February 17, Jaigaon.

On a cold morning we started the documentation process to enter the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. We walked across the border gate into Phuntsoling, after a stringent security check by the Bhutan police. People without proper identification papers are denied entry into Bhutan. Once across the border everything changes. The currency, language, food, etc, and most signboards are in dual languages, Dzonka and English, while on the Indian side signboards speak several languages English, Hindi, Bengali, Dzonka, and even Telugu. Across the border, the landscape is sharply mountainous, while Jaigaon is flat as a pancake.

It took a whole day to complete all the paperwork to be awarded the necessary immigration pass and vehicle permits from the Road Safety and Transport Authority (RSTA), Royal Government of Bhutan.

February 18, Jaigaon–Tshimasam.

It was a cold morning with the clouds threatening rain. With the hope that the weather would clear up, we packed our bikes and started off towards the entry gate into Bhutan. The friendly border police waved us through wishing us a pleasant stay in the country.

Inside Bhutan, the terrain became rugged and mountainous with steeply inclined roads heading into Thimpu, the capital city. Six km from Phuntsoling is Rinchong checkpost, where immigration papers and vehicle permits are scrutinised again. After clearance we surged ahead through vast natural areas resounding with bird song. The lives of people here are closely tied to the land and nature is considered a valuable treasure. Thus strict laws protect Bhutan’s ecosystems and amazing biodiversity.

Traditionally, the Bhutanese people have an agrarian lifestyle and follow a very ancient gathering and cultivation culture. Though most youngsters wear Levi jeans and T-shirts, older citizens continue to wear the goh (for men) and kira (women). Government employees and university students are obliged to wear the goh and/ or kira at work.

We had barely covered 50 km when it started raining, forcing us to take shelter in a small tea shop-cum-hotel beside the highway. For over two hours the rain pelted our laden bikes, and when we came out my bike was completely covered with ice formed by solidification of rainwater. We cleared the ice and moved ahead only to encounter a further downpour until we reached Gedu town (60 km), where we stopped for lunch. Miraculously the weather cleared and the sun emerged from a profusion of clouds.

After Gedu the road became steeper, curvy and we experienced snow in some stretches. Exercising extreme caution, and maintaining a safe speed of about 45-50 km per hour, we reached Tshimhasan, a small village with few shops and hotels, and decided to stay there for the night and checked into a hotel which offered a spacious room with rudimentary facilities priced at Nu.200 (Rs.200) per night. After a dinner of piping hot noodles we retired for the night.

February 19, Tshimasam-Paro.

It started out a cold morning, but before long the skies cleared and rays of the morning sun lit up the mountain tops. Riding towards Paro (75 km), our eyes feasted on panoramic vistas of immense forest, blanketing the hillsides and the deep valleys cut by rivers springing forth from the Himalayas. The road between Thimpu and Phuntsoling is being expanded and converted into a four-lane highway. Hence there several roadblocks slowed down our progress, and we took over six hours to ride into Paro (pop. 32,000), which hosts Bhutan’s only airport and is the second largest city in the Himalayan Kingdom, at 3.00 p.m. We checked into Hotel Red Chilli, (Rs.300 per night) on the edge of town, exhilarated by the crisp mountain air and vistas.

A walk through Paro’s main streets makes it clear that the city is heavily dependent on tourism. Every other building houses a hotel, handicraft shop or a travel agency. Paro is a well-planned city, clean and well maintained. Snuggled amidst snow capped mountains with the river Paro Chuu flowing past one side, the town presents a picture postcard ambience of Himalayan tranquility.

Among the main tourist attractions are the Paro Dzong Monastery which has a long and fascinating history. Originally built by Guru Padma Sambhava at the beginning of the 10th century, the monastery was totally re-built using stones instead of clay by Ngawang Namgyal in 1646 and renamed Rinpung, which translates into ‘heaps of jewels’. Tragically Rinpung and all its treasures were destroyed in an accidental fire in 1907 and rebuilt by Penlop Dawa Penjor soon after. Today Paro Dzong hosts a vast collection of sacred masks, costumes and other Buddhist memorabilia. The National Museum, sited atop a tall hill behind Paro Dzong, is a treasure house of paintings, decorative art, arms, and jewellery.

