Nabji Trek–Day 6

June 20th, 2010

A day of adventure!

We were ready to leave camp at 7:30 a.m., but our local guide hadn’t shown up.  He finally arrived looking like a preppy in a white shirt, blue pullover, and tennis shoes.  We walked by his house where he at least changed into hiking boots.  In the village, the steep paths were muddy from the previous evening’s rain and very slippery.

Nimshong to road: 4 mi/6.5km; 3-4 hrs; alt. gain 2050’; alt. loss 2952’

After we left the village the path was not so muddy and slippery.  It alternated between steep declines and gradual lengths along a road in progress.  Then, as we neared the river we heard blasts and suddenly a huge cloud of dust came around the corner.  Everything—camera, binoculars—became coated in dust.  I quickly pulled up my buff.  The 3000’ descent to the Mangdichu (Mangde River) took about an hour.

When we got to where the road ended and they were blasting, we discovered the suspension bridge was inaccessible.  A temporary bridge had been erected just over the rocks. 

Final bridge over Mangde Chhu

More importantly, the road trail couldn’t be used.  One had to descend a huge pile of rocks.  Note the person getting ready to ascend the pile in the following photo.

Rocky descent from road trail to river

All the villagers thought nothing of traversing this pile loaded down with supplies, but it was not my cup of tea.  Peldenand the local guide moved rocks and created short stops for my feet to guide me down and then over another pile to the bridge.

Rock pile at river

Once across the Mangdichu we waited a bit for the other porters.  Only three had left with us—one woman and two old men.  But we soon gave up waiting and started the hot, dusty, 2000-ft. climb up the mountain to the road. 

We started around 7:45 and got to the road a little after 11.  Our driver was waiting, but the van was on the other side of the avalanche.  He had climbed over the huge pile of rock still on the road along with the driver for the cook and his helper.  We waited some more for the cook and the rest of the porters, but we soon gave up and headed for the rock pile in the road. 

Avalanche on road

 Some of the porters crossed without problem, so Pelden, the local guide and our driver helped me over.  It really wasn’t too bad except for the fear of further avalanche.  Of course, it was a long ways down.

Mangde Chhu Gorge

Dust from dropping rocks from road into Mangde Chhu gorge

The driver went back over again to help the other porters while we waited and waited and waited. 

Porters waiting and waiting

Finally about 12:30 Pelden served me lunch.  I was surprised we had my lunch with us. 

Serving lunch beside the road

The workers clearing the avalanche had been absent when we reached the road, but they returned from lunch around 1.  Then it got really dusty as they lifted loads of rock and tipped them over the side of the mountain. 

Excavator at rest

The cook, driver, et al arrived around 2:15.  The cook had waited at camp for more porters, but they never showed up.  Instead he had to go round up two people to act as porters plus carry a load himself.  They had finally left camp at 11, more than three hours after we did.  Our driver had gone down to the river and helped them move all the equipment across the river and up to the road.

 We finally headed for Trongsa around 2:30.  Along the way we saw more langurs.

Black-faced Langur

Nabji Trek–Day 5

June 19th, 2010

Nabji to Nimshong (4265’): 6.2mi, 4-6hrs; small ups and downs.

 After a relatively short downhill from Nabji, we crossed the river on logs. 

Crossing river on logs

 

Then the trail climbed only a short way up the mountain before contouring around the mountain on a wide flat trail.  We passed individual farms, rather than a village.

Most of the bridges on the trail are simple affairs.

There were a few rocky places before we took a break about 10:30.  Then we began a small climb with the porters out in front.

The terrain was easier than on previous days as the trail passed through lush broadleaf forest without any steep climbs or declines.

We ate lunch (12:30-1:10) at a chorten on a hill just before reaching the village of Nimshong. 

Of course, to get to the village we had to  walk down and then up.  Nimshong is a small farming village of about 58 households (465 people).

 

The camp (4397’) was located above Nimshong near the school.  We arrived around 2 p.m. 

From here we could see the road—blocked by an avalanche—and two huge excavators working to remove the rock.  Every so often the machines would move away and there would be blasting, throwing up huge plumes of dust.  To find the blue excavator look about half-way up about one-third of the way towards the right from the left side of the picture.  The road essentially bisects the picture.  The yellow excavator is obscured by the dust.

Unfortunately, the avalanche was between the end of the trail and where our driver would pick us up.  How were we going to get around it?

