Languished for 20 Years inside Bhutan Customs' Warehouse!!

I can sense that not many Bhutanese are interested in our history. We should be – because history can reveal to us why we ARE where we are – including why we are NOT where we are not. History is simpler to understand and decipher – then the future, which is fraught with uncertainties and ambiguities.

Consider, for instance, that not many Bhutanese today are aware that Bhutan’s first baby steps onto the global platform was made possible through our postage stamps. That is right – Bhutan began to be unraveled to the outside world through our postage stamps. At one point in history, postage stamps accounted for the bulk of our foreign exchange earnings.

Bhutan’s history of postage stamps begins on the 10th of October, 1962 – the day on which Bhutan released our first postage stamps – a set of 7 stamps, including the establishment of our first Post Office in Phuentsholing. There is some confusion as to how it all began. One oft repeated version is that it was as a result of the World Bank refusing to grant us a loan. It is said that Bhutan started to issue stamps to sell to the international philatelic world, to earn some much-needed revenue. I do not believe this story – for the simple reason that Bhutan became a member of the World Bank only in 1981. Thus it is not possible that we went to the World Bank seeking for a loan.

Well, never mind the confusion of how it started – there are two other aspects to our postage stamps that are even more interesting. The first is that according to the accepted view/history – the terms Ngultrum (Nu.) and Chetrum (Ch.) were coined when we planned the issue of our first paper currencies, in 1974. This does not seem plausible since Burt Kurt Todd who was contracted to bring out our postage stamps in 1962 used the terms Nu. and Ch. on the first seven postage stamps released by Bhutan.

Bhutan's earliest postage stamps issued in 1962 denominated in Nu. and Ch.

Including this post, I have written 15 articles on the history of Bhutan’s postage stamps – please read them at:

https://yesheydorji.blogspot.com/search/label/History%20of%20Postage%20Stamps

The second interesting thing about our postage stamps is that while the country was still a relatively unknown entity, it appears that our postage stamps attracted a number of fakers and counterfeiters. I will get into that in my next post – for now please read the following – as recounted to me by a passionate long-time collector of Bhutanese stamps.

THE PECULIAR CASE OF THE READING AND WRITING STAMPS OF 1974

Since the very first issue of our postage stamps in 1962, their production and marketing to the international collectors were entrusted to our Bahamas based Marketing Agent called Bhutan Stamps Agency, Ltd., of which the majority shareholder was the trailblazer Burt Kerr Todd. For reasons that are shrouded in mystery and intrigue, the Bhutanese government abruptly terminated the arrangement with this Bahamas Company, as of 1st April, 1974. When the termination notice was served on the company, a new series of 15 postage stamps with the theme “Reading and Writing”– in Commemoration of the Centenary of the UPU (Universal Postal Union) was awaiting release – having missed its original date of release of 15th February, 1974. Upon termination of their Contract, the Bahamas Agent instructed the printers to dispatch the Bhutan Posts’ share of stamps directly to Bhutan Post.

The Reading and Writing stamps of 1974 to commemorate the Centenary of the UPU

When the consignment of these stamps arrived Phuentsholing, Bhutan Customs asked Bhutan Post to pay Customs Duty due on the stamps. Bhutan Posts was unwilling to pay on grounds that they were a government body and not subject to payment of duties or taxes. Bhutan Customs was adamant and refused to release the stamps. Thus the stock of these stamps remained locked up in the warehouse of the Bhutan Customs in Phuentsholing.

It would appear that over time the matter was forgotten by both the Bhutan Customs as well as the Bhutan Posts – but apparently not by someone who decided to help himself to few packets of the stamps denominated 80CH. These stolen stamps mysteriously appeared in Jaigaon across the border first, and ultimately in the international market. Full sheets of all 15 stamps and a souvenir sheet that made up the set, appeared in the open philatelic market in the USA, in both perforated and imperforate versions. In Europe, the set of stamps reached a market value of 1,000 German Marks - about US$ 600.00 at the time.  Upon official release of the stamps, the price dropped to US$13.00 since they could now be had at face value from Bhutan Posts.

Obviously Bhutan Customs and Bhutan Posts had reached some kind of understanding because the “Reading and Writing” set of stamps in Commemoration of the Centenary of the UPU was finally officially released by Bhutan Posts, on 2nd May, 1993 – after having remained locked up in the Customs warehouse for close to twenty years!

This can happen only in Bhutan.

Mysterious Exports By Bhutan

When in 1984 I visited the USA, I asked a senior US government official if he knew where Bhutan was – he said YES - The Bahamas. Our isolation was so total that ninety five percent of the human population did not know where Bhutan was. And yet, unknown to most of the world and to the Bhutanese themselves, Bhutan has not remained too far removed from world events – we have been right there, and done it, in a variety of ways – since 1904. I am proud in the knowledge that few of the verses in the gargantuan book on human progression have been contributed by Bhutan, as minute as we are.

Today I would like to speak of one piece of history that very few Bhutanese would have heard about – Bhutan’s unknown but well documented exports of industrial goods running into millions of dollars.

