Okay, so initially we were planning to celebrate our 40th anniversary in April by traveling to Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet, but as my favorite philosopher once said, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”
Mike wasn’t able to make that trip, so instead, we will be celebrating with a Viking Ocean Cruise to the Baltic states. We start in Stockholm and before we end in Bergen, we will have popped into all of the Scandinavian countries, St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Gdansk and Warnemunde. The Viking brochure provided this visual. In addition to celebrating both a birthday and an anniversary, this trip will be special because our friends, Tony and Helen (from Oregon) and Jeanne (from New York), will also be on the cruise.
We have been receiving Viking’s river cruise catalogues for many years, but had never traveled with them. Then, in 2015 they began offering ocean cruises and one had exactly the itinerary we wanted. We had been thinking that we should save cruising for when we were older and not able to do the more strenuous activities like hiking and biking, but after that week of Tibet’s squat toilets, I was more than ready for a little luxury.
All of the cabins have balconies, so the cruise price varies by size of cabin, amenities, initial boarding time, and priority for tour, spa, and specialty restaurant reservations. None of the above was all that important to us, so we went for a lower cost cabin. It just so happens that we prefer a lower deck, toward the center of the ship anyway, because there is less rockin’ and rollin’ in rough seas, and that’s where the less expensive cabins are.
Viking offers one free tour in each port, plus for an additional fee, you can choose among many alternatives. Those alternatives can be a bit pricy so we decided to either opt for the free tour or venture out on our own.
We will be arriving in Stockholm two days before we board the ship. Because we made our own flight arrangements (yes, I am more than a little anal about flight arrangements) and chose not to purchase Viking’s pre-trip package, we will have to get ourselves from airport to hotel, and will be exploring Stockholm on our own. I bought the Kindle edition of Rick Steves’ Northern European Cruise Ports, so that we can access the maps and information from my iPhone. Just the information on Stockholm’s unregulated taxis was probably worth the price of the book!
Cruise Critic’s website had lots of helpful information about several of the ports. One poster gave such detailed information about the Norway ports we will be visiting that I printed out her review and will be taking it with us. Thanks to her, we will be riding the scenic train ride from Flam to Myrdal, then instead of taking the train back down the mountain, we will be renting bikes at the Myrdal cafe and riding to town. Her description of the road down was the deciding factor!
Checking out our ship’s Roll Call on Cruise Critic allowed us to contact others interested in sharing a private tour in St. Petersburg. We also were able to sign up for a “Welcome Aboard” party offered by Viking crew members for Cruise Critic participants (and you become a Cruise Critic participant simply by signing on to their website). Don’t you just love the internet? I hope my upcoming posts will be as helpful to future travelers.
I’ve been home for a little more than a week. It took almost that long to get back to normal after seven days in Tibet.
I expected to love Tibet. I WANTED to love Tibet. Sadly, very sadly, I didn’t.
Have I turned into an “ugly American”, critical of a country when it isn’t like home? I certainly hope not.
It is entirely possible that I was spoiled by the fantastic guides and the wonderful experiences we had in Bhutan and Nepal, and expected more of the same. Or maybe it was because for the first three days in Lhasa, I was fighting a cold and the Tibetan’s version of Montezuma’s revenge, adjusting to the altitude and possibly reacting to the Diamox I’d taken for altitude sickness. Whatever it was, I was not feeling great. I missed two afternoons of sightseeing in Lhasa so I could sleep my way to feeling better.
Although I had read up on Tibet and had checked the Overseas Adventure Forum before booking the trip, there were still a few surprises. After much soul searching, I’ve uncovered what might have influenced my feelings about Tibet, AND am offering some tips so that future travelers might make their experience more enjoyable.
The China Factor Knowing that China had taken over Tibet was not the same as experiencing the impact of that takeover. This is the closest I’ve ever come to being in a police state. Those two white objects on the dashboard are cameras–one pointed inward so the police could monitor what was going on in our van whenever they wanted.
Dashboard cameras
And yes, that IS a military convoy, in front of us, hauling big guns. Although you can’t see it in the photo, in every truck, two soldiers were pointing their weapons out the back. I was very grateful the road wasn’t bumpy!
Although the hotel in Lhasa offered free wifi, we quickly discovered that google, yahoo, safari, the New York Times, and many email accounts were blocked by the Chinese government.
Being under constant surveillance has to have an impact on the psyche of the population, and I believe it did. Unlike Bhutan and Nepal, the people in Tibet didn’t seem as interested in interacting with tourists. Or maybe they were afraid.
Tip: If it is important to stay in contact with family back home, set up a hotmail account. For some reason, that email service wasn’t blocked. Also, texting works. My iPhone allowed me to send free “imessages”!
Altitude and Air The air is very dry because of the altitude and very smoky from cigarettes and incense. Everyone smokes everywhere–in the hotels, restaurants, on the street. It was like being trapped in a Mad Men episode, but with different costumes. You can request a non-smoking hotel room, but there is no guarantee that you will get anything other than a smoking room sprayed with air freshener.
If the cigarette smoke doesn’t get you, then the incense and Yak butter candles in the temples will.
At times, inside the temples and monasteries, I found it challenging to breathe.
And if you think stepping outside to breathe in fresh air would help, think again. These little chimneys for burning incense are everywhere!
