!ncredible Bhutan: Two Tourists Recall a Day in Thimphu

THIMPHU, BHUTAN - OCTOBER 14: School children wait for the arrival of the Royal Couple, His Majesty, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Her Majesty Queen Ashi Jetsun Pema Wangchuck, on October 14, 2011 in Thimphu, Bhutan. Royal Wedding celebrations will begin on October 14, in Thimphu as Bhutan celebrates the country's royal wedding. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

It goes like this:

It’s the Sunday Market in downtown Thimphu, the quaint capital city of the Kingdom of Bhutan. Two "Chilips" (as foreigners are referred to by the Bhutanese) are walking about trying to bargain with shopkeepers across a beautiful traditional Bhutanese cantilever bridge over some local handicrafts.

They spot incredible baskets filled with vegetables scattered in an orderly fashion in front of a woman attired in a traditional dress called the “Kira”. There are baskets full of garlic, onions and the ubiquitous chili. After ten minutes of extreme sign language and invariable the assistance of the ever-patient Bhutanese guide Karma Karchung, these two ladies recruit an English speaker to translate the matter. "We would love to purchase those baskets from you" says one of the tourists. Ten minutes later, after pleasant smiles and the utmost hospitality in their trading exchanges, the two tourists head back to their hotel with their guide, a likeable and relaxed young man dressed in the men’s attire called the “Gho”, the two ladies carry their little Buddha statues, Bhutanese motif T-Shirts, Prayer Beads, Prayer Flags, the Eight Auspicious Signs and head back to their comfortable Japanese Car now en-route to the National Memorial Chhorten, a beautiful stupa built in honor of the Third King of Bhutan.

The gorgeous stupa tour done with a lovely background story from Karma, They head back to their hotel- luxurious without being vulgar, clean bordering on cleanse and a staff that felt like family. They have had a lovely first day in what is probably the world’s quaintest capital.

Karma the guide seems happy that we are having a happy time, and visible so! They settle for the evening after a nice power nap helped by a healing massage. Karma again shows up to remind us of the next day’s program and bids us adieu after making certain we have had all our wishes fulfilled.

The two giddy ladies decide they want to find a drink to toast to the success of their shopping adventures from earlier that day and to celebrate being in one of the quirkiest capitals of the world.

Bhutan 21 (Photo credit: warwick_carter)

As suggested by Karma, they decide to go down the street in search of some beverage, but it was Tuesday, and Tuesdays are Dry Days in Bhutan, meaning the bars don’t serve alcohol. But you can still find a drink in the tiny shops. They walk awkwardly into a few shops (not the only people looking for a drink on a dry day in the thundering kingdom). In Bhutan, directions are given by a systematic flailing of the arms in the basic direction of where you want to go. There are no street signs as such, and given addresses lead to great adventures. So they go in circles for a while, following the graceful gestures the shop owners are directing them with. They finally end up on the back end of a little joint. The lights are out, but there's noise inside. They knock and the door opens. The two chilips find themselves in a curious situation; they've walked in on an intense game of "Yum- a traditional dice game with shells, a cup to hold the pair of die and lot of shouting". They watch the game in bewilderment even as they are goaded to join in. They watch drinking a glass each of the locally brewed Red Panda beer, pay up to a huge chunk of change and walk back up the steep hill to their hotel. Once they get there, they find everything is meditatively quiet. The guard greets them and opens the door.

It’s interesting to see the way things bloom in this place. Everything is so crazy when you arrive somewhere that's totally foreign to you. It took some time to notice that in the madness of adjustment, the place is so very steadily paced. I've only just realized how quickly I move about back in the U.S. Over the course of the two-week’s vacation, I began to walk at the pace of the Bhutanese- steady, relaxed and unhurried.

I guess it’s easy to forget about what is right in front of you when you're so concerned with what is ahead. in a place like Bhutan, what is right in front of you seems to be otherworldly, but if you let the tick tock go you can get your head around the fact that it is absolutely of this world.

I suppose it goes back to the insignificance a person feels when they enter such an overpowering place. It's my understanding that most people who come here experience an immediate shrinking of their being the moment Drukair, the national airline, starts its winding dissent through the Himalayas. It's a terrifying feeling, but a very important one to have at least a few times in your life--especially if you're here for more than a mere holiday. If you let go and embrace what Bhutan has to offer, do not be surprise if it’s the simplistic simpleness of life itself, and what is an incredibly beautiful place, in every sense of the word.

Wishing you happy holidays!