This is a combined CO and GSP Form that seems to be current - during the early 1980s they were separate forms.

In the early 1980s, I was heading the Export Section of the Export Division of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Forests. In my capacity as the head of the country’s exports, I had to attend some of the conferences and meetings on GSP (Generalized System of Preferences) conducted by UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development). During one such meeting, I was made aware of a number of records that listed items of export from Bhutan.

The list contained millions of dollars worth of exports by Bhutan – more that ten times the country’s GDP. And the items? - few thousand tons of sugar, manufactured bicycle parts and medical equipment running into hundreds of thousands of pieces. I was aghast – we did not produce/manufacture these items so how could we have exported them? I protested saying that there was some mistake – that as the head of the country’s exports I would be the first to know – and I know nothing of such exports. But the Meeting said that there are documentary proofs of the entry of the goods in the country of import and that there are signed Certificates of CO (Country of Origin) and GSP Forms issued by the RGoB based on which the Customs in the importing countries allowed duty free import of these goods.

This was very intriguing – it cannot be that there was some mistake at the port of entries in the importing countries. However, after many days of brooding over the matter I finally managed to untangle the mystery.

Obviously some Indian exporters saw an opportunity in what we were not exporting. So they exported the goods and filed the papers as Bhutanese exports. Why they would do that is because Bhutan as a LDC was given preferential treatment by some importing countries – our processed goods were allowed duty free import. How does this help? It helps because once the customs duty is removed – the importers get to import the goods at a much more competitive price than exports from other competing countries.

Many questions to this day remain unanswered: who in the RGoB issued the Certificates of Origin and signed and sealed the GSP Forms for those none-existent exports? How did the Customs officials at the port of exit accept Bhutanese documentation from Indian exporters? Or where the exports made by some shady Bhutanese companies - in cahoots with some Indian exporters?

We will never know - but it is obvious that the whole operation was a well conceived and thought-out scam!!

The Ukraine Tragedy And The Danger It Represents To Humanity

Hi Brian,

Greetings from Bhutan. It is my hope that this finds you well and safe.

One Ms. Barb Roberts of Australia tells me that she has deposited a sum of $200.00 into the bank account of Disaster Aid Australia. I shall appreciate if you could acknowledge the same.

This money was intended to be paid to a Bhutanese student in Punakha - as her annual contribution towards the boy’s education. When she sought my help in remitting the money from Australia to Bhutan, I requested her to credit the amount into the DAA’s bank account and that I would pay the boy in Punakha - the counter value in local currency.

I would like to explain that this amount is a small amount that I am offering – not as a donation or as a contribution to augment the DAA’s endeavors to come to the aid of the human tragedy that is current in Ukraine. This amount represents my share - my due, as a member of the human society - towards the global community’s response with kindness and generosity - towards an act of mindless brutality by a man gone completely insane.

UN Security Council in session to discuss Ukraine tragedy

I accept that our engagement is not intended to influence the outcome of the invasion, but to help contain the humanitarian tragedy and suffering that is the fallout of this act of brutality by Russian President Putin. I am honored to channel my share through your organization - the DAA - an organization that has helped thousands of Bhutanese children through your one million dollars “BHUTAN2020” safe water project in Bhutan. It is my misfortune that I am in no position to honor DAA in more meaningful ways – than these words of gratitude expressed earnestly and with honesty.

What Putin has dared do in Ukraine sets a dangerous precedence. He has not only vandalized a peaceful country and its innocent people, he intimidated the global community with the threat of use of nuclear weapons. Wisely, the world leaders are aware of the outcome of such an eventuality. But Putin must be made aware that there are other ways in which he can be taught a lesson – that he may win a war – but he will lose the battle. No amount of justification is justification enough for the destruction of human life and properties that he is causing to the Ukrainians, and, through them the world community who too will stand to suffer in this interconnected world.

Allowing Putin to win is not an option. Particularly not for small countries like Bhutan and Taiwan. The world community needs to demonstrate to Putin and others like him waiting in the wings - that no one can, and should, act with such utter disregard for human decency – just because he has nuclear bombs as his bargaining chip.

Bye and take care.

Never Write Off Anything

After a marathon more than two months of chasing it - more than two hundred hours of tracking it - day after day, and having photographed the tiny fellow more than six hundred times, I am calling it a day. I believe that my quest for a near perfect image of the dainty fellow ends today - the image cannot get any better then my following image that I captured this morning.

Not PERFECT - but damn close to it!

Until today I had placed my trust on the camera’s various algorithms to do the job for me - it failed miserably. I employed, what I believed was the ideal camera setting – its AV Mode and Spot/Evaluative metering to record a well balanced image - both in sharpness and exposure. Nothing I did got me the image I wanted. Finally, this morning, in frustration, I decided to abandon technology – and place my trust on human ingenuity. I opted to use the camera’s Manual Mode – meaning I employed my brain and experience to override technology. That did the trick! – I finally got the image I wanted.

