Tuesday September 22, 2009. With the time difference Anne had to teach 3 more college classes that started at 5:00 AM local time and went to 8:30AM. Anne and I stayed up until after midnight last night grading her papers and getting her caught up on her coursework. While Anne was teaching Mother and I went downstairs for breakfast. Here in Bhutan I had a full English breakfast. Anne had pancakes with the local honey (nothing like Honey in America) and she swears they were the best she had ever eaten.
As soon as Anne finished her last class at 8:30AM we packed up, ran downstairs and jumped into the van and left the hotel at 8:40AM. We are making the trip from Thimphu to Trongsa which is only 300 kilometers but the trip takes over seven hours. The trip went over several mountain ranges and down into rain forest like valleys. The monsoon season had taken its toll at one point and it had washed away the road. We had a standoff when a buss and dump truck tried to pass at the same time and neither could make it. Everyone got out of their car and after some negotiation it was decided all the oncoming cars would backup so our direction could pass. During this melee we meet Daniel Spitzer who is planning a large project to plant Hazelnut trees that is expected to hire 10-15% of the population.
Around lunch time we stopped on the side of the road for an elaborate picnic with 5 dishes over rice. Every dish prepared with hot peppers. Check out our picture gallery. Later we stopped and saw silver monkeys jumping in the tree. They are called silver languer.
In the evening we finally reached Trongsa and checked into Hotel Jumolhari. It is a wonderful, small hotel with every room having views of the impressive Trongsa Dzong. We went and visited the Dzong this evening. This Dzong was built in 1648. Dinner consisted of dishes prepared with hot peppers over rice. I asked waiter for Naan bread to complement our meal. We ate two orders of the bread and it may have been the best bread in the world.
The air here is so clean and fresh. There is no pollution. We slept with the window open and to the sounds of the river down below.
