Woke up this morning to say goodbye to jijjaji, who had to leave for bhumtang to join office. Though I had tried my best to give him a decent farewell by parting with my warm and cozy bed but he took so long getting ready that I was soundly asleep again. I woke up to Remith announcing that the head lama was leaving for his winter adobe and people had lined up to receive his blessings, if I wanted to see it then I should get ready real fast! The head lama makes a bi-yearly sojourn through the city of Thimpu to and fro his summer and winter residence. Though I missed the parade, I had got a headway in getting ready for our all girls shopping trip through Thimpu.
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| Thimpu craft bazar image credits : http://www.thimphulive.com/2012/attractions/places-to-visit-in-thimphu/ |
First we headed for the parlour, they have a habib here too where I wanted a funky bhutanese hair cut. From where I come I am used to hair dressers tut-tutting at my hair calling it thin and ugly. So when the hairdresser complimented on my soft curly hair nourished by the mountain air, I was more than pleased. The haircut did bring a positive change to my appearance and I was pleased with the effect.
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| Haircut from Bhutan |
The visa atm worked like charm and I shopped for cousins and friends with aplomb! Postcards, bags, mufflers, wallets, t shirt I shopped for it all. I hope everyone back home like the gifts.
We dined in hotel tandin. I had jasha pa or sliced chicken this time. The sisters ordered beef datschi, chilly chicken, ribs, and rice. We had fruit cocktail to top it all. Amazing lunch as always. I have nearly had all of bhutanese fare by now.
Back home we had tea and packed our bags for paro. I bid farewell to remith and charmith. Will really miss these girls, they have been wonderful hosts and so loving and kind that I never did feel that I was away from home. If bhutan was an amazing experience then it was thanks to Isaac and the girls, every country and place has a face to it, to me its these girls! Love you all..Remith Charmith and Kakku..you are real darlings!
Kakku had so sweetly adjusted her holidays to show me around in paro, so she accompanied me to Bhkata dada's house who was to be our host in thimpu.
Most of the ride we went through pictures and kept chatting and before we knew it we had arrived at Paro.
Most of the ride we went through pictures and kept chatting and before we knew it we had arrived at Paro.
Bhakta Dada, who is Jijjaji's friend has a cute kid Rufus. Rufus was delighted at the ben 10 stationary set we had bought him. The delights of childhood! When a new stationary is your biggest treasure.
We played with Rufus and made him a paper aeroplane and a boat. We told him stories out of the book I had bought, 'folk stories of bhutan,' language was bit of a problem so I read the story in english and kakku translated it in Nepalese to Rufus who kept asking for more stories.
We played with Rufus and made him a paper aeroplane and a boat. We told him stories out of the book I had bought, 'folk stories of bhutan,' language was bit of a problem so I read the story in english and kakku translated it in Nepalese to Rufus who kept asking for more stories.
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| A painting showing famous folk story of bhutan the 4 friends |
When the night drew close, bhabi served delicious pork and daal with bhaat. Bhakta dada joined us for dinner and told us of his trips to upper reaches of bhutan with pictures on his laptop.
The government employees are supposed to carry out election duties by carrying ballot machines, rations and other utilities to remotest corners of the country. At many places where there is no road, they go walking or on mule backs.
At times there are exchange campaigns and workshops for yak rearing nomadic hill men to be carried out where they are provided by equiment and techniques for making yak cheese. A family has typically 50 to 100 yaks which they rear in north during summers and due south during winters.
The yak is an aggresive animal if it encounters an unknown visitor. Yaks are reared for milk cheese and wool. Yak wool is coarse and expensive also very warm. The hill people at the upper reaches wear clothing made of yak wool to keep warm. Bhakta dada showed us a yak wool bag and a yak tail.
The government employees are supposed to carry out election duties by carrying ballot machines, rations and other utilities to remotest corners of the country. At many places where there is no road, they go walking or on mule backs.
At times there are exchange campaigns and workshops for yak rearing nomadic hill men to be carried out where they are provided by equiment and techniques for making yak cheese. A family has typically 50 to 100 yaks which they rear in north during summers and due south during winters.
The yak is an aggresive animal if it encounters an unknown visitor. Yaks are reared for milk cheese and wool. Yak wool is coarse and expensive also very warm. The hill people at the upper reaches wear clothing made of yak wool to keep warm. Bhakta dada showed us a yak wool bag and a yak tail.
He also showed us a picture of blue mountain goats and an Albino yak.
Albino yak is very rare, it is all white and belongs to the king, the king had seen it on one of his trips across the kingdom and purchased the rare animal
image credit :
http://www.yaks.ca/white-himalayan-yak.html
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