For a fast moving subject like a bird, Manual setting is simply unthinkable – it is just too slow. But as my above image will prove, sometimes the unthinkable delivers the goods! The lesson here is: NEVER WRITE OFF ANYTHING.

Did We Jump The Gun?

I am overcome by a sense of foreboding – I fear that Bhutan may have now entered an extremely dangerous phase in our relentless struggle to contain the pandemic. For the past two years Bhutan had done extremely well in containing the spread of the virus. But cracks began to appear in the last two months or so – among others, reports of incidences of health workers and front liners being infected began to surface. The most serious lapse was the Wangduephodrang incidence. But I have always believed that there is no point in crying over the spilt milk.

Mistakes are a part of life – they help us navigate to a better future. Problem is when we refuse to learn from our mistakes.

One other thing I have always told my friends and family is that at all cost we should avoid getting into a situation when we have to say “I AM SORRY”. If you have already arrived at a point when you have to say sorry, it means that you are already too late. You are beyond redemption.

Deep down I know that it is the right thing to do – to delegate the responsibility of self-quarantine and isolation to the people themselves - so that there is less burden on the government. And yet, I am apprehensive – will the Bhutanese people behave? Will they be responsible? Do we have such a record – of being responsible and disciplined? Will they follow the protocols?

Has the government considered the need for round-the-clock monitoring? How is the government going to ensure that the self-quarantined/isolated people will do what they are expected to do? Should the government consider doing what the Traffic Division of the RBP has been doing – putting up a warning sign “NO FILTERING RIGHT” and additionally placing a traffic constable to make sure that they follow instructions.

I believe that there was/is no crying need for holding of the Board Exams. I think we could have postponed it for sometime. You can see that its organization has been messy and hit-and-run kind of an affair. There may be compulsions that we commoners do not understand – but certainly what we understand is very clear – do nothing that will result in a surge of COVID-19 cases. What we know is that there is no greater compulsion than the compulsion to contain the virus.

What is the point of going through the motions of the Board Examinations – when all that you may achieve at the end is being infected by the virus and getting locked-down for your troubles?

Has this been a case of jumping the gun?

Be Innovative - Never Give Up!

For the past close to two months I have been unfailing in my chase of a pint-sized bird called Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis) – every day: morning afternoon and evening. That is close to 200 hours of effort dedicated to one single bird! Regardless, all my efforts to date did not result in an image that I can claim to be, what I call, a “KEEPER”. I shot hundreds of images of the bird – all of them were consigned to their burial ground - the Trashcan.

The problem is the bird's foraging/feeding ground and the preening/frolicking perch. The place where it forages and feeds is a messy, slushy drainage that is clustered with dried branches and twigs. It feeds in this particular area every day. But photographing the bird in this feeding/foraging area is impossible – it is terribly crowded and impossible to separate the bird from the clutter around it.

Once it is done with its momentary feeding, the bird will unfailingly run off to fool around on/in a pile of white/grey colored splintered boulders. This is where I try to catch it – when it begins to display its dainty pretenses. Unfortunately, the boulders being white/grey in color, they come off all washed out, even if the bird is tack-sharp. This pile of boulders is located at a suspended construction site.

I am faced with an impossible situation – a perch that does not work and a feeding ground that is an impossibility. How is a man supposed to photograph a bird under such hopeless conditions? Only good thing is that the bird visits these two places without fail – day after day.

Then two weeks back I decided that to retrieve the situation I needed to give nature a helping hand. I gathered up a number of differently sized and colored wood pieces and arranged them haphazardly on top, and into, the cavities of the rock pile. The idea and the hope behind such an endeavor is that the bird would eventually decide to perch on one of these wood pieces – and not on the boulders. When it does, I will finally be able to acquire an image of my liking - with a pleasing wooden perch!

Foraging and feeding area of the bird - slushy and yucky!

The pile of white/grey boulders in their original state

The pile of white/grey boulders - with wooden pieces placed on top/stuck into their cavities - to act as a more pleasing perch for the bird.

Well, the invitation has been sent out to the dainty little fellow - now all that I can do is WAIT … AND PRAY AND PRAY!

The trick worked – yesterday afternoon it perched on one of my wood pieces - I could finally nail the frisky fellow! But it still took me close to two weeks after the innovation, to get the following image  – that is very close to what I consider a “KEEPER”.

Finally nailed the dainty fellow yesterday

The following is the image of the bird - perched on a boulder - totally washed out.

For the record, I had to shift and rearrange the wooden pieces every day because the light source in the morning is from the East and in the evening it is from the West. While doing so, I have to be mindful about the background – the bird should not be projected against the white of the buildings surrounding the location. I had to make sure that the background is not too blue or green or have large voluminous objects that will show up as dark obtrusive hindrance to the overall image. As you can see in all my images, I like to have my background buttery smooth.

ENJOY! ….. and remember you have to keep at it – until you get it right – No “it is OK” attitude!

