Where Mountains Touch the Sky

     On 28 May we hiked to Taktsang (Tiger's Nest) Monastery near Paro, western Bhutan.  While the building itself is one of the most important sites in the country, the path getting there is equally as impressive.  As we drove to the parking lot at the base of the climb, we were able to see the Monastery nestled nearly 1,000 meters high, on a cliff-side.

Our hike begins!

At the base of the climb, a number of peddlers cried out “shopping!” as we passed, hoping we'd spend what ngultrum we had left on their handicrafts.  Others were offering horse rentals for the trek.  While some of us had earlier considered the equestrian option, our guide recommended against it, citing safety concerns.

The very beginning of the path had us crossing an open field.  While it was fairly level, it gave us a glimpse of the scale of our endeavor; towering high above us was the Tiger's Nest.  Soon we entered the wooded hillside and the real climbing began.  Even with frequent switchbacks, the path had a considerably steep grade.  Most of us had to pause at regular intervals to catch our breath in the thinning air.  After 45 minutes to an hour of hiking, we reached a cafeteria, where we paused for much needed water, glucose, and sodium.

Taktsang from below

The second portion of the path started out as steep as the first, but leveled out somewhat as it continued.  Following a final set of switchbacks, we arrived at the main lookout for the Monastery.  While some of us may have had second thoughts about the hike, the view we saw erased all our regrets.  A waterfall cascaded down to the left, an open view of Bhutanese countryside to the right, and the Monastery itself dead ahead.  After a set of 700 or so steps, we were at the door of the Nest itself.

Taktsang Monastery

After our tour had completed, we began our descent back to the parking lot.  While no longer having to cope with thinning air, the long downhill path proved very taxing to what leg strength we had left.  We stopped again at the halfway cafeteria, this time for a sumptuous lunch.  At around 4:00 P.M. (we had started six hours earlier), we were all back in our bus, en route to the hotel for some much-needed rest and recuperation.

   The hike to the Monastery and the view of the Monastery itself, as you near it, are truly iconic experiences. Cliffs, mountains, waterfalls, mist, cloud, alpine forest, and then the Monastery. We felt like we rode the mountains, touched the sky, and were embraced by the Monastery!

-Stefan S.

Simply Bhutan!

Today (May 25th) was well spent in Thimphu -- a day which celebrated the Buddha's Enlightenment. We caught a glimpse of His Majesty, had Nepali food for lunch and then visited a youth service project which took the form of a small traditional Bhutanese village and was aptly named Simply Bhutan.

At the entrance, we stood inside a replica watchtower and later were led to a courtyard in which there stood a wall that split the courtyard in half and had two murals painted on both sides. After admiring it, we were then given the chance to change into Bhutan’s national dresses. The girls wore kiras while the guys wore ghos , and later were taking pictures in front of the two murals.

While still wearing traditional dresses, we were given a tour of a traditional replica rural home complete with a kitchen on the ground floor which consisted of a wood burning clay stove and butter churners while the 1st floor had a living room and a altar room, a Bhutanese home’s most important room in which only holy individuals can rest.

We next took up the national sport of Bhutan: archery.  Everyone had multiple tries at hitting aa target 10 feet away. Most of us failed miserably except for Brisa, who by her second chance hit the target! Having been shown-up by Brisa, we were then introduced to a resident artist who had cerebral palsy and yet was still able to create amazing works of art using only his feet!

Simply Bhutan gave us a taste of the country’s culture; we were still participating in various activities towards the end of the tour. One was the act of tossing prayer coins into a golden prayer vase which was floating in a pool of water at the foot of a shrine. If coins hit the vase it is seen as a sign of good luck and if a coin gets into the vase then that prayer would come true. All of us were fortunate enough to at least hit the vase. The final activity, in which three of us participated, was aiding in the clay stomping process that produces the adobe-like walls used in constructing traditional homes, the stomping process includes singing songs of forgiveness in case insects were accidentally killed during the stomping process.

All in all, we were very fortunate have had the chance to experientially learn about Bhutanese culture.

Richard A.

Bhutan: An Emerging Experiment in Democracy

Bhutan is one of the planet's youngest democracies, and much is being done to foster this new form of government.  Some policies are beneficial, while others tend to detract from Bhutanese society.  The same could be said of many successful democracies around the globe. So hopefully, these efforts are a good sign.

