Day 5 – A noble unknown

Just under two hundred miles. That is the distance we have to cover today. That in itself is not insurmountable, but that ride takes place in the Himalayas. So instead of driving about two to three hours, we expect it to take about ten hours.

A little after 8am this morning, we start our calvary journey.

We start it in Mongar itself, our overnight stay, with a visit to the dzong. 

It is built more traditionally than yesterday and has two courtyards, one for the cloister, the other for the administrative building. This dzong dates from the 19th century. Yet this dzong is not completely conventional either. The central tower in the courtyard of the monastery contains not one but two temples. 

Young monks curiously come to the door of their room to watch those bizarre-looking tourists. They shine with a wide smile on their faces.

Then we start our spectacular drive with final destination Jakar.

The road through the mountains is just as difficult to drive on as it was the past few days. Here and there there are already short sections of asphalt, but they are also alternated with large sections consisting of leveled dirt road or worse, a road roughly cut out of the rocks. A mountain road also means a narrow lane with one bend after the other. We hve not yet completed one when the other is already in sight. There is no view of what is behind it. Our driver is a true artist. Not only the road condition is a challenge, but also the climatic conditions. Because the higher we climb, the thicker the fog becomes. We barely see anything of the beautiful coniferous forests, but the shadow of the trees that comes through the fog gives the whole thing something magical. 

The fog does have one advantage, the horrible depths along one side of the road are hidden from our view. In some places the fog is less thick and we see splashing waterfalls. At these waterfalls there are also what are called 'automatic' prayer wheels, which are powered by the waterfall.

Bhutan, as already mentioned, is a noble unknown to most. Let alone its history. The country has always remained independent and lies between two superpowers, China (Tibet) and India. It was never colonized, although Tibet and England have tried several times. There is a big difference between the east and the west of the country. The east is the agricultural part where no less than 60% of the population lives from agriculture, in the west more civil servants live and more trade is conducted. In the east they mainly grow maize, in central Bhutan there are potatoes and in the west rice.

Ethnically, the inhabitants in the west are descended from Tibetans, in the south from Nepalese and in the east from Mongols. That explains their different appearance.

Culturally and religiously, Bhutan has been mainly influenced by Tibet. Their official language, Dzongkha, is also closely related to Tibetan.

The country as we know it today has only been around since 1907 when the current dynasty of kings came to power. The first two kings ruled autocratically. The third king was the first to establish diplomatic relations with China, India and England. He also opened the country to foreigners for the first time. He also started developing a road network. Only the fourth king and father of the current king decided to install a parliament in 2008. Since then, democratic elections have been held every five years. Although officially autonomous, the country is de facto a protectorate of India that uses Bhutan somewhat as a buffer for arch-enemy China. India is Bhutan's main trading partner, India's army and air force protect the country on its northern border with China. Bhutan also has a volunteer army of about 6,000 men. It will therefore come as no surprise that if Bhutan focuses too much on China, India will annex the country into a state.

For several years now, education up to the age of eleven has been free to encourage school attendance. At the age of 11, Bhutanese have to take exams. If they pass, they can continue their studies for free. Others have to go to private schools if the parents can afford it. Education at the university is also subsidized if the marks are good. Bhutan recently opened its own university, in the past Bhutanese students had to go to India to continue their studies. Healthcare is free. The only major hospital is in the capital. Nursing posts have been established in other places.

The literal climax of the journey is today thrown at our feet, or rather wheels, with the ascent of the Tumsing-La. At 3,800 m, this is the highest mountain pass in Bhutan and for us the roof of the journey. 

In the afternoon we arrive at the top of the pass. It is of course cold so high, it is raining lightly and there is a thick fog. We walk around the stupa (as always in a clockwise direction). 

That stupa seems lavishly decorated with what I call cremation jars. In the tradition of Buddhism, followers are cremated upon their death. There are specific cremation grounds for each district where the bodies are cremated. This is done in a joint ceremony, although each dead person has his own woodpile. After cremation, the ashes are scattered in the river. The remaining unburnt bones are divided into 108 small stone pots and set out in panoramic places.

Why 108? 108 is a sacred number in Buddhism and stems from the 108 doctrines of Buddha. 

And if this is a panoramic place. Certainly in perfect weather conditions. Today it is less pleasant. The damp cold creeps into our bones. We quickly start the descent.

Jakar is at an altitude of about 2,000 m. The weather starts to clear up as soon as we start the descent. Even though our bodies hurt from today's uncomfortable ride, the Himalayas won't get us down today either.

Today we realize once again what a privilege it is to be able to travel here. What a happy people we are.