A long overdue update from life in Thimphu

 

 

 Thursday April 4^th

We are finally feeling that we are on top of things and it’s not a daily struggle to get through the schedule and try to make headway at night with the paperwork demands that can never be attended to at school.

 

Having lodged our year plans a load was lifted. Surviving the chaotic first two weeks and then having writing, speaking and listening assessments for each student in each class, gave me the knowledge base I need to move forward with each of them and shift the focus from classroom management and individual evaluations to learning needs. It also helped me realise that I can still motivate them and hopefully instil some better self-discipline and more focused learning.

My doubts about my own ability are disappearing and my confidence is finally returning. Writing up lesson plans that are comprehensive enough to teach from and having them approved and available before I started this week’s teaching, I finally felt I was on track and back to a routine I can live with.

 

A completely school free weekend after being overwhelmed for so long was also more than welcome. We have now been out hiking a couple of times. We have another hike up to Tango planned for this weekend and this time with both Lhendup and Thinley and both their wives.

 

I have finally started to feel the school routine can be balanced against some quiet private time and some social activities with people we have been deferring until we reached this point.

 

My birthday was lost among the pressure of getting classes up and running, although we had a quiet and lovely night out, we were so exhausted it was easier to just go small and simple. However, a couple of evenings spent with Dependra, Anjana and Liza in their home have been real highlights, most especially last week’s unexpected Tuesday night invitation which included a belated birthday cake for me and truly stimulating, insightfully revealing and honest conversations. We love these two and the way they embrace the present with vision and intellect.

Getting the snail mail project restarted and receiving our first salary also helped the work-life balance and the wellbeing factor.

Sunday April 7^TH

 

What a very special day we had with Lhendup and Kinzang and Thinley and Kezang. They both drove up to Tango and we all climbed up to the Tango Monastery and Institute for Advanced Vajrayana Studies.

I had to look that up and am now informed that “Vajrayana Buddhism is a form of Buddhism probably originated from the Mahayana tradition. It is based on a complex philosophical and ritual system meant to provide a path towards enlightenment.” It is sometimes referred to as Tibetan Buddhism and that is what is practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal.

 

It was an easier hike than I thought it was going to be and we entered from a lower track so we were under the sheer walls and intricately painted wooden window frames of the newly restored sector of the monastery. The upper track we have always used in the past, we saw later is now crumbling away in places.

 

We also entered every room on all three levels and saw the 17th century statues and incredible ancient murals that had been cut in stone slabs from the walls and then reinserted. The process is not quite complete at the top level so we got a glimpse of how it was done. Only one room had a canvas mural which had also been removed and reapplied. I found the murals very enchanting and the work that had gone into reinstating them must have been painstakingly slow.

Our young companions all wore traditional dress and prostrated at every altar while we were happy to wander the rooms and see the completed restoration and valuable artefacts and treasures within.

The brisk hike down was punctuated by stops to watch the antics of a troop of Grey Langurs playing and sleeping in the tree tops. The young were swinging wildly from vines and branches hanging in the rhododendrons while the older ones lazily looked on or slept.

 

Soon enough we were back at the car park and driving on to the Jigme Dorji National Park heading for a picnic spot they knew near the river. We had never been inside the park before so that was wonderful too.

They were disappointed that there were so many cars when we arrived but quickly opted to walk on a little farther to find a secluded spot on our own on the rocky riverbank.

 

We all contributed to the picnic feast and enjoyed being surrounded by giant rhododendrons and even spotted more langurs cheekily jumping from stone to stone to cross the river onto the island in the middle, with their stolen picnic spoils. Not ours but a group nearby who seemed more amused than annoyed by their theft and actions.

We had brought prayer flags and Thinley and Lhendup were happy to hang them in the trees over hanging the crystal clear water of the river.

 

As the wind picked up and the sun disappeared behind the snow-covered peaks we packed up and made our way along the riverbank crossing to the island where our langur friends had feasted, on fallen logs and stones a few times and avoided getting wet feet. This alternative route avoided clambering back up the steep track we had come down and I was very grateful for that as I had been fearing how my knee would hold up.

