Day 9: Bumthang

Day 9: Bumthang

Weather:  Low 40s at 6:30, warming up to low 60s mid-day

Cecily in pink, Jasmine in polka dots, attending their first Bat Mitzvah

Quote of the Day:  This same time/date in the US, Abby is celebrating her Bat Mitzvah

Want to fill up a day or two: these murals are laden with story, dripping off the wall

Pretty much more of the same: breakfast and dinner at Amankora, touring by car to see a dzong (our first time inside), a burning lake (another first), a nunnery with nuns doing a chant (another first), a picnic with a gorgeous view (finally, something we’ve done many times before), a newly renovated temple with the old temple entirely enclosed inside the main hall where Tashi give us a detailed explanation of the life of Buddha as depicted on a 100 meter wrap-around mural while being accompanied by a 7 year old monk (THB is pretty sure this is another first except he can’t remember anything from his former lives), and a weaving demo offered by the hotel that doesn’t happen (pretty sure this non-event has happened…or is it not happened…to THB plenty of times).

Bhutanese coffee cake

THB tries a cup or two of the caterpillar like root

THB has tears dripping out his left eye all day long...bad spirits oozing out?

Oatmeal porridge

Western breakfast today: pastries, oatmeal porridge, granola with plain yogurt, two decaf au laits.

Dzongs used for three things: fortress, administration offices, and religious places (i.e., temples). Now they are just two: admin and temple. The one in Bumthang is huge once we start touring. Admin offices are closed, it’s Saturday. 

Main entrance

Tashi signing us in, no attendant on duty

Large prayer wheel, small bell sound (you have to really get the wheel spinning to get much sound)

First courtyard where admin offices are located, second courtyard is in rear

Temple courtyard, those are monk's quarters on second level

One of the occasional murals which you can see without taking your shoes off 

Not a great pic, it's dark. These steps are steep, shallow, and probably from the 1500s

A close-up of those stairs

The admin stuff is really complementary to city hall, and other functions are spread out  in other locations as well. The fortress held a group of warriors back in the day, that isn’t really happening now. And the temple is another depiction of Buddhism, and of course without pics THB can’t really describe it well. More interesting statues, pics of the various kings. "thrones" for higher level monks leading services.

Cairns at top of steps leading down to the burning lake

Stupas everywhere

The burning lake at bottom of gorge. Not a lake. Not burning. There's a story....

The bridge across the gorge, if you go upstream on the far side there are many, many sacred sites (and stories...many stories)

Chencho taking a peak over the edge

There’s a story behind the burning lake and THB is not going to do it justice: a deity dove into the "lake" (which is more like a fast running small river inside a gorge) holding a lamp and the lamp was still lit even when he resurfaced. There are a ton of stories out there, and of course the faithful love to find the sites and receive or perceive the blessing of visiting.

The nunnery from the outside

Ahhhhh, take thee to a nunnery, one of THB’s fave stories (yes, Hamlet). GeoEx, our tour provider, provides support to the nunnery and you can see that the main temple is being upgraded in a new building right outside. 

Nun's quarters, will probably expand when new temple building is ready

The new temple is in background with scaffolding

New temple is locked, we can't get a peek

 In the current nunnery there are something around 160 nuns, seven of whom give us a terrific concert lasting around 30 minutes. The seven young women (we’re guessing between 16 and 25) have a lead singer, and each of them play a two headed drum (twirling it) and a bell concurrently. Let’s just say playing two instruments at the same time is two ahead of THB’s capabilities, let alone singing at the same time.

5 of the seven choristers. The nun to the left of DB is wearing a "Whatever..." sweatshirt under her shawl

THB is hopeful of getting a video from our driver; it turns out that only tourists are barred from taking pics, alas. In a cosmic occurrence, our niece Abby is having her Bat Mitzvah exactly at the same time and date we’re listening to the chanting nuns (we’re a half day ahead of Abby in real time). Abby will be doing her own chanting.

Picnicking at 8,000 feet with a view of the valley below and the mountains above. Food is just so-so, the view is terrific.

No alcohol

Double portion

Chencho's flower arrangement. the minute he lets go the glass tilts over and DB gets water in that glass on the left in her lap....what's a picnic without an accident of nature?

Quinoa salad; all the food is from Amankora

Chicken sandwich, no flavor...where's the Bhutanese mustard when THB needs it?

The ravens are calling...good sign? bad sign? whatever, just don't call me late for lunch?

The afternoon temple visit is a two-fer: the old temple burned down in 2010 and the new temple rebuilt in 2017 surrounds the old temple. There are some great contemporary murals (see pic of the one outside) and Tashi walks us through the life of Buddha as told through the various panels of the mural (though it’s not quite a graphic novel: the phases of Buddha’s life meld into one long mural). Somehow we end being accompanied by a typical 7 year old boy…except he’s a monk…and for most of the time by the temple cat.

New temple; hiding inside is the old temple's remains after the fire in 2010

Monks' quarters

You have to look out for the doggenploppen which is strewn below the prayer wheels.

a great piece of art, fortunately outside the temple proper so THB can take a pic (and it is natural light, big benefit for these tired eyes)

Saturday is monks' laundry day?

There are no weavers at the weavery, just a few shawls for sale.

There is a dancing demonstration before dinner

Tashi and Chencho are big fans and join in readily

Before dinner, there was a local dance group doing traditional Bhutanese dances outside around a small bonfire. Lukewarm apple cider and canapes were served. After a few numbers, Tashi and Chencho joined in and added a lot of enthusiasm (and they knew the dances, too) to the women’s rather stoic demeanor. They finished up with almost everyone joining in a teachable dance…THB and DB did not and after the first instruction DB said in a knowing way there was not a hope in Buddha’s eye that THB would be able to follow along.

Dinner: two appetizers for DB, an appetizer and lamb chops with lukewarm grilled polenta for THB, and three free glasses of wine (they have two bars in the dining area, one free and the other pay-for-use). Cookies left in the room this afternoon for dessert: excellent.

Pics from here and there:

King and queen

Prof Woo's head shot for his instagram project

Typical house

This and next pic are of Sixth Senses, another very upscale hotel chain; we stayed in one in Portugal with SA and DA and it was lovely

They are a year or more away...at one point, they were going to be operational mid-2018

The biggest crop in this valley: rocks, rocks, and more rocks. Most used in the construction boom going on. Looks to THB that they have an endless supply

Did Yayoi design the art work on the wall?

The size of the planes requiring a new terminal in Bumthang

No scribbling....on any objects; please leave room for mantras. In fact, there appears little to no graffiti at our stops so far