Day 4: Jongkhar to Dongtse
Our final day of hiking was short and sweet and sunny. We woke up in old staff housing of Jongkhar Primary School, had breakfast at the principal’s house, packed up, and left. After falling into our various walking strides, we were soon a caravan of travelers on our way towards the town of Dongtse, where there would be a bus to take us back to Trashigang.
A last look at Jongkhar.
During the brief three hours of walking, we passed several groups of travelers. The election was in a few days so teachers and support staff were on the move. In Bhutan, since teachers are an educated group of people, they are the ones who work the elections. The teachers at my school were posted in towns close to Kanglung, towns they could drive to, but other teachers had to make the multiple-day trek to Merack and Sakteng and towns even more remote. I’ve heard that teachers prefer to be posted in remote towns far away from where they live as that equates to more money. Besides groups of teachers, we also passed groups of policemen with big guns slung over their backs. They work the elections as well by keeping the peace. It was hard for us to fathom the kind of activity that would necessitate the presence of a gun taking place in Bhutan. Guns just aren’t normally seen in this country.
For some of the trail I walked with Scott. Each time we passed a different group, we stopped for a bit and chatted. We imagined the same was happening for the whole group, especially the ADEO. As we walked over a smaller suspension bridge, I noticed an older Brokpa lady walking behind us. Shortly after the bridge was a steep uphill and at first, I tried to power up it at relatively the same pace I had been walking. But it was of no use. I had to rest in the middle, sweating and panting. Instead of passing us right away (Scott was being nice and waited for me), the older Brokpa lady – she might have only been in her 50s but she looked like she was in her 70s – paused behind us where we stopped. I think she was genuinely worried about me, maybe wanted to see that I would be okay. I made the motion for her to pass. After giving us a last look that seemed to ask, ‘Are you sure?’ she passed us and continued to motor on up the steep hill. The Brokpa people, who’ve walked their whole lives, are so strong and fast.
As was usual, at some point, Scott got ahead of me as well. I always enjoy walking with him, but I know I hold him back. The last stretch of walking was short but it was, for the most part, uphill, sometimes in the hot sun. The thing that kept me in good spirits was knowing that it would be over soon. And it was. I had no idea it was coming. I was just walking and walking, sometimes waiting on the side to allow a horse to pass, and I got to the top of a hill and the next step was onto blacktop. I had made it to the road, to the spot where people start the journey to Sakteng coming from the other direction. It was a startling transition, one tinged with happiness for a journey completed and sadness knowing that what we had been looking forward to for weeks was actually over.
A few meters in front of me was Scott, Sonam, and Phurpa sitting under a small piece of shade. Shauna was further up ahead under another patch of shade. I joined the group, set my bag down, and waited for the rest of the group to join us.
Julian landing on the oh so startling blacktop.
To mark the official end of the trek, our group took one more picture in front of the gate of the Dongtse Secondary School, where a bus was waiting for us.
The campus of Dongtse Secondary School.
The town of Phongme.
Along the way, the bus stopped at this tap which supposedly let out blessed water. I got out to get a few drops of it but the tap was busy with a boy taking a bath.
The drive between Phongme and Rangjung was stunning with terraces all along the hillsides.
Before Trashigang, our group stopped in Rangjung to say hi to BCF teachers Vicky and Ian and to visit the famous monestary and temple there.
Looking down on Rangjung. As Rangjung was planned before it was built, notice the sidewalks, a luxury most Bhutanese towns do not have.
The lakhang at the Woesel Chholing Monastery.
I think this was the only picture of the two of us taken on the trip.
Inside the temple.
A last look at Jongkhar.
During the brief three hours of walking, we passed several groups of travelers. The election was in a few days so teachers and support staff were on the move. In Bhutan, since teachers are an educated group of people, they are the ones who work the elections. The teachers at my school were posted in towns close to Kanglung, towns they could drive to, but other teachers had to make the multiple-day trek to Merack and Sakteng and towns even more remote. I’ve heard that teachers prefer to be posted in remote towns far away from where they live as that equates to more money. Besides groups of teachers, we also passed groups of policemen with big guns slung over their backs. They work the elections as well by keeping the peace. It was hard for us to fathom the kind of activity that would necessitate the presence of a gun taking place in Bhutan. Guns just aren’t normally seen in this country. For some of the trail I walked with Scott. Each time we passed a different group, we stopped for a bit and chatted. We imagined the same was happening for the whole group, especially the ADEO. As we walked over a smaller suspension bridge, I noticed an older Brokpa lady walking behind us. Shortly after the bridge was a steep uphill and at first, I tried to power up it at relatively the same pace I had been walking. But it was of no use. I had to rest in the middle, sweating and panting. Instead of passing us right away (Scott was being nice and waited for me), the older Brokpa lady – she might have only been in her 50s but she looked like she was in her 70s – paused behind us where we stopped. I think she was genuinely worried about me, maybe wanted to see that I would be okay. I made the motion for her to pass. After giving us a last look that seemed to ask, ‘Are you sure?’ she passed us and continued to motor on up the steep hill. The Brokpa people, who’ve walked their whole lives, are so strong and fast.
As was usual, at some point, Scott got ahead of me as well. I always enjoy walking with him, but I know I hold him back. The last stretch of walking was short but it was, for the most part, uphill, sometimes in the hot sun. The thing that kept me in good spirits was knowing that it would be over soon. And it was. I had no idea it was coming. I was just walking and walking, sometimes waiting on the side to allow a horse to pass, and I got to the top of a hill and the next step was onto blacktop. I had made it to the road, to the spot where people start the journey to Sakteng coming from the other direction. It was a startling transition, one tinged with happiness for a journey completed and sadness knowing that what we had been looking forward to for weeks was actually over. A few meters in front of me was Scott, Sonam, and Phurpa sitting under a small piece of shade. Shauna was further up ahead under another patch of shade. I joined the group, set my bag down, and waited for the rest of the group to join us.
Julian landing on the oh so startling blacktop.
To mark the official end of the trek, our group took one more picture in front of the gate of the Dongtse Secondary School, where a bus was waiting for us.
The campus of Dongtse Secondary School.
The town of Phongme. 
Along the way, the bus stopped at this tap which supposedly let out blessed water. I got out to get a few drops of it but the tap was busy with a boy taking a bath.
The drive between Phongme and Rangjung was stunning with terraces all along the hillsides. 
Before Trashigang, our group stopped in Rangjung to say hi to BCF teachers Vicky and Ian and to visit the famous monestary and temple there.
Looking down on Rangjung. As Rangjung was planned before it was built, notice the sidewalks, a luxury most Bhutanese towns do not have.
The lakhang at the Woesel Chholing Monastery.
I think this was the only picture of the two of us taken on the trip.
Inside the temple.
posted by Siapiau | 9:41 PM
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