Going for a Zhong: more travels in Bhutan
With the luxury of our own transport we could ask for a diversion to a nunnery near Trongsa which is connected to Kate’s teacher. The young nuns were practicing their debating skills outdoors, slapping their hands together for emphasis in the Tibetan style, some whirling round with sheer enthusiastic energy: apparently they are winning competitions.
Penukka Zhong, another of Zhabdrung’s constructions, at dawn.
Wonderful architecture, sloping white walls, colourful carved wood.
Near Penukka is the temple dedicated to Drokpa Kunley (the Divine Madman), another revered Tibetan who brought ‘crazy wisdom’ to Bhutan in 1400s. He drank, abused people, and philandered with wives, all to help bring enlightenment through shocking people out of their complacency. He also praised the phallus as his ‘divine thunderbolt’, and in consequence many walls are decorated in a somewhat surprising way. At the temple itself, a monk circulates with both a small bow and arrow, and a 10-inch phallus, and we were blessed by a tap on the head with both. Then I paid to throw three dice — I got a total of 5, which apparently was very auspicious, but I wonder if he said that to everyone.
We watched a competition on waste ground where men threw large metal darts at targets, with winners being rewarded by a sash and a song and dance from his team, who stand around the target as the darts are thrown —it seems to be extraordinarily dangerous. Archery is the big sport — rather than the audience keeping deathly quiet, they shout ribald comments to try and put the archers off.
Into Thungpa, the overdeveloped and ugly capital, which is notable mainly for the famous policeman directing traffic at the busiest junction — Bhutan has no traffic lights. Having heard so much about Bhutan’s focus on GNH (Gross National Happiness), it was interesting to hear that it sometimes can mean businesses meeting sclerotic bureaucracy to pass the environmental regulations — the top graduates aspire for the civil service, and once in they need to give themselves work.
Stray dogs are a big issue in Bhutan — they are everywhere, very calm and friendly during the day, but at night set up almost continual howling. But people protect them, and culling is out of the question, although there are campaigns to neuter. After our roadside picnics, the remains were mixed up and distributed fairly between the dogs that had gathered around us and patiently waited their turn.
The final big sight was outside Paro — the long climb to the Tigers Nest (Taktsang), where Guru Rimpoche supposedly flew to meditate for 6 months in a cave. It is tough to get to, perched on a cliff and seemingly inaccessible. But we made it in a couple of hours, and spent an unhurried time visiting the temple complex (which of course had burned down on numerous occasions.)
The big treat after our climb was a hot stone bath, in which we sat in wooden tubs while stones (which had been sitting in an open fire) were dropped in at the foot-end. Care was needed with the toes. Wonderfully relaxing — the next day we saw a man having his bath out in his front vegetable patch.
I finally got a proper lesson in putting on my gho, which is not straightforward — fortunately we have a video. With a belt, huge amounts of stuff can be tucked away.
