BBC Filming Crew Kills Two Tigers in Bangladesh

A few days back, over breakfast at the Galingkha restaurant, my friend from Bangladesh, Dr. Ronald Halder - dentalist, ornithologist, photographer and author, introduced me to Sirajul Hossain, a naturalist and a photographer, also from Bangladesh. Two of them, accompanied by another birder/photographer friend, Md. Zamiruddin Faisal, are currently in Bhutan on a 10-days bird watching/photography tour of Bhutan.
 

It was inevitable that given our shared interest in photography and birding, we mostly talked of the photographic and birding opportunities offered by Bhutan. One other matter we talked about was of the tigers living and breeding in the high Himalayas of Bhutan and of those that lived and roamed the mangroves of the Sundarbans in Bangladesh. That is when I mentioned about the shameless claims made by the BBC team who recently made a documentary on the tigers of Bhutan. What Sirajul told me next left me in total shock and disbelief!

It seems that the BBC did something even worst in Bangladesh than what they did in Bhutan. In Bangladesh, they actually caused the death of few tigers - in the process of their film making and in their attempt to be dramatic and theatrical.

Following the incidences of the death of two tigers at the hands of the BBC filming crew, Sirajul published two articles titled; “The Death of Two Tigers: Immature science in immature hands” and “On Death and Survival of Tigers”. Both the articles were published in Bangladesh’s largest circulating English daily: The Daily Star. The first article appeared on 22^nd February, 2008 and the second one appeared on 7^th June, 2008.

The two articles clearly show that in their quest to make a dramatic film, the BBC couldn’t care less about the consequences of their actions to their subjects. One of the articles point to the fact that there is nothing professional about the way the BBC does things. In fact, the title of one of the articles, “The Death of Two Tigers: Immature science in immature hands” is revealing.

Since I leave for the East tomorrow, I do not have the time. But when I return, I hope to post a detailed commentary on the two articles published by the naturalist Sirajul Hossain. In the meantime, I hope this will alert the Royal government and its agencies to be wary of any future proposals they receive from the BBC.

15” of Mini Twinkies: II

The simple act of narrating a joke can sometimes test your ingenuity to its limit. So it was with me; when I decided to lighten the mood in my blog by posting a joke tiled, ‘15” of Mini Twinkies’. I did not realize what a challenge I was taking on when I decided to tell a joke that involved three multi-national ding-dongs measuring a perfect 15”.

I am not a practicing joker - not even an occasional one. My joke telling days were over close to two decades ago. The thing with jokes is that you have to keep telling them - to be able to tell them with a certain flair and style and ease. Even the funniest jokes can sound dour, if it is not delivered with the right combination of mimicry, wild gesticulations and contortions. Extricating guffaws from your audience is no mean joke. But my difficulties arose not from a lack of skill of writing or command over the language. I was challenged at an altogether different level.

The problem arose because the joke involves three different nationalities. And, if you have read the joke, you would have realized that the entire success of the joke hinges on the soldier who possesses a schlong measuring no more than 3”. That was at the root of my troubles.

While the real truth remains hidden within our crotches, no male of whatever nationality likes to be identified as being one who is poorly hung. This is totally a male thing. Thus, assigning a lingam that measured a miserly 3” to a specific nationality would be seen as insidious and libelous by that nationality! The joke would be in very poor taste.

But for the sake of the joke, someone has to take on that dishonor or the joke wouldn’t be so funny. But who? Who do I say possessed that very critical and life saving but very miniscule 3” ding-a-ling? How can I narrate my cute little joke without hurting sensibilities and provoking ire? How can I do it without leaving a sour after-taste in the mouth, after the laughter?

At the end of two days and two nights of brain-racking and after giving due consideration to history, logic, anatomical analysis, myth and mystery, I elected the Chinese soldier to be the baton bearer and, in doing so, I believe I resolved the delicate dilemma! In fact, I believe that it was a stroke of genius.

NOTE: Beyond being funny, some jokes are brain teasers. My joke ‘15” of Mini Twinkies’ is one such joke. I waited two days for some readers to point out the anomaly built-in into the joke. It seems that none have noticed it. Or, perhaps, you are being kind to me by not pointing out the deliberate flaw in the joke. Whatever the case may be, I encourage you to re-read the joke and, if this time you observe the irregularity in the joke, you will then understand the illogical logic behind this rejoinder.

PS: The correct nomenclature for the Allied Forces I referred to in my joke should be: Multi-National Force - Iraq.

15” Of Mini Twinkies

I just realized that I have been posting rather serious stuff on my Blog. I think Blogging need not be a tedious process - neither for the readers nor for the Bloggers. So here is something, which I hope will lighten up your moods and make your trips to my Blog a happy and joyful experience.

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During the war in Iraq, a mixed group of three soldiers belonging to the Allied Forces were ambushed by the Iraqi army. They were herded before the Iraqi Commander who would decide their fate.

The Commander declared; “Let it not be said that the Iraqi army is without compassion and do not respect the Geneva Conventions on P.O.W. I am going to give you a fair chance to escape the inevitable death by firing. I will give you a test and if you pass the test, you will go free but if you fail, you die before my firing squad. Is that acceptable to you?”

The motley of chained and shackled soldiers comprising of an American, a German and a Chinese, huddled together to discuss the matter. They arrived at the consensus that it was sure death for them anyway but there might just be the remote possibility that they might pass the test and escape death. So they agreed that they will go through the test, whatever it was. They chorused; “Yes, we accept the test but what exactly is the test?”

The Commander said; “Good. The test is simple: I will have your mini twinkies measured out and if the sum total of your combined length is exactly 15 inches, you will go scot free. If they are even marginally longer or shorter, it is the firing squad for you. Do you accept?”

