My Observation

I hadn’t planned to go to Thimphu initially but since I was standard in Phuntsholing for a countless days due to Assam and Bengal strike, I decided to finally pay visit to the capital city. My friends were worried because they knew that I hadn’t been to Thimphu in winter and they thought I wouldn’t be able to stand the cold weather during the peak winter season. I nearly changed my mind twice but then I thought that if I went back to my words I would not be able to make the visit in the near future. So finally I decided to g ahead with my plan and got a bus ticket to Thimphu. After spending three days in Phuntsholing, I finally boarded my bus to Thimphu. I made sure that I had some warm clothes before I boarded the bus and purchased an extra jacket.

The bus ride was bumpy and very uncomfortable but I was determined to make best use of the trip. I observed the change in the landscapes along the road. I was travelling that road after five years. I have read about the road widening in the highway but seeing so many degraded hills and mountains along the way disheartened me. In the name of paving better roads, we have lost our lush green forest. The road sides bore a dusty look and I had to shut the glass to avoid the dusts.

Upon traveling further I observed that the once familiar landscape near the Tshimasham and Chapcha have lost its familiarity. We stopped at Tshimasham and I got out of the bus. Standing in front of the hotel I tried to recollect some scenes from yesteryears but I didn’t find any similarity with the scene I was seeing. I felt like a stranger there thought I had spent some of my most memorable years there.

On entering the Thimphu valley, I was greeted by the congestion of the vehicle zooming at the top speed in the Babesa expressway. The once lush green paddy fields had disappeared altogether and I could observe that many buildings have cropped up even on the hills in Simtokha… (to be continued…)