At school we rarely came across the history of Bhutan. But it always figured in our geography lessons as our neighbour country. I confess having basic knowledge about Bhutan before my maiden trip earlier this month and was glad that I did not web crawl for any more information, barring for a cursory look at the weather this time of the year.
Here is the first of my postcards from Thimphu, Bhutan.
India and all virtually Indians are consumed in the GDP race. What a welcome thought it is to visit Bhutan and interact with the Bhutanese where they value and actually place GNH ( Gross National Happiness ) higher than GDP. GNH simply explained is more of a social indicator measuring quality of life in spite of the pressures of material aspirations in the era of modern economic development.
Aboard the Druk Air ( Bhutan's national airline) one cannot miss the smiling countenance of HH Jigme Wangchuck and his wife, the queen Jetsun Pema, staring at us from the immigration forms. My wife, Sarika found HH very handsome and adorable and set her heart on meeting the king during our trip and making a mental note of asking the Taj Tashi staff for a possible meeting or glimpse of the king.
Paro airport has just a 6500 feet runway and is rated as the top 2 most difficult runways to land on. The air strip runs parallel to the Paro river and nests in a valley between mountains as high as 16000 feet.Apparently less than a dozen pilots are authorised to land and take off at Paro airport. Our captain for the morning was adroit and we hardly felt the challenge he must have while landing us into Paro.
Indian's ( and Bangladeshi's) are the only visitors who are exempt from a Tourist fee. All other travelers are required to spend a minimum of US$ 250 per night in Bhutan - a good way of restricting low spending backpackers.
The 70 minute drive from Paro to the capital of Thimpu is a breeze alongside the scenic beauty of Bhutan. Well maintained roads by Project Dantak - an initiative of Border Roads Organisation add to the driving pleasure. Bhutan's need for vehicles are cornered between Maruti, Mahindra and Tata while the quest for the off roader's has been cornered by Toyota and Hyundai. A pleasant surprise is the driving courtesy and the road sense displayed by the Bhutanese.
Here is the first of my postcards from Thimphu, Bhutan.
India and all virtually Indians are consumed in the GDP race. What a welcome thought it is to visit Bhutan and interact with the Bhutanese where they value and actually place GNH ( Gross National Happiness ) higher than GDP. GNH simply explained is more of a social indicator measuring quality of life in spite of the pressures of material aspirations in the era of modern economic development.
Aboard the Druk Air ( Bhutan's national airline) one cannot miss the smiling countenance of HH Jigme Wangchuck and his wife, the queen Jetsun Pema, staring at us from the immigration forms. My wife, Sarika found HH very handsome and adorable and set her heart on meeting the king during our trip and making a mental note of asking the Taj Tashi staff for a possible meeting or glimpse of the king.
Paro airport has just a 6500 feet runway and is rated as the top 2 most difficult runways to land on. The air strip runs parallel to the Paro river and nests in a valley between mountains as high as 16000 feet.Apparently less than a dozen pilots are authorised to land and take off at Paro airport. Our captain for the morning was adroit and we hardly felt the challenge he must have while landing us into Paro.
Indian's ( and Bangladeshi's) are the only visitors who are exempt from a Tourist fee. All other travelers are required to spend a minimum of US$ 250 per night in Bhutan - a good way of restricting low spending backpackers.
The 70 minute drive from Paro to the capital of Thimpu is a breeze alongside the scenic beauty of Bhutan. Well maintained roads by Project Dantak - an initiative of Border Roads Organisation add to the driving pleasure. Bhutan's need for vehicles are cornered between Maruti, Mahindra and Tata while the quest for the off roader's has been cornered by Toyota and Hyundai. A pleasant surprise is the driving courtesy and the road sense displayed by the Bhutanese.
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