April 22, 2012 - Bhutan
I made my first real mistake of the trip today. I've been pleasantly surprised by how well my shoulder's done considering rough roads we've been riding. I haven't suffered anything but minor aches easily handled by aspirin and valerian. Paddle boating, however, was not the right thing to try.
We had a nice ride this morning, but I'm not sure how long it was. For a numbers-conscious rider like myself, the lack of a computer to tell me how fast and how far is quite annoying. In the long run it doesn't matter, but it would be nice to answer questions about how far I rode. According to our WomanTours information sheet, it was supposed to be about 15 miles, so I'll go with that. As with all rides in Bhutan, it was quite hilly, but my legs were much stronger and I did much better today. I still had to walk a couple of the steepest hills, partly because they were loose gravel and sand.
Anyway, despite my diatribes about technology, it was a lovely ride along the Pho Chhu River. My legs and lungs are finally starting to obey my brain; the riding is getting easier, although I'll always be at the back of this pack of fit women. We had a choice of going on a raft trip down the Pho Chhu for an hour or so, or riding to the raft's take out point. Three women opted to ride with Rinzin; the rest of us were game to get a little wet.
One of several suspension bridges across the rivers. Had I chosen to ride instead of raft, I would have gone across one of these.
I should have known as soon as I saw the paddles that I should have stayed on the bike, but the desire for more fun and adventure won out. Kali suggested that I might want to be in the front of the boat as that's where he needed strong paddlers, but I said, no, my shoulder wouldn't take that. I made sure to position myself on the right side of the boat, and I kept my left elbow clamped to my waist the whole time, but there's just no way to paddle without using both shoulders. It didn't bother me while paddling, but it sure hurt afterward. Luckily, my roommate was a chiropractor and was willing to work on me. Between her, aspirin, and valerian, I survived. I do know, however, that non-motorized boating is not in my near future.
My own stupidity aside, the trip was great fun. The rapids weren't anything special, but we all got soaked. With temperatures in the low 70s, however, I was happy to cool off a bit.
Kali, our raft guide from Nepal
Marybeth and I, all dressed up and ready to go.
The other raft in typical rapids.
Paddles upraised to celebrate getting through a rapid.
The black and brown things are bee hives hanging under a cliff edge. Lorraine, our bee keeping expert, said the black ones are dead hives. The longest of these was about two feet or so.
Several local monks were down on the river bank washing their laundry.
I liked the way the red robes drying on the bushes looked.
We were on the Pho Chhu, Father River, and floated toward the confluence with Mo Chhu, Mother River. As with mountain passes, confluences of rivers are considered auspicious locations. At this confluence was built the Punakha Dzong, the oldest in Bhutan. It used to be the capital of the country before the capital was moved to Thimphu. This dzong, more than others we visited, made me realize that it really was a fortress. In it's thick walls, lattice-covered windows, and central courtyard its purpose was abundantly apparent. I suppose they are in other dzongs, too, but this was the first time I really noticed them.
Punakha Dzong from across Mo Chhu.
The temple entrance. As always, no photos inside.
When entering dzongs or temples, Bhutanese people are required to wear national dress, a gho for men and a kira for women. Below is Yeshey in his gho. The white scarf he has draped around him in a specific manner is called a kabney. White is the color for commoners. Royalty, members of parliament, and other important people all have their own designated colors. The kabney is required as well, as is a rachu for women, a sash worn over the left shoulder. As foreigners, we were just required to wear long sleeves and long pants. In the temple itself, we couldn't wear shoes inside, nor anything on our heads, including pushed up sunglasses.
You can just see that Yeshey is wearing two buttons, one with a photo of the King, the other the King and Queen. Bhutan's royalty is greatly loved, and we saw photos of them displayed everywhere. The King and Queen were just married last year; it appears the country is still celebrating.
Prayer wheels are everywhere in Bhutan. I've shown you photos before of water-driven wheels. Dzongs and temples tend to have rows of them inset in the exterior walls so that as you walk clockwise around the building you can spin each prayer wheel, also clockwise, always clockwise. You can buy wall-mounted ones for the inside of your house, hand-held wheels, even solar powered ones for your car dashboard. Each one is usually inscribed with the Bhutanese symbols for the chant Om Mani Padme Hum. Inside of each is a paper with the same chant. This same chant is said as you turn each bead on a string of Buddhist prayer beads, and it's also what the monks chant in the temples.
While those who know apparently don't agree on a literal translation of the syllables in the chant, most say that the entire teaching of Buddha are contained within them. When I asked Yeshey for the chant's meaning, he said, "Do unto others as you would have done unto you." I commented that I'd heard it was meant to be a blessing on all sentient beings. He emphatically agreed that that was true. The upshot seems to be that each time it's said or each turn of a prayer wheel, blessings are sent out to the whole world. What a wonderful idea!
One of a set of prayer wheels at the entrance to the Punakha Dzong temple.
Monks chanting in one of the dzong's buildings. The main chamber was open to the floor above, so we were able to walk around it and look down on the monks, very quietly. They accompany their chants with drum beats and blows on a long horn and a conch.
This temple was highly decorated with paintings on the outside. These were a few of my favorites.
In the first picture are depicted the four friends. They worked together to plant a fruit tree. The bird brought the seed. The rabbit dug the hole. The monkey planted the seed. The elephant watered the seed. They were then all able to share the fruits, literally, of their labors. This illustration is quite common in Bhutan. The moral of the story should be obvious.
This next picture shows the wheel of life. At the center are animals representing the three negative attributes of humans that are the source of all discontent: anger, greed, and jealousy. If we were able to do away with these we would all be enlightened, and the wheel of life would be unneccesary. The surrounding rings of images depict the upper and lower realms. If you've led a good life and have accumulated an abundance of good karma, you'll be reborn in the higher realms. If you've behaved badly and your karma is negative, you'll be reborn in the lower realms. You have an opportunity to redeem yourself in each lifetime by choosing to act rightly rather than wrongly. This description is, of course, subject to my memory and understanding, but I think it captures the basic principles.
This final painting represents the universe. I don't really know what meaning it has, but I sure do like it. I had an opportunity to buy a hand-painted version of it on canvas, but didn't. It was a simple case of confusion and stubborness. I asked one young woman in the shop how much the painting was and she said 1800 Nu. She wandered off as I looked at it some more. I discussed getting a mailing tube with another woman, and then told her I'd take the painting. She said, "It's 4800 Nu." When I mentioned that the other woman had said 1800, this one just shook her head and shrugged. In the end, 4800 Nu was just $96 for a piece of artwork. I'm still kicking myself. I guess it's just another reason to go back someday.
Adjacent to the dzong was a park in which a group of men were having an archery tournament. Archery is Bhutan's national sport, and matches occur frequently. The standard distance between the targets is 140 meters, far enough that we questioned their ability to see the target let alone aim at it. In this match the men were using crossbows, but normal bows are traditional and still often used. Men from each team stand by each target. When a man hits the target, his teammates at the target begin to sing a traditional folk song. In response, the teammates by the shooter dance a traditional dance. The competitor who hits the target gets a colorful scarf to hang from his gho belt (the colors don't mean anything, they just become colorful gifts for his wife or girlfriend). The more scarves a man has, the better shot he is.
As a final treat for the day, Rinzin's family was watching the archery match, so we got to meet them. Aren't they a lovely family?
