The last few days I have been in the interior of the country with no WiFi.
First day:
Stayed at a farmhouse in the Phobjikha valley. This region is known for the winter nesting grounds of the revered black neck crane. They were all gone by the time I arrived. It is a wider valley where farmers do not need to terrace crops on the mountainside. My guide and I hiked through the forest into the valley 4 kilometers to the farmhouse. A young couple with their 7 year old daughter and grandmother live there. The home is dark, you climb steep rustic stairs (more like a ladder) to get to the main living area. Every kitchen has a bukhari wood stove to cook on. Grandmother (Ama) did the cooking and entertained us while the young couple did their chores. Ama is a character! A very congenial woman, she also enjoys her betel nut chew. Betel nut is found in the southern part of Bhutan, and chewing it with lime is an addiction. Many lips and teeth look like they are bleeding as the betelnut juices stain everything red. The little girl was a bit shy of me at first but warmed up when I gave her some finger puppets. We happily played little games and became friends. She sang me a lovely song of which I took a video. Dinner was delicious. Ama also served emadatse, which was very spicy but I took a little bit. I had my first taste of buttertea and of the local moonshine, called ara. It was served in tea bowls. The ara was quite good so I had seconds. Will I have a headache in the morning?
My bedroom was the shrine room. Every Bhutanese home has one. It is the most important part of the house. It is very colorful with an ornately carved altar, altar flags, pictures of the king, and offerings. I am considered a very special guest to be allowed to sleep here. My bed is a cushion on the floor with a pile of blankets on top. There is no heat, and the walls are not insulated. I sleep well...Buddha is watching over me :)