Nabji Trek–Day 4, Part 2

June 18th, 2010

After lunch, we walked to the village lhakhang.  As I noted before, Guru Rinpoche visited this area in the 8th century.  While here he mediated peace between King Na’oche  and King Sindhu of Assam and Bumthang.  The name Nabji derives from the word “Ngaa”  or oath taken by the two warring kings.  To mark their oaths they left imprints of their thumbs on a stone pillar which is now housed in the the Nabji temple.

Nabji Lhakhang

The day of my visit was a village work day.  I think everyone in the village must have been there.  During our morning bird walk we had seen several men cutting rocks, and we later saw them hauling the stones back to the village.  When we got to the lhakhang we discovered why.  A large group of men from the village were building a stone wall around the temple.

Note the dogs in the picture above.  There are dogs everywhere in Bhutan.  In towns and villages they spend a greater part of the night defending their territory–loudly.  During the day they just lay around.  Presumably they forage on garbage and off the land.  A barking dog in the daytime was a rare event.

Barking dog

While the men worked on the stone wall, some women were doing various tasks inside, but there were several groups sitting around and, presumably, gossiping. 

There were children everywhere.  These kids were not dressed in their best clothes for an important event; they were dressed for play. 

Children playing in field beside lhakhang

Children following us through village

In the evening, five ten-year old girls arrived to sing and dance for me.  They were delightful, but unfortunately I didn’t take any pictures.

Nabji Trek–Day 4, Part 1

June 17th, 2010

I had two choices for the day–birding and a local gathering or a trek up to Korphu village.  I elected to take it easy and go birding, but let me save all my birding finds for later.  Instead, I want to talk about Nabji.

My guide Pelden was born in Nabji, and he lived here until going away to school. 

Several of his sisters still live in the area; one in the village.  Because I was a party of one, she graciously invited me to stay in her home.  Thus, I had an opportunity to glimpse what rural life in Bhutan is really like–sort of.  Being an honored guest in a home where no one speaks your language, the only chair is the one brought for you, and the kitchen is so smoky that it makes your eyes water, nose run, and lungs cough means there is little interaction between you and your hosts.

Pelden's sister's home

While most of the homes look multi-storied, only one level is used for living space.  The ground level is for storage, as is the open space between the first floor and roof.  If you’ve not read or heard about the Bhutanese’ favorite good-luck symbol, here it is.

For comparison purposes, here are two other homes in Nabji village.

Neighbor's home from my bedroom window

Neighbor's house

 To get to the living quarters, one climbed these steps.

Steps into Pelden's sister's home

On the main floor there was a kitchen, storage room, family sleeping room (no beds), guest bedroom with a set of twin beds, parlor/sitting room, and a room set aside for worship.  Pelden said the guest room was only used by guests; I never found out if the room they set aside as my sitting room was used regularly or not by the family, but there was a pile of sleeping mats in the corner.  Otherwise, it was empty.

Parlor? with door to the family's Buddhist shrine

 There were several cabinets used for storage in the guest bedroom.  One of them was beautifully painted.

The glass-fronted one to the right was filled with foodstuffs and other kitchen things.  The items on the right are all thermoses–one for tea and three for hot food.

The windows had no glass, just sliding wooden panels.

Every family had chickens that started to crow at 4:30 a.m.  (No sleeping in here!) and cows.  This one also had donkeys.

There was a haystack close at hand. 

The little tent housed the hole in the ground they erected for my use.  I asked where the family went and he said it was nearby.  Getting to this outhouse was not easy.  I had to negotiate the steep steps, climb through the fence or over the wall of the enclosure for the cows and donkeys, negotiate with the chickens, and avoid all of their droppings.

From my window I could see the “public baths”–a tap to which everyone came with a bar of soap, towel, and toothbrushes.  I believe most people had to haul their water from here, but some may have had a garden hose for piping some to their yards.

The one thing I was not prepared for both in Bhutan and Nepal was the lack of separation between people and farm animals.  There are no barns, no stables, no chicken coops.  It’s a free-for-all, so watch where you step and it’s a good idea to leave your shoes outside.  It’s no wonder the water needs to be boiled.

Nabji Trek–Day 3

June 16th, 2010

Kudra (Kubdra) to Nabji (4,000′): 7.5mi; 5-6 hrs; small ups & downs.

If the humidity hadn’t been about 99%, this would have been a lovely walk.  The air just seemed to hang with the clouds, dark and heavy.

The vegetation in areas cleared of trees but no longer farmed was thick with brush.