Tip: The 5th floor of the Xin Ding Hotel is the only nonsmoking floor. The other hotels don’t have that option, but 4 of the 7 nights are spent in the Xin Ding, so it is worth it to request a room on the 5th floor. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a wonderful view of the Potala from your room.
The hotel makes sure you can buy whatever you need without leaving the comfort of your room: toothpaste, manicure tools, condoms, mysterious things in plastic bags with Chinese writing on the front…
Long Drives in a Small Van over a Barren Landscape
Fortunately, no one in the group was very large. At 5’8″, I was the tallest. If my 6’3″ husband had been with us, the 8 hour drives from and to Lhasa would have been quite uncomfortable for him.
2 rows of three seats. Not a lot of leg room for tall people!
But the size of the van wasn’t the problem. No, the challenge was the lack of bathroom facilities along the way. Not only that, but we quickly discovered that squat toilets were the only option. The good news? You never had to ask for directions. All you had to do was follow your nose. Another plus? Many of them had no stalls or partitions, so you could make new friends while emptying your bladder. Let me tell you, it was much more pleasant to look at my neighbor’s backside than to look down at what had taken place before I arrived.
It didn’t take long for me to decide that a bush, a rock or a tree was far preferable to the few roadside bathroom facilities. Did I mention that I was drinking more water than usual because of my cold, the dry air and the altitude medication? Those were LOOONG drives!
Tip: Tiger Balm or Vicks applied under your nose blocks out all other smells. Unfortunately, I had neither with me. Women need to practice their squats before embarking on this trip!
The landscape on the drive to Gyantse was rather stark.
Yes, we did indeed drive on that winding mountain road.
Our guide had to stop at multiple police check points along the way to show our passports and to complete paperwork, and to have our speed monitored. I didn’t think that was a bad thing, given the narrow winding mountain roads, but Marilynn disagreed. When our driver and guide took a cigarette break, leaving the keys in the van, she offered to take over and get us to the hotel in record time!
Here are the notable sights during our 8 hour drive to Gyantse.
Prayer flags looked very different from the ones we saw in Bhutan.One of the two passes.Farmers, plowing with their yaks
Farmers, plowing with their yaks
Prayer flags looked very different from the ones we saw in Bhutan.
One of the two passes.
Tip: My iPod was my salvation; our guide and driver talked to each other in Tibetan for much of the way, so I was grateful I could plug in and listen to music instead.
Our Guide
Tibet has many wonderful myths and legends; I was looking forward to hearing our guide elaborate and offer the local version of the stories I’d read. Unfortunately, he either was not allowed to relate them to us, or perhaps during the 50+ years since China invaded, the legends stopped being passed along. He certainly couldn’t access Wikipedia to supplement his knowledge!
Mt Kalish? I don’t think so.
For example, our guide told us this unspectacular pile of rocks is Mt. Kalish. According to Google, Mt. Kalish is located in a very remote part of Tibet, and is visually spectacular. That “mountain” was neither. But Tibetans do circumambulate its perimeter, and it has been the locale for “sky burials”. (A few days after someone dies, the body is cut up, brought to the mountain top and left for the vultures to consume, thereby completing the circle of life.)
I had hoped to learn more about the Goddess that was transformed into Yamtrok Lake, but once again, our guide wasn’t able to elaborate, so here’s what I learned from my reading. After arguing with her husband, a goddess decided to leave him forever by turning herself into a lake. Boats are not allowed on Yamtrok because the vessel would slice her skin. I also learned that Tibetans believe if the Lake ever goes dry, all Tibetans will perish.
Yamtrok Lake
After returning home, I turned to Google, where I discovered that senior monks go to Yamtrok Lake after the Dalai Lama’s death. They throw sacred objects into the lake, then watch for a reflection that will tell them where to find the next (reincarnated) Dalai Lama.
Tip: Learn everything you can about the culture and myths before coming to Tibet. The information the guide imparts could be very limited.
Food
You don’t travel to Tibet for the food. There is a reason Tibetan restaurants aren’t popping up in major cities, still, we had hoped for great Chinese food. Two of our group were born in Hong Kong, spoke and read fluent Mandarin. They were not fans of the cuisine.
Be prepared for very basic meals, with no snacks in between. There isn’t much fruit, however I discovered that you CAN buy bananas.
Tip: I had brought granola bars, but shared them with the other travelers during our long rides in Bhutan and Nepal. By the time we reached Tibet, my stash was gone. Big mistake. It’s a good idea to bring packaged snacks.
The Locals
For me, interacting with the locals, especially children, is always a high point of my trips. Unlike in Bhutan and Nepal, opportunities to interact were limited.
While in Shigatse, I spent our two free afternoons wandering through the city. I was taking photos of the street when I was accosted by an old man with a walking stick in one hand and a prayer wheel in the other.
I was afraid that stick was going to be used as a weapon against me!
He was yelling at me, and for a moment I was afraid he was going to hit me. He apparently thought I had photographed him–although the truth was I didn’t even notice him. I was more interested in the goods on the sidewalk. End result? There are no photos of Tibetan people.
But I didn’t let that one unfortunate incident keep me from trying to interact with the locals.
Did you see him in the above photo? Neither did I!
