I have now been in Bhutan for almost 2 months.
There has been a lot of settling in time, trying to make sure that I am ready to work. But then when i finally sat down to work, I realized I knew nothing of this place, nothing of the culture beyond stories, nothing about the environment beyond the laws, nothing about the scenery beyond thimphu and a few select cities.
So after I completed a draft of a proposal for requesting funding from international sources for help with waste management, I was fed up with staring at a computer screen reading about Bhutan. Sure, I've learned more about the waste problems of Bhutan, particularly that non-biodegradable waste is a new phenomenon, and as such people tend to litter thinking that it will magically disappear like an apple core. But I realized that while I may know the reason, I had hardly experienced it.
I first went out to Punakha, a bit of a spur of the moment trip incited by a friend, Dave, who was going to check out the hospital there and was able to supply me with a spare bed. We did a bit of sightseeing, but as I had not planned to stay the night, I was forced to borrow some clothes, felt a bit weird going into the Dzong (fortress now a religious ground) in scrubs, but my work permit got me into the area. No problem. Also put on a rain jacket (from dave too) to at least cover my arms while in the Dzong.
Great trip and came back over a 30 km climb that went up over 6k feet. Stopped for roadside roasted corn along the way (not great but tasted good on my way up), and stopped for a lunch of fiery hot ema datse (Chilis and cheese). Tasted good as the air was getting colder as I was nearing the top. Saw a Grey Langur as I got near the top of the pass, tried to point it out to the bus that was passing me but I don't think they understood my gestures. Or they just see them all the time and it isn't a big deal.
So I set out after expressing my unhappiness sitting at a desk, with the help of the NEC and the most gracious people along the way. I rode my bike to Haa, the furthest west district of Bhutan that shares a border with India and Tibet (China). After 6 hours of looking down a 1000 meter drop on the side of the road, I arrived in haa and was greeted by the district environmental officer (DEO). He showed me to my accommodation set up by the NEC, turns out it was the same place that the king stays in when he visits Haa, so being treated well.
I arrived just before sundown, and we went to a restaurant that the DEO, Sangay, prefers. I ended up eating here for every meal, but it was a down home place, with just me and Sangay most of the time, lunch was accompanied by the forest rangers of Haa. Sangay took time out from work on friday to drive me around the valley and tell me about the strengths and the weaknesses of the valley from an environmental standpoint. There were requests to build quarries in the area but the village and Sangay rejected it as it would have negatively impacted the scenery that is beloved by the people. The people care for the environment here through spirituality, many of the mountains, trees, and every other inanimate object contains spirits inside, so cut down a tree that has a spirit inside of it and you will get "sick" because you angered the spirit. This has done wonders throughout the country but haa in particular in preserving the ecosystem. But haa is not all sunshine and roses, (or mountains filled with spirits). The Haa valley contains more than 20 sawmills, most of the logging is done and sanctioned by the NEC, but an increasing amount of product is coming from illegal sources done at night. It is the responsibility of the forest rangers to make sure that this practice does not continue, but either through people watching the office of the forest rangers or from corruption, the loggers maintain the upper hand against the forest rangers and the logging continues.
They valley of Haa also is the location of ongoing border disputes with the Chinese. You can see china from the village of Haa, but it is hard to tell where Bhutan stops and China begins, especially since China keeps claiming more land belongs to them. Every year China lays ridiculous claims to land within Bhutan and discussions happen to try to settle the disputes. There are occasional treaties signed but the land disputes never seem to be settled. The geographic border is at the top of the Himalayas, but Bhutan used to extend past this area. Land disputes are well and alive.
I rode over the top of Chele La pass, the highest DANTAK paved road. Dantak is an indian border road organization that procures contracts from the Bhutanese to build roads. The sign claims 3988 Meters above sea level, but this is most likely wrong and closer to 3800 meters. The sky was clear and I could see down into the Haa valley, a place mostly dominated still by the traditional mud houses that are plastered and painted over. Little did I know that all the "traditional house museums", are just village houses still in use. Paro is much newer and is being driven by the tourism coming in from the only international airport in the country, the difference is very noticeable.
As I got down into Paro, I met a man who served under the secretary of the NEC when Dasho (The secretary) was governor of one of the eastern villages. The man in Paro is now head of the county and arranged accommodations that were much too nice since all the hotels were booked. I ended up staying in the officers quarters for the DANTAK road corporation. This meant that I was given Indian meals cooked specifically for me, and I was watched the entire time I ate, it was a bit un-nerving.
While in Paro, it was obvious to see that amount of waste that was lying on the ground at the Sunday market. There were garbage bins out, but they just weren't being used. But while I caught a taxi back to the Dantak compound, I watched as the driver just through a plastic bottle into the grass like it was normal. There is some work to be done to change the ways the locals view the environment. Our conversation turned to his life, he dropped out of school in 6th grade because one of his parents died, joined the military, was picked up by the Royal Body Guards (RBG) and did remedial school during and after his service. He is now going to the Paro college and drives taxis part time to support his 6 children. Good man, he just litters.
I will now be headed off to eastern Bhutan for about a week and a half to do my first real compliance monitoring trip with one of my co-workers, which I am incredibly excited about since I will no longer be sitting behind a computer in this far away place, but I will be learning about the issues first-hand with friends. Able to ask questions to be answered by people who have studied and developed a sense of place of the environment of Bhutan.
I'll be willing to sit behind a computer to help further the goals of the NEC, but I believe that it will have much more impact if I am able to at least develop a beginning of a my role in the NEC and in the puzzle of introducing private industries into the economy of Bhutan. I believe that a cost of business of operating in this country is to be environmentally responsible, we'll see how that theory develops and hopefully I don't see bureaucracy eat up this idealization.
I finally have also started to read books about Bhutan, took me long enough, but if I really want to take a crash course in sense of place, I have to look at every avenue provided to allow me to get the most out of the times that I do get to travel.