I saw my first hornbill,

more marijuana,

waterfalls,

and great views down to the Mangde Chhu.

The trail reminded me of the Appalachian Trail–lots of leaves, rocks, and tree roots.

The elevations were higher than the AT in Maryland and Pennsylvania where I’ve the most miles, but the vegetation was far more tropical.

Banana Palms

Enormous Philodendrons

With two breaks and a lunch stop, it took me about 6 1/2 hours to reach Nabji, which was very different than the small Monpas villages of Jangbi and Kudra.  The people of Nabji live in a cluster of homes on a small hill above their extensively terraced rice fields.

From the point where these photos were taken, it was another 3/4-hour walk downhill to the village as the fields extend quite a ways to the right of my photos, and it was down!

Nabji Trek–Day 2

June 15th, 2010

Zhangbi  (Shangbi, Jangbi) to Kudra: 8.7 mi (13-14.5 km), about 6 hrs; couple of steep climbs/descents 

We left Jangbi at 7:30a; it was cloudy. 

Marijuana along trail

We headed down and stopped after an hour at a chorten.  

Chorten along trail below Jangbi

Before we left this resting place, the cook and Pelden did some pack readjustments on the ponies while the local guide watched. 

Pack readjustment

It was the first day of March and I expected to see wildflowers in this temperate climate.  But alas, there were few to be seen, so this was a rare find. 

 

For the most part, the forest consisted of broadleaf trees, 

 

but occasionally there was a small grove of chir pine. 

 

Then it was down some more along a stream 

 

before crossing a bridge (10am) to start up again.  

 

Before crossing the bridge we passed along a rocky cliff face. 

 

The sure-footed, barefoot villagers have used these trails for centuries, but they do not resemble our well-groomed trails. 

 

After climbing for about an hour we reached some fields.  The building was not a house, at least not one used year-round. 

 

After another 15 minutes of climbing we found the porters taking a rest.  Many of the porters were women.  As to why some things were transported on ponies and others were carried on people’s backs, I don’t know. 

 

There was one more final push towards the top. 

 

Well, it really wasn’t the TOP, but soon we began to descend along the cliff face. 

 

Guru Rinpoche passed this way when he traveled from Nabji to Bumthang, and he left imprints of his footsteps, dagger and phallus in the rocks.  But all Pelden ever pointed out was Guru Rinpoche’s foothold.  

 

As the trail continued its route around and out of the ravine, there was a good view of the trail along the cliff face. 

Cliff face with Guru Rinpoche's foothold

Just before we stopped for lunch around 12:15-12:30, we saw two black-faced langurs.  

 

Not long after lunch it started to rain, so I have no more pictures for the day.  

 

It was very hot and HUMID walking in the dense forest with a poncho on.  By the time we reached camp 1 1/2 hours later at about 2:45, I was as wet inside as out. 

At Kudra (1500m), they pitched my tent under the thatched pavilion roof.  I at least had lots of space to spread out my stuff to dry, which of course it didn’t as it rained most of the night. 

I had popcorn(!) with my tea, but no meat with my remaining meals since there was a month-long Buddhist prohibition against meat. 

The porters who had carried our baggage to this point began their trip home to Jangbi at 3:30.  It had taken me 7 hours with several stops to get here, but it had taken them less and they were returning with empty backs. 

Like at Jangbi, I had visitors in Kudra even though only three households lived there.  A mother and son, along with a woman neighbor who lived 15-20 minutes away, brought me red-boiled eggs and two bottles of brew.

Nabji Trek–Day 1

June 14th, 2010
 

Nabji Trail Map

Within the boundaries of Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park, the Nabji Trail uses pathways long traversed by the villagers living in Jangbi (Zhangbi, Shangbi), Kudra (Kubra, Kuda), Nabji, Korphu, and Nyimshong (Nimshong).  The trail opened in November, 2006, and is the first community-based ecotourism project in Bhutan.  The villagers manage the trail and provide services for trekkers, including camping sites, porters, ponies, and guides. 

Trailhead for Nabji Trail

 Day 1:  Tongtonphey to Zhangbi (Jangbi, 4560’); 3-4 hrs.; 5mi/8km; alt. gain 3116’; alt. loss 1968’ 

Tongtonphey to Jangbi map; note the zigzags in the road and in the trail

The local guide, Pelden and I left the trailhead at Tongtongfey (3,537’ or 3,280’) around 10:30 a.m.  The cook, his assistant, the porters and the ponies with their drivers followed later, giving us time to make the long 1800′ descent to the suspension bridge over the Mangde Chhu (11:10a).   