I had learned to say “Tra-shi-de-lay”, which is close enough to the Tibetan greeting to occasionally get a smile.
During my second afternoon purchasing bananas, I noticed a Tibetan trying to take a picture of me with her cell phone, so I posed for her. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a young man attempting to get into the photo, so I turned, threw my arms around his neck and put my cheek next to him. And the crowd went wild! Not only that, but I got my bananas for half of what I had paid the day before. Sorry, no photos of that exchange because I had left MY camera back in the room. I didn’t want to take a chance of being smote with a stick!
Tip: Learn a couple of Tibetan words, smile and see if you can make a connection.
That’s all for today. Next post will be more upbeat, I promise. There will be photos of what made the trip special.
After our stay at the comfortable, but basic, Seti River Camp, it was a complete shock to our senses when we arrived at the Kasara Chitwan Resort. We were experiencing luxury overload!
The reception area
I was expecting a room, not a stand alone suite. When I opened my door, I entered this private courtyard. The photo doesn’t do it justice, but I was too focused on enjoying my surroundings to put much energy into a photo shoot.
Air conditioned bedroom on the left, bathroom with open air shower on the right, and a beautiful courtyard in between. Those are little ponds on either side of the boardwalk, complete with resident frogs.
After getting settled, we headed out to hunt for black rhinos. Success! We saw several. My favorite is this shot, because he seemed a bit bored by us gawkers.
So what the heck are YOU looking at?
Our mode of transportation during our “safari” was a platform mounted on the elephant’s back. It was not the most comfortable ride, for us, or probably for the elephant either, but it was a fun experience.
We didn’t see any tigers, but the group before us caught sight of one. After hearing about the elephant’s reaction, I was just as glad that we hadn’t. There was a whole lot of stomping, bouncing and trumpeting going on!
For me, the best part of our visit was when we were able to interact with the elephants in the water.
The rest of the group had heard all about my nephew Jack, and how much he LOVES elephants, so Jim was gracious enough to take stills with my camera, while Binoy, our wonderful guide, shot video with my iPhone.
First trick was getting onWait, I thought I was going to be washing–not getting washed!Now I have to get downPeter, Marilyn and I giving our buddy a nice massage, using smooth stones.
These are such beautiful, intelligent and gentle creatures. What a privilege to send time with them.
Check out the toenails on her. Fun fact–elephants sweat through their toenails.
Mike, can I keep her?
While at Kasara, I kept thinking about these lines from the song “Camelot”. “The rain will never fall till after sundown; By 8 the morning clouds must disappear”, because that’s exactly how it worked during our two days there. In fact, we were extremely lucky during our entire trip. We couldn’t have asked for better weather–slightly overcast when we were trekking, which is much more comfortable than walking under a hot sun.
The resort has a lovely pool, so I was very glad I’d packed my bathing suit. Again, no photos. Sometimes you have to put the camera down and just soak in your surroundings (literally).
It also has a great second story bar overlooking the pool. I decided to skip the ox cart ride through the village, and partake in a margarita instead. That’s what my sisters, hermaña preferida, and cousins would have wanted me to do, and I couldn’t let them down.
Time to fly back to Kathmandu, and another lovely hotel, The Gokarna Forest Resort.
During our Nepal trip, we added three travelers, Ann from Indianapolis, was born in Indonesia. She and her Turkish husband met in veterinary school. Karl is a retired navy chaplain who served in Iraq. He and Eugenia were born in Hong Kong, but have lived in San Diego when they are not traveling the world. Their fluency in Chinese was much appreciated by all of us when we got to Tibet.
Standing, left to right: Marilynn, Marie, Ann, Eugenia, Karl, Peter, Dick. Me, practicing my squat, an essential skill for the airport rest rooms. Jim is missing because he is the photographer.
Here are Marie and Dick, enjoying their first class seats.
Jim, Peter and Marie will be returning to the USA after our last night together at the Gokarna, while the remaining six of us head off to Tibet. The farewell dinner is an OAT tradition when the main trip ends, and what a farewell dinner it was!
Ann, me, Marilyn, Marie and Eugenia
Yes, we needed help getting dressed, and no, we didn’t get to keep the saris.
Some of the men played dress up too.
Karl, Binoy, Jim
It was the perfect ending for three fantastic weeks together. Little did we know, but the remaining six of us were going to have a very different experience in Tibet.
What a fun city! Unlike Kathmandu, you can actually walk alone along the streets of Pokhara without fear of never finding your way back to your hotel.
What to do during our three nights there?
Of course there were temples to visit. This poor rooster seemed to know his minutes were numbered. Yes, Hindus still do animal sacrifices. But maybe he’ll get lucky and be reincarnated as a cow.
When this guy saw my camera, he insisted that I photograph him and the rooster.
The next temple could only be reached by boat.
What made this visit special were the sweet boys collecting money for the Red Cross.
“50 rupees, madam?”
“Okay”, and as I’m reaching for my money I hear, “100 rupees, madam?”
“But you said 50”
“Okay madam, 50”.
He had such a sweet smile, I gave him 1,000 rupees, the equivalent of $10. THAT guaranteed me a photo shoot with the entire group, who then insisted upon taking MY picture. My sweet negotiator is the one in the middle.
