Ganzu Choeten, Friday, October 21, 2016

Our first stop in Thimphu, Bhutan, was the Ganzu Choeten, or National Memorial Stupa, built in 1974 in memory of the third king of Bhutan, who had died in 1972. We listened to live chants over the loud speaker system, calling for world peace. People walked clockwise around the choeten, accumulating religious merit for each time around. After we walked around one time, Sonam told us that we could enter the temple inside the choeten, as long as we removed our hats and shoes, so we did. No photography is allowed inside the temple, where people were worshiping an image of an enthroned Buddha.

Outside again, an Indian couple from Dallas, TX, offered to take our picture in front of a golden temple attendant. In turn, we took their pictures by using their iPad. Abby and Darlene sat in front of giant prayer wheels next to some Bhutanese women, and Raaz took their picture.

We then drove to a school where students are taught traditional crafts such a woodworking, embroidery, sculpture, silver smithing, and painting. We were encouraged to interact with the students, all of whom could speak English. In practice, some of them are more eager to speak English than others. Abby bought a necklace for herself in the gift shop.

We then drove to the national textile museum, where there was a temporary exhibit about Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, 1594-1651, who unified Bhutan in 1616. He had fled Tibet for religious reasons, and then battled the Bhutanese warlords to establish a unified nation for the first time. After he died in 1651, his death was not revealed to the public for another 50 years. Each region of Bhutan has its own distinctive style of textiles. Various brooches and pins are used hold the draped textiles around the body. In modern times, Velcro seems to be the preferred method of holding traditional clothing in place. No photographs were allowed inside the museum.

We then drove to the General Post Office, where we could have actual postage stamps made with our photographs on them. I bought a couple of post cards and sent them to Mom and Dad, and Tom, with my personal postage stamp on it.

Len and I went for a walk along the main drag in Thimphu. A traffic cop stood in a gazebo in the middle of the main intersection. Thimphu is the only national capital that does not have a traffic light; it has this traffic cop instead. He directed traffic with stylized moves of his white-gloved hands. We dined at the hotel on rice, stir-fried chicken, and vegetables.