Look For Habitats – Not Birds

Yet again we are in a LOCKDOWN situation – I am not sure if it is a cause for comfort - but I am told that this time it is a SMART LOCKDOWN. I have not bothered to find out how smart is a smart LOCKDOWN. Well, I am placing my trust on the government and the Health authorities - to do what is best for us. It is simpler to keep up my trust - than go bonkers being worried over something over which I have no control.

But something positive about the LOCKDOWN is that it gives me the time and the opportunity to write. You may have noticed that I have been writing one article a day - well almost.

My last article was on bird photography and how one must remain focused on the bird in hand and disregard all the rest in the forest. Today’s article is also on bird photography - and in the same vein – how not to be distracted by a promise that is uncertain - stick with what you know is certain.

When I started my journey of bird photography, I use to cover 40 – 50 KMs a day - hunting for birds. The thinking then was that if I covered more ground, I would see more birds and therefore be able to photograph a lot more of them. It did not occur to me that covering more grounds was no guarantee that I would see more birds. It took me many years and hundreds of miles of walking up the garden path – to finally come to the realization that what one ought to look for is not many birds to photograph – but a place, a location, a habitat that has the conditions to support bird life. 

Few months back I relocated to Dechencholing Dangrena. The place turns out to be an extremely bird-rich habitat, being located at the edge of the forest. First few days I spent taking count of the birds and noting them down – to make sure that I have a comprehensive list of birds that frequent the place. I counted over 45 of them – including the common ones like Russet Sparrow, Rufous Sebia etc. The following is a partial list of birds found around my locality.

Alpine Thrush, Ashy-throated Warbler, Black-tailed Crake, Blue-fronted Redstart, Brown Parrotbill, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush, Dark-breasted Rosefinch (Male), Dark-breasted Rosefinch (Female), Eurasian Woodcock, Hodgson's Redstart (Male), Hodgson's Redstart (Female), Hodgson's Treecreeper, Long-billed Thrush, Maroon-backed Accentor, Himalayan Bluetail, Plain Mountain Finch, Rufous-breasted Accentor, Rufous-breasted Bush Robin, Rufous-fronted Tit, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler, Slaty-backed Forktail, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, White-browed Bush Robin (Male), White-browed Bush Robin (Female), White-browed Fulvetta, White-browed Rosefinch Female, White-collard Blackbird (Male), White-collard Blackbird (Female), Winter Wren, Yellow-bellied Fantail, Yellow-billed Blue Magpie etc.

For the past close to two months I have not gone anywhere to hunt for birds – I have been combing the upper Dangrena area – to try and capture all the birds found here. I know that there are many birds in other places – but I adamantly refused to go to a new locations in search of birds – not until I am sure that all the birds in Dangrena are firmly in my pocket. And it paid off! Look at the following impressive list of birds I managed to capture – and almost all of them are “KEEPERS”!!!

List of "KEEPERS" so far captured by me in Dechenchholing Dangrena area

I am not chasing the Black-tailed Crake because I already have good images of it from Babesa sewerage tank area. The Eurasian Woodcock is eluding me despite hunting for it every day - morning, afternoon and evening – but I remain relentless. I am not so happy with my image of the Winter Wren – but I am working at creating an ambiance that should result in a much more pleasing image – I hope to nail it soon.

Lesson: Do not look for birds – look for a bird-rich area and stick with it until you are done with all of them. Don’t go hunting for new places until the old one has been thoroughly combed and all the birds in it are firmly in your pocket. If it takes you months to cover all the birds in the locality – so be it. I have spent two months – in the same spot - photographing the above birds. But it has been rewarding – I managed to photograph almost all of them – and 99% of the images are KEEPERS!

One Bird In Hand Is Worth Hundreds In The Bush

As of 05:41AM of Monday the 21st of February 2022, the Bhutan Birdlife Society has 252 registered Members. The figure represents 0.036% of the country’s entire population. This is a significant number – and that is not counting those who have not yet registered. This goes to show that there is lively interest in birds, birding, bird guiding and bird photography. Thus I believe that I must heed the call of many, to speak more about my journey as a bird photographer.

Sometime in 2004 - 2005, I was commissioned by You2 Publishers, Thimphu to work on a book on the wild birds of Bhutan. The publishing house was specifically created to bring out a book on the wild birds of Bhutan – to be dedicated to His Majesty Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck. My book titled “Bhutan Birds” – Bhutan’s first coffee table book on the subject - was published and released in 2008.

This post is dedicated to all the budding Bhutanese bird photographers. In it I tell of one very important lesson I have learnt during my journey as a bird photographer. The story begins in Sengore, in 2004.

Since my bird photography camera gear is very heavy – close to 15 KGs. including the Wimberley tripod, I needed an assistant to help me carry the gear. Thus I hired a Khengpa youth to accompany me in my daily hunt for the birds.

As we walked the roads in Sengore, Yongkola and Lemithang in the East of the country, the Khengpa boy would carry the gear and I would scan the treetops and branches – for birds. When I see a bird, I would take over the gear and try to take a photo of the bird. Occasionally – in fact more than occasionally – the Khengpa boy would see a bird and he would draw my attention to it. I would promptly move to try and shoot the bird pointed out to me by the Khengpa boy.