Before getting back into cars we made plans for a weekend trip to Haa at the end of the month and then took a new to us route back to Thimphu via Kabesa. That was along a bumpy, dirt track in places but well worth it for the interesting homes and views along the way. It’s a vegetable growing area and we had purchased in the market on Saturday from a grower who had just brought in broccoli from there, when all the stalls were still closed.

We came back to main road at Pangrizampa and there were still long queues and crowds waiting to be blessed just as there had been last weekend when we abandoned going in and walked back. This blessing wipes away all your bad karma for the previous year we are told and it is incredibly popular and extends over a full week.

 

I have to hope we don’t have too much bad karma to atone for, as we didn’t stop and proceeded along the road we had walked down the previous week to Taba before crossing the river again and taking the newer highway back into Thimphu.

 

A red letter day for sure!

 

Monday April 8^TH

 

And today was an unmitigated disaster so I guess we are still on that roundabout of struggling to get on top of things and stay on top of things after all.

 

Thimphu Life

 

Well yet another week has flown by and we are both mentally and physically exhausted.

Last Sunday was a real red-letter day and since it’s about to dawn on another Sunday this update is well overdue. With perfect weather and finally enough free time to actually decide to take a hike, we opted for Buddha Point as a destination and then weren’t exactly sure how to get there.

 

By following our noses, we ended up passing by Memorial Chorten while there was a significant Buddhist sermon going on and saw the throngs of devotees as well as the blessings. Having inquired of a few passers-by, we opted to take the shortcut through the hospital grounds and stumbled upon the impressive, newly built but not yet open we think, women’s and children’s building and then found ourselves opposite the driveway to Nancy’s place on our old school route.

 

We started the climb up confidently enough and passed by my old school noting several major changes. We also noticed lots of changes and road widenings on the way up, before finally glimpsing the giant Buddha. Food trucks, more exercise machine zones, massive resort style developments and more cleared areas where it’s possible to pull off to the side of the road were all major differences to the last time we hiked up. 

 

The last stretch of 287 steps, yes we counted them, was a challenge but we did make it and were glad to sit for a bit on the leeward side, out of the wind and eat our apple.

Suitably rested, we wandered back down the slope and encountered some elderly folk who had just left Memorial Chorten and were happily wandering home prayer wheels spinning and prayer beads clacking. When asked they were thoroughly amused by me wanting their pictures but happily obliged.

The antiques shop I often gaze through the window of, just happened to be open and we had a charming encounter with the one of the staff there. 

The gentlest, most softly spoken older woman, who looked Tibetan to me, insisted on making Ian put on a hat which was from the Punakha Tshechu warrior’s costume she informed us through a helpful younger staff member translating. 

She had several questions for us and was most engaging and charmingly enthusiastic to chat. She tried her best to get him into the jacket as well and with limited English on her behalf and no Dzongkha on ours, we managed to all have a conversation and feel warmly connected. She really wanted Ian to don the jacket and other parts of the costume but we were almost dead on our feet after walking over thirteen kilometres and climbing the equivalent to fifty seven flights of stairs according to my app.

 

At that point, we decided to pop into Elsewhere cafe on the off chance that we might catch the owners, who we have been dying to catch up with but they were nowhere in sight and the cafe was empty. All the more reason to rest our weary feet and have a snack we thought.

 

It took almost more energy than we then had to climb the remaining two flights of stairs to reach our own front door and we were forced to decline the invitation to join Nancy for St Patrick Day drinks as we were exhausted but we certainly slept well before the first day of school.

ARTITECTURE WALK: A free self-guided walk of some of the notable art and architecture in the riverside district of Phnom Penh.

If like me you are an avid walker and have tried other city walks around the world I sincerely hope you enjoy this one and take the time to provide some feedback on it.

NB:*It's hot and sunny and it is advisable to carry or purchase water and use sun protection.

*If you wish to visit the Royal Palace or any of the temples in this walk, it is worth noting that you will need to dress modestly covering your shoulders and knees.

* Be cautious in the city streets holding phones and other electronic devices and print this if you wish.

 

Start in Street 13 at Tribe and check out the doors on the Spa by Khmer Tonics at ground level. 

 

Remember to view the elephant statue in the lobby of Tribe.

