, it was smooth going all the way. The credit goes to Namgay and his steady, careful driving. Thank goodness he wasn’t one of those reckless young men tearing down the roads.

Hairpin bend

The views were magnificent and wherever it was possible to stop safely, we got off to take photos. And then we reached the Dochula Pass! Oh my, what an amazing sight – such majesty and beauty … you had to simply stand and stare and feel humbled. It is indescribable. The air was clean and fresh and the view was stunning beyond words.

Dochula Pass

Himalayas

We had to reluctantly leave and carry on with our upward and onward drive to higher altitudes. We got to Somsokha where we stopped for lunch at this lovely place which had a beautiful view of paddy fields and a nearby village. After an excellent lunch we walked through the paddy fields and came upon this strange little village which had walls covered with very artistic and colourful drawing of the penis! This was rather curious.

Somsokha village

Phallic painting

We wandered around and went into the Chimi Llakhang temple. Rinzin explained that the Chimi Llakhang temple is dedicated to Lama Drukpa Kunley (also known as the Divine Madman) and is popular among childless Bhutanese couples as a temple to seek blessings for fertility. We went in at a time when the priest was blessing those present. Not to be impolite, we bowed our heads and got his blessings! It was only after he moved away that I noticed to my utter surprise that he had blessed us with a large wooden penis! Politeness won over my urge to burst into laughter! Did we really need this blessing at our stage of life?!

The walk back was so lovely, there was a cool breeze and the view was so peaceful, it was a wonderful feeling and I just had to stop on the hill and take it all in.

We drove on to the ‘Hilltop Nunnery’ (more like mountain top actually) and once again we were met by grand sweeping views of mountains all around. The nuns were out in the sun busy painting small clay lamps and they didn’t mind us watching them and taking photos. (In fact no one in Bhutan seemed to mind their photos being taken!).

Nuns painting claypots

We then made our way down the mountain and the long drive to Punakha Dzong. What a breathtaking scene that was! We turned a corner and there it was so majestic and imposing and its location by the river making it so dramatic!

Punakha Dzong

We spent a few hours there and we had also walked across the Po Chuu suspension bridge. It wasn’t as scary as it looked even though it did sway in the wind!

Poh Chuu wire suspension bridge

We stayed the night at the Kichu Resort which was at a slightly lower altitude. (The golden rule for managing altitude is – ‘Climb High, Sleep Low’.) The resort was lovely with a river flowing by, the sound of the river drowning out all other sounds. What a relaxing sound to hear as you fall asleep.

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Peace 

Punakha

We left early this morning and drove 2 1/2 hours through more winding but scenic roads to hike in the Phobjikha Valley. It was to be a ‘practice’ hike at that altitude before we climbed the Tiger’s Nest. We’d gone armed and eager with our hiking sticks and an amused Rinzin politely told us that this would be a ‘simple’ hike not requiring hiking sticks.

Phobjikha Valley

Children we met along the way

The trail we took was called the Gangtay Nature Trail which was at an elevation of approx 2900m. It was an almost unreal experience. With the wind in your hair and the sun on your back, walking through farmland and forests and crossing streams, it was truly wonderful, it filled my senses and made me feel so alive and present.

Tranquil forest

Along the way, we came upon a viewing platform for bird watchers (in winter the black-necked crane fly to Bhutan from Tibet to flee from the freezing cold!) which also provided a great vantage point from which to view the whole valley. I  stood there with my eyes closed thinking ‘this is exactly where I needed to be at this exact moment in time’. I’ve never felt so at peace as I did that morning. It was a truly wondrous walk.

A friendly farmer

As we walked back to the car, Rinzin surprised us with an impromptu arrangement he had made that morning for us to have lunch at a nearby farmhouse. How perceptive of him to know that we would enjoy something like that. The farmer and his wife were a young couple with a young son and they were so hospitable. The farmer’s wife cooked us such a delicious vegetarian meal! There’s nothing like home cooked food! It also gave us an opportunity to see first hand what a traditional farmer’s home is like. He allowed us a tour of the house including the ornate altar that he had carved himself.