This went on for weeks and months. The boy became more and more enthusiastic in pointing out birds to me. More and more, I began to chase the birds he pointed out to me – rather than focus on the birds I had myself seen. Since I was concentrated in photographing the bird I had seen, I was constrained by the need for focus – while the Khengpa boy had all the time in the world to scan the forests and the treetops – so he ended up seeing more birds than I.

Then one day I realized that my success rate was extremely poor. After months of chasing hundreds and thousands of birds – I had very little to show for it. I sensed that something was not right. So, one day I stopped chasing birds and began to systematically go over what I was doing. I thought of the time of day I start the hunt, the topography and geography of the places where I searched for birds, the trees and plants I focused on etc. etc. Then BANG! ..... it hit me.

It dawned on me that my focus was haphazard – I was getting waylaid.  The damned Khengpa Ollo was infringing on my focus! He was distracting me. He was the prime cause of my failure.

So I called him and delivered him a warning and an ultimatum:

“From this day on, in fact from this very moment on, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO POINT OUT ANY BRIDS TO ME. I SHALL BE THE ONLY ONE WHO WILL SEE ANY BIRDS – YOU WILL SEE NONE. If you show me any more birds – even a single one – pretty or ugly, I shall make you walk all the way from Sengore to Thimphu!”

That day I learnt my life lesson: if you are chasing one bird at any given moment – stay with that bird. Do not be distracted by others that are fleeting about. Close your mind and eyes to all other birds - nail the one you are set on – only thereafter move to the next. Going after every bird you see is the surest way to lose them all. Remember, there are close to 800 bird species in Bhutan – you cannot hope to get them all, all at one go. But certainly you can aspire to get the one you are after – provided you remain dedicated and true to your current pursuit. Even in life, this dictum is valid.

There is wisdom behind the proverb: One bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

Remain Calm & Realistic: DO NOT PANIC!

Yesterday Bhutan recorded the highest COVID-19 infections to date – at 527.

I am not sure if all the reported cases were new infections – it is quiet possible that some of them may be old undetected cases. May be these old undetected cases are the cause of the sudden surge in community cases. However, it is inconsequential whether they are old undetected cases or new cases. What is worrisome is that the unprecedented surge in new cases has begun to create panic within the Bhutanese society.

Panic is bad – misjudgments are most often committed during panic situations. Panic is what we do not need during these testing times. The government and the committee of experts must remain level headed and calm and focused – and REALISTIC.

I am in total agreement with COVID-19 Technical Advisory Group Member Dr. Tshokey – the idea of living with the virus is TOTALLY RUINOUS.

Resulting from the panic caused by the proliferating new cases, and severe difficulties brought on by the lockdowns, some are suggesting that the Bhutanese people should now be charged with the responsibility of self-quarantine and isolation. THIS IS A BAD, BAD IDEA! The Bhutanese people are self-centered and they are irresponsible and indisciplined. If the government takes this route – trust me – we will have an irretrievable disaster in our hands.

Those of you who read my posts, you would remember what I said – that even after installing a huge signboard that reads “NO FILTERING RIGHT”, the Traffic Division of the RBP still has to post a traffic constable on the spot - to make sure that the traffic is not filtering right.

You know that despite thousands of DeSuups, RBP, RBA and the local volunteers in the frontlines and affected areas, His Majesty still makes trips after trips after trips to these areas – because His Majesty is fully aware that without constant monitoring and on-the-spot leadership and direction, things will begin to fall apart.

Look at how we behave – the moment lockdown is announced or lifted – the whole population will invade the shopping malls, restaurants, roads and the fuel stations - without a care in the world.

Looking reality squarely in the face - the government and the expert committee ought to know what the doctor ordered.

We are all aware that there are some sections of the society who are suffering extreme difficulties - but if it helps others remain safe and secure - it should be acceptable that some of us can perform acts of benevolence. In our collective fight to rid ourselves of this virus, let us be tolerant and charitable because, in the final analysis, if we do not help ensure safety of others around us - it is a noose around our own necks.

Doing The Right Things Is Better Than Not Doing The Wrong Things

As of yesterday the 17th February 2022 AD, the global Coronavirus numbers stand as follows:

Total Infections : 419,890,900

Total Deaths         :     5,878,817

Total Recovered : 343,549,292

The above numbers include our own daily records, which, as of yesterday, stand as follows:

Total Infections : 8,683

Total Deaths         :        5

Total Recovered : 5,930

Our highest infection in a day was recorded yesterday – at 386.

It is a matter for alarm that despite our renewed vigilance, Bhutan is seeing heightened incidences of infections. What are we doing wrong? Or, more accurately, what are we NOT DOING RIGHT?

Now let us sit back and ponder on this question: what are we NOT DOING RIGHT? Unfortunately, as I have pointed out many times in the past, the Bhutanese are not a pondering lot and, that, I believe is at the core of why we are seeing daily increase in the infections: WE ARE NOT THINKING AND IN THE PROCESS DOING WHAT WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO.