The POWs were stumped. They looked at each other in bewilderment but they were aware that they had hardly a choice so they agreed to take the test.

The Commander ordered two Iraqi soldiers to escort the soldiers one by one and have their ding-dongs measured out. The American soldier was the first to be taken behind the barracks and measured out.

The two Iraqi soldiers returned with the American soldier and reported;

“Exactly 5”, Sir!

Next, the German soldier was escorted behind the barracks. A little while later, the Iraqi soldiers returned with a brimming German soldier and declared;

“Commander, Sir, Exactly 7”!

It was now the turn of the Chinese soldier. Minutes later, the two forlorn looking Iraqi soldiers escorted back the Chinese soldier who was grinning from ear to ear, and reported;

“Incredible, Sir, but exactly 3”!

The sum total stood at exactly 15”! The Commander had no choice but to let go the soldiers. They had passed the test and earned their freedom.

As the three soldiers walked away in relief, each of them gloated about their role in the escape from death. The American took great pride in the fact that if it hadn’t been for his bountiful 5”, all three of them would be cold turkey right now and being buried 3’ under the ground.

The German declared; “Yea right! If mine did not measure a hulking 7”, both of you would be dead and not talking so big and boastful”.

The meek Chinese chimed in; “Please guys, let us offer prayers of thanks to God that if I hadn’t had a hard-on, we would all be history”.

RTI & The Bhutanese Mentality

I recently read a news item in Business Bhutan that a SAARC Group of Advisors on RTI was formed. Supposedly, this group will act as an informal forum where member states will exchange information and experiences to enable them to legislate and effectively implement RTI in their respective countries. Proponents of the RTI Act argue that its legislation and adoption will eliminate arbitrariness and corrupt practices in the government and public and civilian authorities. Some discussion on this issue has already taken place in Bhutan and while its adoption may be delayed for a variety of reasons, it is inevitable that it will finally come to be adopted.

RTI is a complex issue. The extent and scope of the Act will differ from country to country. What will be covered and what will not be covered will depend on a variety of factors and situations prevalent in each country. Bhutan, for instance, is a Constitutional Monarchy and thus, the RTI will include certain clauses that other countries in the region will see as irrelevant and decadent. Also, geopolitical realities will be a determining factor in the inclusion or exclusion of certain clauses that may be relevant and yet pertinent to be excluded from a written Law. No question, RTI will be a complex undertaking.

But in my opinion, the most daunting complexity will be the Bhutanese mentality and the manner in which we treat information. This stark reality hit me a week back when I tried to uncover some historical facts about Lingzhi Dzong. As ludicrous as it may sound, our public officials have this tendency to be secretive, even of matters that they are explicitly required to disseminate and propagate to the general public. This tendency is not limited to the big bosses of the bureaucracy alone, but is prevalent even among the workers in the lower rung of the hierarchy.

The following three incidences - more than two and a half decades apart - will demonstrate just how daunting the task of implementing the RTI Act is likely to be.

FIRST INCIDENT: Sometime in the mid 80’s, the Department of Revenue & Customs published the first ever written taxation rules of the country. For the first time in our history, there was a written and clearly defined tax rates and duty draw backs. The Forward to the Rules was authored by Her Royal Highness Ashi Sonam Choden Wangchuck, who was then the Representative of His Majesty in the Ministry of Finance - the parent Ministry of the Department of Revenue & Customs. Her Royal Highness wrote that the rule book was an important document and that it was important for the general public to understand it and follow the rules contained in the book. Therefore, she hoped that the book would be widely circulated among the general public.

On the cover of the rule book, a cautionary note was inscribed in bold that read: STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.

SECOND INCIDENT: This incident occurs one and a half decades after the one described above. One of my friends from the US wanted to organize an archery match between 12 American archers and a like number of Bhutanese archers. The Americans had heard so much about archery being the national sports of Bhutan and how good we were at the sport. They would come to Bhutan for the match and would follow the Bhutanese format in all respects. In order that they could familiarize themselves with our rules and conventions, my friend asked me to acquire a copy of the Bhutan Archery Federation Rules and mail it to him.

I went to see the Secretary of the Bhutan Archery Federation in his office and made my request for the issue of a copy of the Rules, either free or on payment of a fee. After listening to me intently, he declared that the rules were STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL and refused to give me a copy. I was dumb founded - how can rules and regulations that people are supposed to read and understand and adhere to, be confidential? Me and my American friend got so disgusted, we trashed the whole idea.

THIRD AND LATEST INCIDENT: The latest incident took place on 31st March, 2011. The posting of my photo on Lingzhi Dzong generated some vigorous interest on the historical background of the Dzong - who built it, when was it built, what was the purpose of building it etc. etc. So I began to hunt for information from various people and establishments that were likely to have some information on the Dzong. I spoke to 2 people from Lingzhi who are presently domiciled in Dechencholing. They had nothing to offer me. I then located the Lingzhi Gup who was attending a meeting here in Thimphu. He was clueless. I was then asked to contact Dasho Sangey Dorji of the DDC who offered some useful information derived from work done by late Lopen Pemala. Sangey Wangdi, Ex-Councilor from Dramitse suggested that I contact Lopen Kunzang Thinley, a prolific writer with the KMT publishers. He had nothing to offer but helped me reconfirm certain facts that I already possessed. I went and met Thimphu Dzongdah who is the administrative head of Lingzhi Dungkhag. He gave me the interesting input about how it was customary for the Dzong’s roof to be taken down every winter to prevent it being blown off by strong winds that batter the Dzong during the winter months.

