December 16, 2005 - When in Rome Part 1
Passang was right. Ara does cure many ailments. My nausea persisted into the first day of the festival. I was feeling a bit weak but excited to be there. The energy surrounding us was contagious and many times I forgot that I was feeling icky. The 2 hour drive up the “unimproved” road faded into distant memory as we watched the people of the Tang Valley enjoy the Chojam Rabney Festival. For three hundred years, this festival has been celebrated annually and much of it hasn’t changed.
We spent the day observing and interacting on a casual level with many of the Drukpas (Bhutanese People). Bhutan is still rarely visited by tourists and being a remote village, the people at this festival rarely have “visitors”. Yet, they were friendly and generous. One gentleman invited us to sit and drink Ara with his family. I was first hesitant for fear of falling deeper into my pit of nausea. But, I feared offending our host even more. As I drank, his wife continued to pour. I quickly learned that it is tradition to fill a glass as quickly as your guest can drink. After several glasses, we bid our kind hosts goodnight and started on our 30 minute hike up to our accommodations for the evening.
I never thought I would get a chance to stay in a castle. The Ugyenchholing Palace was built in the 16th century and truly was a palace. Parts of it have been preserved and restored. A small corner has been converted into a guesthouse with six unique rooms. My chamber was named the “room between rooms” because it was precisely that. The palace now has only a small supply of electricity provided by a few solar panels. A few fluorescent lights are all that can be powered. Some of the rooms are heated with wood-burning stoves. There are no telephones. From what I understand, reservations for the guesthouse much be phoned into town and the information must be carried up to the hosts the next time someone visits the valley. Yet, the hosts provided us with wonderful hospitality and a delicious meal. I was able to enjoy it a bit more because, just as Passang had promised me, the Ara had made my stomach feel much better.
We spent the day observing and interacting on a casual level with many of the Drukpas (Bhutanese People). Bhutan is still rarely visited by tourists and being a remote village, the people at this festival rarely have “visitors”. Yet, they were friendly and generous. One gentleman invited us to sit and drink Ara with his family. I was first hesitant for fear of falling deeper into my pit of nausea. But, I feared offending our host even more. As I drank, his wife continued to pour. I quickly learned that it is tradition to fill a glass as quickly as your guest can drink. After several glasses, we bid our kind hosts goodnight and started on our 30 minute hike up to our accommodations for the evening.
I never thought I would get a chance to stay in a castle. The Ugyenchholing Palace was built in the 16th century and truly was a palace. Parts of it have been preserved and restored. A small corner has been converted into a guesthouse with six unique rooms. My chamber was named the “room between rooms” because it was precisely that. The palace now has only a small supply of electricity provided by a few solar panels. A few fluorescent lights are all that can be powered. Some of the rooms are heated with wood-burning stoves. There are no telephones. From what I understand, reservations for the guesthouse much be phoned into town and the information must be carried up to the hosts the next time someone visits the valley. Yet, the hosts provided us with wonderful hospitality and a delicious meal. I was able to enjoy it a bit more because, just as Passang had promised me, the Ara had made my stomach feel much better.
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