The one in the middle was my salesman
Next up, a visit to the Parakhawking Project. Please do a YouTube search to learn more about the vulture and hawk rescue project.
Believe it or not, this beautiful creature is a vulture, who, if you decide to leap off a mountain, will fly with you, locating the updrafts, thereby guaranteeing you’ll have a spectacular flight..
Unfortunately, he was molting, so he has been grounded for the next few months. What a disappointment– I was SO ready to sign up! So since parasailing was not an option, what else could I do with my free afternoon? Oh so many options…how to choose?
Who could resist this menu of services? Certainly not I!
As tempting as it was to come home with dreadlocks, I decided to be a little less adventurous and settled for a manicure. It WAS an interesting experience. I’d never had my cuticles pushed back with a coin before. And the choice of polish was greatly simplified when there are only three colors, all with sparkles.
It sorta made me wonder what my hair would have looked like if I’d chosen a dye job.
The best part was my manicurist dried my nails by waving a magazine back and forth over my fingers. Again, I thought of my hair…and what might have been.
After a round of shopping, it was clearly time for music. Initially, we thought the Bollywood Dance Club had potential, until we gave their sign a more thorough inspection. Let’s put it this way. Although we didn’t go inside to verify, we suspected the club might have fit right in with New York’s pre-Guliani Times Square or Boston’s combat zone.
Instead, we opted for Emon’s Rooftop Cafe. We ended up being the sole (but enthusiastic) customers here.
Sitting on the balcony overlooking the street, sucking down a local beer, we enjoyed a rendition of “I want to hold your hand”, Nepalese style. It doesn’t get much better than that!
It’s a 17 minute flight from Kathmandu to Pokara if the planes are able to take off. Otherwise, it is a 5 hour drive on bumpy mountain roads. We were in luck. After a 45 minute delay, it was clear enough to fly.
We stopped at the Pokhara office to load what we would need for the next three days into the OAT supplied duffels, leaving our big bags behind. After lunch atop a mountain, we drove for about an hour, then hit the trail, to walk the last three miles to our lodge.
Could this be what the OAT description means by “uneven steps”?
As I was walking up and down the mountain trail, I was thinking about my gym buddies at Somerset Hills Y. Knowing that they would all be in class was the extra motivation that got me to Zumba, AOA, Yoga and Barre— and boy oh boy, were those classes necessary. Our treks were far more enjoyable because I’d been “training” for the past 6 months. It also helped that the heavy lifting was done by village women, who carried our bags in baskets on their backs, attached to a strap across their foreheads.
That’s our luggage inside those baskets!
After the chaos of Kathmandu, we were so very ready for the beautiful and peacefully remote Gurung Lodge in Annapurna. And what a fantastic lodge it was. Our clean, comfortable rooms were stocked with umbrellas, warm hats and gloves, a north face parka, flashlight, and crocs. The lounge chairs on our front porches were perfect for naps after our hikes through the villages, to the school, the mother’s cooperative, the museum and the two room health center.
Okay, no comments about the white legs. In some parts of the world, pasty white skin is considered quite beautiful. So there, Sue and Sandy.
During our stay, smoke from wildfires in India caused the sky to cloud up, so we only occasionally got a glimpse of the Annapurna Mountains. Despite the clouds and mist, the view was still jaw dropping. It was impossible to capture the magnificence of this mountain range in a photo, although we all tried. As with so much in life, you just had to be there.
The view from our cabins
Our lodge had electricity for a few hours every day, just long enough to charge our camera batteries. Solar power heated the water, so we took our showers in the afternoon. As for our hair, the only blow dryer in the camp comes courtesy of the afternoon breeze.
Despite a complete lack of so many of the modern conveniences that we take for granted, we had tasty and healthy meals. I so appreciated how hard the villagers and the lodge staff had to work to ensure that we were well fed and comfortable.
We got a little surprise on our village trek. When we arrived, we were greeted by this group of women. It took us a while to realize that ONE of them looked VERY familiar.
Can you identify the nurse from San Francisco?
Here’s a clue
Marilynn, our power walker, had arrived far in advance of the rest of our group, so the village ladies decided to dress her up and make her part of the welcoming committee.
A flower garland and “Namaste”
It made me feel good to see how our contributions to the OAT Foundation are making life easier forthe communities we visit. Before OAT donated the machinery, grain was ground by hand. Not an easy task, as Marie is demonstrating.
If my iPhone counted accurately, the walk to the village is the equivalent of 103 flights of stairs ONE WAY! And we couldn’t get the ladies to carry us in their baskets for the return trip.
But it was worth it, because the scenery was spectacular!
Kathmandu assaults your senses. It is dusty, dirty, noisy, chaotic, crowded. Take a deep breath and you will get a lungful of incense, enough to keep you coughing for a few minutes.
We toured the three major cities of the ancient Malla kingdom: Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. (That’s what happened when you had three sons–you split up your kingdom so they could each have a place to rule. )
We saw the impact of the earthquake everywhere. It is heartbreaking to see that one year later, people are still living in makeshift shelters.
Home for a familyBoudhanath StupaTimber supporting Kathmandu buildingsBhaktapurRebuilding by hand
Still, there are parts of the cities that were not damaged, allowing you to experience their grandeur and the beauty.
