Showing posts with label bhutan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bhutan. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Last night here in Bhutan
I will be at a loss of what to do after this trip (there will b a flurry of meet ups w favourite singaporean people and xmas shoppin n -hopefully- postcard making). Flying off in the break of dawn at 7:20 from the Paro Airport. When we first stepped down from the plane what amazed me was how traditional looking the airport was, what with its very asian /ancient china looking roofs and intricate paintings over the bleach-white walls. The architecture of this country is pretty-no very consistent which is a beautiful and fascinating thing! Bhutanese take pride in adorning houses w beautiful handdrawn designs and intricately carved patterns on every window and door.
This country is frighteningly beautiful and rich with traditions and beliefs dating back centuries that it deserves to be fiercely protected and kept away from the ominous clutches of globalization. Im no buddhist but the richness of this country is enough to make me a convert. *tbc* *does religion have to be a strict thing or can i have two religions at once idk this is bad*
Today we had the 'grand finale' of this trip, the climbing of thakhsang (900 frightening metres abv ground level) & we left the hotel at 8am, came back at 4:30. The route was peppered w hardcore steep slopes that makes lungs burn from the high altitudes and the rays of the sun make u heat up and want to take off your thick coat despite it being the chilliest of the winter days. The people sold walking sticks and made horses available for rent although we used our feet to conquer the mountain. So excited to upload the photos bc its picture perfection and so, so underrated u dont even know!!!! idek. ♥ dad has alw been super positive thruout the climb bc it's his third time now and he'll b all "ok this part means we're reaching alr", "after this part ah i must warn you first, it's going to be very steep"
In the middle of the journey, as a trademark of all vertical hikes, they served us tea and biscuits and i think it's so cute bc the ppl are friendly and where the heck do they make tea and biscuits in the middle of nowhere right
The climb was undoubtedly rewarding as the views were bucketlist-worthy, the cliffs were sharp and grey n seemed like a big budget chinese movie set. More than that.
I finally know why daddy has alw been excited about bhutan, i had to see it to believe it and then fall in love w it. Hes also super well-versed in all things bhutanese bc of his frequent trips so all my qns could be answered hahahaha informative.
This country is frighteningly beautiful and rich with traditions and beliefs dating back centuries that it deserves to be fiercely protected and kept away from the ominous clutches of globalization. Im no buddhist but the richness of this country is enough to make me a convert. *tbc* *does religion have to be a strict thing or can i have two religions at once idk this is bad*
Today we had the 'grand finale' of this trip, the climbing of thakhsang (900 frightening metres abv ground level) & we left the hotel at 8am, came back at 4:30. The route was peppered w hardcore steep slopes that makes lungs burn from the high altitudes and the rays of the sun make u heat up and want to take off your thick coat despite it being the chilliest of the winter days. The people sold walking sticks and made horses available for rent although we used our feet to conquer the mountain. So excited to upload the photos bc its picture perfection and so, so underrated u dont even know!!!! idek. ♥ dad has alw been super positive thruout the climb bc it's his third time now and he'll b all "ok this part means we're reaching alr", "after this part ah i must warn you first, it's going to be very steep"
In the middle of the journey, as a trademark of all vertical hikes, they served us tea and biscuits and i think it's so cute bc the ppl are friendly and where the heck do they make tea and biscuits in the middle of nowhere right
The climb was undoubtedly rewarding as the views were bucketlist-worthy, the cliffs were sharp and grey n seemed like a big budget chinese movie set. More than that.
I finally know why daddy has alw been excited about bhutan, i had to see it to believe it and then fall in love w it. Hes also super well-versed in all things bhutanese bc of his frequent trips so all my qns could be answered hahahaha informative.
tl;dr- bhutan is underrated and beautiful hence worthy of everybody's time and consideration!!!
Monday, December 9, 2013
Bhutan
Its been my fourth day into touring this majestic country. It yruly is untouvhed by the factory-made artificial goods like McDonald's and Ferragamo n life is simple anf content here.
Everythjng is made locally anr what made me yhr most happy is thqt there are no pesticides used in thr veggs and fruits. Things are organic yet they are cheap which is a stark vontrast from sg imported crops bc they jave to b expensivr first befpre they are otganic. For all my meals here ive never sampled a veggie that has that bittwr aftertaste remnant of pesticides. That has got me thinking of life back home; that they would make poisonrd veggies available for the masses whilr only the higher tier enjoys pure things??? The economy has driven our decisions that result in really nonsense choices.
This country id poor yet it does not feel that way. All thr locals are genuinely friendly and treat us tourists kindly wirhout any hint of xenopjobic hostility. Food is cheap here (we d be rich bc of our exchange rate!!!) We dined at a sligjhtly westernizrf restaurant w a massive pizza sized 'regular' costing SGD6, quality uncompromized. Yak burgers *yolol* w a side of fries are SGD4. Digressing- yaks n cows r everywhrrr even on yhe roads. Thr roads r mainly one-laned so sometimrs we have yo wait for thrm to cross or thry can be 15cm away from the van while the driver expertly maneuevers his way around these animals.
My dad has somr friends ftom the ministry n we had amazeballs authrnic bhutanese cuisine. We shared momo and noodle soup one time n it was SGD30 for 13 people. Momo are carbohydrate bombs bc they r xiaolongbaos with a mad generous outer layer. Beef dumplings essentially. And thr hpapy people dining tgt ultimatdly constitutrs a happy meal!!!
