Bhutan : The Land of Happiness – Part 3

6 Oct 2019

Continued from Part 2 

We had a whole extra day to explore Thimpu.

There are some things you won’t find on trip advisers. Though there are specific ‘view-points’ , any place on the few roads skirting around the valley gives a beautiful panoramic view. It’s worth stopping to admire the landscape.

 

 

Down town or the local market is another place , not many tourists spend time in. Since we were free till 6:30, in the evening, we decided to explore the down town .

At about 9 in the morning, after a good breakfast, we started off for the local farmers’ market. For most people, a visit to a Mall or a Theater may not be an everyday event, but a visit to a vegetable market is a regular event particularly for the ladies.

 

 

Here’s a Vegetable and grains market that is clean, well organized and a treat to spend time in for adults and kids alike.

Centenary Market is located over a sprawling area on the bank of River Wangchu. On Google map it is shown as Thimpu Chu keeping with the pattern of naming rivers according to the towns they flow through, like Paro Chu.

The market is under control of the Govt regulators and their office right in the heart of the building.

The market is organized into organic produce section, imported vegetable section, grains section and spiritual items section. Every house has an ‘altar’ room and incense and butter lamps are everyday use items. You find all kinds of incense powders mostly herbal.

Children keep moving about on their own in a carefree manner while the adults are busy shopping. There is a Rest room also on one side of the shopping complex.

We were delighted to find banana flower and coconuts. Banana flower is something that is difficult to find in North India.

Bhutanese favour red rice which is either cooked as ‘sticky rice’ (south Indian way) or is roasted and eaten with suja(salt and butter tea)

Just across the river , a narrow stream really, there is a market for handicraft and regular use items like clothes and shoes. Here you find more local people than foreigners.

We bought some shawls made of baby yak wool. Mostly they are reasonably priced . While plain shawls are less expensive, ones with intricate patterns weaved into them are  more expensive. Things like small wooden containers , purses and bags are also sold in this market.

After the experience of local cuisine, the day before, we were looking forward to a more predictable meal of Dal, roti, sabji at the officers mess. I wanted to have some local tea before heading back to our guest rooms for lunch.

We found the right place for Suja.(salt – butter tea) It was a small store selling only organic products. There were 4-5 tables right in the middle of the store for tea and snacks. We also had some very tasty momos made of buck wheat and cassava (tapioca.) .

Dinner at Sangay’s home.

This certainly was a high point on the whole trip. Sangay and I were meeting after about 40 years . His entire family was there. His sister had driven down from Paro. His children and grand children had also come over for a family get together.

We started with tea and it didn’t take long before we too felt like part of the family. Kids, as kids are, were climbing over the sofas and running around making the place truly lively ; all warmth and sunshine.

 

I asked for a local drink, without realizing what I was putting the hosts through. The hostess, had to get some ‘ara’ (a vintage one, I believe) from her daughter’s house. ( Ara, or Arag,  is a traditional alcoholic beverage consumed in Bhutan. Ara is made from native high-altitude tolerant barley, rice, maize, millet, or wheat, and may be either fermented or distilled.)   I had the pleasure of taking the drink , the  Bhutanese way. First, egg is cooked and the drink is poured over it. Then the gas is switched off. The drink has to be warmed enough just to bearable temperature. You just pour a drop on to back of your hand to check ; should be hot but not so hot that you pull your hand back.

 

 

 

 The food was excellent.  Notwithstanding the initial misgivings we had about our ability to enjoy the local food, the sheer variety of the spread and the warmth of hospitality proved too irresistible.  The local chilies made up for whatever taste an Indian tongue craves for.

A great day indeed. Cheers to Brig Sangay Thinlay and his Family !!

For Part 4 Click