Temples – TravelingSaurus

Magic Thunderbolt? Punakha, Bhutan & The Temple of the Divine Madman

Heather — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 18:55:00 +0000

If we thought Paro was a bit warm, Punakha was crazy hot and humid, but the valley was gorgeous. We arrived in Punakha after a fun drive from Thimpu, in which I was thanking my motion-sickness patch every hairpin turn along the way.The COMO Punakha property is stunning, it’s new, quaint, and with an absolutely beautiful view. They have a deck that is just incredible, overlooking the valley and perfect for an early breakfast or sundowner.We spent 2 nights in Punakha. Our first stop was at Chimi Lhakhang, otherwise known as the Temple of the Divine Madman. Catchy, right?

With just a short drive and a quick walk uphill through a small village and some rice paddies, we arrived at a small knoll and the Temple. Many couples visit this temple to be blessed for fertility, but there were just a few other visitors there at the same time.On the way, we were lucky enough to stop through the village and check out a few things they were making. Um..did you know rice pops like popcorn in oil over the fire? Yea…apparently everyone knew that but me. It was awesome to try some Bhutanese rice krispies, as well as a rice puff snack.

In most of the temples you enter in Bhutan, you have the option to be blessed (and an offering is expected if you accept the blessing). Honestly sometimes I think it’s a little awkward and we aren’t really into that (more into watching and listening), but we also didn’t want to offend by refusing a blessing, so we really decided when and when not to accept based on the specific situation. We typically gave to the temples regardless, though not in large amounts (equivalent to a few US dollars).If you are or were totally overwhelmed with history like we were, the Divine Madman is a story that is hard to forget, and you are reminded of the Divine Madman in many places in Bhutan, particularly in the Punakha Valley but also in other locations as he is a essential part of their history.

It goes something like this…(very, very abbreviated version…no offense intended, just aiming for brevity):Once upon a time (kidding…he actually lived between 1455 and 1529, according to most records), Drukpa Kunley–infamously known as the Divine Madman–built a chorten on the knoll. Kunley decided on this site when he fought with, and won (of course), a battle against a demon nearby. He won with his magic thunderbolt, which now adorns homes throughout Bhutan (see photo if you don’t know what the magic thunderbolt is). The Divine Madman was best known for being completely, well, crazy and outrageous. His sexual endeavors were infamous, but he was also a famous poet (related? I’ll never know). He thought that existing teachers of Buddhism in Bhutan were a wee bit too conservative and anal, so he opted for the opposite, with song, dance, and by having sex with women to bless them (they would seek his blessing in this way, the story goes).

And this is how the phallus became a symbolic decoration throughout Bhutan, and the Divine Madman became one of Bhutanese Buddhism’s most important figures. The thunderbolt is considered not only a sign of fertility, in representation of and respect to the Divine Madman, but also thought to ward away gossip and other evilness.

Interesting, eh? So many fascinating stories, so much history, and so much I still have to learn about Buddhism.

In other news, I may have fallen in a rice paddy on the way home and emerged with a very, very disgusting shoe, but DH didn’t take pictures because he thought I would be mad…I was laughing…and wondering what kind of nematodes were crawling through my shoe, sock, and skin.

An Afternoon in the Paro Valley, Including Bhutan’s National Museum

Heather — Sun, 05 Oct 2014 18:55:00 +0000

On our first day in Bhutan, after a lunch at Uma Paro, we took a 1 to 1.5 hour hike from our hotel to the National Museum in Paro. The hike was pretty–the first of a few hikes we would take, with gorgeous viewpoints down into the valley.It was HOT. Don’t let anyone tell you the weather in Bhutan is not hot in September. It’s hot. Even at 7,000-8,000 feet, the days are very warm. What kind of warm, you ask? You will be drenched in sweat. It’s like a day in Washington D.C. in the summer. It’s a bit unpleasant in the shade, but o.k. if there is a slight breeze and you aren’t moving. DH was shade hopping from shade spot to shade spot just like our dog to stay out of the sun, because in the sun–remember you are at 7,000 feet–you felt like a vampire that stepped out into the light.