Now, we do have a Cultural Division under the Ministry of Home and Culture. I decided that they surely ought to have some material on the Dzong; after all, they are supposed to be the depository for all information and material related to our culture and tradition. Upon visiting the office at lower Motithang, I was directed to meet a lady, the Head of the section being out of office - on maternity leave. This lady put me through a host of irrelevant questions but at the end, she implied that any information they possessed would be classified information and a national secret. I was aghast - a historical fact that concerns our culture being treated with secrecy? Damn! Either she was being ridiculous or the Division has no information whatsoever on the Dzong and she is trying to conceal that fact. Nonetheless, she took down my number and promised to call back after consulting her Head who was on maternity leave. Fives days went by and she still hadn’t called - so I posted my piece on the history of the Dzong on my blog without waiting for her to give me additional information. It is now eleven days since my meeting with her and she still hasn’t called me.

So, what do you think are the prospects that the RTI will work in Bhutan?

The Lay Nun At Drakarpo

As I sat sipping hot tea on a clearing atop Lhakhang Drakarpo above Shaba in Paro, my horse contractor by my side, I saw an old lady of about 85 wobble up the steep incline; her back was bent with age and burdens unknown; her weather-beaten face was creased with lines of hardship and toil. Surprisingly for her age, she had a head full of hair which was pure gray.

I had been hiking for the past 5 hours - first on a straight line from Boemri to Dongkala and then straight downhill on my way to Shaba where I would end my 2-weeks long Druk Path Trek. I should have ended my trek at Taa Dzong had I taken the traditional route. However, I had heard such glowing reports about Boemri (Altitude: 3,831 Mtrs.) that I decided to veer off from Jele Dzong towards Boemri.

I spent one night at Boemri, which, by the way, I am told should be pronounced Boed-Mo-Richen; meaning Mighty Mountain of the Tibetan Lady. The hermit I spoke to at the Ngephug Drupkhang tells me that the Tibentan lady in question was named Ekazathri. Now, I am not sure if he is mispronouncing the name Ekajati - a powerful goddess in the Tibetan mythology.

The old lady invited us to her hermitage for a cup of tea. She said that she was under Tsam (meditation) for the past many years. I declined the offer since I told her that I am already having tea, as she could see, whereupon the following conversation ensued:

“So, where are you gentlemen coming from? Are you here to visit the Lhakhang?”

“No, we are coming down from Dongkala Lhakhang”

"Ahh … so, karmi phuewa iina?”

“No, I went there to take photos of the Lhakhang and the surrounding areas”

“Ahh … so how many monks did you see there at Dongkala?"
 

“About 5 of them”

“Ahh … the rest must have gone to the Bjangsa to take a head count of their heard of yaks”

“Herd of Yaks? They have yaks?”

“Yes they do and quiet a large number of them”

“So how did monks end up owning yaks?”

“There is a practice of devout people offering land and animals to Lhakhangs. This way, the Dratsangs can generate some bit of income to support themselves while the devotees can earn huge merit for their after life”

“Wai iina, that is a dang good idea. Why didn’t I think of this before? I think I too will come and give Wang & Choe to the people of Paro and they can offer me plenty of yaks and land. You think that is a good idea, Aangey?

That did it! The old lady flew into a rage. She demanded to know whether I was made of the stuff that Lamas are made of. She wanted to know about my lineage, my upbringing and whether I knew the scriptures enough to perform Choe and give Wang. Frothing at the mouth, she cursed me that I was a shameless, faithless person. She waved her frail fingers at my face and accused me of being a Sodey Soenam kamkambi gii mii.

She wobbled off in a huff, leaving me flummoxed and speechless. God Almighty! it was intended as a light hearted joke to give her a few laughs. Where was the need for her to fly off her handle? Isn’t she a person of religion? Doesn’t meditation teach her to be calm and collected; to subdue her anger and her greed and her attachment to material things? Isn’t the conquest and suppression of a person’s Ngajey and Thradong at the core of the practice of meditation?

As the old lady disappeared from view, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of sadness. She may have spent years in a hermitage, but it was obvious that her journey towards enlightenment hadn’t even begun yet. Eighty five years of life lived in ignorance and misconception and yet, she will pass into oblivion - a misguided soul to the end - unable and unwilling to see the light of day.

Lingzhi Dzong

Historical Background of Lingzhi Dzong

The posting of my photos of the beautiful and remote Linzhi Dzong aroused lot of interest among my readers, including myself. So I did a little research into its historical background and came up with the following.

If some readers have more information, please share with me so that I may update this post.

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Chögyal Minjur Tenpa was appointed the third Druk Desi from 1667 to 1680. Of the many wars Bhutan fought with Tibet, two of them took place during his reign; first in 1667 and the second one in 1676 which lasted until 1678.

Lingzhi Dzong was constructed by Chögyal Minjur Tenpa in 1668 - to celebrate Bhutan’s victory over the Tibetans in the war of 1667. He named the Dzong as Lingzhi Yügyal Dzong. This Dzong is not to be confused with an older Dzong called Lingzhi Jagö Dzong which is located at Gungyül village about 4 hours walk from the main Lingzhi village towards Chebisa. Jagö Dzong is not a Dzong in the conventional sense but rather a temple constructed into the face of a huge cliff that rises steeply behind Gungyül village. Photo below.

In the modern times, the term “Dzong” has come to be identified with huge building structures that house the district administration and the monk body. However, when the word was originally coined, it did not always refer to a built-up structure. When references are made to “Dzongs” or “Phodrangs” in the ancient text books and scriptures, it could mean anything - a stone boulder, a cave, a temple, a cliff, a place of meditation etc. Thus, if you go to Singye Dzong in Lhuntse, you will be told of many Dzongs as Nges that are nothing more than caves and stones. Even the main structure that is referred to as the Singye Dzong, it is nothing more than a small temple.

