bumthang – gentryfunkblog

Our travels to the eastern part of Bhutan was a long day. The roads in Bhutan are generally good AND the countours around the mountains take hours even though distances are short. Combine that situation with travel in vehicles no more than 35 – 40 miles per hour, and the process of travel from place to place is much longer than one might expect.

At the same time, our travel allows for a more nuanced approach, giving us time to stop for tea, photograph, and talk to people along the way. This very intentional approach to seeing a place makes for a much more considerate experience.

SO, we made our way across the country. Once in CHamkar – BUmthag, we settled into our residence for a couple of days, and then began our day in the pouring rain.

Our first temple was among the oldest temples imn Bhutan, Jambay Lhakhang. Build in the 600s, this temple’s interior shrine room is filled with statues of Padmasambhava and is 8 emanations. In addition, the space includes relics and ancient objects referencing Buddhism deep past in this region. Some folks refer to the Bumthang Valley as the cultural heart of Bhuddhism in Bhutan. Everyone from Pema Lingpa, Longchenpa, and Padmasambhava visited this place, l;eaving a mark on the culture and the landscape.

On a typicl day here in Bumthang, we would have walked the short distance to each of the temple along a dirt path to Kurjey Lhakhang, the location of the cave where Padmasambhava meditated more than 1400 years ago. Today, we took the bus to the temple and visited the shrine room and saw the cave that Padmasambhava sat in. If you ever wanted to visit one of the holiest, most sacred Buddhist shrines in the world, this one is it. The cave is distinctive in that according to legend, Padmasambhava left his mark in the wall of the cave. We sat for a while in this shrine room as Tenzin told us the story of Padmasambhava and his journey to Bhutan.

From Kurje Lhakhang, we made our way to Pema Lingpa’s temple, Tamzhing Lhakhang, across the river. Here we saw a group of people from Vietnam reciting the 100 Syllable Mantra. The temple was alive with sound, and we visted the shrine room, and saw the paintings on the wall placed there in teh 15th century.

From there we headed to a local farm house for lunch to taste local food and learn aboiut how it was made. The food, by far, was among the best we sampled in Bhutan.

After the farmhouse we headed back to the Hotel and then into town. Tomorrow, our journey takes us to Phobijikha Valley and a hike through the valley and a visit to the Black Necked Crane research facility.

You could feel it in the air as we crossed the pass; the remnants of winter’s chill holding onto the air in this high country (about 11,000 feet). Clouds hung low over the mountains as ribbons of rain tinted the sky dark gray in the distance. Our drive from Trongsa was manageable, and we had the chance to wander, a bit, to see textiles and the ancient ways of weacing using a loom and plant-dyed yak wool, as well as just settle into an early evening in Chamkar.

At this 1/2 way point in our travels in Bhutan, we’re in a groove, many of us no longer saddled with restlessness and lack of sleep. Each day we’re eager to se what’s next, what’s around the corner, and what new story we’ll hear from Tenzin.

As I did yesterday, you’ll hear from folks on our trip, and their insights and experiences in the Land of thhe Thunder Dragon. In my 6th visit to this p[lace, I remain in awe of the ways in which people live their lives, weaving together the ancient and the modern in such unique forms. As in all places and cultures, managing the pressure of capitalist demands and retaining cultural identity is a huge struggle for the country and the people.

Like so many of us in the world, navigating consumption and sustainability is a dance that few have managed to learn. When you’re here you can see how capitalist culture slowly strips away local knowledge and customs, attacking the very core of personal and community freedom. At the asme time, I am a part of that process, bringing colonial identities into this place. The tension for the Bhutanese and Bhutan is to maintain the delicate balance of tourism (one of the three pillars of the economy) and providing guardrails around established tradition and identity. That’s a lot of deep information for this light-hearted blog, and it needs to be said.

Beth: So far, we have learned and seen so many aspects of the culture. What I have found is how progressive the community is and the religion. They welcome people from outside including tourists which they consider as guests. It was also surprising that since they have such and old and long-term way of thinking and living within their culture they are so open to people being LGBTQ+ or whatever made people happy and healthy and love who they are, which is much more higher thinking than most countries are still working on.

Luisa: This has been an amazing trip. From the spectacular building, breathtaking views, kind and welcoming people, learning about this country has open my interest in learning more about Buddhism. I considered this “A trip of a lifetime”. Love some words they use here: there is no good bye, there is I’ll see you again, there is no tourist, you are a guest.

Tag: bumthang

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