Visit to Punakha Valley

Punkha valley is blessed with a temperate climate and there are 2 rivers which meet at this valley named Pho-chu (male) and Mo-chu (female) rivers. Punakha is the most fertile valley in the country and until 1955, it served as the capital.

Next day from Thimpu, went to Punakha and we went to the bus stand in Thimpu to look for other passengers to share the taxi. We did not find many and so finally I decided to pay for the whole taxi. We stopped on the way in some local market where business was in full flow. Everyone was busy buying/selling stuff, bargaining, packing/unpacking and chatting. I stopped to take some pictures here with small kids playing around. Later proceed to the famous Punakha Dzong which is located in a huge compound and at the confluence of the 2 rivers Pho-Chu and Mo-Chu. It took me over 2 hours to go though this Dzong and luckily it was empty with may be 2-3 other tourists around. This is the 2^nd oldest dzong and the highlight of my trip to Bhutan.

On the way back from the Dzong my driver hesitantly asks if I would be interested to visit his house. He was inviting me to his village house, said his mother has never met a Indian or a foreigner and wanted me to visit his family.

All the time I was just going around public places, taking photos, sitting around reading my books. And when this guy asks me, I could not let this opportunity go by to visit a local house, eat local food and chat up with the village people. His house was just on the bank of a small river, and was the only house over some vast green fields. He picked up his son from school, and we drove as far as there was something that resembled road. Then had to walk for some 100 meters uphill to reach his house, and when I saw his place, I told myself, this is a place to stay when you retire. The house is built on a slope of a hill, surrounded by green fields, clear view of the river in front and within reach of the local market place. I told to him that he is quite lucky to live in such a beautiful place, but he said he still wants to buy a house in the capital city of Thimpu. Although Bhutan is the most isolated and least developed nations in the world, it’s rated the happiest country in Asia and eight happiest country in the world. No wonder the Bhutan King says that the “Gross National Happiness” is more important than the “Gross Domestic Product/Income”. The main economy is based on agriculture, forestry and tourism. Agriculture provides the main livelihood for more than 80 percent of the population.

I was greeted with open arms and wide smile by the family and was given a quick tour of the house. Most houses on the hill side are built of wooden logs, very little or no concrete or bricks.

The kitchen has a central cooking place on the floor and all other material stacked near the walls. We sat on the floor in the living room and was served local drinks made of wheat/barley. It had a strong smell and tasted weird, but couldn’t say no to the hosts. Later had lunch which was some red/brown rice grains, meat (I am not sure of what) and some chilly pickles. I now sometimes wonder how did I trust these complete strangers so easily, visiting their house in a remote place, drinking and eating at their house. But you have to trust me when I say that people in Bhutan are really friendly and hospitable. During my visit, never even for a moment did I feel that this guy might do some harm to me. He was extremely humble and polite and was every excited when I accepted his offer to visit his place and had lunch. We moved around his green fields and he explained to me how the farming is done, and that guys when they get married have to move into their wives house. They have to leave their parents and move in with the girls parents, which was opposite to what happened in India and is most other countries where the bride leaves her parents house and moves in to the grooms place. We left the house and I took a couple of family pictures, took their address promising to send the pictures back, which later I did.