Plaza in Bhaktapur as seen from the balcony of the New Cafe Nuatapola, where we had a delicious lunchThe Five Level TempleThe royal family’s bathtubComplete with snake sculptures
While preparing for this trip, I read about the living goddesses, known as the Kumari. (The post “Follow the Yellow Brick Road, Part Two has more information about the goddess.)
After our visit, all of the women in our group felt so sorry for this sad looking little girl, who was chosen when she was three years old. I couldn’t help but compare her to my happy, active nieces. Of course, we don’t know what other options were available to her. Maybe sitting on a “throne” placing tikkas on the foreheads of gawkers was the better alternative.
The Kumari is not allowed to walkPeter is receiving her blessing.
Despite the hardships they have endured, the Nepali people’s beautiful spirit shines through.
The hawkers are everywhere. The problem is if you buy from one, you are mobbed by many others. Still, I couldn’t resist this woman’s sweet smile, especially after she told me if I wanted to buy more than one, there would be no problem.
Okay, so I bought more than one. Sisters, cousins, nieces, friends…you know the drill…gifts are coming your way, but you may have to earn them. There may be a quiz!
This next one was more of a hard sell. “Madam, blessings for you, blessings for me”, chanted continuously while she walked beside me for the equivalent of five city blocks.
Okay, so I got blessed. I now own the necklace the lady on the right is holding. I expect those blessings to be coming my way!
We are now in Nepal; quirky Internet connectivity made it difficult to do justice to beautiful Bhutan, so this post will be a quick collection of photos and memories of Happy Land.
THIMPHU
A few years ago, Rio’s Christ the Redeemer was chosen as one of the seven new wonders of the world. Thimphu’s gigantic Buddha didn’t exist at that time. If it had, I’m convinced Buddha would be giving Rio’s statue some serious competition.
Buddha sits atop a mountain overlooking Thimphu
The base of the statue contains a temple, filled with hundreds of thousands of smaller Buddhas, butter lamps and butter sculptures. Yes, you read that right–sculptures are made of colored butter!
Just the artwork on the base would get MY vote
Dedicated to teaching Bhutanese arts and crafts, this school focuses on 18 traditional crafts including painting, woodcarving, metal work and embroidery.
Whenever I visit a country, particularly one whose economy is dependent on the tourist trade, I like to drop some dollars by buying gifts, so a stop in the school’s small shop was a definite requirement.
Handmade paper is another traditional Bhutanese craft. We watched the entire process: the raw materials being delivered, heated, compressed, made into sheets and dried.
Notice how hard these young women are working? They were all smiling as they were lifting those heavy bundles! And yes, I most certainly did make a purchase at their tiny gift shop.
The modern world is rapidly creeping into Bhutan. Construction is everywhere. But it isn’t just new buildings and new technology. Since the introduction of television in 1999, the western world has slowly been influencing Bhutan’s youth.
Thimphu’s clock tower plaza, right beside our hotel was the site of what looked like an auto exhibit, but it was a whole lot more.
Young Bhutanese shed their traditional clothes, donning jeans and tee shirts to dance to Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face”. Unfortunately, my camera’s software is incompatible with my iPad, so you won’t be able to see the beautiful young girls I videoed dancing, but with any luck, I’ll be able to link a YouTube video of the boys doing their hip hop routine when I get back home.
You may be wondering what kind of audience the entertainment drew. Well, wonder no more, because when my personal paparazzi used his long lens to capture me unawares, he also photographed the crowd.
A bit sparse, no?
PUNAKHA
Much of the road between Thimphu and Punakha is under construction, making travel slooooow and very dusty. We stopped at the Dochula Pass on the way to and from Punakha.
108 Stupas of the Dochula Pass
The Dochula Pass memorial honors the 15 Bhutanese that were killed fighting the Indian separatists from Assam. The separatists were creeping across the Bhutanese border, creating training camps. The fourth king actually led his troops into battle and was victorious. No wonder he is so beloved!
The pass is 10,000 feet above sea level, so Tashi thought it would be good practice for the Tiger’s Nest if we took a hike in the Royal Botanical Park that adjoins the memorial.
The rhododendron were in bloom–they weren’t bushes, they were trees.
The jacaranda were also in bloom, outside the Palace of Great Happiness.
Notice the covered wooden bridge in the distance.
This is the entrance to the Palace’s temple. Inside Tashi gave us a fantastic lecture about Buddhism, using the artwork that covered the temple walls as an ancient Power Point Presentation.
I was so glad to see these monks, enjoying themselves by the river bank outside the Palace of Great Happiness.
We also visited a nunnery located atop a mountain, where I purchased some bracelets from this sweet 21 year old nun, who spoke perfect English.
Marilynn from San Francisco on the right, bracelets on the window sill on the left.
No visit to Punakha would be complete without a stop at the Chhimi Lhakhang Monastery. To get there you need to hike through rice fields, a village and up a hill.
The shingles on roofs are held down with stones instead of nails.These sweet villagers were happy to pose for meChristmas presents for everyone!
This monastery was founded by Drupka Kinley, the Divine Madman, whose “Thunderbolt of Wisdom”, also known as his “Flaming Thunderbolt” , brought his own special form of enlightenment to local women. Infertile couples visit the monastery where the woman is doinked on the head with a huge wooden “thunderbolt”. Could that be the Bhutanese version of IVF?
