Bhutan (superb food, luxurious accommodation)

November 18, 2010

Once out of the airport, I waited for my guide – and waited – and waited… After almost a quarter of an hour, a different guide came over and asked whether he could help me at all. Two minutes later I was sitting in his car with snacks, a drink and something to read, while he and his driver phoned around all over the place – all the way to Kathmandu. It turned out that I wasn’t expected until two hours later, which is why nobody had come to pick me up at the airport. Until I met my actual guide, my knight in shining armour drove me around, kept me entertained and told me a bit about Bhutan – completely free of charge. I asked him why he was being so incredibly kind. The answer came straight away: this was nothing special, just normal for all Bhutanese. A little over an hour later we met up with my actual guide and driver, who apologized profusely for the misunderstanding. I didn’t really mind, since it had given me my first cultural taste of the impressive hospitality. :)

Quick as a flash, we went to grab a bite to eat in the town of Paro. Compared to the previous few days, this was a seriously delicious „all-you-can-eat“ meal – so yummy!!!

Next we did a little round of the town to get some cash and buy postcards. Unfortunately Bhutan isn’t set up for foreign credit cards yet – that’s only planned for 2011/2012… So there I was, looking pretty stupid. Sure, I could pay in the shops with euros or dollars, but I only wanted to do that as an absolute last resort. So how on earth do you get cash with a Visa card in Bhutan? You ask around! In the end, a shop owner let me „buy“ cash with my credit card, purely on trust. Great „service“! :) Afterwards I stocked up on plenty of postcards for my loved ones back home, and off we went to marvel at my accommodation.

A family of four could easily have fit into this „room“ – and it was all mine…

…and in the big bathroom I finally got to enjoy a proper shower cubicle again, with hot water and even toilet paper…!

As night fell,…

…a cultural evening show was in full swing on the hotel grounds, with a campfire, drinks…

…and all kinds of costumes. They really had entertainment covered from every angle. Stuffed and more than amply entertained, I made myself comfortable in my luxury room and enjoyed the wonderfully intact mattress. On a trip like this you really do start to appreciate the little things…

Further links:

1. Hospitality – very pronounced in some countries
2. Paro – small town in Bhutan with the country’s only airport