I have travelled to three A categorised town but I'm going to narrate only Gelephu-Phuntsholing journey. I'm somehow obliged to share here this journey for I've gone through such adventurous. Some may call it unlucky day. Whatever you may call, I've been through hardship and this has never happened to me before.
Before I begin my narration, let me tell you that this is not intended to any people or organisations. Everything that I express is from my own point of view. It is a higgledy-piggledy diary.
I reached my home town, Gelephu, eight days before I cancelled my journey to Trongsa on 28th January 2019. Although it takes only half an hour from Trongsa to Bumthang, I was desiring much better transport service and also conscious about unseen risks especially vehicle related. I paid a sum of Nu.250/- for the ticket. It all started from my desire to explore self by travelling. One day before I cancelled my journey, a friend from Phuntsholing had sent me a voice message in Wechat. He has dropped me a message asking my route while returning Bumthang. Immediately I planned to go from Phuntsholing to Bumthang. So I insisted him to book a ticket and he did as per my insistence. I was told that he booked Phuntsholing to Mongar since there wasn't Phuntsholing to Bumthang bus. I felt happy since the bus would pass Phuntsholing-Thimphu-Wangdue-Trongsa-Bumthang before reaching Mongar. Gladly, I waited to go Phuntsholing on 29th and reach Bumthang directly.
On 29th morning, my mother woke up early as usual and also woke me. Since there was preaching by Sangay Ngenpa Rinpoche at Gelephu public ground, many people travelled by bus and attended the sacred teaching everyday. I too adjusted in that 6:30 a.m. bus & travelled with them till bus station where I luckily managed to get bus of 8:30 a.m. to Phuntsholing. I was one hour ahead of departure but patiently waited. The driver and other passenger have already got inside the bus when I noticed. Bus looked appealing but smaller in size than other buses I've seen. I didn't (and don't) know if it has any name but never bothered to ask anyone. I too went inside. Our bus driver ignited the engine. As is the trend nowadays, I too sent text to my close friends informing that I was moving. They wished me happy journey and I wished them happy stay. Unlike other buses, it was much more comfortable. Somehow my mind was uncomfortable with the bus but I did not took it seriously. I started doubting whether the bus would manage to reach our destiny because there was uncomfortable feeling. As expected bus stopped after traveling for about 1 hour from the station. I felt it to be a planned drive to sell tickets; in the first driver was talking to his friend about hand-break malfunction and later we saw the plastic of the roof rack was not tied tightly as it required proper arrangement just after about 35 minutes drive. Our bus driver who was dressed like a (Nepali) Kollywood villain slowly went outside with two hands put into his front jeans pocket. I heard people murmur outside bus about the broken spring while some were cursing that they shouldn't have booked the ticket. Few minutes later some passenger started taking their luggage from the rack and went into another bus which was parked behind ours. After that driver also confirmed rest of us to adjust in that bus till Shyamthaibhari and adjust in Samdrup Jongkhar bus after that. All except one remained to come in 10:00 a.m. bus. I haven't travelled in crowded Indian buses and trains but realised in that bus after travelling for one and half hour standing with assamese friends till Shyamthaibhari. We reached at exact junction where Bhutanese buses stops for the lunch at Hotel Druk and it was 11:40 a.m. by then. I ate rice with dhal because there were many passengers and the orders were not heard. I told waiters to give me any vegetarian curry. Everyone that I told nodded their head but never returned with my curry. Only I could hear was non veg items repeatedly announcing from table to table “shi-ken, phak-sha, pork, maa-sh-li, .......nga.....nga....shi-kan,.......”
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| Hotel Druk |
The voice faded away and started again and again. I did not heard even a single person asking veg curry though a man in the counter was repeatedly telling to some of the pretty young girls, though only once, the list of veg items.
I doubted whether they were really vegetarian or were literally trying to draw attention but resorted to chicken curry after sitting in the last corner table without anybody's notice? Believe me I wasn't noticing them, it was what I heard and started to imagine when I did not get curry for myself. At least there should have been, “Sholo........ema-da-shi, mixed veg, alu sabji.......” and so on if there were vegetarian other than me. Any ways I paid a sum of Nu.50/- only and told him that I didn't get any veg curry. He felt sorry for me. If there's next time I'm going to taste Bhutanese curry from Indians kitchen. The moment I came outside from the hotel, another bus, I suppose from Samdrup Jongkhar or Nganglam was also parked in front of hotel.
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| Bus that I travelled |
Since I don't have mechanical background it is difficult to point out faulty machine but bus driver was waiting for the experienced local mechanics. Just next to it was another bus with punctured tyre until I went close enough and identified it was ours. Almost every bus I saw were not in good condition, if that's the right term to describe. After that some of the standing passengers from our bus were moved to other buses. We were few of us standing! After standing for almost 3 hours continuously, my legs started to ache, my shin too was giving me a different pain. I even felt sleepy. Still I had no choice but to stand and pretend with smile. Fake smile, isn't it? The bus stopped in one of the jungle area for us to go and do private things. I couldn't step properly after standing long hours. Few minutes later, second bus from Samdrup Jongkhar parked behind us and offered interested one's to move towards his bus. I enquired about the empty seat but he told me that there was a seat on engine box. What do I need more than this? I thought. I went and sat on the engine box along with one woman and her little son. It was relaxing moment for rest one hour journey till bus station. That's how I changed three bus in one journey.
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| Other bus |
Most interesting story is here. I went to my friend's house near Midpoint Hotel which is a few minutes drive only. He is Pema Dorji to whom we call Nalex, who was also responsible for booking a ticket and is a friend since college days. Though he never fails to pick-up me, that afternoon due to unavoidable situation I had to use taxi. He greeted me and instantly handed a ticket because he has a habit of forgetting things quickly. I asked him, “North or south?” he looked at me quizzically and said, “What?” I read ticket and nodded myself. “What if the bus travel from Samdrup Jongkhar to Mongar?” The moment I said, I started to doubt too. Even he wasn't sure. He looked around and told his wife once more the same thing I told him. She responded that it would go from Bumthang to Mongar. Bus fare was Nu.575/- and departure time was 5:30 a.m. with thirty minutes reporting time before departing. I set an alarm and slept around 11:00 p.m. I even asked one of my friends, Jamyang Tashi Yangki, to woke me (by calling) as I couldn't trust my alarm.
At 4:14 a.m. Yangki called me. Upon reaching a bus station I could see only big buses not even a single coaster bus. I started to doubt that the bus ticket that I bought might travel from south, I mean Indian highways. So I enquired one of the passenger and got confirmation about the route I'll have to take with the ticket I'd in my hand. I smiled but couldn't laughed out loud in such situation. I looked at Nalex grinning. Then two of us tried to sell tickets but in vain. With tickets in my hand, I was helpless passenger for the first time. Isn't that silly? Of course it was silly. More than that it may sound foolish to some. But I've learned so many through this little journey. It gave me experience.
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