The Divine Madman is the inspiration behind the artwork that festoons the area’s houses.
Although not part of the “official” itinerary, our wonderful guide thought we might enjoy a visit to the 17th century village of Rinchen Gong. These villagers are definitely not used to having visitors! Our arrival was quite an occasion, especially for the children, who chased our van up the steep dirt road.
Like me, Jim enjoys photographing the localsThese boys loved seeing their picturesShy at first, they warmed up when they saw the shots.
Our last stop was in Paro, where we climbed to the Tiger’s Nest and visited Bhutan’s very first temple. It was built in the 7th century by Tibet’s great ruler, Songtsen Gampo, and it is where he pinned the left foot of an ogress who once covered all of Bhutan and part of Tibet.
Jim, spinning the prayer wheel outside the sacred Kyichu Lakhang
The Cast of Characters
For those of you who expressed concern about my traveling alone, after Mike and Greg had to cancel, have no fear. I now have five new friends. Here we are at the National Memorial Chorten, which was built to honor Bhutan’s third King, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk .
first row: Jim, Peter, Marilyn, Marie. Back row, Dick, me
Jim is a former hotel and restaurant owner from the greater San Diego area. His family used to own Marty’s restaurant and hotel, an establishment frequented by yestereyear’s stars, such as Lucy and Desi, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin.
Peter and Marie are from the greater Boston area. They retired from the financial industry, and have been traveling the world ever since. Prior to arriving in Delhi, they had taken another OAT tour through the Balkans, then spent a few days in Dubai. Jim, Peter and Marie will be heading home after Nepal.
Marilyn, a retired nurse from San Francisco, is like the little energizer bunny. She walks faster than I do!
Dick, from Seattle, retired from Boeing. He’s the most widely traveled of our group, having been on 27 OAT trips, plus tours with numerous other companies. Marilyn, Dick and I are the only members of the group that will be visiting all three countries. In Nepal, we will be joined by three new travelers.
Although not actually traveling with us, we see the royals EVERYWHERE. Photos of them are on hotel and restaurant walls, on the sides of buildings, in museums and temples. This official portrait is of the fourth King, known as the “Royal Fourth” with his four wives ( all sisters), the ten children they produced, (including the “Royal Fifth”) and the first grandchild. Since that photo was taken, the Royal Fifth has married. He and his stunningly beautiful wife have produced an heir, the Royal Sixth.
Tashi has identified which member of the royal family is in the motorcade when they go whizzing by. So far, we have seen one of the four queens, and a royal uncle.
This photo of Tashi was taken at the Memorial Chorten. He’s instructing us on the proper way to circumambulate a prayer wheel. Walking in a clockwise direction, you give each wheel a good spin as you pass by. If we had been carrying rosaries, we would be using them to keep track of our prayers while we walked.
Tashi
As with all mountain roads, Bhutan’s have their fair share of hairpin turns. What they don’t have are guard rails. This tour is NOT for the faint of heart or the queasy stomached. We have come so close to passing vehicles, we could have flossed the other driver’s teeth. What a relief to have an excellent driver like Gembo getting us to the top of the mountain and back down again.
Gembo, our very skillful driver
An unexpected delight was the owner of our hotel in Thimphu. Her story deserves an entire post, but that will have to wait till I get home, or until YOU stay at the Thimphu Tower.
Ultimate packing challenge??? Well, at least it is for me. I’ll be gone for a month, visiting countries that have temperatures ranging from Lhasa’s average low of 31 F to an average high of 105 F in both Delhi, India and Chitwan National Park. Fortunately, I “met” a new virtual friend via OAT’s Forum. She gave me lots of helpful hints, and most importantly, clued me into the existence of laundry facilities that are plentiful and cheap. Thanks to her advice, I am able to be safely under the airlines’ 44 pound checked luggage maximum.
In the spirit of giving back, this post is all about what I’m packing. Maybe a future OAT traveler to Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet will find my information as helpful as I found Janet’s.
There’s nothing like a visual, right?
Being your obsessive compulsive kind of gal, I start packing many days before departure, loading articles on the bed in our spare room. I use a paper list and check off as I go.
One of the many nice things about OAT trips is no one cares what you look like. No one dresses to impress–it is all about comfort and adventure, so you will notice a total absence of makeup, jewelry, fancy clothes and dress up shoes. But then, my family would tell you that’s how I normally roll.
I’m not bothering with a hair dryer because some of the places we will be visiting won’t have electricity. I let my hair grow just for this trip, so I can pull it back and forget about it.
Miscellaneous: binoculars, sunscreen, Insect repellant, anti itch gel, lip balm, lotion, Ibuprofen, Pepto bismol, gasex, Imodium, Hydrocortisone, Bandaids, bonine, moleskins, z-pak, granola bars, small duffel (supplied by OAT).
I’m hoping I won’t need any of the medications. Whatever I don’t use on the trip, I’ll give to the trip leader. Might as well have someone make use of it before the expiration dates.
