"Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore" (or On the Other Side of the Border)

The dividing ling between Bhutan and India at the border town of Phuentsholing into neighboring Jaigon is marked by a sign that simply says, “Enter,” for pedestrians and a classic looking Bhutanese gate for cars. Scott and I followed our Bhutanese friend Sonam Topgyal, who had picked us up when our bus reached Phuentsholing 6 ½ hours after leaving Thimphu, through the “Enter” sign. We walked into a doorway out of Bhutan and out another doorway into India, a brand new country for both Scott and I. To say the shift in countries was startling would be an understatement. On the other side of the gate a completely different world existed, just as the bus ride had revealed a few hours earlier when the fresh, clean mountain air of the Thunder Dragon Kingdom gave way to smog and pollution the closer we got to India. On the other side of the border, in which Indians and Bhutanese can float between freely, were more crowds, more litter, more shops. Street food, street children, beggers – all things that are essentially non-existent in Bhutan.

I had my first experience with a clinging child begger – a boy no older than eight literally hanging onto me for three minutes. He dug his fingernails into my arm, he wrapped his arms and legs around ankle and shin, and he hooked his finger into the waist of my jeans. Scott, the only white man in sight, was clinger-free. Eventually the little boy released his grip on me. Later another child spotted me buying a plate of street momos and asked for one. I easily gave.

Scott and I followed Sonam through our first street of India. It was almost like an “Intro to India,” although we know the border town of Jaigon is one-hundredth as intimidating as other Indian cities. Scott and I kept saying, over and over, “This is so different.” Things were grittier, noisier, more intense. All the while, Bhutan, our home for the past year, was a few minutes walk away.

We followed Sonam into a sweet shop as he bought his children a New Year’s Eve cake and other treats. We then headed back to the quiet side. A blue Dantek sign on the Indian side plainly greeted us, “Welcome to the Royal Kingdom of Bhutan,” and I’d never felt so relieved to be crossing a border. Even it was just be for a few more short hours, Scott and I would feel safe and calm in Bhutan’s gentle embrace.

Different Goodbyes

Sonam Wangmo called around 4:30 to have us meet her and Jamyang for coffee. We went to a cute, modern coffee shop/Korean restaurant/boutique – the kind of establishment that makes one feel that they are in New York City or Hong Kong rather than Bhutan. We sipped flavored coffees and laughed and chatted and enjoyed each other’s company.

Next stop – Buddha Point, in the dust from trucks still on duty (Buddha Point is not done being constructed) passing quickly by and the cold wind getting brisker by the moment. We took funny photos and by the time we walked back to Sonam’s car, the sun had set and the Trashicchoe Dzong was lit up in LED lights white and red, a nightly landmark much larger than the also lit – although much gaudier – Memorial Chorten. The car winded down the road and Scott and I got let out a bit above town to pick up a bottle of Special Courier whiskey we had in the hotel room – a house gift for Nancy’s dinner.

After the quick hotel stop, we maneuvered our way through Thimphu’s streets for the last time and arrived at Nancy’s right at 6:30. Jamyang and Matt were already there, a table of appetizers between them, Sonam taking a shower (the water at her house had been frozen). We got drinks served before the final guests arrived – Aum Pek and Dasho Kinley.

We had the most delicious dinner of roast chicken (a local Bhutanese chicken; not a skinny, frozen chicken from India that we had become accustomed to), mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, stuffing, salad with dressing, broccoli, vegetables, and wine. The meal was exquisite, especially for our chili-and-cheese palette, and decadent. I could’ve eaten forever.

It’s funny how Scott and I spent our last nights in Thimphu with Nancy – one night at Seasons with Nicole, Katie, and Matt – and tonight at her house. Although head of the Bhutan-Canada Foundation, the organization that brought Scott and I to Bhutan, Nancy played a bit role in our experience in Bhutan. But she made sure to give us a nice departure, our stomachs full.