We travel a few hours eveeyday n i never ever sleep on the bus bc its alwaus a sight to look at the mountains from yhr van windows. Roads are beside cliffs so steep its exhilaraying to look down below. BEST PART IS THERE R NO BARRIERS!!!! *roller coaster feels* also i dont slp during road trips bc im holding my pee ever so often. Ive even come up w stupid pee phrases like "its not even high tide anymore its the freakin 2004 tsunami", "my bladder is crying". The roads r not v well maintained n its bumpy all yhe time. Makrs me wna pee even more which is why i peed on the grass a coupla times.... its so so fun maybe i waa meant to live in the wild or smth.
We've been visiting temples, buddhist university (!!!!!) for aspiring monks and ive learnt a lot about buddhism. Tbh i avtually ljke it, i like the stories the guidr tells us when we comr across rlaborate n beautiful paintings on trmple walls, and i feel there are a lot of trachings about happiness, attaining enlightenment. How the demons arr actualy in the thoughts of individuals which i agree 100% not just bc i rxperirnce it sometimes but it justifies a lot of actions from other people as well. My thoughts r flurried but thesr are my vague takeaways.
Since bhutan is in thr middle of literally nowhere ok, somewhr near india and the himalayas, the slopes. The slopes make me cry. To visit the buddhist uni, we hiked up a crazy steep slope probly 50 degrees in angle, no joke. It was cold yet i lamented to my sis tjat my back had a sheen of perpiration bc it was so tough n the altitude was making my head hurt n my lungs gasping for air. The view was so amazing though. *cue miley cyrus' the climb*
lol no ew
I see clouds on mountains i see clouds below mountains i see mega fit ppl (with like beautiful legs HAHAHA result of going up the slopes evryday. Its not xonsidered exercise tjat they jate doing. Its a way of life!!! I wish i have that heh singapore is so automated tjat it has become a norm to get on vehicles onstead of using our bodies as a form of travel. Such a worrying yet peculiar contrast)
Theres a nicotine-laced food thing, similar to cigs- beetlenut juice it stains teeth red and kjnda scary looking as if bleeding gums are a prevalent disease here. And patches on the road have red splotches whr ppl have spit. I have yet to spot wild marijuana as my mum has promised though
Im typing on board the van n i feel gd bc today not so high tide ah. Heres the view
Everythjng is made locally anr what made me yhr most happy is thqt there are no pesticides used in thr veggs and fruits. Things are organic yet they are cheap which is a stark vontrast from sg imported crops bc they jave to b expensivr first befpre they are otganic. For all my meals here ive never sampled a veggie that has that bittwr aftertaste remnant of pesticides. That has got me thinking of life back home; that they would make poisonrd veggies available for the masses whilr only the higher tier enjoys pure things??? The economy has driven our decisions that result in really nonsense choices.
This country id poor yet it does not feel that way. All thr locals are genuinely friendly and treat us tourists kindly wirhout any hint of xenopjobic hostility. Food is cheap here (we d be rich bc of our exchange rate!!!) We dined at a sligjhtly westernizrf restaurant w a massive pizza sized 'regular' costing SGD6, quality uncompromized. Yak burgers *yolol* w a side of fries are SGD4. Digressing- yaks n cows r everywhrrr even on yhe roads. Thr roads r mainly one-laned so sometimrs we have yo wait for thrm to cross or thry can be 15cm away from the van while the driver expertly maneuevers his way around these animals.
My dad has somr friends ftom the ministry n we had amazeballs authrnic bhutanese cuisine. We shared momo and noodle soup one time n it was SGD30 for 13 people. Momo are carbohydrate bombs bc they r xiaolongbaos with a mad generous outer layer. Beef dumplings essentially. And thr hpapy people dining tgt ultimatdly constitutrs a happy meal!!!
We travel a few hours eveeyday n i never ever sleep on the bus bc its alwaus a sight to look at the mountains from yhr van windows. Roads are beside cliffs so steep its exhilaraying to look down below. BEST PART IS THERE R NO BARRIERS!!!! *roller coaster feels* also i dont slp during road trips bc im holding my pee ever so often. Ive even come up w stupid pee phrases like "its not even high tide anymore its the freakin 2004 tsunami", "my bladder is crying". The roads r not v well maintained n its bumpy all yhe time. Makrs me wna pee even more which is why i peed on the grass a coupla times.... its so so fun maybe i waa meant to live in the wild or smth.
We've been visiting temples, buddhist university (!!!!!) for aspiring monks and ive learnt a lot about buddhism. Tbh i avtually ljke it, i like the stories the guidr tells us when we comr across rlaborate n beautiful paintings on trmple walls, and i feel there are a lot of trachings about happiness, attaining enlightenment. How the demons arr actualy in the thoughts of individuals which i agree 100% not just bc i rxperirnce it sometimes but it justifies a lot of actions from other people as well. My thoughts r flurried but thesr are my vague takeaways.
Since bhutan is in thr middle of literally nowhere ok, somewhr near india and the himalayas, the slopes. The slopes make me cry. To visit the buddhist uni, we hiked up a crazy steep slope probly 50 degrees in angle, no joke. It was cold yet i lamented to my sis tjat my back had a sheen of perpiration bc it was so tough n the altitude was making my head hurt n my lungs gasping for air. The view was so amazing though. *cue miley cyrus' the climb*
lol no ew
I see clouds on mountains i see clouds below mountains i see mega fit ppl (with like beautiful legs HAHAHA result of going up the slopes evryday. Its not xonsidered exercise tjat they jate doing. Its a way of life!!! I wish i have that heh singapore is so automated tjat it has become a norm to get on vehicles onstead of using our bodies as a form of travel. Such a worrying yet peculiar contrast)
Theres a nicotine-laced food thing, similar to cigs- beetlenut juice it stains teeth red and kjnda scary looking as if bleeding gums are a prevalent disease here. And patches on the road have red splotches whr ppl have spit. I have yet to spot wild marijuana as my mum has promised though
Im typing on board the van n i feel gd bc today not so high tide ah. Heres the view
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