Bhutan National Council Chambers

Karma Tenzin, a reporter who covered much of the early stages of Bhutanese democracy, gave our group a presentation on the development and implementation of this new system.  Following gradual movements towards democracy, the Constitution of Bhutan was ratified in 2008, with the country's first elections held shortly thereafter.  These first campaigns were underscored with divisions within villages along political lines.  There were only two political parties, and both penetrated the closely-knit family communities that make up the majority of Bhutan's voting population.  The country is set for a second set of elections later this month; there will be four competing parties instead of two.  Some officials are hopeful that the greater number of political parties will lessen the divides in the Bhutanese villages.  Others are concerned that the intra-family divides will worsen, with some of the wounds from 2008 not yet healed.

One example of policy being influenced by public opinion was the Tobacco Control Act.  The act outlawed tobacco possession in 2004, and was amended to include mandatory jail time for violators in 2010.  The Bhutanese population opposed to the law went to social media, particularly Facebook, to voice their opinions against the policy.  Soon, the Prime Minister and his deputies made Facebook accounts of their own, and an online debate on the policy began.  It is remarkable that the country has embraced such modern mediums of discussion at this early stage of its voyage into a constitutional monarchy.  In 2011, the penalties on the act were lessened, and the King pardoned all incarcerated under the law (except for a monk who, according to religious standards, should not have been in possession of tobacco regardless of Bhutanese law).  The response to this law showed that the Bhutanese citizens could unite to reform laws of the land, a critical element in any successful democracy.

How these events and how democracy in general will affect Bhutan in the long run is yet to be determined.  Most of the Bhutanese population seems to be cautiously optimistic, and I believe most of us on this adventure share their sentiments.

Stefan S.

Education in Bhutan

Dr. Janet Schofield and Matt Schuelka’s lecture overviewed the current education system in Bhutan, current policies, and current issues. The education system in Bhutan has greatly expanded in the last 50-60 years. There are currently 500 schools in the country. With the adoption of Gross National Happiness as a guiding principle Bhutan is trying to get all kids into schools. In rural areas access  to schools, because of terrain, is a major problem. Many of the students have to walk long and dangerous paths in order to attend school. Around 20% of students do not go to school because of the costs. The literacy rate in 2005 was 52.8% but it is expected that, with the expansion of schools, literacy will rise. The government wants to expand schools as well as create inclusion within the school systems. Bhutan has a new policy intended to include disabled children in all schools. Some of the schools provide meals for students who come from low income backgrounds. It was discovered that many of the students had a lower performance due to just being hungry.

The government currently provides free education until grade 10. After grade ten the students take standardized tests in order to qualify for further education. There are a few state scholarships offered for those who qualify and the students must pay for a private institution in order to continue their education. The first private college started only in 2009. Many students end up having to continue their studies abroad due to lack of access to higher education. Also, there are currently not enough jobs within the government or country to support all university grauates.

There is a shortage of well-qualified and trained teachers. The majority of teachers only have a 10^th grade education. In many of the classrooms the teachers have a 50 to 1 ratio. The students are instructed in English and Dzongkha. Bhutan has around 20 languages so students are learning not just one but two new languages.  Bhutan is facing many of the same issues as other countries with reference to education but it is improving. This lecture gave us an informative insight into the education system in Bhutan.

-Brianna B.

How We Played a Small Role in Promoting Hope!

The main focus of today’s activities was education. With that in mind, we visited Loden Foundation (www.loden.org), one of Bhutan’s first registered charities. 

The Loden Foundation supports education and economic growth in Bhutan. The Foundation has programs that “promote education, learning, and entrepreneurship among the Bhutanese children and young adults.” Their programs aid students from pre-school through post school. Their pre-school program targets children between ages three to six years through early learning centers, especially in rural areas.  Another program the Loden Foundation has is a need based scholarship program. The scholarship program aims to help students pursue higher education. The students are selected by combining both financial needs and merit. The third program that the Foundation runs is the Loden Entrepreneurship Program; this aims to increase employment among young adults with academic credentials. The program provides students with training and support. The program also extends business start-up loans to young aspiring entrepreneurs.

The Foundation also has a sponsorship program which, for US$150, can provide basic education and care for one child for a year. The situation for many young children in Bhutan is that their families cannot provide essential care. The Loden Foundation seeks funds from donors which are then used to provide for items such as clothes school supplies, food, etc. Currently, the foundation is supporting 70-80 children through this program.  

I am proud to say that we, as a group, raised enough money which we gave to the Foundation to support two kids for a year. Our small way of trying to make a difference in the World!

Arianna A.