Beautiful View on the Hike

Also–you either have to wear (or carry) pants and long-sleeved shirts (for women) and pants and a collared short-sleeve shirt or an uncollared long-sleeve shirt (for men) to enter the temples. I also get all itchy with plants brushing my legs (fear of invisible jungle fungus, I tell you) and don’t like bug bites, so long pants were good for me to wear in the forest in the first place. That said, extra layers of fabric just add to the heat, so be sure to bring breathable, good, tech clothing.It’s amazing to me all the temples in Bhutan that are built into the sides of the valley. You’ll be ambling along, and poof..a temple. It’s pretty incredible and impressive. It must be a slow process to build these, but they are beautiful and it really lends to the picturesqueness of the landscape.After wandering along the side of the valley, we looked down and saw our destination–the National Museum in Paro. The National Museum is easy to sight, with a distinctive round shape that is unusual for Bhutan: a watchtower, dating back to the 16th century. Unfortunately, an earthquake in 2011 damaged the museum significantly. It is under repair, but unfit for visitors as of 2014. The artifacts and information have actually been moved to another administrative building directly behind the watchtower.

While I totally understand and respect their request that photos not be taken in the museum, I really wish that they would be allowed as I did not see the same information on the Tshechus (festivals) anywhere else in Bhutan–in particular, information about the masks. The sheer number of masks is absolutely incredible, but more than that, the meanings behind the masks were amazing. There were animal masks for pride, for humility, for shrewdness, for emotional stupidity, for vanity, for greed, for intelligence, etc. I particularly liked all of these animal masks with all of the complicated emotions and characteristics of humans. There are also other masks symbolizing demons and important people, categorized by the type of dance in which they were used.

They also had an exhibit of important wall hangings, which explained the significance and meaning–again, this information was more exhaustive in the museum than anywhere else, and I wish I had written more down directly after our visit! Additionally, the museum offered a great display on the natural history of Bhutan, complete with information on geology, flora, and fauna. The amount and variety of wildlife is truly amazing; if we were to return to Bhutan–without question–we would figure out a way to travel to the remote eastern part of the country to try to catch a glimpse of a rhino, tiger, takin, blue goat, snow leopard, etc. I’d be thrilled just to see any one of those in the wild!

The National Museum is not that large, and I’d say it’s a great place to visit when you first arrive in Bhutan. We spent probably an hour and a half there, and were walking/exploring leisurely. There is a charge for entry, but if you are not Indian/Maldivian, this charge should already have been included in your ‘package’ and you should not have to pay an additional amount for entry.

Our Wonderful Day-Tour of Bangkok: Impressions from First-Timers

Heather — Tue, 23 Sep 2014 18:55:00 +0000

We were in Bangkok for a little more than 48 hours…which isn’t very long for a city that is THAT big, THAT varied, with THAT much to see. It was our very first trip to Bangkok, a necessary but also desired stop on our way to Bhutan.We knew, more or less, what we wanted to see in our two days. We didn’t want to go out, a la Hangover style, and waste our days being lost and hungover….and we aren’t big on clubbing, so we were able to spend early mornings out seeing the sights before the hoards. And I mean hoards…the Grand Palace was still incredibly crowded with visitors.

We wanted to see most of the sights you read about in things entitled “Top 10 Sights of Bangkok”. It would be a bit of a long day, but totally worth it.

What made it all easier was hiring a guide for the day. Her name was Mandy (@Mandyguidesmile), and she was awesome (totally unpaid endorsement…we hired her)! She’s a registered tour guide, and helped us navigate the insanity of Bangkok with ease. No haggling with taxi drivers about turning on the meter, no getting lost (though DH is admittedly fantastic with a map…I….not so much), no wondering where to go in each of the temples, and with plenty of information and history to go along with each stop.

Grounds of the Grand Palace

Our itinerary for a day-tour of Bangkok:
-Wat Arun
-Canals
-Grand Palace
-Lunch! (Most important spot of the day when Thai food is to be had)
-Wat Pho (including the Reclining Bhuddha)
-Flower Market
-China Town
-Stop for dim sum & awesome shakes! (Food always deserves exclamations)
-Wat Traimit (including the Golden Buddha)

Wat Arun: We stayed at the Metropolitan by COMO, which was fantastic (more forthcoming). Mandy met us at the hotel in the morning, and we took a cab over to Wat Arun to start the day, which was about 20 minutes but cost us about 60 baht…i.e. $2 or so (oh, Bangkok cab fares are to die for). Wat Arun has the steepest steps, but a great view! It was fun to be able to see so much of the city, and in particular, the Grand Palace.

Canals: The canals were a fun way to spend an hour or so. There is an insane–I mean insane–amount of catfish in the very dirty canals, and they look very well fed. I’m not sure what all catfish eat, but I’m guessing pretty much anything. There are many homes that are on stilts directly over the river…so…well…draw your own conclusions on what sustains all of those fat catfish. You can buy bread at the various temples to feed to the catfish; fish feeding never seems to get old, no matter how old you are.

