Bhutan Road Trip

The basic premise of visiting Bhutan is visiting a place which is perceptibly full of happy people, with scant regard to the digitally-dictated life seen elsewhere in the world. Our trip, though, happened quite by chance. We were wanting to do a Mahindra Adventure Road Trip - and the destination didnt matter. That Bhutan fit the time bank and the wallet is a serendipitous event in itself, and one that I will thank God for a long long time to come. Not only because it was Bhutan, but also because it happened with a set of people who seemed quite in sync with us. Eventually all experiences are about two things - memories that you create, and people that you befriend... and this trip was richly rewarding on both counts.

Ours were the last two slots available, and once the payments were done, we became adrenaline junkies. The thought of going through the mountains in a 4x4 SUV was exhilarating, and with the rich blue skies and zero-carbon air of Bhutan as an accompaniment, there was no doubt that the experience would be rewarding.

The unusual happened as well - creation of a Whatsapp group (yes - one more), people posting their pictures and the incessant chatter, and a pre-trip dinner of the Mumbai convoy members. Forebodings? Quite the opposite surprisingly.

We started off at Chalsa, a small hill-side tea plantation town in West Bengal, close to the Bhutan border. (Did I forget to write that enroute the flight to Chalsa, we made a couple of very interesting friends in two women who turned out to be chatter boxes themselves.. birds of a feather flock together I guess). Lovely bunch of people in the convoy, almost all more experienced than us, and a great team from XSO and Mahindra Adventure to guide us. The stage was set. To kickstart things, we had a beautiful game drive in a national park the first morning, seeing everything but the game, but rewarding nonetheless. Two evenings brought about the traditional flag off ceremony and an exhaustive do's and don't session by the expedition captains, and off we were the following morning, in expedition #20 and #21, both of them Scorpios.

The convoy reached Phuentsholing, the first town post the seemingly porous border. The border is just, ummm, a gate - and nothing else. Key learnings from the long vigil  as we waited for clearance - Bhutanese dont like the gentry which arrives by car (tip courtesy Raj Kapoor - our expedition leader), and thus, getting the visa and immigration clearances was painfully 4 hours long. However, once done, the convoy rolled on smoothly into the pristine beauty of Bhutan. Crackling two-way radios, intra-convoy movement to be in the order of the vehicle number assigned, soothing music and feel of the unadulterated air were going to be our main companions for the next 5 days. Might I add - bio breaks too.

The drive to Thimphu, the capital, was 6 hours long, and included one stop for licence verification. We revisited the old world charm of standing by a hot open fire while there is a nip in the air - and it felt wonderful. The dinner in the hotel, Tata Phendeyling, marked our first brush with Bhutanese cuisine - not a bad experience. Thimphu as the capital city boasts of some very good cafes, surreal vistas all over and a post office where you can get stamps printed with your own snap!!! Needless to say, the Indian contingent made sure there was a long queue and lots of noise at the post office ;). We also met locals who complained that the corruption levels in Bhutan were rising, and our beliefs of Bhutan being spotlessly clean were also shattered. However, these were small niggles in an otherwise well-constructed sentence.

The route from Thimphu to Punakha had one of the highlights of the trip - the Dochula Pass. Great views of the Himalayan range, a cafe with a great view and we ended up taking a group photo of the entire convoy. The remainder of the second unplanned night drive was full of divided opinions on bio breaks, bunching up to create photo-ops and some good music in between all this. We believed, when we reached the hotel, that the traditional day and the party would be the most exciting things of the evening. And they were exciting, as was listening to my buddy Jinesh playing the part of the Head DJ. However, little did we know that the evening would be hit with the news that Indian Govt would ban Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes, a move that then dominated conversation. Fuel then became the most important commodity and gas stations the prized destinations. Added excitement, I say.

The trip to the Punakha Dzong, with Convoy #23 (one of the 2 girl gangs, a rebellious Pune duo) was fun. Few people came for the visit to a strikingly beautiful Dzong. There were no annoying guides, no serpentine queues and an ambience which was very very peaceful. During this outing, we also got to have tea at a Bhutanese lady's home - and the hospitality extended by this poor lady was just very very heartwarming. Convoy rolled on to the final destination with the knowledge of Donald Trump having won the US presidential elections. Grexit, Brexit and now this - the world was making contrarian choices. Nothing contrarian in the Le Meridien at Paro, easily the best hotel of the trip. Highly recommended if you want to stay in Paro (though Akar and Alpa will say Uma Paro is the spot of choice). We wrapped up the evening early because we had a mountain to climb next morning - literally and figuratively.

Tiger's Nest, the #1 picture postcard from Bhutan, lived up to its billing. The drive up to the parking itself is picturesque and sets you up for the trek ahead. Its not too easy but not too difficult a trek, the views are good, and the destination is akin to being a small wonder of the world. For me, the temple itself was just another temple, but the experience of this whole trek was unbelievable. Made a great new friend in Jayeeta and discovered a long-lost humane side in me thanks to an ex-colleague cum friend in Ankit. But those stories are for another day. The remainder of the day had one magical experience for me, and had some glorious times with my whole gang in the pretty cafes and pizzerias in the magical town of Paro.

That magical experience, my personal highlight of the trip happened quite by chance again. The two-way radios crackled with info that there was a side party of momos and beer by 'a' riverside. I was dead tired, people partying were not my immediate friends, and yet - those 15 minutes were the best of the trip for me. Watching planes as they approach the hillside and bank, being offered beers by people who hitherto are just other convoy members, and listening to the water gushing along was simply awesome. Something about friendly behaviour in the lap of nature does that I guess. For a few people, the riverside picnic and a stop in misty hills on the way back to India were the best moments. These could have happened anywhere in India too, as they were not Bhutan specific. And they were not paid attractions. Guessing the best things in life do come for free.

The trip ended with yet another party, which lasted and lasted, and ended up with a few happy people singing their throats away on the front porch of the hotel at 2 am. Just the finishing touches to a brilliant journey. You know you have struck a chord when someone 10-years younger tells you he wished you had been friends with him earlier. 

A fortnight later, a few moments stand out strikingly - Raj and Veissali drinking out of each other's hands, Jinesh and Akar DJing, the morning at the Meridien riverside with Vibhav, Shiana, Shoaib and Naseem and my sis Dipali, Masala tea with Alps at Dochula, Shiana's awesome back massage at the Delhi airport, the trek with Jayeeta up Tiger's Nest, Bijoy's quizzes, rueing the turning down of Venky's offer for a car, the dancing doctor and a few more, including lunch at a small army canteen enroute India. The realisation then dawns that most of these are again about the people. I have made a great set of new friends, and I hope that these friendships last. I really do.

Lastly, a revisit to Bhutan is in order - Blue skies and pure oxygen draw me to that place. The topography in North India is prettier, but Bhutan has 1/20th the crowd, and that makes it more serene. The country accords a preference to Indians over others (a pleasant change), is a great society which values time to oneself a lot more, and the proximity and ease of travel are great plus points. The array of Datses (typical Bhutanese dish of cheese and other ingredients) and Thukpas are a small treat too. And a laid back afternoon by a riverside, reading a great book is a pleasure unparalleled. Hopefully soon.