Clothes: Rain jacket, down jacket, Sun hat, Sweater, Underwear(14 days), socks(10 ), long underwear (2), Pajamas (2), Shorts (2), Short sleeve tops (7), long sleeve tops (5), Long pants(4), capris (1), Sneakers, flip flops, keens, bathing suit, buff, chill band.
For the colder parts of the trip, I figure I can wear long underwear beneath my lightweight pants. No need for corduroys. I’m counting on layers to keep me warm.
My goal is to get by for at least a week, maybe two, without having to do laundry. I may have packed more than I need; I will report back after the trip is over, identifying anything I took that I didn’t need, and anything that I didn’t take, but wished I had.
As with other OAT trips, we will be visiting a local family, so I packed gifts. Our guide told me that warm socks are always appreciated for the cold winter months, something I never would have thought to bring. Of course, I had to include toys for the kids, plus an inflatable globe.
On our OAT trip to Africa, we discovered that a duffel holds more than we ever imagined possible. We also learned there is no need for those fancy packing cubes. My jumbo zip lock bags work just fine, allowing me to pull out only what is needed. Take a look.
Shoes in the bottom, along with items I expect to need at the end of the trip.
Yep. It all fit and I even have a tiny amount of extra room.
I know you’re wondering, so yes, that white decoration on my teal LL Bean duffle was my very own creation. Nobody is walking off with MY bag and claiming it was a mistake!
Because I have a direct flight to Delhi, I don’t need to pack a change of clothes into my carry on. Here’s what’s going inside.
That little black bag with the white decoration? That’s my “comfort case”, which holds the small items –cough drops, pens, gum, etc. so that I don’t have to rummage through the many pockets of my back pack.
The good news? I did indeed score the first class upgrade I requested back in November, so I probably won’t need to be digging into that comfort case the way I would have if I were back in economy. United, you have been forgiven.
The sad news? Because of some late breaking events, Mike and Greg won’t be able to come on this trip. Thank heavens for trip insurance!
When you hear “Seven Years in Tibet” what comes to mind? The movie starring Brad Pitt?
Well, I never saw the movie but I HAVE read the book by Heinrich Harrer, and I must say, it was pretty phenomenal. Harrar escaped from a British POW camp in India during World War II. Interestingly enough, POWs back then were able to keep their money and supplies, so when he escaped, he had a rucksack, some provisions, and enough money to trade with Tibetans as he made his way through the Himalayas to Lhasa.
The Tibetans were gracious hosts, providing Harrer and his traveling companion, Peter Aufschnaiter (another escaped POW) with shelter and, when they ran out of money, gifts of food. Harrer and Aufschnaiter were able to repay this kindness by generously sharing their scientific and engineering knowledge with a country that at that time was closed off to the rest of the world. In addition to helping with flood control, translating foreign news, providing agricultural advice, they also introduced the Tibetans to a new sport,”walking on knives”, what we call ice skating. Eventually, Harrer met the young Dalai Lama, becoming a trusted friend and tutor of the isolated adolescent. Harrer not only oversaw the construction of a movie theater in the Dalai Lama’s summer palace, he also created the films that were shown there, using a 50’s era movie camera to photograph Tibetan festivals.
After Charlie Carroll discovered Seven Years in Tibet in his elementary school library, he became fascinated with this remote Himalayan kingdom. It was a bit like me and the Wizard of Oz, except HE could actually visit HIS magical kingdom. And he did, in 2009. The end product of his journey is the wonderful narrativePeaks on the Horizon. Two parallel stories alternate chapters, chroniclingCharlie’s travels, and that of a young Tibetan refugee he met just before leaving the country.
Seven Years in Tibet and Peaks on the Horizon are great introductions to Tibetan religion, history and culture. Although I quickly skimmed through Demystifying Tibet by Lee Feigon and Conversations with the Dalai Lama by Thomas Laird, I found them more difficult to get through and not as entertaining. I’ll admit it. I’m a sucker for the personal narrative.
So, if you have been following along The Yellow Brick Road to Asia, you know that now is the time for ten very random, fun facts uncovered through reading about Tibet:
At 13,000 feet above sea level, Tibet’s nickname, “The Roof of the World” is fitting. It is the highest inhabited area in the WORLD. Yikes. I’ve packed a supply of Diamox to make sure I don’t have a problem with the altitude.
The first major character in its recorded history is Songtsen Gampo, who conquered and united a multitude of tribes to create the nation of Tibet. Sources claim he became king at the age of 13. I guess during the the seventh century, they dealt with adolescent angst by sending the boys off to pillage, plunder and start a new nation. Before he died in 649, he managed to acquire one wife from China, one from Nepal and four from among the local girls. There are two versions of the Chinese bride story. Songtsen Gampo ordered the king of China to send him one of his daughters and when his “request” was refused, he attacked and pillaged. Version two describes Songtsen Gampo as a lovesick warrior who became a vassal of the Chinese emperor to obtain his lovely wife. See if you can figure out which explanation belongs to which nation.
But it wasn’t ALL fun and games. Songtsen Gampo is also credited with bringing Buddhism to Tibet (and to Bhutan). He built the first Buddhist temple in Tibet, the Jokhang, to house the statue of the Buddha his Chinese wife, Wencheng, brought from China as part of her dowery. One account mentioned that the Nepali wife also brought a Buddha with her, but the Chinese one appears to be more sacred and more famous. it will be interesting to see what we are told when we are in Lhasa.