Farmhouse

Farmer and family

Carved by the farmer

Gangtay Goempa

There was time for one more monastery, Gangtay Goempa dating back to the 17th century before we made our long drive back to the Kichu Resort. We sat on our balcony that evening, enjoying the sounds of the rushing river.

Kichu Resort

What a wonderful day this has been.

 

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The Long and Winding Road

Paro

The downpour got heavier and our drive down the treacherous mountain roads was a very slow and careful one. We drove back to Paro via the Dochula Pass. It was rainy and cold that the amazing vista that we saw on our way up was completely shrouded in thick mist that we couldn’t see anything beyond the immediate hill. The view of the Himalayas was totally blocked. We were so thankful that we got to see it on a bright sunny day on our way up. I can’t imagine missing that majestic view. We stopped at Thimpu for lunch and met two of the staff of the travel agency we used for the trip. One of them was in Singapore and I had arranged this trip through her, so it was really nice meeting her.

Mindu and Rinzin

The rain had stopped when we resumed our journey to Paro.  We checked into the Metta Resort, run by a Malaysian lady married to a Bhutanese. (Hers is an interesting story.) She was happy to see us – we sat chatting a while, she introduced her rather dashing husband (her reason for staying in this beautiful country) to us and decided we needed to have ‘nasi lemak’ for breakfast and had it specially made for us! The food here was fantastic. A wide spread of Bhutanese, Malaysian and Western food and really tasty.

Metta Resort

It was much colder here than Thimpu or Punakha and we felt winded when we walked up a short flight of stairs due to the altitude. That got us a little anxious about our trek to the Tiger’s Nest.Tomorrow is the Paro Tsechu (festival) – one of the main highlights of this trip.

Paro Tsechu and the Gross Happiness Index

The tsechu (festival) was a riot of vibrant colours and traditions. The town folk came dressed in their finest. It was simply amazing. The crowd was immense (but we were told it wasn’t as crowded as previous years!). It was a truly grand event. The festival is held to commemorate Guru Rinpoche, who brought Buddhism to Bhutan. It is said that you gain karmic merit points if you attend a ‘tsechu’ … I hope that’s true!It was held in an open air venue and getting a good vantage point was a challenge. We soaked in the ambience and spent the better part of the day watching the elaborate dances steeped in a rich and ancient mask tradition.  We witnessed the Raksha Mang-Cham (The dance of the Judgement of the Dead). The Bhutanese believe that by witnessing this cham, you will know what to expect when you die.

The Crowd

Paro Dzong

Paro town

In the evening we went to the crowded busy festival market and mingled with the town and village folks. People are so friendly. Everywhere we went they were so polite and humble. It is polite to add ‘la’ at the end of sentences, so we felt right at home!

 

At the market

So is there truth in the claim that Bhutan is the happiest place on earth? Well, they certainly came across as people who are accepting of their fate with equanimity. Many are poor and live in isolated villages in the mountains from where it would take days of walking just to get to a proper road. They have hard lives and live simple lives in this harsh terrain.It was inspired thinking on the part of the King in introducing the ‘Gross National Happiness’ as an index for measuring success in order to preserve all that’s precious in this beautiful country. At the core of GNH are four priorities: equitable and sustainable development; the protection of the environment; the preservation and promotion of their cultural heritage; and good responsive governance.It is based on the conviction that material wealth alone does not bring happiness or contentment and that economic growth and modernisation should not be at the expense of traditional values.

We started early, nervous and excited all at once for today we were going to trek up to the Taktshang Goempa also known as the Tiger’s Nest monastery. It is dramatically situated on a sheer cliff, at an altitude of more than 10,000 feet. The monastery is one of the most venerated places of pligrimage in the Himalayan region.

Taktshang Monastery from below

Breathing was hard at that altitude, but our personal trainers prepared us well on breathing techniques. Rinzin and Namgay (who decided to come along too) adopted a similar whistling out method to relax as they climbed. Some stretches were really steep. There were many who took ponies up and frankly that looked rather terrifying as the ponies would hug the edge of the mountain as they climbed!