Grand Palace: The Grand Palace was really crowded. Mandy helped us navigate to the most important locations, but there were people everywhere and most were trying to keep up with a tour guide. Never, ever, stop and wait for one person to go in front of you, because before you know it, there will be a stream of pushing people, shoving you to the side of the doorway, to all get through because I’m sure someone has gotten left and/or lost in the Grand Palace (shaking head). This happened more than once. After experiencing similar things from large tour groups from particular nations at Angkor, I really should have known better.

Lunch: We had Pad Thai and Tom Yum Goon for lunch. It was delicious, and started the great food journey that was our two weeks in Asia. We also tried our first Singha, which was refreshing. Fortunately–very fortunately–for us, it was overcast nearly our entire time in Bangkok. Thank goodness, because it was plenty hot+the humidity, without any sun to add to our pain. I still ordered lots of soup, though. Too good to pass up.

Wat Pho: The reclining Buddha is as cool in real life as it is in pictures. In fact, I think it even looks bigger in real life. Wat Pho is also the birthplace of the Thai Massage, with inscribed drawings demonstrating the practice. The incredible detail, of each of the temples and all of the stupas, is simply amazing.

Flower Market: We really enjoyed a stop in the flower market, which Mandy suggested but which wasn’t initially planned. Flowers are typically purchased each morning as an offering, so going to the flower market is a routine affair. Orchids? Literally entire bunches sell for pennies (not pennies…but for approximately 30 baht, which is a little less than a dollar). Marigolds galore, and all kinds of other tropical flowers.

Chinatown: Chinatown was overwhelming. Busy, crowded, with more plastic sh*t than I’ve ever seen anywhere in my life. Hundreds of different stuffed animal keychains…hundred of different color hair ties…hundreds of thousands of iphone covers…just crazy amounts of stuff. There are also lots of different food stands, including those selling shark fins, which remains quite popular in that community. I particularly enjoyed gawking at the crazy amounts of dried mushrooms. Plenty of whole ducks and chickens, too.

Wat Traimit: We decided to go to the museum at Wat Traimit, in addition to just seeing the Golden Buddha. There is an interesting museum on the junk ships that made the trade route from China to Thailand, carrying things like porcelain and spice. It was a very elaborate and well-done exhibit (though the life size Chinese sailors were a bit creepy). The Golden Buddha, which was covered in plaster to hide the gold, is truly incredible.

Guide: Hiring a guide was a great way to maximize our time, and avoid wandering any farther than needed in our sweaty-tourist state. Could we have done it all ourselves? Absolutely! But in this case, the easy way was the best way, and we enjoyed Mandy’s company all day to answer or silly (and not silly) questions about Thailand. Mandy charges $7/hour.

Cost: Entrance fees to all of these places do add up–we spent approximately 3000-3200 baht for the day, I think, which includes entrance fees for two, all transportation (taxi, tuktuk, metro), and also a private boat ride (which is the bulk of that cost–1800 baht). Lunch for three was a whopping 625 baht (about $20).

Clothes: You will have to either wear or carry appropriate clothing to enter the Wats; women’s shoulders must be covered and they can be strict about no flip-flops at the Grand Palace (like the super cheap plastic ones…I did see some Havianas there). Just to be safe we wore our Toms. I had a cardigan to throw on as needed. And pants for men and women, of course…capris are ok, but nothing more than about ankles can be showing. A long skirt would also work.

For the Germaphobes: After going to the temples in Cambodia where you were not allowed in with shoes OR socks, I assumed the same here. False! Most temples in Thailand do allow you to wear socks. OH HOW I WISH I KNEW. I sucked it up (yes…some of you will be shocked…completely), and took off my shoes at the temples and went inside, cringing every step. There was too much to see to stand outside gazing in. Yes, I wet-wiped my feet profusely that afternoon. Yes, it still bothers the crap out of me. And no, I didn’t get a contagious ailment. If you are germ-phobic, bring socks.

I can say, without much hesitation, that we’ll be back to Bangkok (and….we’d probably stay at the Metropolitan again, too). It’s a fascinating city, with many beautiful sights, and with so many dichotomies of a developing country megatropolis. There is so much left to see! We very much enjoyed our time in Bangkok.

Wat Arun

Reclining Buddha

Wat Pho

Flower Market

Wat Traimit