There was a gap of almost a century until the next important emperor came on the scene. Trisong Detsen (755-797) conquered the areas along the Silk Road. But he too was more than just a warrior. He also built Tibet’s first monastery at Samye and invited Padmasambhava (Remember him from the Nepal post? Also known as Guru Rimpoche, he emerged from a Lotus in a lake) to come to Tibet to help spread the word about Buddhism.
Unfortunately, Trisong Detsen met an untimely end. Rumor has it that he was poisoned by his wife, who may also have disposed of her son in a similar manner a mere two years after he was crowned. Talk about dysfunctional families. Even Dr. Phil would have had trouble fixing THEIR problems.
The next notable character appears in 838. Lang Darma joined with members of the Bon religion to strangle his brother, the current king. He tried to reinstitute Bon, the local religion, by suppressing Buddhism. Here’s the interesting part. Lang Darma was thought to be a devil, complete with horns on his head. After forcing girls to comb his hair, he used his horns to kill them, then ate them. Lhalung Palgyi Dorje, a monk, came to the rescue, killing Lang Darma by shooting an arrow through his heart.
Remember Ghengis Khan and the Mongol Hoards? I sure do. I have a strong visual of him and his buddies, galloping across the steppes, flags flying in front, long hair streaming behind. So, what has that got to do with Tibet, you ask? Well, bet you didn’t know that the term “Dalai Lama” came from the Mongols. I certainly didn’t. Altan Khan, who ruled Mongolia in the 1500’s (yes, we’re skipping WAY ahead!) invited Sonam Gyatso, the abbott of Tibet’s largest monastery, to his country to spread Buddhism throughout Mongolia. Dalai Lama is the Mongol translation of Sonam Gyatso’s name, which in English means “Great Ocean”. Tibetans, however, refer to their their spiritual leader as “Kundun”, which means “the presence of Buddha”, but since I’m not Tibetan, I’m going to stick with Dalai Lama.
Tibetans believe they are descendants of Chenrizi (also spelled Chenrezi, Chenresig and Chenrezig, depending on the source), who took the form of a monkey to seduce a demon. The demon gave birth to six “long haired children” complete with tails (the first Tibetans) that disappeared when they grew to adulthood. The Tibetan creation story explains human behavior by uniting the pure (Chenrizi is the Buddha of compassion) with the animalistic (the demon/ogress). And all we westerners get is a talking snake and an apple. I like their story better! It even has evolution going for it.
The current Dalai Lama is believed to be the fourteenth reincarnation of Chenrizi. The THIRD Dalai Lama was the first granted the title by Altan Khan. That Dalai Lama decided to declare his two deceased predecessors as the first and second Dalai Lamas. After the third Dalai Lama’s death, Altan Khan’s grandson (surprise, surprise) was declared to be next reincarnate — the fourth Dalai Lama. He didn’t last long–he was dead before he was 28.
The NEXT Dalai Lama was a powerhouse. The “Great Fifth” started construction of the Potala, Tibet’s iconic building. He died before the building was completed, but his death was kept a secret for 10 years to ensure that construction would continue. This huge complex is 13 stories high and contains color coded administrative (red) and religious (white) sections, which include the winter quarters for the Dalai Lama, prison cells, torture chambers and stupas where prior Dalai Lamas are entombed.
Yaks are as important to the Tibetans as Buffalo were to the Native Americans. Yak butter is the main ingredient in yak tea, which is consumed by everyone, many times every day. Yak butter is also used for the candles that are burned throughout all three Himalayan countries. Yak dung is burned for fuel and is also used as an ink substitute.The burnt yak dung becomes soot, which was used as ink for books during Heinrich Harrer’s seven years. By the time Charlie Carroll visited a few years ago, Yaks had become endangered. What is common now is a cross between a yak and a cow, called a dzo.
How’s that for random facts?
There is so very much more to say about Tibet, but as with the posts on Bhutan and Nepal, I need to save something for when we are there, don’t I?
In addition to celebrating both a birthday and an anniversary, this trip will be special because our friends, Tony and Helen (from Oregon) and Jeanne (from New York), will also be on the cruise.
Tip: The 5th floor of the Xin Ding Hotel is the only nonsmoking floor. The other hotels don’t have that option, but 4 of the 7 nights are spent in the Xin Ding, so it is worth it to request a room on the 5th floor. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a wonderful view of the Potala from your room.
Our guide had to stop at multiple police check points along the way to show our passports and to complete paperwork, and to have our speed monitored. I didn’t think that was a bad thing, given the narrow winding mountain roads, but Marilynn disagreed. When our driver and guide took a cigarette break, leaving the keys in the van, she offered to take over and get us to the hotel in record time!
Okay, so I got blessed. I now own the necklace the lady on the right is holding. I expect those blessings to be coming my way!
This monastery was founded by Drupka Kinley, the Divine Madman, whose “Thunderbolt of Wisdom”, also known as his “Flaming Thunderbolt” , brought his own special form of enlightenment to local women. Infertile couples visit the monastery where the woman is doinked on the head with a huge wooden “thunderbolt”. Could that be the Bhutanese version of IVF?
Destination NOW 