To the End of the Road (Sharry Miller)

April 26, 2012 - Bhutan

I'm going to quote directly from the beginning of my journal entry for this day, as it not only sums up today's ride, but most days' rides.

Thirty kilometers today, out of Paro as far as you can drive to the west, and back again. In typical Yeshey/Rinzin fashion, we were assured there were no hills, but the second half was one long climb. My granny gear and I are well acquainted. Of course, I'm good friends with my brakes, too, since what goes up must come down. I'll be grateful to get back to Madeleine and be done with numb, aching hands.

Actually, I had a very nice day riding. The first half of the ride was flat, easy riding on a dirt road through Paro and then paralleling a river. My only complaint with this is that we were riding in a bunched up line so that my speed was dictated by those riding directly in front of me. Now, they're all wonderful women, but I really hate riding in a big group. I prefer to make my own decisions about how fast I want to ride, how much I'm going to slow for bumps or vehicles, etc., and you just can't do that in a closely-spaced group. Once we reached the uphill climb, we spread out more and I was able to ride alone, near the back, as always.

Our end goal, besides the end of the road, was the Drukgyal Dzong. This dzong was built in the mid-1600s, but was destroyed by fire in the 1950s. It is common for temples and dzongs to have butter lamps continuously burning, I think to represent the light Buddhism spreads to the world. Before Drukgyal Dzong burned, the lamps were placed on alters in the temples. Unfortunately, a lamp in this dzong was knocked over during an earthquake and started the fire that destroyed the dzong. Now, all butter lamps are kept in separate structures outside of temples.

Considering the amazing and beautiful dzongs and temples we've seen, I think this one is my favorite. The totality of its destruction gives it so much character; it allows my mind to indulge in flights of fancy which are grounded by occupied buildings. The nature of fire also gives the walls shapes that are much more interesting to my eyes than those of whole buildings.

Drukgyal Dzong entrance

Drukgyal Dzong temple

If the main entrance to Drukgyal Dzong was closed, this tunnel was the only way in. It was narrow enough that only one person could pass at a time, allowing defenders (remember, a dzong is a fort) to take out invaders as they exited the tunnel.

Every dzong, being a seat of government, has an associated town, and Drukgyal Dzong is no different. Despite being seats of government, in Alaska, we'd call most of these communities "villages."

Textile and handicraft shop just below Drukgyal Dzong

I know you wanted a closer look at this painting!

This town is also where trekkers leave from to access the mountains in the north. Tour companies offer a variety of treks of different lengths into the mountains of northern Bhutan. The longest, and the one considered the most difficult in the world, is the Snowman Trek. This 24-day trek passes beneath six mountains over 23,000 feet high, and crosses nine passes over 16,000 feet. I recommend Beneath Blossom Rain by Kevin Grange if you're interested in reading more about the trek. I'd love to go back to Bhutan for a trek, but I think a shorter one might be more likely in my future.

These horses were packed up and ready to head into the mountains.

After exploring the dzong, we rode back into Paro (downhill!) for lunch and a shopping opportunity. Yeshey took us first into a textile weaving shop - I was in color bliss! If I hadn't known they'd have stayed packed there, I'd have brought back a trunk full of weavings. Instead, I settled for a few inspirational photos. (Aren't you proud of me, Thane?)

Just a few of the thousands of pieces of handwoven fabric available for sale.

All this beauty created on backstrap looms!

Sonam, ever the clown, demonstrated the very loud sound of a traditional Bhutanese horn.

I quickly tired of shopping, and chose to wander a bit with Frankie. We'd spotted a bakery earlier and were eager to see if it had anything to offer. There wasn't much, but we did each enjoy a cream-filled bit of goodness. Afterwards, while waiting for our friends to finish spending their Nu, we laughed at the irony of gho- and kira-clad school children carrying western backpacks. I asked the two girls in the photo below if I could take there picture, and mentioned that I liked Angry Birds, too. They looked at me like I was nuts. I don't think they had any idea of what Angry Birds is.

Despite the uphill riding and hiking up to the dzong, the flights of marble stairs at our hotel weren't nearly as difficult tonight. Unfortunately, I will have to be satisfied with the strength I've achieved so far: today was our last day of cycling in Bhutan.