February 20, Paro-Thimpu.

A bright sunny day had dawned and after a fortifying breakfast of rice noodles, we started from Paro at 10.30 a.m and headed towards Thimpu (60 km). We had barely travelled 10 km beyond Paro, when we were stopped at a road block by the local civic authority. As we waited for the block to be cleared, a group of about 12 European, American and Australian bikers pulled up behind us. I was particularly impressed by the itinerary of Australian biker couple Peter and Kay Forwood riding a massively powerful 1400 cc Harley Davidson Electraglide motorcycle. The Forwoods have traversed a mind-boggling 178 countries on their marvel of engineering and were covering the Indian subcontinent at the time of our meeting.

The roadblock was soon cleared and we were allowed to proceed to Thimpu. However once again we were halted at the confluence where the road to Paro meets with the main Thimpu-Phuntsoling highway and our immigration papers were re-checked. The next 22 km to Thimpu is a steep and curvaceous road, parts of which are being converted into a four-lane highway. Surprisingly we caught up with the Forwoods and rode the last stretch of 10 km to Thimpu on a super smooth four-lane highway, hitting speeds of over 100 km even while negotiating sharp curves on the steep road.

Reaching Thimpu, the capital of the Kingdom of Bhutan (pop. 98,000) at about 2.30 p.m, we checked into Hotel TT (Rs.350 per night). Thimphu is connected to other parts of the country by an excellent road network built by the Indian Army’s Border Roads Organisation (BRO). This engineering wing of the Indian Army is engaged in road construction activities in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and other developing countries. The town has no airport or railroad connections. The nearest airport is Paro (65 km).

Formerly the winter capital (Punâkha was the summer capital), Thimphu was made the permanent seat of government in 1962. In my opinion Thimpu is one of the most unusual capital cities. Established in 1955 on the banks of Thimpu Chuu and ringed by the majestic mountains of Thimpu valley, the capital is home to the revered Bhutanese royal family, the royal government and judiciary and to several foreign missions and development projects.

At one end of the city is the Tashi Chuu Dzong, the main secretariat building which houses the throne room of His Majesty the King of Bhutan. Next to the Dzong is located the country’s sole nine-hole golf course. One of the most impressive buildings in Thimpu is the National Library sited close to the Tashi Chuu Dzong. It houses a vast collection of religious and historical books and manuscripts. Another city landmark is the Memorial Chorten, erected in 1974 by the mother of the Third King in memory of her son.

A stroll down the main street full of traditionally decorated shopfronts was entertaining. Shops stock everything from handicrafts and textiles to Bhutan's colorful stamps, but like most other tourism dependent towns, everything is prohibitively priced. Atmospheric prayer wheels and flags are ubiquitous at every street corner and square of the city.

February 21, Thimpu-Jaigaon.

It was the 27th birthday of the incumbent monarch of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk, and the entire nation celebrated the occasion with great enthusiasm. Businessmen voluntarily closed shop and lined up to pray for this much-loved and benevolent king’s good health and prosperity of the kingdom. There is genuine warmth and goodwill towards the monarchy in this mountain kingdom. Particularly after Jigme Khesar announced that 2008 onwards, he will cede power to a democratically elected government.

We started off towards the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB). Our plan was to visit the campus and re-enter India via Phuntsoling. We had a distance of 10 km of tough mountain terrain to cover to get to RUB. Yet the 45 minute journey was worth it. The university is sited on a sprawling hillside campus amid picturesque surroundings and offers 13 postgraduate study programmes to its 355 students. The department of business management welcomed us and showed us around its well-equipped campus which compares with the best in India. It was 7.30 p.m when we rode out of Bhutan into India, just in time because the gates at the border close at 8.00 pm after which all traffic is suspended until 8 a.m next morning.

A peculiar phenomenon in Bhutan is the low price of petrol which is supplied mainly by the Indian public sector company Bharat Petroleum. It is priced at only Nu. 39 (Rs.39) per litre against Rs.51.65 back home in Bangalore. On the other hand telecommunication prices are prohibitive and Bhutan doesn’t have broadband internet services. Dial-up internet access is prohibitively priced @ Rs.75 per hour and a telephone call to India costs Rs.19 per minute.