 

Turn left on Street 94 and walk towards Wat Phnom. Remember to look up at the bat tree on the property at the corner before continuing in an anticlockwise direction to the first intersection. Cross the road at the triangle junction to the park on Street 47 opposite the Australian Ambassador’s residence and you will see the peace dove constructed from the components of guns.

 

Retrace your steps to the Wat Phnom roundabout and continue in an anticlockwise direction to reach the main gates of the temple.

 

For a $1 entrance fee you can enter the grounds and visit the main prayer hall and explore the surrounding park. Vendors at the gates sell flowers, candles and incense for a minimal fee, if you want to make an offering.

 

You will be required to remove your shoes to enter the main hall, where on the walls and ceilings there are some of the oldest Buddhist fresco paintings in the city, depicting the life of Buddha. Their muted colours are much less gaudy than those in the more modern pagodas.

 

Within the hall and grounds are hundreds of Buddha statues, a coffee shop, commercial craft centre 

 

and many small altars, spirit houses and stupas. 

(also known as chedis or chortens in other Buddhist cultures).

 

This green space is the second largest in the city and the largest open to the general public. It actually warrants a separate visit to fully appreciate it.

 

Head out again via the main gates keeping a keen eye out for hornbills. They often congregate in the trees at the front and those of the surrounding small streets especially at twilight. Cross the road and walk in front of the Electricite du Camboge Building and turn left into Street 98

 

On the corner of Street 98 and Street 13 just one block down you will find the dilapidated remaining structure of the original Police Station Building built along with the surrounding structures in about 1925. 

 

On the diagonally opposite corner is the Le Manolois restaurant and bar in a partially restored colonial era building.

 

At the corner of Street 98 turn right into to Post Office Square on Street 13 to admire the original colonial structure of the GPO and don’t forget to go inside to see the arched wooden shutters. 

Directly opposite the GPO are fine examples of colonial residential and commercial structures some in desperate need of repair, 

 

and others beautifully renovated.

 

As you leave the GPO, turn right at the main entrance and remain on Street 13 crossing over Street 102 on the same side of the road. Immediately opposite GPO Square on the corner are a collection of three buildings, which were built in the same era and were once the Bank of Indo Chine. The gates contain the initials in a logo design. 

 

The first is now a restaurant,

 

another is a night club, with shutters very similar to those inside the GPO at the first level, 

 

and the third at the end of that block is the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) offices providing much needed funds for developments such as the renovations of the Central Market Building. Note the same logo design on the gates here.

 

Continue on Street 13 one block and turn left into Street 108. Just before reaching the riverside there is an entrance to the residences above with this street art mural depicted on the western wall.

 

Retrace your steps along Street 108 and continue past the Phsar (market) Chas market area, turning left into the fresh vegetable section street-side then turn right at the pharmacy into Street 110 and keep an eye out for Jungle à Domicile on the righthand side several stores past Residence and Hotel 110. 

 

It’s easily missed so keep your eyes peeled. 

 

Venture inside the building to see the creative renovations and original art on the walls, 

and green spaces and various small Cambodian enterprises.

 

The top floor has a small free gallery and the current exhibition is always black-boarded at street level. Have a bit of photography fun while you're there too if you like. 

 

When you leave the building retrace your steps along Street 110 to opposite the beginning of the market and turn right into Street 15. Continue along until Street 130 then look up on the left-hand side. Before reaching Street 136, at about the midpoint these unusual curved shutters still grace the old facade.

 

Continue on Street 15 until you reach KL Plaza then turn left at Street 154. Tucked into a shady recess at the end of the strip of retail outlets still incomplete and largely empty is this fine example of a spirit house.

 

Walk to the nearby intersection of Street 13 and Wat Ounalom can be accessed on the right from the back entrance opposite KL Plaza.

 

Inside the compound of Wat Ounalom with its eclectic collection of buildings, memorial stupas, and statues are some incredible, original terrazzo designs in the porches of the buildings housing the monk body. Turn right at the first junction and this porch has a wonderful lotus design.

 

This eye-catching door design is based on traditional shadow puppetry and will enable you to locate the correct porch.  Retrace your steps to Street 13 and turn left.

