It wasn’t long before the landscape changed. As we climbed a precarious green ridge we spotted a few monkeys lounging in the trees.
Our elevation continued until we spotted small pockets of snow along the road. Our ascent continued for hours. We laughed nervously at the ridiculous precipices that lay but a few inches from the car, but with the skill of our driver Dorji, we made it to the next pass. This one was covered in prayer flags—perfectly contrasting the colors against the pristine snow. We stretched our legs and walked upwards for a bit, eager for fresh air. On the way back down we molded the crunchy snow into projectiles and began to throw them at one another playfully.
Our journey continued on the bus for another hour or so before alighting for tea. Unlike before where we drank sweet tea (naja) or black tea, this time we were going to experience our first suja: butter tea (literally churned tea). Let me assure you it tastes just as odd as it sounds. The drink is very buttery with a slight salty flavor to it, and certainly an acquired taste. In line with custom, we added zao (similar to Rice Krispies) to the tea which made it more manageable to drink. We huddled around the bukkari enjoying the warmth until we were uprooted yet again, destined for the road. As we passed around one mountain we saw an enormous dzong across the valley.
(The dzong is just right of center)
It was a sight to behold, and luckily, we came to eat lunch right above it. There we ran into a large group of students on a field trip from the Singapore American School. I spoke with one of the teachers and he told me their domestic flight to the east was cancelled so they were touring the country from west to east and back for 10 days. What a blessing to be touring Bhutan as a high schooler! At the restaurant we met another Canadian teacher who lives an hour away and ate the typical delicacies of chicken, rice, noodles, ema datsi, vegetable curry, and daal which successfully warmed us up from the inside out.
Following lunch time seemed a blur as I was lulled in and out of sleep. When I awoke we were no longer hugging the mountains; instead we were driving right through a quaint farming village. There was a calm about the area that spoke to me; I couldn’t peel my eyes away.
As it turned out, this is where Becky was to be stationed. We pulled right up to the school and helped her move her things in. Becky’s place was spacious, complete with a balcony. A few of us stood there and looked out at the town, ooing and aaing at the buildings, prattling on about hiking and dreaming of future visits. A large magpie perched on top of a power line, adding color to the otherwise earthy colors of winter. We were remiss to leave, but we still had another hour and a half of driving to endure.
The ride out of the town was gorgeous. It was uncharacteristically flat which added to the rustic charm. Parts of it even resembled Oregon. Eventually the undulating nature of the landscape returned, staying that way for the remainder of the trip. We finally settled at our accommodation for the night, somewhat reminiscent of a lodge. We drank coffee and tea for a bit and, with Nancy’s permission, set out in a large group as night descended upon us in search of cheese. We strode through the town in the dark, Becky guiding us past it and into the woods until we came across a few small houses. The light to the shop was on but the door was locked. I called the store using the number written on the sign and a woman came and opened the store. I am certain she is glad she did because between the lot of us, we bought an entire wheel of gouda. It was divine!
We ate at the hotel and bought a few beers to celebrate our long day of travel. By 9:30 there were only 5 of us left so we played Wizard and laughed uproariously about all kinds of ridiculous things until it was time to go to bed.
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