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| On the way to Autsho at the Chezom Checkpoint |
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| Autsho MSS, a beautiful Boarding School in Eastern Bhutan |
My first trip out of Kanglung on my own and to see one of the best
BCFers and a great friend Reidi Smith (read her blog
it's really interesting). Yes, I know it may sound simple, but in a
place where "hitchhiking" is accepted and sometimes not a single
vehicle will go through the villages it is more than a challenge to get around
in the remote Eastern area of Bhutan.
I had few "surprise" days of
leave and I decided that I needed to get out and see what Bhutan had to offer.
I left on early Friday morning and there I was standing in the Lower Market of
Kanglung at 6AM, with a backpack full of clothes, sunglasses, my mobile, and a
camera. At the time I didn't have any money because my salary had not been
deposited into my bank account. I was hoping someone would so graciously give
me a "lift" to Trashigang (which is a 45 minute drive down the
mountain) for free and I could check my account at the ATM when I arrived.
Luckily, a friend of mine here, Tshering Ngedup arranged a ride for me and even
treated me to breakfast, arranged another Taxi to Mongar, and helped to print
off my road permit. I need a road permit to go anywhere in this country. There
are checkpoints that check all visitors must go through and without that I cannot cross
"borders" out of my village. He arranged a ride with his friend Karma
and by 9AM I was on my way to Mongar with a Taxi driver that spoke NO ENGLISH
and his friend Karma who helped me to translate. Mongar, is another largely populated
village about 3 Hrs. away from me. This ride is not so pleasant and with my
other experiences on this road I thought I'd better just sleep. The roads are
more than narrow,bumpy, and some even unfinished. I slept about 2 hours of the
ride until my taki driver decided to pick up another couple and I had to move
from my comfortable sleeping position into "faced-Pressed" window
position. I finally arrived in Mongar, not knowing how or when I was going to
"catch" my next taxi ride to Autsho, which is about an hour or more
out of Mongar. I was treated to lunch again by Karma and this time I wasn't so
pleased. I have to be honest and trying to say," I enjoy chili's
at every single meal I take", would be the biggest lie from any BCFer.
Anyways, it was a lunch meal engulfed with chili's and I felt bad they had purchased it for me, so I took the
whole meal. Inhaling the heat of the heat of the chilli's like I was
hyper-ventilating the entire time. Embarrassing. These people take chili's
like I take water. Yes, and after the road trip my stomach really thanked me
later. So, I hitched a ride with this young cab driver named Chunggs. He was
polite, spoke some English, and after passing a beautiful forest, many randomly
placed Marijuana fields,and picking up more teenage "hitch-hikers", I
had finally arrived in Autsho.
This is a very remote place
compared to my location. There is about 6 shops (majority owned by the parents
of students at Autshoo MSS), never vehicles, and it's a boarding school. This
means that almost all the students have been away at school , away from their
families, and trying to live life on their own as early as age 7!!! I could
tell I was the right place when I saw this 6'0", white woman walking
across the street. I screamed with excitement to the driver,"There she
is!" I had previously told the Taxi driver all about whom I was going to
go visit and if you know me I CAN and WILL talk to almost anyone. She greeted
me with a hug and a big smile and YES... that girl can smile and it will
light a room and make me laugh a little. She was shopping and purchasing things
for my arrival. Now, when I say she "greeted", I mean that she is on
top of this huge hill and she lives in the matrons quarters. The town is all
down below her school, so if this girl needs anything she has to take a
"small" walk up and down this hill. To answer your question...yes, I
was winded when I reached to her small, what I would call hostel.
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| Autsho MSS with Madam Secretary |
I was greeted with many
stares and smiles. I am very used to being "on display" by now so I
greeted them all back with a "Kuzzoo Zam po" which is the typical
greeting used here. Being in her small, but comfortable room I realized that I
am one lucky girl to have a 3 bedroom apartment. That weekend that I spent with
Reidi Smith was one of the most eye-opening experiences I have had here. What I
mean by that is that not everyone is meant for this Teach abroad thing,
Boarding Schools are more than just educating, being happy and enjoying life no
matter where you are, and that the people that My first trip out of Kanglung on my own and to see one of the best
BCFers and a great friend Reidi Smith (read her blog
it's really interesting). Yes, I know it may sound simple, but in a
place where "hitchhiking" is accepted and sometimes not a single
vehicle will go through the villages it is more than a challenge to get around
in the remote Eastern area of Bhutan.
This is a very remote place
compared to my location. There is about 6 shops (majority owned by the parents
of students at Autshoo MSS), never vehicles, and it's a boarding school. This
means that almost all the students have been away at school , away from their
families, and trying to live life on their own as early as age 7!!! I could
tell I was in the right place when I saw this 6'0", white woman walking
across the street. I screamed with excitement to the driver," There she
is!" I had previously told the Taxi driver all about whom I was going to
go visit and if you know me I CAN and WILL talk to almost anyone. She greeted
me with a hug and a big smile and YES that girl can smile and it will
light a room and make me laugh a little. She was shopping and purchasing things
for my arrival. Now, when I say she "greeted", I mean that she is on
top of this huge hill and she lives in the matrons quarters. The town is all
down below her school, so if this girl needs anything she has to take a
"small" walk up and down this hill. To answer your question...yes, I
was winded when I reached to her small, what I would call hostel.
I was greeted with many
stares and smiles. I am very used to being "on display" by now so I
greeted them all back with a "Kuzzoo Zam po" which is the typical
greeting used here. Being in her small, but comfortable room I realized that I
am one lucky girl to have a 3 bedroom apartment. That weekend that I spent with
Reidi Smith was one of the most eye-opening experiences I have had here. What I
mean by that is that not everyone is meant for this teach abroad thing,
Boarding Schools are more than just educating, being happy and enjoying life no
matter where you are, and that the people surrounding and supporting you
are the most important things a person could ask for. That weekend Reidi and I shared advice,
resources, music, made some unforgettable memories, cut some hair, and had
lunch with Madam Secretary Aum Sangay Zam!! In one 3 day weekend we
accomplished so much and both us departed with laughter and smiles instead of
tears and feelings of loneliness.
Thank goodness on
my way I had set up driver to get out of Autsho. My driver Chunngs came and
picked me up and he was 1 hour EARLY! In Bhutan people always say,” We are
running on Bhutan Time.” This means rarely will people ever show up on time and
even though I usually run on “CP” time I was pleasantly surprised to see my
driver ready to take me to Mongar again in “early fashion.” I was so happy and
I was thinking goodness I have set up a solid plan to get me back to Kanglung
early and I will be able to make it to school the next day …well rested. As I
said before, “Bhutan time,” I was unable to connect with my ride from Mongar to
Kanglung until 4:30 PM and I had to talk this driver into taking me all the way
to Kanglung instead of just Trashigang. All it took was only 300 more Nu. to get me
all the way back home (Kanglung) at 11PM . I was so happy when I returned and I
hoped Reidi felt the same. What a great trip with an amazing girl and I believe
we both helped each other to adjust more in Bhutan in just a few short days.
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| arrival... |
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| Morning prayer at Autsho MSS |