Yesterday I was forwarded a recording of a woman in Phuentsholing pleading for respite from the lockdowns. She makes an impressive case on the grounds of which the King and the government should consider letting up on the lockdowns. But in that long drawn heart-wrenching appeal, she makes no mention of how she is going to contribute – to help the King and the government to achieve conditions that would make it possible to consider easing lockdowns.

This makes it sound as if I am supporting lockdown – I am not. Some readers – both inside Bhutan as well as outside have accused me of “justifying” the government’s actions based on their misunderstanding of what I wrote in my last post titled “Stop Grumbling” dated 11th February 2022. This is yet another example of how unthinking the Bhutanese are. If you revisit my post, you will see that the absolute last sentence of my post reads:

“If lockdown is deemed necessary, if it is the only way forward, let us have lockdown”.

This means that what I am saying is that I am leaving it to the incumbent government who has the responsibility to do what needs to be done. This means that I am leaving it to the committee of experts to do what they are qualified to do.

This also means that if you know any better – step forward and contribute to the national effort – instead of grumbling and drawing wrong conclusions, through thoughtlessness. If you think the current method of implementing lockdowns is flawed, suggest what is a better way of doing it.

Even small things matter. For instance, when the lockdown was eased in Thimphu, my first thought was to restock on essential supplies. But unlike some, I did not go to 10 vendors to pick up 20 items of my need. I wrote out a complete list of what I need and gave it to one lone vendor - to fill in all my needs. This prevents me from visiting 10 stores that could present a threat.

I have also decided that wherever possible, I will buy my vegetables from the hawkers on the roadside - this will keep me away from crowded vegetable shops.

One other stupidity I see is the vehicle owners thronging the fuel stations. Recently a fuel price increase was due. Whole lot of vehicle owners rushed to the fuel pumps to tank up – in the process creating a long queue and snarling up the traffic. Little realizing that their car idling in the queue for close to an hour would have consumed whatever savings they had hoped for, in addition to precious time lost in the process.

Particularly in a pandemic situation we should know that creating a crowded condition is exactly NOT THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

The lockdowns will ease the day the Bhutanese people begin to think and DO THE RIGHT THINGS. If we fail to do the right things, the lockdowns will continue - that is for sure!

Tourism in Bhutan: Refining the History

On my post of Saturday the 13th of July, 2019, I had written that Mr. Lars-Eric Lindblad of Lindblad Travels, USA brought in the first ever tour group into Bhutan – which is true and it was faithfully recored by me in my post: “History Of Tourism In Bhutan: PART III of V”. However, one Mr. Mukesh Gupta of Bhutantravel.com makes the following comment on my Blog Post of 12th July, 2019 titled “History Of Tourism In Bhutan: PART II of V”:

Mukesh Gupta February 10, 2022 at 11:39 AM

I am somewhat surprised that who ever complied this arduous history forgot to mention the fabulous contribution of SUMMIT TOURS and Fr Richard McDonald of Darjeeling. It was him and his agency Summit Tours that was the first agency to actually send western tourists to Bhutan way back in the mid 70's. This was a group of American / Western Tourists organized by the legendary Lars Eric Lindblad of the iconic Lindblad Travels. I was personally involved with Summit Tours as well as with Wangcha Sangay and coordinated with him in running trekking programs, etc. and was the person to bring in the first group of experts into Bhutan for a reconnaissance of river rafting possibilities into the kingdom. Thank you

Mukesh

http://bhutantravel.com/

There is no factual error in what I had written – Mr. Lars Eric Lindblad of Lindblad Travels was indeed the person who led the first ever tour group to Bhutan in 1974. What I had omitted to mention – of which I was not aware then - is that there was an Indian tour agent involved behind the tour group – Summit Tours of Fr Richard McDonald from Darjeeling.

The history of Bhutan’s tourism is so much richer because of the input of Mr. Mukesh Gupta. Thus I am making a minor addition to my post of 13th July, 2019: “History Of Tourism In Bhutan: PART III of V” which can be accessed at:

https://yesheydorji.blogspot.com/2019/07/history-of-tourism-in-bhutan-part-iii.html.

Bird Photography III: The Trick To A Sharper Image

A good bird image is one with even sharpness throughout, well positioned, a sparkle in the eye and, above all, well lit up. I use the singular form “eye” because a bird is best presented when shot from the side – the profile view – either right or left. Never from the back or front. Only if you shoot the bird from the front, you will see both the eyes – an image you do not want. Also, the profile shot is better because it is able to show parts of the head, throat, belly, back, tail, the underpart and the rump of the bird - frontal or rear shot will not show all that.

For the uninitiated and the novitiate, the following image will look like the last word in bird photography. But in the professional world, the image will earn no respect. There are many problems with the image: the head and shoulder may be tack sharp – but the legs are totally out of focus – so is the tail. And, there is a disturbing shadow to the image.

Many problems with the image

The uneven sharpness is the result of me being in a wrong position when shooting the frame. I would have to have been in an angular position – that is why the head and shoulder are tack sharp – while the tail and legs are out of focus - soft. It is also apparent that the point of focus is wrong. However, the biggest problem is that I was too close to the bird which is not a good thing.