Sonam and Jamyang dropped us off back at the Tandin Hotel. We hugged our goodbyes and even though it could be farewell forever, I don’t think it will be. There are different goodbyes. The ones that will stick – the lingering looks, the real look of departing, which is what I had with Dechen (I will never forget her face when she turned one last time to see me) and Sir Phuntsho – looks of resignation, of finality. With Sonam, it felt different, like leaving Bhutan altogether, doesn’t feel real. Maybe because I hope it’s not.

Phuentsholing tomorrow. Another chapter.

Some Last Bhutanese Views

Dochu La

Taktshang (Tiger's Nest)

Our final days in Bhutan were spent with Katie and Nicole. We had fun retracing some of our steps, but also got to see new places like Phobjikha and the Tang Valley in Bumthang. It was great to see their expressions of wonder and awe. Plus, they brought some of the best weather we've seen yet. Thanks goes out to Nicole, Katie, and JJ for coming to see us in such a far off locale and being such good sports about bringing things back to the states.

Small Things

In two days Scott and I will depart Bhutan. We’ll jump on a bus going to Phuentsholing and cross the border overland into India where another adventure awaits us.

Since leaving Kanlung on the 18^th and taking a three-day road trip back to Thimphu, my thoughts have been a blur. I haven’t been able to quite pinpoint anything concrete, haven’t been able to conjure up any real feelings about leaving. I know it’s happening, but I can’t quite process it. Yet.

It’ll hit me as we’re riding on the bus to the border town, Scott and I among many Bhutanese strangers, how much Bhutan became a part of me. How all the little things added up.  Already it feels strange to be in Thimphu and not be able to text or call any other BCF teachers, our link to effortless human connections and source of endless conversations. 

And small things keep popping up in my mind, things I cannot return to, things I will miss: The small neighbor kid Tin Tin saying almost every time he saw me, “Madam, everybody dance now. Everybody dance now” – a result of my teaching a group of students, including his sister, a dance to this popular 90s tune; the excitement of spotting broccoli at a shop; conversations in English with Lopen Sonam and how quickly his almost non-existent English improved in the short time I was there; the morning prayer sung by the students every day; whenever my class 6A students said, ‘Bless you,’ to me – a western custom they picked up from me and only used on me; the view (of rice paddies, of snowcapped mountains, of colorful birds, of Sherubtse college) from our apartment in Kanglung; the sounds of pujas emanating through the air as I walked through town; the kindness of the teachers I worked with; the quiet and calm of Kanglung, where the only loud noise came from barking dogs or rowdy college students; the extreme generosity of Bhutanese.

Last Day in the East

National Day Celebration in Yongphula, the town above Kanglung.

BRO: To SJ and Back

In order to pick up JJ, Scott and I had to drive 6 hours south to Sandrup Jongkhar, otherwise known around these parts as SJ. It was our first visit to this border town and I thought it would be a great opportunity to capture some of the amazing road signs that dot the main road. 

Some might think the sign makers were very hip by referring to the driver as “Bro,” but that’s not the case. BRO stands for Border Roads Organization. These signs have brought us a lot of joy this year and the trip to SJ let us glimpse some ones we hadn’t seen before.

Here is a small sample of signs by BRO:

JJ's Coming!

When JJ, Scott’s cousin, visited Wrangell, Alaska, I think he gave Scott about a week’s notice by email. JJ arrived, caught a white king salmon, took a ride on a floatplane, ate pizza, watched me do an afternoon news broadcast at KSTK, and left. When JJ visited Tanzania (the first time), he joined Scott and I on our first African safari to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.

When JJ visited Tanzania (the second time), he brought two friends to climb Kilimanjaro with Scott and others.

And now he’s on his way to Bhutan. He’s been traveling for over three days, will arrive in Guwahati Airport noon tomorrow where he’ll jump in a taxi and ride to the border town of Samdrup Jankhar. We’ll be waiting for JJ there, anxious and excited to welcome him to yet another home and take him on a tour of Eastern Bhutan.