A Day in the Land of the Thunder Dragon

Location:
Bhutan

Bhutan, monasteries, student travel

By Elizabeth Findell

I hadn't had to be dressed since I was four years old, but now found myself incapable of self-clothing. The Bhutanese kira consisted of a piece of fabric as large as a sheet, elaborately folded with a silk undershirt and jacket, secured with a multicolored belt as tight as a girth. It was very complex. Our homestay mother would patiently pleat the fabric back and forth for us each morning, bruising our ribs as she cinched it together.

As we helped teach an English class later that day I asked six and seven year old girls in neat kiras if they dressed themselves before school. They laughed at me. Of course they dressed themselves.

Over puffed rice and tea the principle of the school explained to us why the tiny kingdom had worked so hard to keep itself isolated from the outside world. Tourism, globalization, and outside media are all strictly controlled. Only a few educational television channels are allowed.

"TV can be dangerous," the principle explained. "For example, just the other day my son got the idea to jump from his bed and hit his little sister with a pillow. So you can see how TV is very dangerous."

Surveying the breathtaking serenity of the Himalayan rimmed valley, I regretted that pillow fighting was not the worst effect of television on the US.

Bhutan means "land of the thunder dragon." It made headlines when its king declared he would measure his country only in terms of gross national happiness. It is the only country in the world to have a yeti preserve. Quiet mountain farms exist in a bubble of Buddhism.

Previously, we had hiked to Tiger's Nest monastery, where Buddha's reincarnate Guru Rinpoche landed on a flying tiger. This legend, to a skeptic like me, might once have seemed implausible. But here, in the beauty of the Paro valley, where sharp peaks pierced the heavens, it was easy to believe the story as literal.

In an era of Natalee Holloways and Semester at Sea lawsuits, there is too often cynicism and fear regarding student travel. Yet truly, foreign travel teaches more than all the teachers on earth. It is the way to really experience the world, not as tourists, but as explorers, as chameleons, as people. Our group of 15 high school students had been lucky to get into Bhutan, a country which very few have the privilege of experiencing.

When school had ended for the day, monks greeted us with friendly curiosity as we walked in the entryway of another local monastery.

"You's looking very beautiful in your kiras ma'am. You's very handsome, sir."

Inside, gleaming statues, incense and murals dominated. I wandered into a side room where a group of monks was dancing. They looked to be about my age- teenagers a world away.

When the monks saw me watching they stopped dancing and clustered around me, as curious about me as I was about them. Where had I come from? How long was I here? Was I a student? How old was I?

"Seventeen," I replied.

"No!" They burst out laughing and refused to believe that I was not older. I asked their ages, and found they were all within two years of mine, though they guessed I was twenty.

I pointed to my sixty year old teacher. "How old do you think he is?"

The tallest monk hesitated. "Eighty," he said.

"Why did you come to Bhutan?" another asked. This was the most common question I had encountered in this country.

"It's an amazing place." Again, skepticism reigned.

We sat forever by the window, talking about the differences between our countries and ourselves. Eventually my friends found me and joined the conversation. Somehow, we felt completely at home, relaxing and talking, light-years away from our real lives. It doesn't matter where you go or who you're with- American ski bums, African farmers, Mongolian gangsters, or Bhutanese monks- teenagers hang out.

There's a certain charm in visiting what, at first glance, seems like a society in a snow globe- hiking peaks to the top of the world, dressing in costume, believing in dragons, yetis and flying tigers. But the magic lies in traveling to the farthest corners of the world to remember that people are all the same.

Further Information

Other helpful information: Appreciate and feel lucky to have the opportunity to be a part of this country. It is a rare gem, and one of the few really isolated areas of the world left.

Must see/do at this place: Hiking to Tiger's Nest is a must. As well, the Sunday markets in both Paro and Thimphu are colorful and more than worth a visit.

You should avoid here: Avoid foods with large amounts of chilies. The Bhutanese chilies are far too spicy for most Westerners, and can make them sick.