Lingzhi Jagö Dzong finds mention in the Namthar (biography) of Phajo Drugom Zhigpo. He was a well-known and highly revered lama of the Drukpa Kagyu lineage who came to Bhutan from Ralung in Tibet. He lived during the period 1208-1276. Thus, it is interesting to note that the Lingzhi Jagö Dzong is over 400 years older than the Lingzhi Yügyal Dzong which was built in 1668.

The catastrophic earthquake of June 12, 1897 which measured 8.7 on the Richter scale damaged Lingzhi Yügyal Dzong, as it did the Dzongs of Punakha, Wangdue, Trongsa, Jakar and the Utse of Tashichho Dzong. It was rebuilt and served as the main defensive fortress to guard the northern borders with Tibet.

Currently, Lingzhi Yügyal Dzong houses about 30 monks headed by a Lam Neten. It is under the administrative control of Thimphu Dzongkhag.

Readers will be happy to know that there is a project that is underway to renovate the old Dzong. I am thrilled about this fact - this is what I have always supported - the renovation and maintenance of the old Dzongs and temples, instead of building new ones. In spite of modern techniques of construction and material, the beauty, the symmetry and the proportions of the old structures are far superior to the new Dzongs and temples being constructed around the country.

UNCOMMON FACT
 

Thimphu Dzongdah informs me that Lingzhi Dzong is battered by strong winds during the winter months. As a result, it is customary for the Dzong’s wooden shingles and stone boulders that weigh them down, to be removed every winter and stacked them up on the ground below. The Dzong is reroofed every summer when the wind is not as strong. If this is not done, he tells me that the whole roof, including the wooden trusses would be lifted off and blown away. This corroborates nicely with my contention (in my earlier posts on the Ngele-La Pass and Lingzhi Dzong) that the stone pebbles on Ngele-La pass and the mountain sides of Lingzhi were deposited there by the strong winds that batter the area.

NOTE ON THE TERM “DRUK DESI”
 

“Druk Desi” was the title given to the secular rulers of ancient Bhutan under the dual system of governance that existed during those days. Under that system, government authority was divided among secular and religious administrations, both of which were unified under a single leader - Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. While the post of the Druk Desi has long been abolished, the ancient practice of the Je Khenpo heading the religious affairs still remain to this day.

Lingzhi Jagö Dzong

My Gross National Happiness

Last Saturday, the 26^th of March, 2011 was one of those rare days when I accepted a dinner invitation at the Bhutan Suites being hosted for a visiting group of tourists from mainland China. I am not much of a party man and I generally try and avoid attending dinners and gatherings because I hate the air of pomp and formality and the need to be prim and proper and knowledgeable and funny and interesting. And, all of that has to be achieved wearing a Gho and shinning, virginal white Lagey and in an atmosphere where each one is trying to outshout the other - in an attempt to be heard and appreciated.

I accepted the dinner invitation because one of the members in the Chinese group was representing the Chinese National Geography that is planning to publish a book on Bhutan in collaboration with Ridge House International Ltd. of Beijing. She wanted to meet me because the publishers are keen to include some of my photographs in the upcoming book that is scheduled for release sometime this year.

The food was good and the wine and the booze flowed uninterrupted. I was particularly impressed with the efficiency of the dinning staff at the Bhutan Suites. They kept a hawk-eyed vigil over the entire guests and ensured that every single food plate and side plate and wine glass and whiskey glass remained filled and overflowing.

It is in the Chinese genes to be loud and boisterous at dinning tables and drinking places. Those of you who have been to eating places in China and Hong Kong would have experienced the cacophony and the high pitched voices and laughter they kick up at every table where they sit and drink. They simply love the fun of laughter and loud talk.

The dinner on Saturday was no different. The Chinese guests simply loved their trip to Bhutan and they were having great fun. The noise and the laughter got even louder than I remember from my past experiences at eateries in Singapore, Hong Kong and China. I was very happy for them but a man can take only so much noise and fume, so I moved out of the dinning hall and into the lounge to escape all the sound of happiness and mirth.

There is where I saw Karma Singye of Peljorekhang and many other khangs, seated on the sofa, quietly nursing a glass of whiskey. My acquaintance with him dates back to the time when I pioneered the computer business in this country. After about 5 years of my playing the field - alone and without competition, Karma Singye stepped in and decided to give me a hard time. But I like the man, he is persistent and focused and likely to succeed in whatever he does. I wished him all the best and got out of the game.

We began to talk of this and of that and I inevitably ended up asking him that one persistent question which I never fail to ask him, every time I bump into him;

“Have you remarried”?

The answer, after close to 20 years of having been divorced from his wife was, still;

“No, I have not yet remarried”.

Wai, wai … God Almighty, will some one out there grab him? He is good looking, eligible, loaded to his eyeballs and solidly dependable. HELP!!!!! This guy is going to waste! :)

Anyway, now coming to the reason for this post, Karma Singye told me something heartwarming that night. He tells me that whenever he chooses to present his suppliers and associates outside the country with a gift, he chooses my book “BHUTAN BIRDS” the cover photo of which I am posting below for those of you who have not yet seen the book.

He tells me something that makes me even more proud. He tells me that three of the recipients of his gifts of the book wrote to him to say that after reading my book, they have decided that they must visit Bhutan at any cost. Karma Singye feels that through that book, I have been able to promote Bhutan as a tourist destination and, thus, rendered a small service to the nation.

Some one also told me that during the PM’s visit to NYC to attend the GA, he also chose to present my book to the heads of states whom he met during the course of his stay there.