Crossing the Magde Chhu

Note that for trekking, Pelden wore western-style clothes.   We met quite a few people on the descent and for a while after we crossed the bridge.   There were houses scattered here and there on some of the mountainsides. 

Scattered homes on the mountainsides

 It was hot and dusty with little shade for the first hour or so of walking, but we eventually reached the forest. 

Local guide leading the way through the forest

Note that the local guide was barefoot, as were some of the porters.  The path climbed gradually for a short while, but eventually we began to climb in earnest.  We stopped several times as we caught up with the porters, et. al.  Around 12:30 p.m., we stopped for lunch at a place where the trail was reasonably level and there were a few rocks to sit on. 

The local guide and cook's assistant at lunch spot

The food for lunch on the trail was no different than in a hotel.  There was rice and a selection of four or five dishes that were carried in metal pans that fit in the large grey thermos by the cook’s assistant’s right knee.  And there was tea.  They also gave me a juice box first thing when I stopped.  Nobody but me carried water. 

The rocky trail up to Jangbi

After lunch the trail climbed steeply to Jangbi, which we reached around 2 p.m.   The campsite was very nicely situated with a view over the Mangde Chhu valley. 

Camping spot at Jangbi

 

I was served tea in front of my tent with a view.  The porters had brought a canvas folding chair for me to sit on.

My tent at Jangbi
I had plenty of time to roam around the neighborhood. 

Jangbi

 Zhangbi is a Monpas village with a community school.  The Monpas are thought to be the first settlers in Bhutan.  According to one source, there are only 42 households with just over 250 Monpas left in region.  For more on the Monpas, see this scholarly article.

A house at Jangbi

I think the green strips in the following photo are bamboo.

Bamboo drying on fence

The village-provided campsite included a cookhouse with a kitchen-area and a sleeping area for the cook, his assistant, and the trekkers’ guide.

Cookhouse at Jangbi

Note the solar panels which provided enough electricity for recharging Pelden’s cellphone and my camera battery, along with a single light bulb.  Next to the cookhouse was a similarly constructed latrine.

After dinner which was served on a tray table, six local women came to visit, bringing a bowl of oranges and sugar cane, as well as three bottles of their home brew.  With a little persuasion they drank some of the liquor.  Since neither Pelden or I drank the stuff, I’m not sure what happened to the rest.

Into the Black Mountains

June 13th, 2010

We left Trongsa for the trailhead of the Nabji Trail before 7 a.m. on the last day of February.  The sun was not yet high enough to reach very far into the valley.

Mountains of Central Bhutan

Instead of following the central east-west road, we headed south towards India following the Mangde Chhu, along the eastern slopes of  the Black Mountains.  But, of course, we first had to go down to a bridge across the river in the lower left of the above photo and then back up.

It had rained the previous evening in Trongsa, but at the higher elevations it wasn’t rain.

Snow line from last night's rain

The highest summit in the Black Mountains is over 15,000 feet.  In comparison, the highest peak in the lower 48 states is Mount Whitney at 14,505 feet.  The peaks in the following photo were probably to the west, as we were too close to the Black Mountains to see any of its tall peaks.

Snow-covered peaks

In the following photo you can see how Trongsa is spread out along the side of the mountains, and how insignificant it looks in comparison to the mountains.

Trongsa from the south

As we headed south toward warmer climes, I saw some Primula Denticulata and

Primula Denticulata

a rather interesting looking breed of cattle.

Bos Indicus, Siri?

There were waterfalls,

Waterfall along road south from Trongsa

and I finally managed to take a picture of a couple of monkeys.  The tail doesn’t look long enough to be a langur, so I’m not sure what kind they were.

We didn’t arrive at the trailhead in Tongtonphey until around 10 a.m., as we stopped to do some birding along the way.  The cook and his helper had already arrived with a van filled with all the supplies we would need for six days of trekking.  It took some time to divvy everything up and load it into baskets for the porters to carry or into bags to be carried by the ponies.  I used the time to look for birds and photograph some nearby poinsettia bushes.

These were not your typical Christmas blooms in a 6″ pot!

The Cradle of Bhutan as a Nation–Trongsa Dzong

June 12th, 2010

Trongsa Dzong is more evocative of a Western European castle like Heidelberg than most Bhutanese dzongs. 

