Go East

It’s our last night in Thimpu. I’ve been in Bhutan for two weeks but it feels like it’s been so much longer. Of course for Scott, it doesn’t seem quite so long as he’s been here for less than a week. But I think for both of us, we’ve become enchanted with this country for various reasons.

We’ve been introduced to ministers, heads of Education divisions and departments, a prominent monk, Thimpu’s female senator, and so many other important Bhutanese figures. We’ve visited Dzongs and temples and monasteries and chortens and have walked by and under thousands of wavering prayer flags. We’ve been taken out to dinner by kind and generous Bhutanese. We’ve wandered around Thimpu and have bargained in its markets. I’ve been mistaken for Bhutanese at least five times already. We’ve sweated from the chillie-laden cuisine, have sampled Bhtuanese beers, and have drank bowls of ara. We’ve bought and worn the National Dress, lit yak butter candles, and learned how to write our names in Dzongkha. We’ve been lectured on Gross National Happiness, reincarnation, and Bhutanese democracy.

For the most part, though, so much is still unknown.

Tomorrow, we embark on a four day, three night road trip out to the east. We’ll watch the country pass by on the one road in the country that goes west to east, the road that usually closes during the monsoon season, the road that will lead us to our new home in Kanglung.

While I’m a bit sad to leave Thimpu, a sprawling city we’ve gotten used to, I’m more excited to get to where we’ll be. The last two weeks have been great, but I can’t wait for the next eleven months to begin.