Sun, Apr 17 - Exploring Thimphu

Thimphu in early morning light, and Wangdi, our lovely driver

David let us sleep in and we didn't meet for tea and biscuits until 6:15 - this was because we were going to bird a narrow valley which doesn't get sunshine and bird activity until later.  We could overlooked the city from our hotel and see how lovely it is.  All the buildings, no matter how tall, are built in the Bhutanese style and are most attractive.   The day was clear and sunny as we drove along the Wang Chhu River north along a narrow winding road.  We stopped to bird and found ourselves by a large rock painting of Guru Rinpoche.

Guru Rinpoche

David lead us further up the river to a famous monastery, or Goemba, Cheri Goemba.  We crossed a small bridge to a beautiful temple, around which you can only walk clockwise (prayer bells can only go clockwise also), and there our crew had set up a table and our breakfast was ready!   We were joined by several semi-feral, but healthy, friendly, and endearing dogs.  We had our delicious porridge and honey, plus eggs, sitting at the foot of a very steep, forested hill on which the monastery sits and where monks climb up to stay and meditate.  Sitting at our table in the sun we also saw good views of several birds.

Cheri Goemba

Prayer Bells

Wangdi took us up into Jigme Dorji National Park, a park of virgin forest, full of tall, huge Blue Pines, larches, hemlocks, spruces, and enormous gnarled oaks covered with epiphytes.  The spacing of trees in an untouched forest is greater than in a denser cut-over one, making the birding somewhat easier.  We drove up a very steep slope switch-backing on the narrow road with huge drop offs - somewhat scary except our driver is so careful and skilled that we had nothing to worry about.  He dropped us off and we walked down the road stopping frequently for David to whistle the call of a Pygmy Owl which usually brings in a large flock of amazing species - quite overwhelming and confusing, but I'm trying to learn a few so I can take more in.

At noon we returned to Thimphu for a good lunch at a restaurant and then David set us free to wander the city and shop for handicrafts.  Bob and I went to the National Handicrafts Emporium and saw piles of beautiful weaving and jewelry and then walked along a line of 50 small huts selling more crafts.  The amazing thing was that no one pressured us to buy anything and pleasantly answered all our questions. If we had been in Latin America we would have been overwhelmed  by vendors swarming over us and begging us to buy.  We found a crafts coop and purchased a few things before finding our way to the Clock Tower in the center of town where our driver picked us up at 4 PM.

Scarves at the Emporium

No traffic lights in Thimphu!

We returned to the Riverview Hotel, cleaned up and at 6 PM met our Santa Barbara neighbors, Bryan and Leila, who are living in Thimphu for three months while Leila, a pediatrician, helps at the hospital (where medical care is completely free!) and Bryan is taking wonderful photographs of the local people.  It was great to see them and hear more about their inspiring lives.

Tomorrow, our first night of camping!

Mon, Apr 18 - to Punakha Dzong

We  left Thimphu at 4:45 AM and drove down to the only east - west highway.  It has improved in the last few years and much of it is well paved and we made good progress driving up to Dochu La, the pass at 10,000'.   We walked a miles or so along the road passing several types of blooming

Crimson-browed Finch

rhododendrons and magnolias.  We finally stopped at a turnoff where our kitchen crew had set up our table. After porridge with honey and raisins and great local cheese and we were off heading down out of primary conifer forest into lower elevation dryer areas of small farms and villages.

Rhododendron

Verditer Flycatcher

We came to the junction of two rivers, one of which the Bhutanese consider male and one female.  On the land between was the large Dzong of Punakha where the seat of government and religion was located until it was moved to Thimphu.  We turned left on the Tashitang Trail which follows the Mochhu (female) River.

The Punakha Dozing 

We noticed a lot of traffic going our way until Ugyen, our Bhutanese leader, remembered that today was a special ceremony in which various relics of the "Unifier",Ngawang Namgyal, who arrived in Bhutan in 1616 and brought the various Buddha sects together into the present country.  These relics are only on exhibit very rarely - this being the 400th anniversary - of his arrival - so this was a very special occasion.

As we approached the spectacular Dzong we could see an enormous line of people winding around the building.  We inquired and were told that if we wanted to go in but not view the relics we could bypass the line...so in we went, climbing some very steep steps and entering a hall full of people.