Getting very close to the bird can get you sharp images because the lens can pick up better feather details. The other good thing about being close to the bird is that any camera shake will be less pronounced. But being very close to the bird has one terrible disadvantage – it will result in very shallow DoF – giving you an image that will most likely be uneven in sharpness – like my above image.

From the image, an expert will see that the image was shot under a sunny condition – the shadow of the bird is proof of it. Shooting in sunny conditions is not good for bird photography. The image will be very harsh and most often the colors are not rendered faithfully.

On the other hand the image below is the kind of image one should aspire for. Everything falls into place in this image: it is tack sharp and the sharpness is even throughout, there is a glint in the eye and there is no clutter around the image. And the lighting is mellow and subdued – showing off the bird in all its majesty. The subject separation is near perfect.

A good image that is well exposed and well framed

Getting a perfectly exposed image is every bird photographer’s dream. But that also means the photographer must get out of the habit of saying: it is OK – it will do. As they say in the professional world:

BEING OK IS NO EXCUSE FOR NOT BEING GOOD.

Stop Grumbling!

 John Adams said: “Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.”

Recently someone asked me to write an article for his paper on how democracy is doing in Bhutan. I accepted – then few days later I apologized and declined to do so. I offered him the reason that democracy cannot work in Bhutan – the Bhutanese people do not have the temperament for it. The Bhutanese people understand democracy as something where they have all the rights but have relinquished all their responsibilities.

For democracy to function, we need citizens who understand responsibility and citizens’ duty. Unfortunately, time and again we have proven that these are outside our sphere of thinking. To demonstrate how unthinking Bhutanese are as a society, let me give you three examples:

1.  There is already a huge signboard in place that reads – NO FILTERING RIGHT. And yet, the Traffic Division of the RBP has to station a traffic police to ensure that traffic is not filtering to the right. Normally, it should be simple enough for a licensed driver to understand and follow the direction.

2.  Being mindful of the difficulties His subjects are bound to face during the unrelenting COVID-19 pandemic, His Majesty the King ordered the waiver of bank interest on housing loans. It is my belief that this gesture was intended to benefit the poor people – by bringing some relief in the payment of their house rents. But last I heard, most house owners did not pass on this benefit to the poor tenants, but pocketed the benefits resulting from the kidu.

If the house owners are collecting the house rents full throttle, then where is the need for relief on interest on housing loans?

3.  Today there is an uproar in the social media – surrounding the supposed failure of the government in competently handling the COVID-19 crisis. Frankly people should remember that talk is easy – and very, very cheap. We have to remember that we are constrained by many compulsions – we are short of manpower, we are short of funds, we are short of skills, we are short of required number of skilled health workers, we are short of hospital beds, we are short of quarantine facilities, we are short of PPE for our frontline workers. And, worst of all, we are short of responsible and dutiful citizens who refuse to contribute to the cause of the pandemic.

We have to remember that we are dealing with an invisible enemy. This unseen scrooge has ravaged even the very best of economies around the world. And yet, by comparison, Bhutan’s record is among the very best and most competent – in fact we have not done badly at all - our performance so far has been sterling. Even our King has turned himself into a foot soldier and is leading the battle from the frontlines. What more can you ask for?

There are bound to be some slip-ups. Since when have we become such a competent society that we are able to build an airtight defense against everything and anything? Please remember that we are constraint by many things. Under the circumstance, lets be thankful that there are people who are working tirelessly – while others know nothing beyond grumbling.

Just because there was an Omicron outbreak in the community in Wangdue recently, people are going crazy. Did you really believe that Bhutan could have prevented community outbreak forever, when the whole world is experiencing it? We have to be really stupid to have believed it. Please remember that failure is not because of the sum total - but because of the failure of one or two.

If nothing, atleast let us not complain so much. Ofcourse there are bound to be difficulties – we are not on a holiday – we are not in a Last Tango situation. We are in a crisis - we have a serious problem in our hands. Complaining does not help. What helps is DOING what we are supposed to do, and NOT doing what we are not supposed to do.

We believe that we understand the problems people are facing – that is a falsehood. We simply have no idea what some people are suffering – the extent of their suffering is beyond imagination. Think of the government and the King – I can’t even begin to think how they are coping – but they are.

Let alone everything else, simply thinking of the cost of vaccinations, cost of hundreds of thousands of RT-PCR tests and cost of quarantines – it leaves me breathless. SO PLEASE STOP GRUMBLING! If lockdown is deemed necessary, if it is the only way forward, let us have lockdown.

LOCKDOWN SPECIAL: The Collection Of The Natural Wonder Called Cordyceps sinensis

Although it is tantamount to tooting my own horn – I must confess that very few can claim to be as lucky as I am. I have been blessed with good health, energy, stamina, power of endurance, determination, daring and audacity – at a level that is almost uncommon. All these qualities helped me embark on many of my jaunts into practically every extreme alpine regions of the country – from Singye Dzong and Jumo Koongkhar in the East to Gangkhar Puensoom in the Central and Chundugung and Nob Tshonapatta in the West.

