Tag Archives: Adventure

A Very Bhutanese Birthday

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Bhutan Blog 4: Kyle celebrates his 28th Birthday…

On 19 June, this weary traveller turned 28 years old. Considering I was already in Bhutan, nothing more really needed to happen to ensure it was a truly brilliant day. Amazingly, lots more magic did take place!

In Bhutan, we learned, birthdays aren’t really that big of a deal. In fact, they are rarely, if ever, celebrated. After learning this I thought back on so many discussions I had had with people we met where no one really seemed to know their age. For example, one man was convinced he was 37 years old but had a nine-year-old child that was born when he was 24. Even after having a serious conversation about math he remained unconvinced that there was anything wrong with his argument.

“Besides, who really cares? You are born, you live a happy life for a long time, then you die and are reborn. It is the wheel of life and age is just a number for this present life so it’s not even accurate,”

he explained. I mean, touché. He was completely correct.

That said, I am still of lover of celebration and thankfully, so are Indigo and Justine. We had spent the previous night in a farmhouse sleeping just above the cows. This wasn’t your “I’m a tourist getting a farm experience” situation. This type of tourism is extremely new and we were only the fifth guests they had ever hosted. All sleeping in one big room, eating whatever they were currently growing (lots and lots of potatoes), and watching the three-year-old from Australia learn to find amusement in a hose, a bucket, and a plank of wood from a Bhutanese 5-year-old. It was just one more tick on the “adventure” checklist.

Indigo woke me up with a birthday dance on my belly and a handful of presents and cards. “Open this one,” she said as she handed me one of the gifts. “It’s a shirt with green stripes and aliens on it,” she told me before I even tore into the paper. “Sorry, I am just soooo excited,” she said. Adorable.

From there it was time to milk the cows and literally churn butter then make cheese, something this family does every single morning. We then ate the cheese and spread the butter on our toast at breakfast.

At this point our guide had a surprise for me – wearing a traditional Gho (the national dress code) and playing a round of archery! It. Was. Awesome. I managed five in the target and won! That meant I was “man of the match,” which felt quite manly.

After lunch, a visit to the local school, and a fond farewell to our hosts we set off on a 5km walk through the pristine forest and valley. It was just superb. I felt like I was in Lord of the Rings. We finished our walk at this adorable little lodge nestled high up the hill. The valley hasn’t had electricity in a week so it was bucket showers and candlelight for us! I actually couldn’t imagine a more perfect setting.

Pope, our perfect guide offered to spend the evening with Indigo while Justine took me for what can only be described as the most amazing dining experience of my life, which was arranged by, and is part of, the fabulous 6 star Amankora Gangtey luxury lodge. It started with a cocktail by the roaring fire which was followed by an utterly delicious four course Bhutanese feast served in our very own potato shed. That is, a shed for storing potatoes. The walls were lined with candles, the wine was Italian, and the entire experience was surreal. We finished it off with a Glenfiddich nightcap before trekking back down the hill and transferring back to our lodge. It was the perfect day.

A huge shout-out to Justine for her fantastic planning efforts. If you need party ideas, give her a ring. For a country that doesn’t really celebrate birthdays, she managed to create something truly memorable. Now you just need to get to Bhutan and see this potato shed for yourself!

More from Bhutan 2012

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Bhutan: At the edge of the Earth

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Bhutan Blog 3: Measuring up happiness…

Perhaps the notion of Gross National Happiness was a bit lost on us at first. Not in a bad way but simply in the sense that we were thinking about the idea of happiness from our own frame of reference. What is happiness in the west? Security? Family? Wealth? On a day-to-day basis maybe it is avoiding rush hour traffic, taking a hot shower, or eating an amazing meal. The further you get from comfort the more you realize just how “happy” those small comforts make you.

The last two days we have been scaling hillsides (with the kid on our backs) to reach stupas and temples and monasteries dangling ever so gently from the peaks above. We have had tea with monks and shared snacks with little old ladies who can’t help but feel the foreign and surreal porcelain skin of Indigo, who they endearingly refer to as “baby.” Every moment and every encounter has been filled with a sense of joy and calm that now, after several days, feels quite normal.

