Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia located at the eastern end of the Himalayas. It is bordered to the north by China and to the south, east and west by India. Last year during October, I went to visit the country for a week to travel & to know the people, culture and nature of Bhutan better.
I have studied for some preliminary information and searched for few pictures online. I found that it is not only a great country in respect to Buddhism and culture but it is also enriched with great natural beauty. Beauty of Himalaya is always attractive. But Himalaya in Bhutan is more attractive because of its greenery and high altitude. Wide roads build on the hills with the help of Govt of India and less population is also helping nature to grow and glow. I was opted for a packaged tour option to avoid hassles and risk involved of a foreign tour as I planned to travel with my parent. It is my first foreign tour and do not wanted to take any risk.
We started our journey on Oct 11, 2013 from Sealdah railway station (Kolkata West Bengal, India) through Tista-Torsha Express. Train is scheduled at 1:40 pm. We arrived at the station before 12:15 pm to avoid any issues. I am with my Mom and my childhood friend Avik Biswas and his Mother. We were waiting for our tour manager to come. He came on around 1 pm and after some chit-chats with him we were moving on towards the respective station to board the train. It was Tista-Torsa Express and as it is well known as slowest train which connects souther part of west bengal to the norther part, and it was not in anykind of mood to do injustice towards what it is known for, i.e. being very slow moving. So, we spent the night in the train which was not very entertaining as expected.
Oct 12 - The day 2 begun with a cup of hot coffee inside the train and with a little chit-chat with our tour manager. We preparing ourselves to board off the train as it was scheduled to enter New Aliporeduar Junction at 7:30am IST. Train arrive at new aliporeduar @ 7:40 am. We were leaving the station and I was personally trying to figure out who co-travellers with us. A couple of passenger cars and 2 small buses were waiting for us. We loaded all our bags and went to a local marriage hall for break fast. From there on we started our journey towards the indo-bhutan border town Jaigone (India). We reach jaigone at around 12 noon IST. stayed at hotel evan. hotel is almost opposite to bhutan gate. post lunch, we went out @3pm after noon towards
phontshiling with a car rented for Rs. 350. we went to a monustry to visit as it is with in 5 kms from the border & indians can visit with in that range without any immegration approval. then we went to crocodile conservation park. small zoo, tickets cost nu 10 for locals, nu/rs. 20 for saarc country visitors and 50 for rest of the world. then we came back to phontsiling market. roamed around for some time. there are more liqure shops than any other things. prices are on higher side. jaigone market are better than phontsiling but it is more clean than jaigone. meet soumyajeet and his family as well at hotel today.
Oct 13 - we started @ 11 am in the morning for thimpu from jaigone. only one stop in between for lunch at D2K hotel. very cold feeling and total heavy rain althrough the day. we took lunch around 3:30 pm local time. again we stoped at a motel on road side around 5;30 pm local time and had 2 apple juice of nu 15 each. Paid in INR and get the balance in NU. again started for thimpu. reached hotel norling after 7:15 pm local time. Body was very tired. taken rest for the day.
Oct 14- Early start for me. Got up at 6 am in the morning. came out on street with camera at 9:30 am. roamed around thimpu streets taken some photos of early morning city life. started local site visits @ 10 am. went to watch a famous stupa but unable to went inside bcoz of Dussera puja is going on and heavy crowed. next went to buddha point. top point of thimpu city. huge buddha statue. whole thimpu can be seen. then wen to takin national reserve. national animal of bhutan. then went to see the royal court and house from a top view point. then went for another monustry to visit but i forgot the name. then came to hotel around 1 pm. heavy rain fall is going on. Later in the evening came out for shopping in near by area. still heavy rain fall due to low pressure. bought a jop yantra, 2 t-shirts and had pastry from a local shop and purchased some doops made by locals.
Oct 15 - Heavy rain is going on. started for dochula pass around 11:30 am local time. rached there after 1 hr. still rain is going on. from there we started for punakha. we reached punakha dzong at 2:30 pm local time. daongs generally have 2 sections. 1st phase for civil govt section and 2nd phase for religious purposes. this dzong is unique as it has 3 sections. 2 towers. in 1907, 17 dec, 1st king was taken oath here. then all kings do it. it was presvious capital as well. present king also married here. in the monustry, central satue is of lord buddha left to him is the 1st lama who came to bhutan with buddhism. he came from tibet. his body also pressureved here. he is here as united bhutan and propsperity of bhutan. he had came here with a dalai lama, his backbone which is pressurved as a relic. weather is clear now. we had lunch here then went out for paro. reached there after 8 pm local time.
Oct 16 -
