Bhutan

Land of the Thunder Dragon

Isolated high onto the majestic snow-capped peaks and deep in the valleys of the great Himalayan mountains are tiny villages scattered among the rocky mountain sides that house the people of a nation known as Bhutan.

Until recently a culture unspoiled by outside influence, Bhutan is seeded with hard working, deeply spiritual, generous and accepting peoples. The land is austere and unforgiving. Travel upon its few roads is a daunting task as the many paths, scratched in the rock, mud and clay of vertical surfaces, sway endlessly at every turn, threatening a plunge to the depths below.

As astonishing as it is that Bhutan has retained so much of its inimitable heritage is that it has made remarkable achievements as well.

Not so long ago the Bhutanese lived a life of isolation in the rugged terrains of Bhutan, toiling from dawn to dusk for a modest reward. There were no roads, electricity, telephones, TV’s, PC’s or postal services that connected different parts of the country or with the outside world.

Life was not only harsh, it was also short. I was told during a visit to a hospital that, prior to 1960, a Bhutanese born that year could expect to live to the age of about 35. Bhutan had only four small hospitals then. Almost everyone was dependent upon the skills of a few indigenous doctors and their knowledge of the medicinal qualities of the plants collected from the forests.

It was the same story with education. In the early 1960s, Bhutan’s primary school catered to the needs of less than 500 children, and it was not until 1968 that the first 20 Bhutanese completed a high school education. There were no institutes where teachers were trained and the teachers from neighboring countries would not accept the harsh life and complete isolation that Bhutan would offer.

But since then, Bhutan has undergone a major transformation. Roads are not plentiful but major work has been done to reach isolated villages with tar covered roads that will defy the will of mountain slopes. We visited one of the hospitals which are now found in every district. We watched as schools were being built everywhere we traveled and toured a high school in Thimpu equipped with computers and instructors to teach these skills. A modern telecommunication system, increasing contact with the international community, and urbanization all bring change that cannot be denied.

And just as the Bhutanese people chose to guard their magical kingdom in its pristine form through the centuries, they seem determined to balance development and change. The essence of modernization in Bhutan looks to me to be an attempt to blend tradition and progress. Even the tourism policy is carefully controlled. They are open to tourism but on their terms, not ours. Our daily rate provides a guide and a driver who keep us aware of our responsibilities and of their heavily religious beliefs and traditions.

A pure and exotic land wedged between China and India, Bhutan is gifted with spectacular natural beauty, surrounded by sacrosanct mountains, virgin peaks and sacred rivers and lakes. Its lush forests are heavy with undisturbed flora and wildlife. Perhaps it was here that Adam and Eve first met.