A little piece of paradise in Bangkok

Flew into Bangkok late last night from Bhutan and came back to the small boutique hotel I stayed at a few weeks ago, the Ariyasomvilla.   I feel like I am at a Thailand beach rather than in the middle of a city.

I had a Thai massage at the hotel spa and am now hanging at the pool drinking a pretty blue cocktail.  

The massage was really cool. You are dressed in a light cotton loose fitting shirt and pants.  The massage is done on a comfortable mat on the ground of an open air structure with a high ceiling and fans overlooking the gardens and pool. The massage is a combination of acupressure and stretching.  I loved it so much I made an appointment for a 2 hour massage tomorrow!  

My plan is to skip the craziness of Bangkok and hang here at the Ariyasomvilla until late tomorrow night when I catch a 1:00am flight back to Cleveland via Japan and Chicago.

Cheers! 

The RENEW Center

Today was a special day.  Our group visited The RENEW (Respect Educate  Nurture Empower Women) Center in the capital of Bhutan which is Thimphu.

It is a non-profit which provides services to women who are victims of abuse.  Yes, even in Bhutan the abuse of women is an issue.  

We met with Chimi Wangmo, the executive director. She is a native Bhutanese who graduated from Yale. The purpose of this visit was to learn about all the good work happening and to make a donation.  A portion of the money we paid to ourAmerican tour company, Wandertours, is donated to this organization and we were so excited to deliver it in person!

To learn more about RENEW go to

http://www.renewbhutan.org 

http://www.facebook.com/renewbt

Bumthang Festival

It is believed that Buddhism in Buthan started in the Bumthang valley, which has the two oldest temples in the Kingdom.  

Every year there is a festival here and today we attended dressed in the native dress.  Schring had many kira and jackets from which to choose and with some help from the staff at our lodge we were able to figure out how to put these on!

The festival is only a 10 minute walk from our place.  Once we arrived the local people could not believe we were dressed in kira.  They smiled and came up to us all day.  We have not had such a great opportunity as this for interacting with the local people since we arrived.  We were the only foreigners there wearing the native dress and received a lot of attention all day...it will always be a most memorable experience  in my life.

At the festival there are native dances and we put a mat on the stone ground to watch.  We were surrounded by locals, as well as priests and nuns who were also enjoying the dancing and singing.  The most interesting thing was how the crowd was seated.  Everyone had a mat or a piece of cardboard or a jacket...something to sit on.  There were four of us on the mat we brought and we thought we were packed in tightly with the other people, boy were we wrong! Within the hour, many people came and sat around us, more then we ever thought could fit.  If there was a 6 inch square spot, someone was eyeing it up to claim.  Tight seating is typical at these festivals!

After an hour, Jan (one of the ladies on the trip) and I decided we had enough sitting on the ground and went to wander the festival stalls.  There were craftspeople from around the country set up to sell jewelry, clothes, food, and other souvenirs .  

Jan wanted to purchase a kira and jacket, which was a success.  I settled for the cotton candy! The vendor area was set up in aisles. The first two closest to the main area were selling native dress and souvenirs for tourists.  The next few aisles had western clothes for the local people; then a few aisles of household goods, then food, then games.  It was pretty muddy and we had to hold our beautiful kiras off the ground as we walked. 

After shopping we found our tour leader, Joslin, surrounded by a group of children and she had brought paints and was face painting.  Jan and I joined in and interacted with the children...it was so fun!

Later, we attended a ritual in the temple at the festival.  During the ritual if you took a small amount of currency and put it to your head and made a wish, and then donated it to the monks, your wish is to come true and you also  have good luck!  The chanting and music at this ritual was mesmerizing and I was so honored to be in attendance.  

After the festival we did some sightseeing then back to the lodge for an early dinner and a nap.  We had to leave at 11pm to go back to the festival (dressed warmly in our street clothes this time) to view the sacred naked dance performed by local men. This dance is performed to purify sins and receive a good harvest.  It is believed to be very good luck to watch these dancers and be absolved of a lifetime of sins.

As earlier in the day, we were mashed together siting on the ground with the locals.  Shring had gone to the festival early to secure us a spot. The dance did not start until well after midnight.  It started  with the building of a bonfire to keep the dancers warm.  A while later the dancers arrived, naked except for masks. The dances were unorganized and to our group looked like a bunch of young men goofing around a fire...not what we expected.  It then started to rain and we took this opportunity to leave and go back to our warm comfy beds!

Rituals in Bhutanese temples

We have visited a lot of temples. Most are located within dzongs.  Our female Bhutanese guide, Shring, knows the Bhutanese history in detail, as well as the Mahayana and Theravada branches of Buddhism

In an earlier post I mentioned that while in Bangkok, Sam had told me about how Buddhism is practiced in Thailand and how most people are not as connected to the mindfulness aspect.  What I learned from Shring is that is true and that there are two main branches of Buddhism:  Theravada, which is practiced in Thailand and Mahayana which is practiced on Bhutan.  All of the people in Bhutan are strict followers of Mahayana Buddhism.  