The Misty Mountain Olympics?!

We finally felt the rays of the sun for the first time in Thimphu, Bhutan. It was the perfect day for Sports Day in RTC. Sports day is a day where students can take a break from studying and enjoy some good competition. It includes a lot of track and field activities and games like musical chairs, tug-of-war and three- legged race.

As we watched the relays against the RTC students, we noticed that some of them were running barefoot! We were amazed! Luckily the activities were on a soccer field. Each student gave it their all. They all wanted first place and nothing less. The track and field came to an end and they prepared for the musical chair round. Every student and staff member was encouraged to play. They asked if we wanted to participate and of course we couldn’t refuse such a fun invitation. We waited with anticipation for the music to start…”Oppa gangnam style!” The first round was on! We showed off our gangnam dancing skills to RTC. Everyone got a good laugh out of it. We did not win at musical chairs but it all turned around when it came to the tug-of-war competition. We first competed against the RTC staff. Some of the RTC students joined our team and some cheered us on from the side line. With their help, we were able to take down our opponent. We moved on to the second round. There we competed against RTC students. We brought that one home as well! Our first place price was a box of chocolate bars! Yum! That’s my perfect gift. It was so much fun getting to do these kinds of activities with the RTC students. It was a great opportunity to make new friends and get some exercise. Everyone in RTC is super friendly and great competitors. 

Brisa H.

A River Runs Through the Market/El Paseo Del Rio Por El Mercado

Today we went to a  market in Thimphu. The Centennial Market is one of the largest markets for Thimpu area farmers and artisans. The Market sold fruits and vegetables imported from India on one floor and the local organic goods on the other. Across a river in front of the Market, there were multiple stalls which sold a variety of handicraft items made by Bhutanese craft-workers; we did a lot of shopping here. The bridge connecting the two sides of the Market was amazing; there were prayer flags hung all the way across the bridge. The handicraft stalls sold both Bhutanese clothes and western clothing. We were especially interested in the traditional Bhutanese items such as prayer wheels, cymbals, horns, clothes and baskets as well as some products from Nepal. Although we were able to speak with most of the merchants our guide helped us communicate with some of those who did not speak or had trouble understanding English. We were able to get great prices for the items we bought because we  haggled! When everyone was done with their shopping there, we continued our shopping in small shops within the City of Thimphu. There were a large number of small open shops located alongside one another in a l-o-n-g row; there were almost a 100 of them! These shops had much of the same lovely handcraft items as those we saw in the Market  but with more price variations. Overall, we truly enjoyed shopping in Thimphu!

Marita J.

El Paseo Del Rio Por El Mercado

Hoy tuvimos la oportunidad de visitar un mercado en Thimphu. El Mercado Centinal es uno de los mercados domesticos mas grandes para los granjeros de Bhutan. Despues de nuestra llegada al Mercado Centinal nuestra guia nos explico que en un piso se vendian frustas y verduras importadas de la India, y en el otro se podia encontrar productos organicos locales en venta. Del otro lado del rio entfrente del mercado se encrontraba el area de manualidades, fue en esa parte que se llavaron a cavo la majoira de nuestras compras. El puente entre estos dos lugares era algo impresionante de ver por si mismo. Havia banderas de oracion colgandas por todo el puente.  El lado de Artesanias podia ser dividido en dos partes, del lado derecho se encontraban en venta ropa tradisional y no tradicional de Bhutan, mientras que del otro lado se podia encontrar en venta artesanias, cadenas de oracion, ropa, canastas y algunos productos importados de Nepal. Aunque nos pudimos comunicar con la majoria de los vendedores, nuestra gia nos ayudo a comunicarnos con aquellos que no hablaban ingles. Fuimos capases de obtener buenos precios por los objetos que compramos. Algunos estuviantes hasta regatiaron para conseguir los precios que querian. Cuando todos los estudiantes havian terminado en ese lugar, continuamos nuestras compras en unas tiendas pequenas en la cuidad deThimpu. Alli se podia encontrar un gran numero de tiendas pequenas lado a lado. Estas tiendas tenian muchas hermosas artesanias similares a las que haviamos visto en el mercado anterior pero los precios estavan mas variados. El mercado tenia ambos precios altos y vajos para el mismo artefacto dependiendo de la tienda. Fue en este lugar que los estudiantes tuvieron que ir biscando de tienda en tienda, buscando el mejor precio. Despues de un dia de compras nuesta experiencia de compras en Thimphu llego a su fin. 

Marita J.