Monday October 27, 2025
We started at Simtokha Dzong (Dzong is
their word for fort) which was built in 1629 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal and functions
as a monastic and administrative center. It is the oldest dzong which has
survived in its original form and for the first time in Bhutan, Namgyal had created the
concept of the "dzong" as a castle monastery.
Tashi asked if we wanted to visit a
post office where we could put our pictures on a postcard and send them, we
said that sounded fun.
Since the first two stops weren’t on
my list I asked Tashi what he had planned for the rest of the day. After
comparing notes, he rearranged our day.
Next, we went to Jungshi Handmade
Paper Factory to see how their paper making process. It’s quite a long and
involved process that includes: Soaking the Daphne bark in water for 12 hours,
cooking the soaked bark for 4 hours, washing/sorting of fine fiber, Mixing of
pulp with water and vegetable starch in a big tub, then, using a wooden frame
and bamboo screen they scoop a thin layer of pulp on the screen and piled it up
on the paper bed. Then, they repeat this process again and again. After it is
acceptable they compress the piled-up paper to squeeze out the water. The last
step is drying the compressed paper one by one on a smooth board, and sorting
of dried paper from the rejected paper.
We stopped into their store where they
sell the finished product, but we didn’t find anything we wanted to buy.
Our next stop was at the National
Institute for Zorig Chusum which is dedicated to the preservation and promotion
of traditional arts and crafts.
It was time for lunch, and we walked
to the restaurant. There were some nice shops near the restaurant, and I bought a set of larger prayer flags and a magnet.
After lunch we visited the Folk
heritage museum which showcases rural life in the past. There were also some
games to try such as archery and dart throwing. The darts were huge fat ones and really tough
to throw and the Bow was huge and the string very hard to pull. Not at all like
bows and arrows today. Greg did much better than I did.
Visit the Takin Preserve to meet the
lovely national animal of Bhutan in the morning. The preserve is home to
wounded Takin, either for rehabilitation or to live out their lives. It is also
home to injured yak, pigs, and deer. It also has become a breeding program for Takin.
Some are able to be returned back to the wild. Some of the other animals we saw
were Sambar Deer, Himalayan Serow, Blue Sheep, and Himalayan Goral.
As we were leaving a cat decided to
follow us back to the van. At the gate we shooed her back so she wouldn’t get
run over. So cute!
We had some time to kill before our
last activity started so Tashi took us to a market that we had passed numerous
times. They are always fun stops and always see something different.
The orange suits on workers in Bhutan are the distinctive uniform of the De-suups, a national volunteer force known as the "Guardians of Peace".
Next, we visited the downtown area
which is famous for having no traffic lights and smartly dressed police
officers, often in traditional attire, direct vehicles at busy intersections
using graceful hand signals. It was fun to watch.
We ended with a visit the most
important dzong (administrative/monastic fort), Tashichho Dzong. It has
traditionally been the seat of the Dharmaraja (Bhutan rulers) and the summer
capital of the country. It is the headquarters of the central government, just
like the White House in America or Downing Street in Britain. Tashi timed our
visit to watch the daily, elaborate ritual at dusk where the national flag is
lowered with military precision, featuring traditional costumes, music (like
the national anthem), and processions.
Unfortunately, we got there too late
to get a great viewing spot. A really tall guy (like 2 feet taller than me) let
me in front of him, but it was still obscured with flowers and trees. I did get
a video (only on web albums) that wasn’t too bad.
After the ceremony, we went for an
inside visit, and photos were allowed in the courtyard areas.
The nights we stayed at the Norkhil
Botique Hotel, breakfast and dinner were included. They had a nice buffet so that
worked well.
Our laundry wasn’t back yet so we
checked downstairs and they said they would check on it. On the way back to the
room a lady was there with a basket and the lady was very apologetic that they
had ruined a pair of SPF pants. They washed them in hot water and then tried to
iron them, causing the material to melt. Unfortunately, they were my favorite
pants. They did comp the entire cost of our laundry.
We went for a walk after dinner for more drinks and snacks.
Photo Album Thimphu Day 2 https://photos.app.goo.gl/nswNHVzqKr5dVHWn8
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