I made two trips into the mountains of remote Lunana – both on photographic assignments to photograph the collection of the magic worm/fungus – Cordyceps sinensis. Another trip I made was to the Northern extremes of Dhur in Bumthang – for the same reason – to photograph the collection of Cordyceps. The account I present to you below is that of my trip to Dhur. It is my hope that these will engage you, even if for a short while – during these tiresome times of the lockdown.

Bhutan is one among very few countries in the world where the magical Cordyceps sinensis is found. This crazy, crinkly and extremely expensive amalgamation between a caterpillar larva and parasite is one of the most important ingredients in the TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). According to one of my friends in the USA, she swears that the thing is so potent that its administration to her dog cured it of the problem of hair loss.

The Cordyceps sinensis occurs at altitudes around 16,000 ft. and above. Its collection is truly arduous and conditions under which it is collected tests human endurance to the limit.

My Dhur assignment was during May of 2010. The journey began from Dhur village in Bumthang. The trail is among the worst I know – the reason is because the Cordyceps collection season falls during the rainy months. Look at the condition of the trail – it is very muddy and sloshy. Trudging through knee deep mud cannot be any one’s idea of fun. But it is how it is.

Trudging up into the extreme Northern regions of Dhur - over a trial that is muddy and sloshy. Those of you who may have read my series of posts on "Ladoog", you would recall that I said that I always take a minimum of one unladen spare pony - in the event of an unexpected accident. When Western guests are involved, I also take along one riding pony for every four guests - incase they fall sick. You can see the spare pony after the lead pony that is laden with my camera gear.

On the fourth day we are approaching the collection fields where I will be camped for about ten days. As you can see, we are way past the tree lines – we are now in the interiors of Dhur’s extreme North.

On our fourth day of trek, we are approaching the camp site where we will be camped for close to ten days.

We see that some of the collectors are already camped out at the foothills of the mountains where they will start the hunt for the Cordyceps.

Life is difficult for the collectors – look how they live out in the extreme weather conditions. One camp I see is tucked into the cave – with a flimsy plastic sheet keeping off the chilly winds that blow unabated.

Apparently not every one goes collecting – some remain in the camp to keep house and cook and such. Look at how tough the lady is - she is merely wearing a rubber slippers without socks - and washing her hair with the icy water from the brook nearly.

During my rounds around the campsite one day, I happened to arrive when the pretty lady was washing her hair by the small brook running close to her camp – she was stripped naked on the upper part of her body with her breasts dangling out – but she was not bothered about my presence – she looked at me straight with a smile. From this I realized that she must be a mother already. In rural Bhutan, women do hide their breasts – but once they become mothers – they seem to have no qualms about displaying their breasts in public – they feed their babies any time any where – just like that.

The campsite gets seriously cold during the nights and mornings – see the condition of my tent – it is sagging with the weight of the frost formed on it.

My tent frozen stiff from the frost

There was a beautiful lake close by  - it was crystal clear and so calm that I could see the stones and boulders at its bottom.

A pretty lake as clear as a mirror

The mountains at this altitude are jagged and strangely shaped – without a blade of grass on them. One particular cluster was unusually interesting. I photographed it - capturing its three different moods.

Very early in the morning, the mist begins to rise before the sunrise - eventually revealing the jagged cluster of mountain peaks

The cluster of jagged mountain peaks looking majestic in the early morning sun's warmth and brilliance.

Almost mystical - the haphazardly protruding mountain peaks are brightly lit by the brilliance of the moon's light in the night.

The following images show just how extremely hard life is for the Cordyceps collectors – no wonder they are so expensive. Ofcoure I am not sure which is more deserving of such astronomical prices – for the extreme hardship involved in their collection – or because of the supposedly magical properties it is supposed to possess.

Very early in the morning the collectors start their journey for the hunt for the Cordyceps

Crouching over the grounds - every inch of the ground is inspected closely for the worm.

On their belly and knees - searching for the Cordyceps under foul weather.

The following are the four life cycles of the Cordyceps sinensis, which begins its death journey when released by its parent - a moth. The larva of the moth which grows underground gets infested by a parasite. Slowly as the parasite grows, the larva is robbed of is life and the parasite turns into a fungus. Over time, the fungus sprouts out of the ground and becomes visible to the human eyes. It is then harvest time.

An extremely rare occurrence - a moth larva that has not been infested by the parasite. This larva grows underground until it is infested by the parasite which ultimately kills it.

The fungus portion of the Cordyceps sinensis visible above the ground

How the Cordyceps sinensis looks when plucked out of the ground

Cordyceps sinensis: washed, cleaned and dried - ready for the international markets, mainly China.

Dr. Phuntsho Namgyel, a forestry scientist, is marveled by my find of a moth larva that escaped infestation by the parasite. He tells me that it is an extremely rare occurrence. According to him – very few human would have seen a live Cordyceps - without a fungus on its noggin.