Treacherous pony ride up

We had the option of stopping to rest at the ‘cafeteria’ – a teahouse located halfway up, but we pursued and stayed the course.  There were many climbers who were elderly. There was one particular Caucasian man who looked like he might be in his 70’s who put us to shame. He kept a steady unrelenting pace, his breathing in sync with his strides, his face a picture of determination. He was amazing. He whizzed past us as we stopped to take deep breaths!! We just sheepishly raised our eyebrows at each other. I wish I will be that fit at 70.

About two and a half hours into this vertical climb on rocky terrain, we reached a path that had hundreds of prayer flags strung along both sides, as if to spur you on and lift your spirits. A little further from there the Taktshang Monastery finally came into view. The first glimpse of it made you gape in awe. We stopped a long while here taking photos with the many others doing the same. (Rinzin stood protectively at a particular spot making sure we didn’t walk backwards and fall as one Japanese photographer took a mis-step and fell to his death. I could actually see how that might have happened – you’re so focused on the amazing sight in front of you, you can quite easily fail to notice the sheer drop just steps away.)

Prayer flags cheered us on

First glimpse

We thought we were almost there, we were wrong. From this point it was a further arduous trek and then down a series of steep steps, past a waterfall and then came the final ascent.

Legend has it that in the 8th century, Guru Padmasambhava (also known as the Guru Rinpoche) flew to this spot from Tibet on the back of a tigeress and is said to have meditated in a cave here for three years, three months, three weeks, three days and three hours. The temple complex was first built 1692, around the cave where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated. It seems impossible – how did they build something this magnificent at this height on this treacherous location? Clearly, impossible is nothing!

The temple complex has many temples within it. It was a magical, mystical and mysterious place that made you feel as if you were in a different time and dimension.  The trek may have been strenuous but it was deeply rewarding.

After about an hour there, it was time for our descent. I was glad for the hiking sticks as the trek down was harder on the knees! We stopped at the midway point at the Cafeteria and had a wonderful hot buffet lunch. That really fortified us for the rest of the way down.

We did it! We were tired, our quads and knees were screaming but our minds and souls were soaring!

The World’s Last Shangri-la

Haa

It was inspired planning on our part to keep yesterday light and easy after the trek of the day before. We had a massage and hot stone bath which was immediately soothing and relaxing and we were ready for the drive to the Haa Valley today.Haa Valley lies to the south west, close to the Indian and Chinese borders. Not surprisingly, it is also an army base. To get to Haa, we had to drive through the amazing Chelela Pass which is at about 12,000 ft (3988m). It was cooold!! There was unmelted snow like meringue still clinging to the mountainside! The view as always was incredible.

Unmelted snow

View from Chela Pass

We got to Haa at about mid day and a cute little boy clung to S and entertained us with his antics and endless chatter none of which we understood! We took a walk around this rather quiet town and Rinzin bought some dried yak cheese as snack. This was the only food we did not take to! It was hard, dry and tasteless but Rinzin and Namgay relished it!

Dried Yak Cheese

We then went looking for a suitable spot by the Haa River (the Haa Chu!) for our planned picnic but didn’t find one, so  we ventured further afield and found a fantastic spot on a hill with a great view of the fabled ‘Three Ridges of Haa’. Needless to say, once again our food was delicious!

Picnic

On our way back, we spotted a dear and decided to stalk it. We approached it tentatively and with all seriousness like we knew what we were doing … thinking back it always cracks me up – we must have been such a comical sight!

It was a rather happy drive back through the mountain passes and hairpins again and at one point, both Rinzin and Namgay started laughing for no apparent reason and watching them we couldn’t help but join in and we were all laughing hysterically and were reduced to tears! It was a lovely way to end this amazing trip – with so much laughter and happiness!

I hope that all that makes Bhutan so lovely will never be lost and that it will always retain its charm and beauty and remain the world’s last Shangri-la.