Series: Asian Countries You Never Knew Existed (Episode 3)

 

   It's another episode of Asian countries you never knew existed and no, i didn't disappear, i was just trying to fight a dragon lord called examination, and i succeeded. He is not dead yet, just unconscious till further notice, but i'm alive, that's the most important thing. I have an interesting country for you today, a country that sounds unreal and mystical. Weirdly, the only image coming to my head while writing this is an image of Mikey from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles eating pizza💭. If you just played with sand and mud and didn't watch cartoons, sorry, i don't expect you to know who that is, so let's just move on.

   Bhutan, Bhutan, is the name of the country i'm introducing to you today. You don't know it, don't lie. Bhutan, officially the kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked Southern Asian country which is located in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the North and India in the South. It is known locally as Druk Yul or the Land of the Thunder Dragon. This is in reference to its wild thunderstorms, striking the valleys from the peaks of the Himalayas, the dazzling light of the thunder was said to be the fire from a dragon. The Druk is the thunder dragon of Tibetan and Bhutanese mythology.

  Bhutan's historical period began at about 747 A.D when the revered religious leader Guru Padma Sambhava came from Tibet and introduced Buddhism to the country. It is said that he flew to Bhutan on the back of a Tiger, and that at Taktsang he conquered the demon spirits that were standing in the way of the spread of Buddhism (it's giving ZEE WORLD, but history is history guys😑). It's almost certain that he visited Bumthang in central Bhutan, where he cured the ailing king, and he later went to a cave on a cliff to meditate with his followers, his fingerprints and footmarks were later found etched into a solid rock. The country has been monarchical since inception and the survival of Bhutan has been traced down to the Wang Chuk dynasty, each and every king in this dynasty went through various wars and crisis to keep and sustain Bhutan. Buddhism has greatly influenced the culture of the people of Bhutan till this day. Going deeper into the culture of this people will turn me into one of those history teachers that we always pray to finish up with that classes because of how boring they can be, so, no, thank you.

  While the Bhutanese are free to travel abroad, Bhutan is seen to be inaccessible to foreigners. The misperception that Bhutan has set limits on tourist visas, the high tourist tariff and the requirement to go on packaged tours seem to create this impression. However, Bhutan is open to tourists and anybody that wants to go there, but i have to warn you, the country's international airport is one of the most dangerous airports in the world. Only qualified pilots are able to land in the airport and navigate the tough terrains (the problems in the world are already too much to add" gone too soon"). For those that walk on the road like they have nine lives, there are no traffic lights in Bhutan, only traffic police directing the flow of movement at the heart of the town, so walk with sense. As enticing as it sounds to visit Bhutan and see the beautiful mountains and sites and also learn their beautiful culture, please sit at home and watch SpongeBob if you do not have money. Bhutan implements a strict tourism policy to protect its national identity, so tourists are required to book their trips to Bhutan through a licensed tour agency and pay a fixed daily tariff, so every day money is leaving your pocket. Just respect your monetary capability and stay at home, owo ni koko.