We are off today to Khaling to visit the National Hand Loom Weaving Centre. This operated by the National Women’s Association of Bhutan. (The weaving at this centre is from the village of Dawazor, Khaling.)
The road is amazingly good – for the most part 2 lane, paved, and good shoulders.
We stop in the university town of Kanglung and a quick visit with Jamyang’s little sister. A stop in a little village where I try to buy another journal – but the notebooks are for children at school and the paper very thin. I try for a toilet but the floor & toilet so amazingly slippery I am sure I’ll fall and badly. (This is a squat toilet hence the worry about falling. Also it is most unusual to have this problem in Bhutan. The toilets, even squat, are good and at worse reasonable.) A second is fine, but I am not feeling great – so hope I will be OK.
We arrive at the weaving centre. I am somewhat disappointed as there are no natural dyed pieces. However, there is work I like. I now see why Khoma has the reputation it does! Perhaps I should have bought more there. But the pieces here are more suitable to what I would like to take home in terms of usability. I am also able (I think) to see which pieces are better in terms of skill and fine detail. I do buy a small scarf, 1 shawl (quite plain but I really like the colour) 1 cotton table runner, and 2 silk on cotton runners.
While here my bowels decide to act up! (OK I could edit this for the blog but I have promised myself to avoid edits!) Fortunately a western toilet which I make for each emergency. I think I may have over done my liquids and yoga this morning and overdone getting things moving. My yoga this morning with a lovely view – tea, tea, tea – after a long, good rest, and the usual curving road, have led to this. By the time we leave the weaving centre I feel good, and am relieved that it is not food poisoning or traveler’s diarrhea. Jamyang & Kinzang make me a bottle of re-hydration water – sugar, salt, water. and insist I drink this along with regular water. Smart move guys – Thank-you!!
I feel quite good again – which is wonderful as the day started so very well, and I felt my good self. I think Sangay was correct to say I needed a good rest and that I may well have had symptoms of altitude sickness (mild) in Merak.
BTW – in the morning a a lovely yoga session – all windows open with a breeze and a great view. There may not be bugs with no screens, but a small bird did get into the room this morning – but got out quite quickly.
Leaving the weaving centre we stop at the monastery & temple. Picnic first. I am hungry and feel good to eat. Yeah! Red rice, 3 veg, and beef. Beef good especially the braising veg. Apparently picnics from the hotel beat their restaurant by far. The hotel food has been pretty boring thus far (not bad). After we finish we make 3 plates of left overs for the 3 dogs – 2 sound asleep and 1 pacing, hoping for food. The small dogs tuck in immediately. One other also eats though doesn’t rush. This third does not really seem to eat much and leaves it. When we return later it is gone. We had a debate earlier if the dogs would eat chili cheese (that’s very, very spicing chilies). Jamyang and Kinzang say yes for sure. But I check – and the food not originally eaten was the only plate with chili cheese!!
The temple is quite nice – steep steps though like at the 2 outside the Buddha statue. 3 times we walk around – I like this. There is a monk to open the doors and guide us through the temple. The images seem to be the ‘translators’. The young monks are playing football near the car area. I’m not sure I really understand this monk vocation.
We stop to have tea with Jamyang’s sister. She is shy to speak English – but once she gets in a groove her English is very good. Lots of talk about her university courses and Canadian courses. Jamyang needs to get her out and about in Thimphu as she has no skills it seems in navigating town / city things, even using a taxi. Never mind other things like a club or social things.
Saw lemurs today. A troop climbing and swinging through the trees so easily. Long, long tails I believe for balance.
A glimpse of the runway at the airport that we will leave from to go to Paro in a few days! It’s really hard to explain – the top of a mountain that was quite flat, flattened more, and a runway! Small wonder they only take off or land with perfect visibility! Oh my. Maybe it would have been better not to have seen it before take off!
I have a beer in my room & catch up on my journal. Dinner. There is a group of tourists – turns out from the UK, but originally I think Moldova. There are 3 – father, friend & son. Son about 11. Father has been to Bhutan before, this is his third trip. A bit of talk about the road to Jakar, the plane trip, the new tariff. They are going to Merak and I tell them to watch for the scarecrows.
A good day – even the bowel problems. After all there was a western toilet!