 

One block down on the wall of Friends Future Factory adjacent to the Smile convenience store in Street 13 is this giant wall art mural and there are several more down this laneway.

 

Inside FFF which provides training for vulnerable youth is a collective of clothing outlets, plant retailers, craft stalls and beauty salons, mostly staffed by trainers and trainees. This set of angel wings can be found there,

 

 if you like me are up for a bit of fun. 

 

There is also a shady courtyard and bathroom facilities at this point. 

 

Across the road to the right are the studios of Rina - Chan Dina Gallery and Museum Art but be prepared to pay handsomely for any treasures you might covet. 

 

If you need sustenance about now there is plenty on offer in this neighbourhood but the hand pulled noodles at David’s Noodle House are an absolute favourite of mine and you get to watch the show of them being made if you choose to order them. Cheap and delicious as well as providing great entertainment.

 

Continue along Street 13 and turn left into Street 178. On the diagonally opposite corner is the National Museum and that is definitely worth a separate visit and requires a $10 entrance ticket.

 

At the first intersection turn left again at Samdech Sothea Ros Blvd: Street 3 and while this once stunning mural has succumbed to the demolition ball,

 

 Street 3 still contains a rather large Koi at the first laneway on the left, albeit in a little worse condition than when this was taken. Other eateries and the Sra Art Studio might also be worth exploring in this tiny street. 

 

About face and retrace your steps along Street 3 cross over Street 178 and continue towards the square in front of the Royal Palace. This once striking sight along the way has disappeared with the redevelopment currently taking place on that site but the UNESCO building on the corner is certainly worth viewing. 

UNESCO is not open to the public except on Heritage Day but the building itself is certainly worth a look.

 

Stumble into the square to admire the many traditional buildings of the Royal Palace visible from the outside and the riverside views. 

(Royal Palace: $10 entrance fee. Open 8-11am and 2-5pm) 

Hornbill spotting is also possible in this zone.

 

Return to the corner of UNESCO and turn left to enjoy a shady walk between the grounds of the Royal Palace and the National Museum and Art School in a pedestrian only zone which aligns with Street 184 at the far end.

Crossing into Street 184 it’s possible to discover this adorable image of cyclists on a wall on the left-hand side inside a cafe’s courtyard but it is now almost completely concealed by planters and a takeaway stall.

 

I therefore recommend taking a left at Street 19 to continue along the uncluttered footpath of the back of the Royal Palace grounds, watching out for this Bhutanese blessing on the wall on the opposite side of the street.

 

At the corner of Street 240 turn right and on the righthand side there is always a free exhibition at the Gallerist. The whole block of this street is a treasure trove of collectibles made in Cambodia; art, fashion, textiles, jewellery and homewares and a wide range of eateries. Don’t miss Shade 240 and right next door the newly opened KOKI Kitchen for some delicious local gelato to cool you off.

 

Return to the corner at Street 19 and continue along Street 240. This mural is visible and will help you find the correct narrow laneway on the right to enter. It’s before the next intersection. 

 

Check out both sides of the laneway 

 

and follow its meandering path leading Space Four Zero 

 

and then on around the corner to this and many other street art works on the twisting laneway which exits at unmarked Street 244. Then turn left.

This Buddha sits street-side at the entrance to Le Botum Hotel on the left before reaching Street 7. 

At the end of Street 244 wander through the playground across Street 7, turning left as you exit and cross Botum Park and Street 3 to find the small laneway to the left of KL Apartment Building. 

 

On the left side you will see this abstract floral design

and it also contains this distinctly Khmer image on a wall clearly within sight from the main road.

 

Return to Street 3 and turn right. At the next intersection turn right again into Street 246. On the righthand side an interesting framer’s gallery, and small local eateries and bars can be seen before passing Backyard Café to discover Fox Tale where we end with coffee and time to rest those tired feet. Don’t forget to check out the wall mural of Sin Sisamouth, considered the King of Khmer Music on the interior wall while you are there

 

        * Much of this is street art and pieces disappear and others emerge so if you are unable to find some images you will most likely find alternatives nearby or in the same location. 

    *If you did try this self-guided walk then please leave a comment or an update for others here and share the love.