Now, for me, this is GNH. I thank my Publishers for their trust in me and the Designer for her superlative work and the Printers for the excellent job they did in the choice of paper and printing work. This strengthens my confidence in myself. I need this from time to time - so does everyone else.

Oriental White-eye

The photograph below is that of an Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus), a small bird no bigger than 10cm. It is seen feeding on the nectar of a Bottle-brush flower. The photo was shot at Mangdechu where I had gone a few days back to see my dad.

Spring is here and the birds and the flowers are going to come alive. In the next few weeks, I will start my quest for birds and flowers. Trek to the Alpine regions will be shelved until end September when I will start the biggest trek of my life - the stupendous Snowman Trek that is likely to take me close to a month to complete.

Originally I had planned that I will start my chase for the birds from Kheng area. But I changed my mind since I have the exciting possibility of photographing a nesting Rufous-necked Hornbill (Aceros nipalensis). They nest during May and a nest has been located in the lower Kheng area. I want to be there! So, I will start with the East first.

This year, I want to try and photograph the elusive Ward’s Trogon (Harpactes wardi) in Namling area in the East. My quest for it last year failed to yield any results. I am going to give it a shot this year too and hopefully, I will be luckier this time.

While in the East, I am also going to chase that most beautiful bird called the Satyr Tragopan (Tragopan satyra). I think it is Bhutan’s most beautiful bird. I do have a pretty good image of the bird, but I believe that one can always aspire for better ones.

One other bird that I want is the shy little bird called Beautiful Nuthatch (Sitta formosa) - one of Bhutan’s rarest and most popular birds. But every time I think of it, I am overwhelmed with despair. The bird lives and feeds so high up in the tree tops, it is very difficult to see them, let alone photograph them.

An Intriguing Old Bhutanese Saying

One evening, during my most recent trek to Masagung and Gungchen Taag areas, I got to hear of an intriguing old Bhutanese saying, an idiom of sorts, which had me thinking for a while. As idioms go, this one wasn’t all that earth shattering in its relevance, nor was I hearing of such an idiom for the first time. But it was something else that held my attention and caused me to brood over it; beyond the wisdom that is inherent in it, there was something far more revealing about it - something that possibly points to its origin.

The saying went thus:

“Ngado Goe Gii Chaag; Kaang Oro Gii Jiip”

Translated into English, the saying would go thus:

“The Raptor cracks open the thigh bone but the Raven gets the marrow”
 

What the saying means is that the raptor goes to all the trouble of cracking open the thigh bone but the low lying Oro gets at the marrow faster than the high flying raptor.

But as I said earlier, for me, beyond the significance of the saying, it was the reference it makes to two high altitude birds that got me thinking. Consider this:

The raptor in question cannot be any old raptor but the famous Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus) - a vulture species with a unique skill. In Bhutan these high altitude birds live above 3,300 Mtrs. I have seen them in Soe-Yaktsa. Now, this is the only raptor that I know of who picks up thigh bones of carcasses, flies high into the sky and then, with unfailing precision, drops it onto a boulder - to crack it open to get at the marrow inside.

The Oro, on the other hand, is the Common Raven (Corvus corax) - Bhutan’s national bird. This bird too is a high altitude bird - living at altitudes beyond 4,000 Mtrs.

Majority of the Bhutanese people live at altitudes lower than 2,800 Mtrs. Thus, it is unlikely that they would ever see these birds in their life time. In fact, most of them would not have even heard of them.

Therefore, I am inclined to believe that the saying was coined by the nomadic Bjops of North-Western Bhutan or, even possibly, the Dakpas of Eastern Bhutan. They are the only people who inhabit the areas where these birds live and breed.

Any views on this?

The Mystery Of The Pebbles Atop The Dreaded Ngele-La Pass

Ngele-La pass is the strangest, almost unreal high mountain pass that I have crossed in all my treks in the alpine regions. It is strange because at an altitude of 4,702 Meters, this pass does not have a spec of snow or a tiny patch of ice or a single blade of grass growing at its top. It does not even have a fistful of earth! At this height and at this time of the year, the pass should be covered in snow. Something was seriously amiss here!

As you can see from the photo below, the top of the pass is draped in a continuous sheath of flat, splintered pebbles as far as the eyes can see. Strangely, there are no boulders or stones or granites anywhere around. So then where did the flat, splintered stone gravels come from?

As I looked on incredulously, my horse contractor informed me that the Ngele-La pass experiences some strangely powerful windy conditions. He said that the ferocity of the wind is so strong that horses are known to have been lifted off their feet and pushed off the pass to be deposited few hundred meters below the pass. He narrated an incident when, at one time, he was returning from Lingzhi on his way to Soe-Yaktsa when he ran into a serious windy condition as he was ascending to the top of the Ngele-La Pass. Half way through to the top, he was felled by the strong gusts of wind that was blowing and he ended up, not once, but thrice at the bottom of the valley. Finally, he clawed his way up to the pass and then attempted to roll down the other side of the pass - only to be pushed right back all the way to the top. He had no other way but to bury his head into his Gho and wait for the wind to subside and then roll down once again.

Is it possible that the winds have lifted the pebbles off the bottom of the valley below and deposited them at the top of the pass? I think this is very likely because, half way down the pass, one can see the same pebbles strewn all over the grassy slopes. This would also explain why there is no snow or ice or grass there - the strong wind must be blowing them off to kingdom come!

I was lucky to have been able to cross the pass - both ways - without being caught in the dreaded windy condition of the Ngele-Las pass.

She Found It Very Funny

As I said in one of my earlier posts, the ponies couldn’t make it across the Bonte-La pass so I ended up at Soe-Yaktsa without my tent. As a result, I had to take shelter in a house belonging to my horse contractor’s sister.

