2 Tough Days Driving

It’s been a few days since you have heard from me. It’s a combination of tiredness and a small car repair job.

We will start with the car repair first, 2 days ago as we where driving the 180ks down to Gelephu on the Indian border late in the day after stopping for a photo I pushed the starter button only to engulfed in silence instead of the all to familiar engine rumble. A quick check at the roadside indicated the alternator had most likely failed. We run started down the hill and finished the day on the charge left in the battery to get us to the Hotel. On arrival we did a through check and yes the death of the alternator was upon us. We new we could continue for a few days by not stopping the engine and charging the battery from another car when needed. Frank gave a transfusion that night to get us going for the run up to Trongsa.

I was offered spare alternator’s from a couple of friends if I required.

On arrival in Trongsa I asked Paddy if he had a spare, which he did and was willing to share with a fellow traveller in need. It was different to the one we had, but in a couple of hours Charlie, Richard and I had it fitted into Penny just in time for evening dinner, we only needed to finalise the wiring before breakfast today. After the wiring was all finished we had a good steady stream of electrons flowing to the battery for prage and later use.

Now to the last three days driving, upon leaving Punakha the rally split into the long drive group with 180ks to drive and the short drive group traveling just 60ks for the day on a different route.

Driving in Bhutan is so totally different to any other trip I’ve ever travelled. Since entering Bhutan we are averaging about 30kph. The slow speed is a combination of narrow roads, very close sharp corners, meeting other traffic, road works, and negotiating your way around the numerous landslips. We arrived in Gelephu, which is a town down on the lowlands of Bhutan about 1k from the Indian border after 6 ½ hours. Gelephu is a Bhutanese town with a very Indian feel as it is so close to India and on the lowland and very much remote from the mountain villages that are the main Bhutanese life style.

As we followed the rafting river from the day before we passed two large Hydro Power station projects along with the Dams and tunnels required to get it all working.

Upon leaving Gelephu the following morning we immediately started to climb and it was back into anther day of hills and corners with scenery that was indescribable again. The day was spent climbing in and out of immense river valley’s doted with little villages where if was just flat enough to farm and live. The roads we could see on the mountainside to some of these villages were toonarrow and steep for any large vehicles to travel.

During the day we passed construction work for more Power Stations for electricity, which is the main export of Bhutan to feed the growing demand by India. Along with the power stations you need to put in the transmission lines which are traversing some of the most rugged country you can imagine. All the construction for this is being done by hand including all the steel for some tower sites being carried in by hand then built. All the cable is hauled through the jungle and winched into place by hand.

Summing up the these 2 days driving down to Gelephu and back I would have to say are the toughest and most amazing drives I have done. It was only 200ks each way but never before have I been on a road where the whole time you are steering either direction constantly. We only got into 3^rd gear for about 5% of the time and never ever used 4^th. I have been on rough roads where we used 1^st and 2^nd most of the day but mostly straightish roads so less tiring.

This days driving took us along some of the narrowest road with drops of the side that high, you’d have time to phone your kids to say goodbye on the way down. The drop was always on Julie’s side of the car and regularly when she glanced over the edge she’d gasp with surprise. Every time you drove past a fresh landslip area you hope you got through before the next one.

Todays drive to Bumthang started through lots of road works that reduced after going over the pass at 3400 metres this valley is not as steep sided and has a lot more faming with the main crop being buckwheat.

It is also a very big weaving area. Driving along we noticed 2 women setting up the new warps for the loom so we went in and watched them. There bought out some items to show us, which ended with Julie and I buying a new rug for Alistair to use as his picnic blanket since his last one became a diff rebuild blanket.

We stopped at several weaving shops before arriving in town for lunch prior to looking around the town. The main place we visited was the Tamshing Goemba Monastery dating back to 1501.

The afternoon was finished of working on our blogs beside the fireplace in our room.