 Ugyen lead us through into a large courtyard full of people, many of whom were musically chanting.  The relics were displayed on one side and Ugyen lead us over and pushed us into the line!!  We thought this wasn't a great idea but no-one seemed to object so we gave the monks some offerings of cash and looked at the various object: hats, shoes and one tooth!  On one wall was a quilted tapestry well over 100' wide and high depicting a large golden Bhudda and ornate designs - really amazing and unfortunately no photography was allowed.  

A painting in the Dzong

Ugyen lead us into the temple where people were prostrating themselves in front of other golden Bhuddas.  We finally left along with large groups of school children and found our bus that took us a short ways to our cooking crew who had a large lunch all ready for us: the national dish of chilies and cheese, chicken, squash, eggplant, among other dishes!  Amazing what they can produce under pretty primitive circumstance.

We continued driving up the Mo Chhu Valley on a narrow rutted dirt road and into another part of the enormous Jigme-Dorji National Park we had visited yesterday.  The woods became dense and we birder here and there.  I actually skipped one excursion and fell asleep on the bus.  

Our First Camp-site

At 4:15 we pulled off the track onto a grassy areas next to the roaring river and found our kitchen crew once again , plus others who had set up five tents, plus two toilet tents and an eating tent.  Bob and I picked out a tent which was pretty spacious with two comfortable cots and even a small solar powered lamp!  All of our luggage was brought to us and we found we have to organize ourselves better for future camping - sorting our stuff so we can have just one suitcase each in the tent.  It got a little chaotic figuring where our stuff all is!

We had another good dinner and David produced a bottle of local whiskey which enlivened the evening.  We soon went off to our tents and had a surprisingly good sleep!

Sat, Apr 16 - Birding in the Snow!

Primulus species

After a poor night's sleep due in part to barking dogs - a problem in Bhutan- we got up at 3:45, met for biscuits and coffee at 4:45, and set off in our van at 5 AM.  I was wearing long underwear and we had packed our down jackets and other cold weather gear as we are driving up to Chele La, the highest drivable pass in Bhutan at 12,500'.

Tiny offerings placed on stone ledges

We set off from Paro in light rain and drove west and up into the mountains, stopping occasionally to bird - not easy in the rain to hold an umbrella along with all the other stuff one needs to bird.   We drove through pine forests admiring the spring wildflowers that are just starting to appear:  lavender and purple primulus and scarlet rhododendron.  At 12,000' the rain turned to sleet and then to snow.  As we reached the pass we pulled over and met our ground crew which will be following us the rest of the trip and providing meals and setting up our tents when appropriate.

Male & female Blood Pheasants in the snow

Prayer flags at the summit

There was a small tent covered in snow inside of which was a table all set up for us and under a picnic shelter our nice guys were cooking away and heating up water for coffee and hot chocolate.  We pulled on our parka and hats and sat down to warm bowls of porridge and honey followed by cheese omelets.  Some friendly dogs sat by waiting for scraps.  It was pretty amazing and surreal to be picnicking in a blizzard and very nice that none of us was affected by the altitude change

Our Breakfast Tent

Our hard-working cooks

We drove on leaving our crew to clean up.   As we descended from the pass the snow tuned into hail.  A pair of Blood Pheasants walked by our van - really gorgeous birds!  The weather cleared a bit as we made our way into the Haa Valley where we could hear speeches being made and horns playing.  Finally we could see a large dzong full of people; today is a national holiday as the new prince who was born recently is to be named, and the citizens are coming to the dzong to be blessed.

The Dzong at Haa

We drove into town and parked near the dzong and walked into a large courtyard full of Butanese in colorful national dress.  They welcomed us and happily posed for photos.  Unfortunately we couldn't stay but it was wonderful to see.

We continued on through farm land full of traditional three story houses, elaborately decorated on the outside.  The top floor is for storage, the middle for the family, and the ground floor is shelter for the farm animals.

A typical farmhouse

It was getting late afternoon, but we kept stopping to bird the roadside vegetation as there were so many exciting birds to see!  We saw parrot bills and scimitar babblers among many others.    Finally at 5:30 we had to take off as it was still a 2-hour drive to the capitol, Thimphu.  We wound down steep, narrow roads that don't allow shifting out of second gear for the most part.  Finally we came to a four lane highway and could speed up a bit and came into Thimphu which was surprisingly large and full of 4- and 5-story buildings.  Our driver said that until recently rice was grown in town, but now they only grow buildings!  Even so, Thimphu claims to be the only capitalwithout a stoplight or franchise businesses.

