146 GOURMET TRAVELLER
paytheirrespectstoitsabbot,theninthreincarnationofthe
15th-centurysaintPemaLingpa.
Imposing,ornate,andjudgingbytheteamofwoodworkers
andstonemasonswhohavebeenrestoringit formostofthis
century,inperpetualneedofrepair,themonasterywatchesover
thepeacefulvalley.TheroaddowntoGangteyvillagepasses
stallssellingyak-tailbrushesforaltarcleaningbeforethe
landscapegiveswaytolichen-drapedbluepineshugginggrassy
meadows.Localarchersfaceoffintheirmedievalgarbof
embellishedsatintunicsandvividsashes.Theyusemodern
Chinesecompoundbows,taunteachotherinsongacrossthe
28-metre-longrangeanddrinkenoughricewinetomakeyou
worryforthesafetyofcompetitors,spectatorsandstraydogs.
Inshort,Phobjikhais captivating.Electricityonlyarrived
herea fewyearsago(thefourthKingwasworriedit would
disturbtheblack-neckedcranes)andthevalleyretainsanairof
beingsuspendedintime.Hotandcoldrunningwaterarestill
a rarity,andthestayat AmanGangteyreachesitsatmospheric
apotheosiswitha traditionalhot-stonebathina farmer’sshed.
Thisluxe-ifiedversionofthelocals’regularbathingsession
is partofitsprogramtoprovideguestswithone-offexperiences
ineachofthelodges.InThimphu,it wasgratifyingtohear
a monasticastrologerpredictI’lllivetotheageof 96 (unless
I venturenorthofMelbourneinOctober2022),butit’shard
tobeata hugewoodentubheatedbystonespluckedfroma
roaringfire,insidea candle-litshedwithitsdoorsflungopen
tothevalley.Sixstonesandtwohourslater,twilightmingles
withthefaintchantingofmonks,drumsandbellsdrifting
downfromthemagnificentdecayingmonumentonthehill.
Anotherday,anothervalley.Monkscontinuetomaterialise.
OnourdeparturefromPhobjikha,at thetopofLawalaPass,the
ninth reincarnate Gangteng Tulku Rinpoche and his followersareconsecratinga newstupabuilttowardoffevilspirits.Prayers
arechanted,cloudsofincensereleased.Theslendergoldhorns
knownasdungchenintonetheirlow,mournfulnoteintothe
chillmountainair.Onlookershuddledeepintotheirjackets
againstthecold,butafterourslowclimbovertheDochulaPass
anddownintothePunakhaValley,themercurystartstorise
andit feelsalmostlikespringdespitethemid-Novemberdate.
It’slittlesurprisethissub-tropicalvalleyis thewinterhome
ofBhutan’smonasticleaders.Whenthemercurydrops,they
decampfromThimphutotheirmajestic17th-centurydzongDruk
PungthangDechenPhodrang,or“thepalaceofgreathappiness”
at theauspiciousconfluenceofthePochhuandMochhurivers.
Punakha’sChimiLhakhang,thefertilitytempleofDrukpa
Kunley,is a moreribaldaffair.The“divinemadman”ofthe
15thcentury,andoneofBhutan’smostreveredreligiousfigures,
hepractisedhisownbacchicbrandofBuddhisminvolvingwine,
womenandrisquépoems.Theoriginalanti-establishmentcool
cat,hecastoutdemonswithhispenis– his“thunderboltof
wisdom”– whichaccountsforthegiantphallusespaintedon
housesthroughoutthevalley,someofthememittinga thin
streamofcosmicsperm.
TheBhutanesehavenowordforgoodbye.Theclosest
Dzongkhagetsis “logjaygay”,or“we’llmeetagain”,butthey
doknowthepowerofa goodfarewell.MostBhutanitineraries
endat TaktsangLhakhang(Tiger’sNest).Oneofthewonders
oftheBuddhistworld,it’sa testamenttohumanvision,
endeavour,andbuildingthingsinveryhard-to-reachplaces.
Legendhasit thatPadmasambhava,a Buddhistsaint
knownastheGuruRinpoche,flewona tigress’sbacktobring
BuddhismtoBhutaninthe8thcenturyandmeditatedat
thisspotforthreeyears,threemonths(andalltherest).Nine-
hundred years later, in 1692, this pagoda-topped complex➤Punakha’s
Druk
Pungthang
Dechen
Phodrang.Left:
Yaksgrazingon
themountain
slopes.Right:
a turnipfarmer
wearinga
traditionalgho
(draped tunic).