In the morning as we were preparing to depart for Shana, the landlady wanted herself photographed. As I looked at her through the lens and began to compose the shot, the morning sun combined with a shallow DoF made her look really nice against a smooth, beautifully blurred background. I commented that she looked beautiful. She found that remark so incredibly funny that she burst out laughing - and that is when I decided to shoot her. Not too bad for a hasty mug shot :)

 

Random Shots

There are times when I love to shoot not because there is some interesting subject to shoot, but simply because the mood is right. The photo below of an uncle carrying his nephew caught my attention because of the beautiful, rich lighting provided by the setting sun. Under the crystal clear atmosphere of Soe-Yaktsa, the evening sun shone on the boy looked so beautifully rich that I could not resist taking a shot of him.

Laboring Up The Ngele-La Pass

The pack ponies are seen laboring up the dreaded Ngele-La Pass. Take note of the splintered rocks on the ground - remind me to tell you something about them when I have time. This is an amazing pass that every one required to pass it dreads being caught here on a windy day.

The three snow-capped peaks on the back ground are, from right to left, Jichudrake, Tserim-Gung and Jumolhari.

It Is Lonely At The Top

One of my Camera Assistants descending into Jangothang from Ngele-La on the return trip from Lingzhi. The solitary figure of the assistant makes it look even more desolate. The peak on the background is my favorite Mt. Jichudrake.

Buddha Statue At Kuenselphodrang

Today I was supposed to be already in Gasa on my way to Laya and Masagang Basecamp. But Dochu-La pass was closed this morning due to heavy snow yesterday night. So I had to postpone my trip to tomorrow.

The following photo of the Buddha statue at Kuenselphodrang was photographed this morning. The image was shrouded in the early morning mist rising from the valley below - making the image look even more serene and compassionate.

The Magical Lingzhi Dzong

For the past three decades since I first saw a photograph of Bhutan’s remotest Dzong, its mystic and allure remained unabated in my heart. To me, Lingzhi Dzong was something out of a fable - mysterious, unattainable, hidden somewhere in the cradle of the insurmountable mighty Himalayas.

But early this month, I had the opportunity to sift through myth and fantasy and experience the real deal. I finally made it to Lingzhi! In two days, I photographed the Dzong and the surrounding areas like a man possessed. I climbed all the surrounding ridges so that I can photograph the Dzong from all sides and angles. Like I said to my camera assistant while returning from an early jaunt, if the Dzong were wearing a panty, I have photographed it with its panty down.

Built on a hillock that rises steeply out of the centre of the narrow valley, the Dzong is flanked on two sides by the villages of Zombuthang and Misayue. To the North-West of the Dzong rises the twin peaks of Jichu Drake and Tserim Gung. Viewed from Lingzhi, it is as if Jichu Drake had morphed into something else - it looses its conical shape and assumes a form that looks more like Mount Fujiyama of Japan.

The Dzong’s design is unique in that it does not look anything like other Dzongs around the country. It is obvious that the Dzong is constantly battered by strong winds - the Dzong’s torn and tattered roof bear testimony to it. A substantial number of the roof’s wooden shingles at the fringes seems to have gone missing, making the Dzong’s roof look ragged and unkept. But the Dzong still looks majestic and imposing against the backdrop of the alpine barrenness that surrounds it. Framed against the distant snow-capped mountains and the cascading Himalayan ranges that envelope it, the image is breath-taking and makes for a captivating photographic subject of mythical proportions.

Lingzhi is beyond Shangri-La - it is pure heaven. Those who seek to experience pure wilderness in its wildest form should visit Lingzhi. No other place in Bhutan can match it. The experience starts from the time you enter Jangothang (Jumolhari Base camp) and traverse the terrifying Ngele-La Pass. The beautiful Jichu Drake looms large on your left and keeps you company all the way to Lingzhi. The vast, treeless alpine meadows are crisscrossed with rivers of ice that sparkle and shine in the morning sun. As you climb higher, curiously gazing groups of Blue Sheep that number close to a hundred graze on the mountain sides.

No where else was I so completely boxed in by plunging precipices and enormous mountains that looked like they were going to crush me to death any minute - and yet, gave me a feeling of space, freedom and a sense of goodliness and contentment - as did the isolated but magical valley of Lingzhi.

For those of you who may never make it to Lingzhi in this life time, I post the following two photos so that you too may feel the magic. Over time, if I have the time, I will try and post some more - but I leave for Laya on the 17^th so it is unlikely.

If ever someone should ask me if there is something that I want to do before I die, my answer would be: I want to go back to Lingzhi once again.

The Dreaded Bonte-La Ice Patch

My last attempt during end of December, 2010 to cross over into the desolate but beautiful valleys of Lingzhi and Soe-Yaktsa was thwarted by the dreaded ice patches on the trails leading up to the Bonte-La (4,900 Meters) and Ngele-La (4,704 Meters) passes. The passes were then closed to both ponies as well as humans. So I had to abandon my trip to Lingzhi and Soe-Yaktsa.

I came back from the trip defeated but more determined to make another attempt at it. I simply could not pass up the photo opportunities presented by the sparkling weather conditions of the winter months. But first, I had to be better prepared to take on the ice that was causing all the trouble. The problem was not, unlike in earlier years, snow on the passes - but ice on the roads. The paths were caked with mounds of ice that caused humans and ponies to slip and fall. A peculiar condition this year was that while there was very less snow than usual, the temperatures were lot colder thereby causing frigid conditions.

