Food in Bhutan is spicy, good, and inexpensive - most dinners average $2 to $4 including a beer. Tonight we decided to try the American Restaurant. It is called "The Zone", and clearly is trying to copy American hamburger and sports bars. The waiters wore slacks, down vests, and baseball caps rather than traditional Bhutanese Ghost and Kiras. I saw more chilips (the Bhutanese term for fair skinned foreigners) than I have seen in any one location. This was clearly another one of the "ex-pat" hang outs along with the one pizza parlor in town and the one coffee house. I had a Yak burger (yes, it was Yak meat), fries and a Druk beer.
Druk 11,000 - Druk is one of the local breweries
The Yak Burger was actually quite tasty. Oddly, this was possibly the most expensive meal I have had in Bhutan.
Today was a holiday for the Indians living in Bhutan. There is a very close relationship between India and Bhutan. Despite a cultural similarity with Tibet to the north, the border with China is closed. Perhaps because of what could be viewed as a threat from the Chinese, there is a close relationship between Bhutan and India to the south. There are joint military exercises with India which even maintains a base next to the Bhutanese base in Haa. There are also many workers from India in Bhutan. Today was "Holi", an Indian holiday. When I asked what was being celebrated I was told it was somewhat like "Christmas". I failed to see the similarity, as the part of the celebration which I saw involved many young people with clothing , faces, and even hair painted in multiple bright colors and throwing paint at each other in the streets. I simply maintained my distance.
On to Haa! Once again we traveled into the mountains , following winding, poorly maintained roads to a high point of almost 12,000 feet (more on the mountains tomorrow). On the way we saw an archery tournament and stopped to watch. Bhutan does not have a strong sporting tradition. They have never won an Olympic medal. We see children playing soccer, and there are basketball courts and there is cricket on TV and played at the military bases. However, if they have a national sport, it is archery. The archers wear the traditional Bhutanese Ghos which the men wear. The archers we observed were using modern high-tech bows, though we were told that sometimes tournaments allow only traditional bamboo bows which require a great deal more strength to use. The archers were shooting from 140 meters across a ravine at a small target.
Amazingly, they could sometime hit this minute target from this great distance. Several men would collect the arrows and would hide behind the wooden barriers during the shooting. I am told that arrow injuries are not infrequent.
Shortly after departing the archery tournament we came to Yangtho Goemba, where there was a monastery with upper and lower chapels (the black and white chapels respectively named after two birds seen a the site, one white and one black). In front of the lower chapel a young monk (boy, really) was stirring a bowl of rice and butter and gave us each a handful to eat.
The White Chapel
We were fortunate enough to again arrive on the day of a ceremony. In Buddhist Dzongs and temples, prayers are offered twice a day. On the day of the full moon there is a celebration of Thanksgiving. We arrived on the day of the full moon. We took a path a short distance (perhaps a 10 minute walk up a rocky hill) to the Black Chapel. After removing our shoes, we were allowed to enter. The air was redolent with incense in the dim room. Numerous murals and tapestries covered the walls, including one of the local deity and protector of the Haa valley. On the alter were numerous offerings including bags of potato chips and candy bars, as well as fruit and other foods. Some of the more senior monks were sitting against one wall. One of them had a drum and another a horn which looked about six feet long. There would be chanting followed by drums and the blowing of the horn. We stayed for the entire ceremony and received a water blessing. Though I was unable to understand the words of the ceremony, it remained spiritually uplifting.
We asked what was done with the offerings following the ceremony and were told they were first for the gods, then for Buddha, then for the people (to whom they were given after the ceremony).
We left the monastery and trailed on into Haa for lunch at Hotel Lhayul.
Following lunch and a walk thru Haa - on to the mountains.
Must be among the world's best archers!
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