As we visit the temples, Shring describes in detail all the symbolism and history of the statues,  paintings, as well as the temple itself.  It is so much information and after 6 days I think I may be beginning to understand just a little.  

Sometimes when we visit a temple, we are lucky enough to see a ritual.  The rituals include the monks and a Lama chanting and playing instruments, mainly drums, bells, and horns.  The sound is mesmerizing and I recorded chanting from 3 different rituals.  Photography is not allowed in the temples.

Attending a ritual is my favorite thing so far.  Many of the rituals are open to the public and some are not.  If we happen upon a ritual while we are visiting a temple, we always attend.  We take our shoes off outside the door, then enter the temple and either sit or stand and observe the ceremony.  I have to say that my favorite ritual was one we happened upon in a small village outside of Tanaka.  

When we checked out of our hotel in the morning, we drove a short distance to a small village where Leke, our driver, lives.  The village is known for its temple which is specifically geared toward the concept of fertility.  We parked at the road and walked through the village to the temple (about 20 minutes).  Along the way there were people working in the fields harvesting rice, and wandering cows and dogs, of course.  We also saw lots of phallic symbols painted on the buildings.  This is something you will find throughout the country.  They are painted to drive away the demons. 

Once we got to the temple, a ritual was in progress. We entered and sat on the floor to observe. At first it seemed like most rituals we had seen, monks chanting and eerie music.  We were the only people there other than the monks, or so I thought.

Then, I saw a man and woman who looked American, dressed in native Bhutanese clothes.  As it turns out, the ritual we were watching was their marriage ceremony!  A really cool part was that after they were blessed by the Lama, we were able to also get a blessing from him too. 

One by one we walked up to the Lama and bowed.  We cupped our hands and he put a seed in them and then touched our head with a large wooden phallus! Really! It was so cool! 

After the ceremony we walked back through the village and met Leke's wife.  She is a weaver and works in a store there.  I bought a scarf she had made.  

As I said, happening upon a ritual in progress in a temple is my favorite activity.  I hope to see more of them as we travel throughout the country.

Animals in Bhutan

The animals in Bhutan wander as they please.  You share the road with cows, dogs, monkeys, horses, and yak.  Mostly cows and dogs.

The dogs here are so mellow.  I have never seen anything like it. Lola and Rosa are not from Bhutan, that is for sure!  They basically sleep all day anywhere they want...On the road, on the side of the road, inside the dzongs, next to the houses, on a ledge, etc... They are everywhere, but not mean and they don't approach you.  They are not pets, but do get fed.  

We have been on the lookout for the elusive red panda, but have not seen it yet.

The central road in Bhutan

We have been slowly traveling through Bhutan on its central East/West highway for the past week, from Paro to Bumthang.  We have been visiting monasteries, dzongs (forts), temples, villages and doing some hiking. This country is so beautiful.  

The highway is a one lane sometimes dirt, sometimes paved road that continuously WEAVES and  WINDS through the mountains; there is rarely a straight portion.  We are literally traveling around the mountains.  Though the road is one lane, two lanes of traffic travel the road and when another car is coming toward you, one of the cars has to veer over to the side.   It seems like the car/truck/bus with the "best" "shoulder" to pull to the side, does so. 

Our driver, Leke, is amazing and we never feel unsafe.  I have noticed that we are usually driving in second gear, so that tells you how slow we are moving because of the road conditions.  They are full of pot holes and sometimes mostly washed away due to rain.

Yesterday, we were driving East from Punakha to Trongsa.  Along the way we were passed by many members of the Bhutanese Royal Family.  About every 20 minutes there would be a lead car with flashing lights, followed by a car with members of the Bhutan Royal Guard, then a car with one member of the royal family, then another car of the royal guards.  This went on all day.  The royal family had been attending a wedding and were traveling back to the capital, Thimpu, on this "main road".  Each family member traveled alone with their entourage. Our guide Shring, could identify the royal person in the car by the license plate number.  It was pretty cool!

 

Arrived in Bhutan!

I read that flying to Bhutan was challenging because of the airport's location in the Paro Valley.  The surrounding mountain's weather patterns are unpredictable.  

Our early morning flight from Bangkok to Paro was delayed due to weather in Paro.  Once we left Bangkok we made what was supposed to be a 35 minute stop in Bangladesh but because of the weather in Paro we found ourselves on an extended layover at the Dhaka airport. UGH...that is all I have to say. I have attached a pic of our group making the best of it at the Dhaka airport.

Eventually, though, we made it to Bhutan and met our guide and driver, then off to a restaurant in Paro for lunch.  Most of the food we will be eating on the trip is served buffet style and includes red rice, thai like noodles, veggies, and occasionally some meat.  There is also a dish called chili cheese which are medium hot to hot peppers baked in cheese. It has quite a kick to it and is really good.