In preparation of my second attempt, I bought 2 hand axes from Sherub Enterprises at Changlam Plaza and began to build a sturdy handle each for them. These axes will come handy in breaking the ice on the road so that the ponies can safely tread over the roughened ice. I then ordered 4 pairs of ice cleats and a crampon for myself and my assistants. These will help me and my assistants tread over the ice safely and without slipping - hopefully!

My second attempt started on the 30^th January, 2011. This time, I and my team managed to cross over into the beautiful valley of Lingzhi. We had to break ice at about 5 places - but the ponies could pass over the Ngele-La safely and we were into Lingzhi and from there on to Chebesa village - a day’s journey further away. It was a worthwhile effort and in due course I will post some photos of the Lingzhi Dzong and the valleys surrounding it.

The Ngele-La pass has got to be Bhutan’s most unique pass. At 4,704 Meters (15,433 feet), this pass has neither a speck of snow or ice on it nor a blade of grass growing on it - a condition I found to be truly amazing! Much later I understood why - perhaps I will come around to telling you why - if I get the time.

Upon return from Lingzhi, I and two of my assistants managed to cross the Bonte-La pass (4,900 Meters). This time sadly, the ponies still couldn’t make it over the pass because the ice patches on the road leading upto Bonte-La was too thick and heavy. One has to see the ice fields to believe it! While we crossed over into Soe-Yaktsa, our ponies and the pony man took the direct road to Thangthangka. We rendezvoused the following day at a place called Tongsathangkha - just above Shana.

The photo below was shot at the base of Bonte-La pass on our way to Soe-Yaktsa. As you can see, the entire area is covered in a thick layer of ice. In the photo, you will see my assistants posing for me - on the ground is my camera tripod. The inset photo shows the ice cleats worn over the boot by one of my assistants. The peak in the background is the beautiful Jichu Drake.

The ice cleats worked like a charm! We could walk over the hardened ice without a problem. Talking of which I need to go and wash and clean the steel studs of the cleats. I will provably need to use them during my up-coming trip to Laya in about a week’s time.

ENJOY!

The Face Of A Young Weaver From The East

The girl below was 16 years old when I photographed her on 27^th February, 2009 at Trashi Yangtse. She told me she was a weaver at Trashigang. I love her face - she exudes confidence and easy grace.

But every time I look at her face, I get this nagging feeling that she is of mixed parentage. Take a look at those hypnotic eyes. Do they belong to a pure breed Sharchop? I don’t think so.

Frozen Boots and Ema Datsi

After reading my comments on the frozen water bottle and stiff trekking boots, a friend from the US writes as follows:

Dear Yeshey,

"........Second other thing... I just read your blog posts about the Druk Path trek. Man, see why I worry about you? :( The photos are lovely but your health is more important. I have done many weeks of canoeing and trekking in temps and storm conditions like those. The boot issue is important. I tried once to thaw mine out by putting them near the fire, and they burned and became hard as rocks. Finally I just began sleeping with them in the bottom of my sleeping bag on the worst nights, along with my socks for morning and underwear all tucked into the bottom of the bag so it wasn't damp or cold when I needed to put them on. That takes out too much of your body heat just to warm the base layers. The other thing that helps is to warm rocks on the fire, and warm it long enough that it is warm all the way through, not just the surface, and put a rock into each boot. Or a piece of soapstone or whatever you want. I had two bricks of soapstone that were my favorite for that. They radiate out heat for a long time, good for drying out boots or for keeping them from freezing through the night. Good for mittens and other things too.

Are you wearing a good warm wool hat to bed? That's crucial. And keeping your neck and the small of your back and your belly warm are super important. You're going to love the Ugg boots. Wish I could send you Ugg overalls hahaha ... Seriously, stay warm, drink lots of warm/hot liquids up there, lots of fat in your diet while you trek. It's cold and you can't generate enough heat yourself to warm your body; you need to rely on a lot of warm drinks and hot soups and fat in the food to keep your metabolism going. Spicy chillies make you sweat and take the heat to the outside of you instead of to the inside, so they aren't the best choice; they're warm initially but ultimately will cool you off. Just lots and lots of hot liquids and substantial foods, soups with meat, warm curries. I remember how fast the food turns cold on those treks...eat fast!!

Last but not least, go get the cordyceps and begin taking that now. It would be good for you to take right through until spring/summer warms you up. Take it for a week before you start your next trek and keep taking it as you go. Don't overdose yourself though. Take enough that your breathing improves and you feel like you had a nice cup of tea, but not so much that you are jittery or feel hyper or like you could leap over the mountains instead of just walk more easily. A little is good and a lot is harmful. A little more while you are trekking, less while you are in Thimphu. My sister-in-law loved it! She ran like a deer even while sick".

NOTE: The reference to chillies is because the friend knows of our penchant for ema datsi! Apparently, Menjong Sorig Pharmaceuticals (Indigenous Hospital in Kawajangtsa) manufactures some pills prepared out of Cordyceps sinensis called CordyPLUS and CordyACTIVE. The friend swears that they are magic for energy and stamina. I am doing pretty OK without them - so I am not sure that I will try them out - not just as yet anyway.

My Latest Trek

My most recent trek was an extended version of what is popularly known as the “Druk Path I” among the tourism circle. The trek started from Motithang over the Dupchu-La Pass above Phajoding at 4,083 Mtrs. I followed the route: Motithang-Phajoding-Simkota-Jangchulakha-Langripang-Jele Dzong-Boemri-Dongkala-Drakarpo-Shaba. The trek was covered in 6 days with a halt at Langripang which was needed to visit Jemilang-Tso. I had to camp and halt at Langripang because at this time of the year, Jemilang-Tso was out of bounds for ponies - due to ice. It is a 2 hours trek uphill to the lake.