Red-headed Bulfinches

We got to the Riverside Hotel at 7:45 and met for dinner at 8:15.   Tomorrow we can sleep in until 5AM!

Fri, April 15 - Arriving in the Magical Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon

The alarm went off at 2:30 AM, and what with our jet lag still in effect, getting up was not too difficult.  We got a nice man with a cart to haul our luggage downstairs and found we had time to grab some fruit and rolls from the buffet before the seven of us all exited the hotel at 3:25 into the blazing heat and humidity of Bangkok.  In a few minutes we arrived at the airport and were first in line for our flight - not too surprising since it didn't leave until 6:50!  But in order to get window seats on the left side of the jet, and possible view of the Himalayas, it was worth the early arrival. 

We chatted in line until the terminal opened and David jollied the Druk Air lady into letting us all carry on our over-weight hand luggage!  We went through immigration, exited the country, got some good decaf cappuccinos at the Mango Cafe, and finally boarded our Druk (dragon) Air Bus A-319.

Bangkok Airport

We flew into the tropical haze over Thailand and  then Bangladesh and were served an excellent breakfast of noodles with bok choi, croissants and tropical fruit.  We napped and read for three hours and then descended into Bagdogra, India, for a quick stop.  As soon as we took off again, we were ascending out of the lowlands and into the mountains.  Soon we got glimpses of snow-capped peaks in the distance and then the plane started its zig-zag through fairly narrow canyons of pine-covered slopes and abruptly the Paro airport was ahead of us and we landed at one of the loveliest terminals in the world!   All of a sudden we were in a magical land with beautiful, colorful buildings, many of the citizens wearing their attractive national dress.  

  

Paro Airport

We met our ground crew and we climbed aboard the bus that will transport us all over the country.  We are very lucky that there are only six of us, plus David, on this 16 seat bus, so we can all stretch out and be comfortable.  The distances we will be covering are not great, but the roads all wind and switchback in this very mountainous country so the going is quite slow and we'll be on the bus a lot.

As we set out from the airport, we drove along the river that rushes through town.  Our driver came to a halt and after a bit of a struggle an Ibisbill was spotted!  A rare beautiful shorebird,  large and slender,  grey with a black face and a red bill.   A good start to our birding!

The Ibisbill

We arrived at our hotel, the Khangkhu Resort which consists of several buildings scattered on the steep hillside overlooking the air strip. We climbed four flights of steps to get to our rooms.  The young girl bellhops just scampered right up the steps with our heavy bags as we slowly plodded up!   David gave us a whole hour to organize our gear, and then we set off in the bus for an Indian lunch at a restaurant, and then a bit more resting.

We gathered at the bus at three and set off through town, following the river into the mountains, through little villages, stopping frequently to bird.  We found more Ibisbills, and while we were watching them, a parade of cars with headlights on and red lights flashing came by - it was Will and Kate on their way to the airport!!  I missed which one had the standard flying, indicating that it contained the Royals, but at least I was within 20 feet of them, for what that's worth!

Our van passed numerous school children all wearing the national outfits as is required of them and government officials, plus many citizens who are justly proud of their country.

Warding off evil spirits

Our bus stopped by a house on which was painted a large penis - to scare the evil spirits away!!

We walked to a old dzong (a combination religious & government edifice which also served to protect the local inhabitants back in the days of raiding parties from Tibet).  The sun came out and illuminated it making it very beautiful as we passed a giant prayer wheel.  We started back chalking up Black-tailed Crake, which runs through marshy grass with its lime green bill and chestnut colored body, and a blue-gray colored Wallcreeper, quite a rare bird with lovely flashing crimson wings against the white sandy road cuts.

An ancient dzong

We got back to our hotel at six and had a buffet dinner.  Tomorrow we drive up to the highest point of the entire trip - for a picnic breakfast!

Thu., April 14 - Resting in Bangkok

We slept pretty well considering the time change.  The main problem was that the only bed covering was a fluffy duvet - here in the tropics!  We would have had to turn the thermostat down to 50 degrees and I refused to go below 67.  Why do hotels all over the globe think a thick comforter is a sign of luxury regardless of the climate rather than a blanket or two??!!

Anyway we got up at about 8 and went down to the buffet for a very nice breakfast of eggs, tropical fruits, great breads, cheeses, etc.   We tried to pick out obvious birders to see who our companions might be, but most people were better dressed than that.