The road from "downtown" Paro to the hotel was a total mess. Lots of rain had washed most of it away!  Our hotel for the night was nestled in the mountains. Attached is a view from early this morning.

Another thing we noticed is that marijuana grows wild on the side of the road.  The driver pulled over when we mentioned it and he picked a bunch to show us! Our guide said the Bhutanese don't care about pot and it is just a weed!

Bangkok Highlights

Sam, my guide, met me at the hotel at 8am.  Sam is a Thai native and a really nice guy; it was like hanging out with an old friend.  I had a list of places to see and really appreciated having Sam not only to tell me about the places, country, culture, religion, but also to navigate the city!

We started out taking the sky train, an elevated train and part of the local transportation system.  We transferred once and ended up at the  river, where we then took a water taxi to Wat Phra Kaew and The Grand Place. A wat is a Buddhist temple.  I was blown away by the architecture and details of the wat. Every detail was symbolic and Sam explained so much to me; all in all it was overwhelming. The Grand Palace is where the kings lived.  There have been 9 kings in Thailand. The current royal family lives in another palace north of the city. The Grand Palace is only used for special celebrations.   

After touring these two places, we walked to the Wat with the Reclining emerald Buddha which is made of jade.  It is huge, 130 feet long I think...

I purchased an umbrella to try and keep the heat at bay but it did not do much. I was not prepared for the heat and humidity of Bangkok, the only thing I can compare it to is July in New Orleans on steroids!   

At this point Sam and I decided to skip the next wat on my list and go to Jim Thompson's house.  Jim was an American architect who served the US Army and after WWII he was sent to Bangkok as a military officer, fell in love with Thailand, and after leaving the service moved here permanently. 

He became intrigued with the hand weaving of silk and devoted himself to reviving the craft. He contributed substantially to the worldwide recognition of Thai silk.   

He constructed an amazing home by combining 6 teak buildings.  The place is beautiful and houses his large collection of art.  

In 1967 while visiting Malaysia, Jim disappeared and there are no clues as what happened to him.  His house is now a museum.  

The house and museum had a Thai restaurant and Sam and I enjoyed lunch before I took the tour.  After, I was pooped so we jumped the sky train back to the hotel and parted ways.

I truly enjoyed the day with Sam.  He is passionate about Buddhism  and it was interesting talking about it.  I really had an ah-ha moment when I asked what it was like growing up as a Buddhist and learning the concept of mindfulness at such a young age.  He laughed and said he just really started his Buddhist practice...he said his parents, as well as 95% of the Buddhists in Thailand, don't practice mindfulness and being in the present moment.  They only go to temple on holidays and don't understand the teachings of living in the present moment.  I was so surprised! In my western mind, all Buddhists were like the Dalai Lama, practicing mindfulness since childhood and therefore enlightened...boy was I wrong!  

Made it to Bangkok

After leaving Cleveland at 4pm on Friday,  I arrived in Bangkok at 6am Sunday morning.  (Cleveland--Chicago--Brussels--Bangkok). Having a lay flat business class seat made it bearable. 

The airport was not crowded and immigration was a breeze. Grabbed some Thai Bhat from the ATM, got a taxi and showed the driver the directions to the hotel which where written in Thai, and prayed that he would get me safely to the Ariyasomvilla located in the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok.

After dodging many stray dogs, motorcycles, and other cars, we made it to the hotel.  It is a small boutique place I found on Tripadvisor and it is just as amazing as the reviews.    Go take a look!  I am here for two nights, then heading to Bhutan for twelve nights, and back here for two more nights.

Today I am just going to chillax, get a massage and go to the pool.  Tomorrow, a local tour guide is meeting me at the hotel at 8am and he is taking me to all the places on my must see list.  Then, at 6:15pm I am meeting the other 5 ladies, who are traveling to Bhutan, for dinner.  

(attached are pics from breakfast and my room)

Why Bhutan?

That is the question I have been hearing from most people lately.  After "where is that?" People who have heard about Bhutan, though, say "Ahhhhhh Bhutan..." 

One reason I was drawn to Bhutan is that they measure their kingdom's value using a statistical method around the concept of "Gross National Happiness".  Yes, it is a real statistical method and you can look up the details for yourself. 

Another reason is that is it located in the Himalaya mountains and is hard to get to in many ways.  They only let in a limited number of people a year because they have limited guides; you have to travel with a guide from their country and a driver; and only 8 pilots are licensed to fly there since it is considered the most dangerous airport in the world because of the location.  Sounds like my kind of adventure!

There is one more reason I chose to go to Bhutan.  Because it is a very small country in size and population (600,000) and borders China. Let's just say I want to visit before the possibility of it falling to the same fate as Tibet.

So off I go to explore this seldom visited place and experience Gross National Happiness for myself...