Thimphu, Bhutan

We travelled from Paro to Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan.  Thimphu is located approximately 65 kms from Paro and it took us about an hour to get there.  The road from Paro to Thimphu is good, so the drive was pleasant.  

Chain-link bridge

Travelling from Paro to the capital Thimphu, we stopped at an iron chain bridge.  This bridge was reconstructed in 2005 using some of the original chain links used by Thangtong Gyalpo, a Tibetan saint and engineer who build 108 bridges in Tibet and Bhutan around 1433 to link the provinces of Bhutan before roads had been built.

Thimphu

Thimphu is the capital of Bhutan and it is Bhutan's centre of government, religion and commerce.  It is a bustling town on the banks of the Thimphu Chhu in the Thimphu valley.  It is home to the Bhutanese Royal Family and Bhutan's only golf course (9-hole golf course).  

We spent a few hours in Thimphu on our way to and from Punakha visiting the various sights.

Buddha Dordenma Statue

One of the highlights in Thimphu was a visit to the beautiful Buddha Dordenma Statue.  This statue was recently erected and it is perched high up on a mountain at the entrance to the Thimphu valley.  

This impressive 50 metre (164 feet) tall statue will eventually house several chapels and over 125,000 smaller Buddha statues. 

A paved road was especially built so that people can access the Buddha Dordenma easily and this paved road also enabled us to get amazing views of Thimphu.

Bhutanese meal

We had a great Bhutanese meal in Thimphu that consisted of Bhutanese staples like red rice, ema datse (Bhutan's national dish consisting of chillies as a vegetable with cheese sauce), kewa datse (potatoes with cheese sauce) and locally grown vegetables. 

Chillies are extremely popular in Bhutan and Bhutanese love chillies so much that it is not uncommon to find dishes that are made entirely of chillies, accompanied by chilli-infused condiments.

We also got to try Butter tea (sud-ja), a very popular tea that is made by boiling tea leaves in water and then adding butter and salt.  Needless to say, it didn't taste like tea as we know it, but more like a buttery soup!  That said, our guide mentioned that sugary tea is becoming popular, especially now that sugar is being brought in from India, whereas before it just wasn't available.  

National Memorial Chorten

This large chorten is one of the most visible religious structures in Thimphu.  It was built in 1974 by the mother of the third king, His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuk in memory of her son.  

For many Bhutanese it is the focus of their daily worship.  This chorten is decorated with many mandalas, statues and a shrine dedicated to the king.  

This was another highlight of our visit to Thimphu, as it gave us a tiny insight into Bhutanese life and customs.  Throughout the day people (young and old) walk around the chorten (always in a clockwise direction), turning their prayer wheels and reciting prayers and mantras.  

Our guide mentioned that for many of the elderly people living in Thimphu, this is where they spend a great deal of their time.  To us it looked like the perfect gathering place for them to pray together and enjoy each others' company.  It was also really wonderful to see the majority of people dressed in their traditional dress with men wearing ghos and women wearing kiras.  Best of all, people were so friendly and it was not uncommon to have even a very old person smile at us.  

Tashi Chhoe Dzong

Also known as "Fortress of the Glorious Religion", this Dzong that is situated in the Thimphu valley is really spectacular.  This Dzong was the site of the formal coronation of the 5th king in 2008 and hosts the city's biggest annual festivities called the Tsechu festivities.  This Dzong houses both monks and civil officials, and it also houses the secretariat, the throne room, the offices of the king and the ministries of home affairs and finance.  

On the day we visited we were very fortunate because the the Chief Abbott (head of the monastery) was in the building to lead a prayer meeting.  While on his way to the prayer hall, he gave us a blessing (unfortunately we were not allowed to take any photos of him).  Our guide told that we were very lucky, as the Chief Abbott is not always present and these blessings can't be scheduled.  He also told us that some people can wait days for the Chief Abbott to appear and give blessings.  Needless to day we felt very fortunate to have been at the right place and at the right time.