chelsea2

Here is a video of the chanting & prayers at the temple. Not sure if this will work – first time posting video.
http://s280.photobucket.com/user/mmo...ml?sort=2&o=48

chelsea2

Sorry - tried to follow the instructions on posting video by including URL but did not work. I will try to fix this later

stimpy

It works fine by clicking the link. That's the real Bhutan!

chelsea2

Trying again with the video

chelsea2

On Day 4 I still felt weak and tired, but well enough to travel to the Punakha lodge. So we made plans to for a 9:30am departure. Having seen nothing but the inside of my room so far, I took a brief amble around the lodge to snap some pictures. Also was able to pay a visit to the gift shop – which had some great stuff. I don’t know if anyone else feels this way – but nothing lifts my spirits like a little bit of shopping!! I picked up a few sets of prayer beads to bring back as gifts and they packaged them in pretty little silk pouches. I looked down into the library, which is very large with many sitting areas, a computer, board games and loads of coffee table and travel books on Bhutan. Would have enjoyed spending some time here with a pre-dinner drink if things had gone differently. Also peeked into the spa – which is housed in a separate building – not much to report as the treatment rooms had closed doors, but it seems to be a pretty sizable facility. Noticed that they have some house bikes available for the guests to use, as well as a big bin full of umbrellas. It was a bit rainy/misty during our stay in Thimpu, so these would have come in handy. My favorite thing though was the lodge dog and her two rambunctious puppies. They were so playful and friendly and they bamboozled me into letting them into the lodge, which then proved to be a difficult task to wrangle them back outside.

View into the Gift Shop


Bikes & Umbrellas


The King


The Library




Playful Pooch


Hallway & Staircase outside of our second floor room




Open Lawn/Courtyard in middle of all the lodge buildings



Prior to departure the lodge did a Buddhist blessing ceremony for us in front of the prayer wheels. The monk chanted prayers and then tied a colorful cord around our necks, which we were asked to wear for at least 3 days. It was a really lovely way to end a rough 3 days.





With the Monk & Playful Puppy


Words of appreciation for the great service and care we were given at Amankora Thimpu. The entire staff there was very kind and attentive to me throughout my stay. Norbu the manager in particular was terrific, he checked in on me a couple of times a day and made sure I had everything I needed. The poor man – even stood by me while I was throwing my guts up, arranged for clean pj’s and had the cleaning team come in at 9pm to clean the bathroom and change the sheets, while arranging for the doctor to come in. For me that was way beyond the call of duty. When I finally made my appearance downstairs, all the staff members I saw asked me how I was feeling. They kept trying to feed me electrolyte water, ginger tea, plain toast and chicken broth – it was really very sweet. Maybe you would be treated this well in another hotel – I’m not sure – but for me it just brought out how special the Aman brand and the people they hire really are.

offerendum

Always a highlight

chelsea2

As a precaution we loaded up on Dramamine and rode in the front seat. The driving is pretty rough and if you are at all subject to motion sickness I highly suggest taking at least 2 Dramamine pills before leaving. The road is under construction for the majority of the journey - think dirt and broken pavement, large potholes, constant hairpin turns, no guardrails, smelly exhaust and steady traffic. At the Dochu La Pass the road is closed and only opens for short periods so we parked and visited the Choten while waiting for the road to reopen. Unfortunately it was a misty and cloudy day, so we did not have views out to the high Himalayas, which you apparently can see on a clear day. Word to the wise - this is also where you stop to use the restroom, I highly advise bringing your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer. While the facilities are modern enough, not the cleanest but not too bad - they were lacking paper and soap. After the pass the road begins to descend into Punakha valley which is much more temperate and you feel the heat and humidity increase. Because of the road closure the drive took about four hours.

Dochu La








Views from the Road:






Traditional Bhutanese House Damaged in 2011 Earthquake – featuring traditional penis decorations – thought to be very lucky


Us with our Fabulous Guide Ugyen

pricesquire

[deleted]

FlyingDoctorwu

I'm pretty sure the OP is blurring the husband's face... OP refers to her husband continuing on with activities while the OP is sick....

FDW

pricesquire

That's what I meant. Sorry, tired. Amending/deleting.

DSI

Greatest TR ever! Sorry to hear about being sick. I had the stomach flu two months ago (the third time in my life) and it was awful. You're much tougher than I am.

We're excited to get the opportunity to do the Kora trip next year.

Did you see any children while there? And any comments on activities that children might enjoy--not that we need to entertain him. I figured that just bonding as a family and hiking is enough.

-currently adjusting to the time over here in Fregate, which is quite the awesome place I might add. Keep falling asleep by the pool after drinking too much during the day... and then proceeding to wake up during ungodly hours.

behuman

OK about the "cultural thing", but charging what they do and pretending to be luxury, I would expect Aman to provide alternative solutions. I remember that in Thimpu and Bumthang this was not a problem and also in Punaka they have small private rooms in the upper floors of the palace.

Sorry for the "stomach flu" of the OP, looks like hygiene at Aman is not at its best .

Ericka

Fascinating report! So sorry to hear you were sick. I know what that is like. It is heartbreaking on a trip. It sounds like you kept your spirits up though and were able to continue on (eventually).

Aventine

Sometimes, it's not even hygiene but just foreign, different microbes from the food and water that produce gastro. Not everyone will have an iron stomach (I know because I've been laid out before abroad). Love the photos chelsea2 and it just means you will have to go back some time again!

landing

Great TR! Canīt wait visiting Bhutan next year.

@declinespecificinformation
Enjoy your time, looking forward for a Fregate Trip Report.