Today was a big day. It would have been even bigger if it could have been our first International Bike Ride. But, we were still excited to visit Bhutan. Nilu was to leave his car here for the next two days. As we waited for the taxi to pick us up, we picked up a ball nearby and practiced some football. It was only after we realized that it was actually a volleyball, that we changed the sport. But then again swung back to football.
As the taxi arrived, we piled in. The road weaves in between massive tea estates. We were dropped off at the border town of Jaigaon. A gateway with negligible checking leads to Bhutan. Phuentsholing is on the other side of the gateway. Both the towns are split by a wall. But this border is very porous. People are seen walking across easily. Both these towns show a perfect, balanced blend of two cultures. Perfect peace and harmony. Our states should learn from these towns.
We entered the Immigration office to get permits for our stay in Bhutan. Getting a permit after entering the country, how much more friendly can you get. Tourists can roam around in Phuentsholing easily without permits. They are checked some distance ahead at a checkpost. A passport is the best method to get the permit. Only two of us were carrying passports. The others had Driver's Licenses. So, we had to go to the Indian Consul nearby to get our nationalities verified. We booked a cab that we would be using later on to get to Thimphu as well. The driver was Kinley and a brilliant guy.
Sadly, the official here is not that friendly. As soon as he learnt that two among us were IOC officials, he asked for an NOC. This was a shocker. It seemed as if our trip would be over even before it started. But our kind and docile faces must have convinced him otherwise. He provided us with the verification letter to be submitted at the Immigration Office. We raced back only to find that they had lunch break.
Kinley got our currency exchanged at a nearby store. The Ngultrum and INR are at par and in these two towns and even nearby, both of them can be used. We had lunch ourselves at Zen restaurant in Phuentsholing along with Druk 11000 beer. This was our first taste of Bhutanese alcohol. We ogled at all the SUVs parked outside. We were under the impression that Bhutan is a poor country. But, it is hard to believe that when you see all the Tucsons, Hiluxs, Prados parked here and there. We dont get some of the models in India.
We waited for a while inside the Immigration office to collect our permits. We got them at 2:30 PM and we were off. By now, Kinley had packed our bags neatly on the roof of his Versa, covered with tarpaulin. It so happened that our ages were displayed clearly on the permits. One particular person was revealed to be eldest and his leg was pulled to no end over this during the entire trip and even today. His identity would be revealed later.
The 157 kms to Thimphu took 5.5 hours. We snoozed most of the way. Enroute, we also did some illegal activity. Smoking is completely banned in Bhutan. So, Kinley stopped at a roadside and then our guys puffed secretly taking cover of the taxi. Nilu squeezed Kinley dry of all the information to gain entry and citizenship into the country. He also learnt some Bhutanese or Jongkha words. Heres what I remember:
Kuzumbo - Hi
Bum - Female
Boo - Male
Tashi Delek - Good Wishes
Bhutanese - Jongkha
8 Lucky Buddhist Symbols - umbrella(dunkar), lotus, victory banner, white conch(peng), golden fish
All through the drive, we marvelled at the smooth roads of Bhutan. BRO was at play here also. Project Dantak. Our missing motorcycles repeatedly panged at us. But we decided to make the most of it without them.
As we entered the gateway of Thimphu, we were struck by an awesome sight. A four-lane highway. And then a flyover. At a hill station. Kinley only dropped us at a budget hotel, Hotel Choephel Norkyi on Norzin Lam road. This road is frequented by tourists and also a busy market place. The location was perfect and the pricing was right. We boarded in.
We thanked Kinley and said goodbye to him. After we had dumped the luggage, we came out to buy some of the local liquor. When we came out, Kinley only guided us to a store. This was another unusual sight. We were in a departmental store selling groceries. And there right on top of the Cerelacs, were the Whiskey bottles. We picked up one bottle of Courier and another more premium brand, K5. Alcohol is quite cheap in Bhutan and also of topmost quality.
Fried pork was ordered as snacks and we started our session in the room. IPL also entertained us in between all the leg pulling. Then for dinner we again had, yes, pork. But the pleasant surprise was that I got rotis. And they tasted heavenly after so long. The sweet taste of wheat. I ordered the local dish Kewa Datschi along with it, but did not find the taste to my liking.
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