Thursday 24th
Could the red carpet at Paro airport be for us? Tellingly, it's not unfurled quite up to the door of our plane from Kolkata, but our landing is timely for we soon catch a glimpse of the King of Bhutan walking along the ceremonial way to board the plane we've just left. Bhutan established a hereditary monarchy just over a century ago, and the fifth Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King) became the world's youngest ruling monarch in 2006 when his father (who's still alive) handed over the throne. The fifth king has just celebrated his 31st birthday, a three day holiday in the kingdom, by visiting a village too remote for road access, and is now flying out to a conference in Kuwait. Oxford-educated, handsome in the royal yellow scarf, and unmarried, he's the country's most eligible bachelor. His father had four wives, all sisters, and the new king is the son of the third wife, though the first is regarded as the senior Queen Mother.
We're met by Chimi, a lively and experienced guide who was the first woman to qualify as a tour guide in Bhutan nearly 20 years ago. Our bus is much smaller than the coaches we've used in India, and our 24 pieces of heavy luggage are loaded onto the roof (we had a big excess baggage charge on Druk Air!). Chimi takes us straight to lunch at a typical Bhutanese restaurant in Paro - the buffet is full of good vegetables and a bit less spicy than Indian fare, apart from the national favorite, ema datse, green chillies prepared in a cheese sauce. Tasting this is a mouth-burning experience!
Before driving to Thimphu, we visit the National Museum which is perched on a hill above Paro. It's a striking round building, an old watchtower with extremely thick walls which was renovated forty years ago to house the museum. As in the Guggenheim, we're encouraged to begin the tour on the top floor and work our way down the spiral stairs. The eclectic collection gives us a good overview of the history, religion, crafts and culture of this small Himalayan country (total population of about 750,000).
Then it's back to the bus for a scenic two-and-a-half hour drive through the Paro valley, passing the confluence of two rivers, to the modern capital, Thimphu, where we'll spend the next 2 nights. The Taj Tashi invites us all to a welcome ceremony performed outdoors by a Buddhist priest in the late-afternoon chill. The hotel is a stunning building, with traditional Bhutanese architecture amplified in a modern way. The high ceilings of the lobby and the main dining room are dramatic - even if they give the wood-burning stoves a lot of space to heat. This Taj is just a few years old, a joint venture between the Indian hotel group and Bhutanese partners, and lives up to all of our expectations of the Taj chain.
We're met by Chimi, a lively and experienced guide who was the first woman to qualify as a tour guide in Bhutan nearly 20 years ago. Our bus is much smaller than the coaches we've used in India, and our 24 pieces of heavy luggage are loaded onto the roof (we had a big excess baggage charge on Druk Air!). Chimi takes us straight to lunch at a typical Bhutanese restaurant in Paro - the buffet is full of good vegetables and a bit less spicy than Indian fare, apart from the national favorite, ema datse, green chillies prepared in a cheese sauce. Tasting this is a mouth-burning experience!
Then it's back to the bus for a scenic two-and-a-half hour drive through the Paro valley, passing the confluence of two rivers, to the modern capital, Thimphu, where we'll spend the next 2 nights. The Taj Tashi invites us all to a welcome ceremony performed outdoors by a Buddhist priest in the late-afternoon chill. The hotel is a stunning building, with traditional Bhutanese architecture amplified in a modern way. The high ceilings of the lobby and the main dining room are dramatic - even if they give the wood-burning stoves a lot of space to heat. This Taj is just a few years old, a joint venture between the Indian hotel group and Bhutanese partners, and lives up to all of our expectations of the Taj chain.
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