@whitneylaughlin

1 year ago

I flew into Paro from Delhi on Drukair back in 1997. As we were passing by Everest/Chomolungma, I marveled that we were at eye level and was taking photos like mad (I knew ahead to sit on the left side). A flight attendant came and tapped me on the shoulder and said that the captain (who sounded very much like Thich Nhat Hanh) wanted me to come to the cockpit.
I was a bit worried that I had broken some security rule. No, he was just being kind and wanted me to sit in the jump seat with big windows so that I could get better photos. Such began an incredible three weeks in this magical kingdom. Because all flights are visual (no radar), and the weather can be unpredictable, they recommend allowing up to 8 hours for connecting flights. Back then, there was no terminal (it was just being completed), so on my return, we handful of foreigners and mostly locals sat by the tarmac, prayer flags flapping in the stiff breeze, for several hours waiting for the weather conditions in the Himalayas to improve.
Finally, the plane was sighted. A group of passengers descended looking a bit pale and shaken. Apparently, they had to circle for a while before they could land. When we boarded, the pilot (with a very American accent this time) said, "I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is, because we had to circle for so long, we used up a lot of fuel and will have to refuel at an Indian Air Force base just over the border. So it will be a very steep initial climb over the tall peaks. But the good news is I was a US Airforce pilot in Vietnam and can fly anywhere." As we took off, it was like being in one of those high-speed elevators and I could feel my body pressed hard against my seat. At moments like these, I check how the locals are reacting and they were all sitting with eyes closed, clicking their mala beads. Serious business. As we cleared the peaks I felt like I could reach out and touch the tops, we were that close. The steep descent was no less scary.
We finally landed - big communal sigh of relief - and I was delighted to see that the nosecones of the Indian Airforce planes there were all brightly painted, each with its own Hindu god or goddess. I would so love to return to Bhutan one of these days. There were hardly any foreign visitors back then and I know it has changed, but I bet it is no less wonderful as the Bhutanese people still believe in "Gross National Happiness" (GNH rather than GNP).

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