National_Geographic_Traveller_India-May_2018

BHUTAN

MAY 2018 | NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA 133

RUMELA BASU

(WOMAN),

TESSA BUNNEY/CONTRIBUTOR/CORBIS NEWS/GETTY IMAGES

(FESTIVAL DANCE)

Phobjikha, which takes its name after the bowl
or phob shape of the valley, is a case in point.
The little town is the winter home of Tibetan
black-necked cranes. “They come every year
and circle the Gangtey Gompa here three
times before settling down; paying their
respects, we believe. In fact, a festival
with a ceremonial dance at the gompa
celebrates their arrival.” Sajan then adds
that to protect the birds from injury
all electric lines in Phobjikha are laid
underground, one of the reasons electricity
was introduced in the valley only few years
ago. I am promised a sighting in the fields
tomorrow. For tonight, I enjoy the hospitality of a
rural Bhutanese home.
The two-storey wooden structure is the home of the family
of a local farmer. The massive bukhara, a traditional oven, in
the main living area and kitchen has a motley crew gathered
around it: an elderly couple, their sons, daughter-in-law and
grandchildren along with me, Sajan and Ram. I am welcomed
with smiles and a cup of ara, a potent rice or millet liquor I’ve
had a lot of throughout my stay. Here, the clear drink is fla-
voured with sandalwood. Soon, I abandon my ara to help grind
garlic for the eazay, a spicy and tart condiment made with
fresh tree tomatoes, chillies, garlic and coriander leaves. For
dinner there’s a version of Bhutan’s national dish, ema datshi,
chillies cooked with the cow-milk cheese, datshi. My favour-

ite is datshi cooked in copious amounts of butter.

Pure decadence.

As promised, I wake up to see a flock of

black-necked cranes in the field. Trying

to be my stealthiest best, I walk along

the fence to get a closer look before they

take off, blurs of black and white against

rolling green hills. Later in the day, at the

town’s Black-Necked Crane Conservation

Centre, I get a closer look at them. A

permanently injured male is being cared

for at the centre, which does an annual

headcount of the birds and helps educate

locals about the need to protect them.

Phobjikha has shown me simple lives, long-held

beliefs and a remarkable conservation success story.

PA RO

In Bhutan, cities are full of surprises—the snooker bars showed

me that. And surprised I am when an exploration of nightlife

takes me to a drayang. Drayangs can be called dance bars

except there’s no DJ, no dance floor and no professional dancers.

If you’re looking for something swanky and loud, you’d be

disappointed. I am in a large one-room establishment at a hotel

basement. Sofas and armchairs flank low glass tables. There’s a

The black-necked cranes are more than just protected in Phobjikha. They are revered as heavenly messengers, and an annual
festival celebrates their arrival every year; Many locals have opened their simple homes to travellers in this valley (top).