Chance Encounters

Mongar to Jakar

One of the challenges we face by driving from the far east side of Bhutan to the west is that very few tourists come this far east and consequently there are fewer places to stay. So today we faced a very long drive to reach our next hotel. And while that seemed rather daunting at first, any dread we had for a long day was quickly replaced by the overwhelming beauty everywhere. Turn after turn revealed another incredible vista, dramatic clouds, exotic flowers, glowing yellow rice fields, and magnificent waterfalls. The drive turned out to be a treat, not a chore at all. It’s futile trying to use words to describe this beauty. The images can only capture a small slice of the panorama that never disappoints. The prayer flags that dot the landscape are favorite subjects to photograph. Today we passed through Kerala Pass, and like all high passes, it is a place where hundreds of flags are placed so that their printed messages will be scattered by the wind to bless all sentient beings everywhere. Kerala was particularly windy when we arrived, so the sound of the flags whipping through the wind added to the experience. This pass also had a large house for butter lamps. Brud was the first one to peek inside the window where he discovered this was the largest butter lamp house we’d ever encountered. Inside was a young man furiously trying to keep the lamps lit because the high wind and drafty house was making this a big job. Our ever charming, always joyful guide, L. Dorji convinced him that if we came in, ‘to take the pictures’, we wouldn’t disturb the candles and we’d help light them. There were so many candles that the temperature must have been 20 degrees warmer inside. To get inside was another one of the delightful experiences of being in Bhutan. We planned to stop at this pass, but to encounter this young man and share his job with him for a few minutes is one of the many joys of being here.