It got me thinking about how, exactly, this Gross National Happiness is measured and whether or not it is something that can be universal. Bhutan is, in many ways, exactly as we expected. It is remote, on the bottom end of a traditional “development” scale, not terribly westernized, and almost frozen time. 1958 with cell phones, to be exact. It is our western idea of “Shangri-La”: a place we go to fall off the edge of the earth and reconnect with whatever utopian idea we have of what our society once was.

In other ways, we completely forgot about the less-than-perfect aspects that come with being all of those things I just mentioned. You can’t drink the tap water. The roads are in dire straights. Not every one has electricity. Life expectancy is just 65. None of these would increase our “gross national happiness” and yet here, whether it is because it’s just normal or because these values are not particularly important, the Bhutanese remain incredibly happy. When asked about the road quality our guide told us “no big deal… just drive a bit slower. Why the hurry?” I mean, yes, good point. On electricity, it was a sort-of “and so you just use candles.” Again, yep. As for life expectancy? Well, “the years they have will be very happy with lots of family and then they go on to the next life, which is exciting!” I mean, talk about being positive.

That is not to say Bhutan doesn’t have problems that are real regardless of context. Crimes are committed sometimes. People do drink too much on occasion. Access to health care, while improving, isn’t brilliant. Having a government that provides also means having less choice in our traditional sense.

It seems that happiness is, as you may already know, entirely relative. The actual “things” that bring joy can and do vary greatly. The difference I have found, however, is in the approach to finding happiness. Here, it is a conscious daily effort that is regularly considered, debated, discussed, and valued. It is the objective. At home, could we all say the same? I’m not entirely sure but it’s certainly worth considering. I know it is what I’ll be doing tomorrow as we careen up and down the sides of mountains in our rather aged van bopping and weaving with every pothole, sharp bend, and enormous truck zipping past.

More from Bhutan 2012

Read more trip stories from Bhutan or visit the Inspired Adventures Calendar and find a Charity Challenge perfect for you. Subscribe to our eNews to find out about upcoming adventures to Bhutan.

Inspired at Think Act Change

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Tuesday 8 May 2012, Attic Bar (Arthouse Hotel) – Sydney

Recently I had the opportunity to present at a brilliant meet-up event called Think Act Change. The theme was ‘creating change through adventure’ and my presentation was tabled directly after two very inspiring young men who turned a student-engineering project into a change-making micro hydro venture in remote Vanuatu.

Think Act Change_Sydney_Imaki Project

Eden & Chris talk about their micro hydro project (Photo: Think Act Change)

Eden and Chris engaged the audience with how they brought sustainable, affordable and reliable power to Imaki village. The Imaki Community Mini-Grid Project has moved this community away from the expensive, dirty and unreliable diesel-generated energy that they had to import into their village. Eden and Chris installed a micro-hydro system that bought natural power to Imaki from a nearby mountain stream. They talked passionately about the life-long relationship they have formed with Imaki and regaled us with stories of cross-cultural interactions as well as their adventures to the lip of the local volcano.

Chris and Eden’s ‘Think Act Change’ has improved the quality of life in Imaki village particularly in terms of health, education and communications. The project has also managed to preserve the beautifully subsistent lifestyle of the people of Imaki village.

Justine Curtis at Think Act Change Sydney_May 2012

Feeling inspired about creating change through adventure (Photo: Think Act Change)

Moving on with the theme of the night, I was fortunate enough to be able to share my journey of how Inspired Adventures came about. Walking away from this meet-up, I couldn’t help feeling like there’s been a recent groundswell in people like Eden and Chris doing incredible things on a small scale and voluntary basis. With the proliferation of crowdfunding sites like indiegogo, Kickstarter and pozible, I am excited at the future of social change and the opportunities that are now available to creative minds without the need of large set-up costs. I feel excited to be a part of this fast-changing world we live in and am constantly inspired by chance-meetings with people like Eden and Chris.

Thank you to the wonderful Avis Mulhall for creating one of the most exciting Tuesday night events in Sydney – Think Act Change.

Justine

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Read more Inspired Adventure News from Justine or visit our Inspired Adventures Calendar and find a Charity Challenge perfect for you.