Part 3 - Secret Diaries of the Himalayan Kingdom - Druk Yul – Land of the Thunder Dragon Day 3

Day 3

After spending  2 whole days in Thimphu. I was able to experience the culture of Bhutan Thanks to the Red hot Chilly.

The next morning with loads of memories and good mornings breakfast we left Thimphu  via the winder Road towards the direction of Punakha, which is the former Capital of the Country and the winter capital for the religious monks. It is a 3 hour drive , I was really excited to visit the people i really wanted to see if I came to Bhutan. 







My heart was already at the Valley of Gangte – Pubikha the destination of todays trip

The road to Phunaka travels across the Dochula pass on top of which appear 108 Chortens in the mist. Chortens are sacred containers for religious offerings which symbolize Buddhist consciousness in the Himalayan countries.

In a flash, the fog vanishes and the Druk Wangyal Ihakhang temple appears out of nowhere on a nearby hill. This is constructed in honour of the holy deeds and gestures of the 4 th King.

Being a Buddhist country, not much of meat is consumed in Bhutan leaving cheese and butter being the main sources of Protein and fat. However If you are a meat lover they do stock up meat which is imported either from India or from the other neighboring countries.

To the Bhutanese, time isn’t a number on the clock. Their sense of time is governed by which part of the mountain the sun is shining upon and when the cows are hungry. As a result, they are relaxed and laid back unlike those of us who always live in crunch time. They lead a happy life without relying on modern technology. The secret to their joyous life seems rather simple.













We had been driving for 4 hours when we finally entered the 4000 meter point near the summit . The breath-taking view of the yaks fattening up on the grassy highlands greeted me. This is the second time after Tsomgo lake Sikkim that I am seeing a yak in person. The head resembles a Cow with a body covered in fur and a tail bearing the semblance of a rope.

Here they are at 4000m above sea level at the highlands of Gangtae – a strong species that can bear the cold well and plough through the snow. Yaks are considered very important in Bhutanese life because without them, the highlanders cannot survive. Without them there is no butter, cheese, milk or even yak wool. The long highland winter prohibits them from farming, so yaks are an important and appreciated livestock which provide people with many of their essential staples. These useful livestock have been a big part of the lives of the Alpine people along the Himalayas since long past.

My eyes settle on a lone villager sitting on the side of as I look out the window during the drive along the road. He seems to be indulging in his daily waiting ritual – patiently anticipating his ride to reach the nearby Punaka market to sell his agricultural surplus. There are no busses in these villages and people had to walk miles everday to make their ends meet.

If he is not lucky enough to get a ride then his day is likely wasted.

The lives of these people may seem slow and uncomfortable. However, the people I met here neither rush nor strive for richer life. I can’t claim to understand everything through my short encounter with them. But the one fact that I was able to discern from my observation is that they are living in times which have been long forgotten by us.




I said good bye to the nomadic family I met there and left the village. On the way I met young students who were on the way to their school. The happy look on their faces tempted me to strike a conversation with them. I got to know that their village was located behind the hill, opposite the mountain where the school is situated. My inquisitiveness got the better of me and I asked how long it takes for them to reach the school from their village. I was told it was 5kms which usually takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour for an adult to cover by foot.

On the way I noticed a pair of brothers out at the village water tap. They were staring at the camera for a long time. Then suddenly they make a beeline to hide. The brother in another pair of siblings decide to hurriedly run away as well. His younger sister freezing on the spot. They are the epitome of innocence, don’t you think? They keep hiding due to their shyness . We decided to walk our way through the village to our destination. Mr. Dorji has brought Doma which Bhutanese commonly chew. Tasting bitter with an overwhelming scent, it will make you feel a buzz while also warming you up. Perhaps that’s why the people in this alpine region keep chewing this all time. It is a common sight to spot people with reddened mouths while strolling around Bhutan, indicating that they ate the red pigmented Doma.

While we were continuing our journey, Mr. Dorji casually told me the shocking fact that though polyandry is prohibited by law now, until recently it was allowed in Bhutan. It’s a unique marriage system in which a set of brothers can get married to one woman to prevent financial hardships from splitting the family property. In other words, it is the best way to share their possessions.
Another interesting characteristic of Bhutanese farming which I forgot to mention is my earlier blog is that you don’t have to search for organic food. This is because the people of Bhutan don’t use any chemical fertilizers when they farm. After Fruits and Vegetables, Cheese and Butter have the biggest variety. Something at the Cheese store stimulates my curiosity.They Dry the Yak cheese and bring it from the east where the Cheese is made because transporting it takes a while. It goes the same for meat that is dried or smoked to keep it from rotting.


And here I reach the The Valley of Pubjikha..