Model of Heidelberg Schloss

Perched on a bluff high above the Mangde Chhu, it commanded a defensible position along the major east-west trade route.   

Trongsa Dzong and Ta Dzong from the west

Looking Westward with Trongsa Dzong in foreground

A stream flows alongside the eastern perimeter of the dzong

The Chhoekhor Raptentse Dzong (the official name for this dzong) was the original seat of power in modern Bhutan, starting when the Trongsa penlop Jigme Namgyal (the first king’s father) established control of most of Bhutan.  The first and second kings ruled from here, and by tradition, the crown prince gets on-the-job training in governance by filling the post of Trongsa penlop (district administrator).

Chhoekhor Raptentse Dzong, Trongsa

Today's entrance to the dzong; historically one had to walk two hours up the mountain to the eastern gate

Inside the walls there’s a feeling of spaciousness with numerous buildings and large courtyards. 

Inside Trongsa Dzong

It’s easy to imagine this place bustling with activity with government administrators, military leaders, and the chief abbot with his supporting staff of monks all housed within the walls. 

There are many staircases for moving between the vertically displaced buildings inside the dzong walls

The first building at the site was the Chorten Lhakhang, built on the edge of the cliff in 1543.  The dzong was built about a century later with the walls spreading upward from the lhakhang.  Late in the 17thcentury the dzong was enlarged to its present size.  The dzong was recently renovated with help from the Austrians.

Towers atop towers inside Trongsa's Dzong

Lots of office space and 23 lhakhangs inside this dzong

The timber and stucco are reminiscent of half-timbering

 The watchtower for the dzong was built above it on the hillside.

Ta Dzong is situated above Trongsa Dzong

Ta Dzong from the west on a sunny day

Ta Dzong from Trongsa Dzong in the rain and fog

With support from the Austrian government, the tower is been converted into a splendid museum that is a steep climb up from the road.

The last flight of stairs up to Ta Dzong

Ta Dzong tower

Tomorrow I’ll be heading into the Black Mountains to begin the six-day trek along the Nabji Trail.  No more dzongs for a while!

Four Lhakhang and a Dzong in One Morning

June 11th, 2010

On the morning before leaving Jakar for the drive back to Trongsa we made a whirlwind tour of some of the many lhakhangs in the area.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, Guru Rinpoche made his first visit to Bhutan and conversions to Buddhism here and one of Nyingma Buddhism’s most important saints was born here.

We started our rounds of lhakhang at the Jampey (or Jampa) Lhakhang, which shares the claim for being the first temple constructed in Bhutan by King Songtsen Gampo of Tibet in 659 with the Kyichu Lhakhang in the Paro valley.  Gampo built 108 temples in Tibet and throughout the Himalayas on a single day to overcome a giant supine demoness by pinning her to the earth.  Jampa Lhakhang was placed on the demoness’s left knee.  Four temples were added in the latter half of the 19th century.  The complex was partially restored in 1905, but that’s still more than a century ago, so this place feels old.

 

Just a short walk away was the new (2008) Zangtopelri Lhakhang.  It was built over a period of seven years with financial assistance from Her Majesty the Queen Mother Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuck.  It was built in memory of her grandfather Gongzim Ugyen Dorji, her grand aunt Ane Thukten Wangmo and her parents Gongzim Sonam Tobgye Dorji and Mayum Choying Wangmo Dorji. 

 

Did you notice how much more painting there is on the new versus the old lhakhang?

Further up the road was the Kurjey Lhakhang, a much larger complex built on a site where Guru Rinpoche meditated and left the imprint of his body on a rock.  The temple over Guru Rinpoche’s imprint was built in 1652; the second temple was built in 1900 by Ugyen Wangchuck, the First King of Bhutan, while he was still the Penlop of Trongsa.  The third temple dates from 1900 and was sponsored by the then Queen Mother Ashi Kesang.

 

Across the river, we visited the Tamshing Goempa which was established in 1501 by Pema Lingpa.  It is the most important Nyingma gonpa in Bhutan.  Tamshing supports a body of over 80 monks. Mostly under the age of 15, these monks are either orphans or from very poor families who can’t afford to send their children to a state school.

 

We then visited Jakar Dzong, a much smaller dzong than the one’s I’d seen so far.  Originally built as a monastery in 1549, it was converted into a dzong in 1646.  It was badly damaged by the 1897 earthquake and rebuilt on a smaller scale in 1905.  Here the courtyards were very small compared to those at Thimphu and Punakha, giving this dzong a more intimate feel.