Thursday, January 6, 2011

Last journaling from Bangkok, Thailand

December 21
Got to the airport last night and spent whole night sleeping next to the check-in gate...was freezing!!!
And it made me mad actually...cuz once you open the door you feel hot and humid right away!
There's only one airline in Bhutan, Drukair and though I had to wait for like 7 hours to check-in but when I found the sign on the boarding board I was happy.

The flight stopped by at Dhaka so I technically landed on Bangladesh. The place was quite small and the food was...hmm. Japanese girl with her mother are sitting next to me and they told me they were here to see their husband/dad volunteering in Bhutan.

Getting visa to go to Bhutan is hard and expensive. Thanks to my friend (I don't know if I can call him "friend" cuz he was one of the delegates from Bhutan at CBD-COP10), he invited me as his personal guest and I didn't have to do all the process to get my visa. Even for the flight ticket they put different price on foreigners so he got my ticket for me with discount. I guess is Bhutanese government's policy that they restrict the number of the tourists and foreigners in Bhutan...to preserve its culture I think? Anyway so relieved I got to Paro, the only one airport in Bhutan safely and passed the immigration gate!
My first meal in Bhutan...they put lots of chili peppers and my tongue got burnt.
Smoking is prohibited in Bhutan. So this bitter nut called Doma is like its replacement. 
You put doma with pasted chalk and wrap them with this leaf. I tried but I couldn't even chew and it was...disgusting in my mouth. For me it almost the same as those drugs and they said it's important for them cuz it keeps your body warm. The most disgusting part is that they throw up doma after chewing for while  and it just looks like blood.
 It's already so much interesting being in Bhutan....

December 22
If you are in Bhutan you always have to go anywhere with your guide and a car. Otherwise you get lost or stuck in middle of nowhere cuz sometime you need a permission to pass gates. I was with this guide and driver whole day and they showed me around pretty much everywhere in Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan.
Pandu and Karma (not sure if I write their name correct). They look like Japanese aren't they?
Bhutanese guys playing Khuru, short and handy version of archery I think.