At 10 I went out to the pool which is quite lovely with turquoise tiles, two giant fish squirting waterfalls, and a swim-up bar!!   It was already in the 90s and the water felt grand!   Bob joined me and we sat in the shade and read and birded.  A Scotsman came up and asked if we were going to Bhutan and introduced himself and his wife, David and Nancy.  They have birded all over the world and have a large life list.  We had beers and Bob and I split a sandwich.

Novotel Pool with swim-up bar!

We had thought of going downtown, but as it's so hot and as we are going to have little down time in the future, we figured resting might be wiser.  At 6:30 we went downstairs for dinner and  to meet David, Nancy, and David Bishop, our leader, and the other two members of our tour.  

Katy lounging in the pool

There was David Bishop, whom we haven't seen in five years -  incredibly knowledgeable about birds, especially of Asia, plus most other aspects of natural history - and very enthusiastic!  This will be his 29th trip to Bhutan.  He is just coming off a tour of Thailand where the temperatures have been in the 90s +.  The other two members of our group, Americans Ben and yet another David, also were with DB on that tour and all are looking forward to cooler temperatures.

The hotel's breakfast service starts, amazingly, at 3 AM, so I figured there was no way we would miss that meal...but we're meeting with bags at the bus at 3:30, so I guess I'll just have to wait for food on the plane!   We'll be flying on Druk Airlines to Paro, Bhutan. Druk only flies if the weather is clear as the route to Paro winds through narrow passes.  If we're lucky, we'll get window seats and see the Himalayas in the dawn light.

Mon-Wed - April 11-13 - LAX to Bangkok

I took Miss Maddie down to the Cat House Hotel and she uncomplainingly trotted into her usual junior suite and settled down.   It's so great to have a confident cat who doesn't freak out when we want to go away!

Bob and I took off at 6 PM, Monday evening, drove down the coast, and made it to LAX by 8 PM.  We turned in our rental car and took the jitney to the wonderful Tom Bradley International Terminal where we wandered around, admiring all the art and snazzy cafes.   We sat at  a high table at Vino Volo and ordered small pizzas and flights of wine, as we figured we wouldn't get dinner until 1 AM.

We're flying EVA Air, the national airline of Taiwan, and boarded our 777 jet  at 11:45 and settled into our comfortable premium economy seats with plenty of leg room, cruised through the TV offerings and found the first two episodes of the last season of Downton Abbey which we hadn't seen yet and a pretty good variety of movies and other shows.  

We finally got dinner and drinks and then both got quite a few hours of sleep.  Two hours before we landed in Taipei I ordered the Chinese breakfast and got a large bowl of congee ( rice porridge) with shrimp and a packet of "fish floss", quite amazing semi-sweet dry fish fluff!

Congee with Fish Floss

After our 14-hour flight we had three hours to explore the amazing Taipei airport.  Between each gate was a different educational/decorative exhibit:  orchids, Hello Kitty, Taiwanese aboriginal peoples, glass flowers, among others, which passed the time very easily.  We re-boarded the same jet, same seats, and took off for Bangkok where we're to stay two nights.  

The plane landed at noon on Wednesday, we whisked through immigration and customs, grabbed our bags and walked to exit 4 where a Novotel Hotel van was waiting for us!  How convenient was that!   We were driven the short distance to the hotel where we stayed four times during our Thailand birding trip in 2010.

We lounged, napped, and sorted our luggage until it was time to go to dinner.  The fantastic buffet that we remembered from our previous stay was just as amazing.  I started out with a plate of sushi while Bob got corn soup.  Then I had a bowl of noodles that a lady cooked up for me with pork dumplings, onions, and chili sauce, while Bob got a plate of spare ribs.  There is such a variety of dishes that one could eat all night!   I got fruit and cheese and then hit the dessert table.  Quite a feast, and we managed to stay up until ten PM

Off to Bhutan!

Our route through Bhutan, starting and ending at Paro

We’re off to Bhutan for an intensive birding trip with David Bishop with whom we traveled to Thailand and Papua New Guinea.  We hope to see a lot of new birds, animals, and beautiful scenery. We'll be using the same bird guide book as we did in India as many of the birds will be similar, but up in the Himalayas they tend to be more colorful.  There will be seven nights of camping, one at above 10,000’, which should be interesting!

If you’d like to come along, I recommend that you sign up with the “Follow by Email” gadget at the top right of this page.  You will then receive an email from Feedburner, follow the directions, and you will receive an email whenever I can post an entry.  There’s not a lot of internet access in Bhutan, but I’ll try!
The photos and maps are clickable.