The highest altitude on the entire route was recorded at Lava-La: 4,296 Mtrs. But the most treacherous route was the descend from Simkota to Jagne-Tso where the path was covered in ice.

One of the things I learnt on this trek is that if you expect to be treading in snow and ice all day long, you need to carry along 2 pairs of trekking boots. Even if the boot is waterproof, the leather uppers outside gets wet during the day which in turn turns into ice during the night. Try pulling on a boot that has turned as hard and as cold as the blacksmith’s anvil! The stiffness of the boot not only hurts your feet, it also freezes your feet thereby making walking a near impossiblility the next day - unless you wait for the sun to thaw the boots. That will loose you precious hours and, as a photographer who is perpetually chasing the first rays of the sun at wee hours of the morning, that is a NO NO NO!

The other thing I learned is that if you have the habit of waking up in the middle of the night to drink water, you had better learn to take the water bottle to bed with you! The night temperature freezes the water bottle into a chunk of ice and you will not be able to squeeze a drop of water out of the frozen bottle. In fact the standard instruction I give my camp assistants is that they bring two large pots of water to a boil and leave them on the gas stove before they go to bed. This way, we have two pots full of water in the morning - to make tea and cook breakfast. The water stored in the jerrican would have been frozen stiff.

I am glad that I have discovered the joy and beauty of trekking in the winter months. I have never before seen the alpine region with such clarity and starkness. As I climb higher and higher into the alpine regions, the frozen lakes and dripping icicles and the mighty mountains paint such a breathtaking picture that I wonder if the smog laden, mobile-crazed Thimphu is the right place to be in.

Some pictures below will show you what you are missing.

Jambeyang Lhakhang in the morning sun:

Prayer Flags at the Dupchu-La, Phajoding:

Sunrise at Phajoding:

View of Thimphu City as seen in morning from Phajoding:

Happy New Year

Here is wishing all the visitors to my Blog:

 

A VERY HAPPY AND PRODUCTIVE NEW YEAR!

Below is a photo of Mt. Jichu Drake (6,900 Mtrs.). In front is one of the twin lakes called “Tsophu” which, as you see, has been frozen over. These lakes are located about one hour’s trek from Jumolhari base camp en-route to Bonte-La Pass (4,980 Mtrs.) which you need to cross to reach the beautiful village of Soe-Yaktsa.

I took the photo on the 24^th December, 2010. Most people who knew I was headed for this trek to Lingzhi and Soe-Yaktsa agreed that I was totally mad to undertake this trek at this time of the year. But I suspected that if I were to get great, clear photos of the high mountain peaks, winter was the time to get them. And I was right! The weather was stunning and the peaks stood out against the clear blue skies like I have never seen before. This is my third trip to the base camp.

Sadly, I couldn’t make it to Lingzhi and Soe-Yaktsa. The passes were covered with ice and the ponies couldn’t tread over them. Even for humans, it was perilous to attempt to walk over the iced path - one could slip and drop off into the wilderness. But I am going back again - in February. By then I hope to be prepared to tackle the ice - with axes and cleats and crampons!

One word of caution: if you are going to Jumolhari during winter, make sure you take sun shades - the atmosphere is so pristine that the lighting is sparkling and so crystal clear that your eyes hurt. Also, make sure that you take lots of warm clothing - it is so cold that at one point icicles had formed on my hair which had become wet from sweating - while trudging up the ridges to get closer to the peaks.

Vice Ministers

I am a regular reader of His Excellency the Opposition Leader’s Blog (http://www.tsheringtobgay.com/government/2010/vice-ministers.html). The last post there deals with the proposed renaming of the Government Secretaries as “Vice Ministers”.

The Opposition Leader wonders why? I too wondered: why indeed?

On the face of it, the proposal seems totally meaningless. I mean like the Opposition Leader says, who do we need to impress? Simply none! And what do we get by impressing others? Simply nothing! So then, unless our elected leaders have nothing better to do than engage in affairs designed solely to impress others, there must be some purpose to this supposedly meaningless exercise. I began to think about the matter.

To begin with I was intrigued by the choice of the nomenclature “Vice Minister”. Why Vice Minister? Why not Deputy Minister? Deputy Minister is so much easier to pronounce than Vice Minister. I began to wonder: is there a reason why “Vice Minister” is preferred over “Deputy Minister”? I also wondered: how can a Vice Minister serve a function or a purpose that a Deputy Minister or a Secretary cannot? That is when I began to see the light of day.

The Constitution’s Article 20.2 does not allow the Executive to create more Ministries solely for the purpose of appointing Ministers. And it would be quiet ridiculous to appoint Ministers without a Ministry. However, Bhutan has a peculiar problem where we do not need more Ministries but need more Ministers. And why do we need more Ministers?

Because, our Ministers spend too much valuable time attending international conferences rather than doing meaningful work at home. By re-naming the Government Secretaries as Vice Ministers, most of the international Ministerial level conferences can be attended by the Vice Ministers; without breaking protocol. This lightens the burden on the Ministers. In addition, with more time in hand, the Ministers can visit their constituencies more often than they have been doing. This way, there is no fear of some upstart eating into their support base :)

I think this is a great idea. As to the legal basis of the Executive, it is simple enough. Like one great personality in Bhutan said (during a high level meeting in 1979); “If a National Assembly resolution is no longer valid in the present times, we should have no hesitation in disregarding the resolution on grounds of irrationality and introduce a new one that is more meaningful”.

But ofcourse, our life is now complicated by the need to adhere to the principals of democracy and the 20 additional mouths each and every Bhutanese seem to have acquired, under the aegis of the democratic rights of freedom of speech.