Thimphu to Lobesa

3^rd March

Soaking in the view at Clocktower Square

The previous evening I had thought about a bath – there being such a fixture and a plug in my bathroom, but the less than lukewarm temperature of the water suggested a very quick shower would be preferable.

I had looked around the bathroom and my room for a hot water heater and switch, but nothing, so I assumed a more central supply.

So when the water was even colder in the morning, I called reception.  The water heater and switch was on the balcony – of course it would be!  And of course it would be turned off when someone was about to check into the room!  I was given the instruction to wait 25 minutes and it would be warm.  I waited 40 and the shower was ok – ish!

Downstairs in the dining room I joined fellow BCF reading teachers, Ann & Moraine, for breakfast before heading up to My Mart, another shop that stocks a good range of imported goods, for a couple of bits and pieces.

Joan and I had the morning free, as Karma was taking the Paro 2 through to their hotel for their post, so time for shopping and meeting friends and we would leave Thimphu after lunch.

I was navigating my way “by feel” – from memory and stopped at one point to survey the lay of the land and ask a nearby gentleman for directions.  My memory of location was pretty good but when I got there, there was “no light” – the power was off, so the doorman suggested that meant no entry; I persuaded him otherwise as the shop had windows and I had a torch in my phone but there was still no tonic water available.  I did, however find what proved to be an amazingly efficient small stainless steel vacuum flask.

Back in the central part of the town I acquired coffee and some school supplies then went to meet Sangay, a girl from Lhuentse who had adopted me as her mother at the Gyelposhing camp in early 2016. I had suggested we meet at midday at Clocktower Square.  Sometime after midday she messaged me to say she was just leaving her aunt’s house with her brother.  It turned out her “brother” was actually her “cousin brother” , brother being a generic name for any relatively close male relative of similar age in Bhutan.  And the brother was driving her – something that was not clear to me until later.  When they eventually appeared (after I had made friends with a small boy and then his father while waiting)  I invited the “brother” to join us for lunch but he declined.  We went to a recommended restaurant which was sensibly priced and ordered momo – my favourite Bhutanese food!  I had asked Sangay if she would prefer burger or pizza and she told me in a semi shocked voice that she did not eat food like that.  I was pleased and told her the I generally didn’t either!

She protested that she was not really hungry;  I really do think she is being terribly polite and not wanting me to spend my money on her.  After lunch I ask her where we should walk but it seems she has not been out and about in Thimphu much so I suggest the park along the river bank and she asks her cousin about it, so he drives us – which was very sweet of him.   

With Sangay by the river

He offers to drop me back at my hotel but my navigational knowledge of Thimphu is insufficient to direct him on the one way streets so I suggest he drop me on the main street.  He does so and I say goodbye to both, slipping some money to Sangay, telling her it is to help with expenses while she is staying with her Aunt, as she is still searching for work.

Not recognizing landmarks, I figure I’m too far up the street and walk down, then realize I am actually a street below what I’d interpret as the main street – but got there in the end!

Back at the hotel I packed the last of my things and was downstairs at 2 to check out and wait for Karma.  He eventually turned up closer to 3 and then there was a delay while Joan raced to the ATM to attempt to withdraw cash for Anne and Moraine, whose ATM cards would not work.   The ATM failed to play nicely with her card and there were many complicated conversations about possible solutions and Ann and Moraine came with us to Nancy’s – we were going there to pick up the coffee plunger I was borrowing.

At Nancy’s we settled down for a hot drink and more complicated conversations involving exchanging Nepali currency, Nu, US$ and CAN$ and fixed vs fluctuating exchange rates.  All rather exhausting! I tend to forget that knowledge I absorbed during my year here has to be explained in detail to others.

Finally we set off at 4pm.  It was after lunch!

The road west, over Dochu La, has vastly improved since I last travelled it 2 years ago.  It is now sealed and is 2 lane all the way (ie, one lane in each direction, let’s not get too carried away here)

Dochu La unfortunately, did not provide us with the panoramic view that it sometimes does.  The cloud obscured the range of higher peaks.

We saw some magnolias in the forest starting to bloom, and similarly rhododendrons;  I would dearly love to spend a little time in the Royal Botanical Park with its 20 or so varieties of native rhododendron in the forest in a month or so, as the trees attain their fullness of bloom. 

We reached Lobesa in under 2 hours; I was impressed – though Joan was not impressed with the wining road and was feeling distinctly queasy despite having the front seat.

We were of course offered the obligatory tea or coffee – Joan declined all, and I did also, but we were asked to sit while rooms were got ready, or something, and Karma phoned Trish (BCF teacher at Lobesa LSS) to come and meet us.

Our host Kunsang seems very kind, and 2 hours later this kindness came to the fore.  I had asked him an initial question about tonic, and received the assurance that yes, he had it, he brings it from Phuntsholing.   I ordered room service dinner via reception - buffet dinner at 500Nu is probably good value for a big eater but for me a single dish of mushroom datsi accompanied by a Bhutanese size serve of red rice would be more than adequate and half the price. 

I also requested a can of tonic and was told to go to the bar.  But the girls at the bard said they had no tonic.  I gently insisted that  Mr Kunsang had said that the hotel did have it.  Together we checked fridge and then suggested I ask reception; the girls at reception said they would go and get it and bring it to me.  An hour later I decided to experiment with gin and tamarind drink --- interesting.  Not worth repeating.  Another half hour later Kunsang knocked – Bhutan is out of tonic!  He had driven 7km to check other sources locally.  He had called suppliers in Thimphu … tomorrow he would call Mothithang…. all very much above the call of duty.  Genuinely lovely!