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"This was more than a scouting mission; it served as the formal reintroduction of paragliding to the Bhutanese authorities." - Jorge Atramiz
Scouting the Land of the Thunder Dragon
There was very little information online, if any, about where people had flown in the past.
Hours and hours on Google Earth were spent selecting potential launch locations and landing zones. As Bhutan has been brought into the modern world over the last few decades, it has brought with it modern forms of transportation. In other words, the majority of the large valleys had newly built runways for jets placed in them.
It made finding the perfect spot for a tour that much harder. One of the places we settled on was the Phobjika Valley, the home of the 15th century Gangtey monastery.
Navigating the Proper Channels
The amount of paper work to make this happen was unprecedented. Wanting to do anything near a monastery, especially a sacred one like Gangtey, required a lot of negotiations. Yangphel Adventure Travel was a great partner to have through all of it. Dealing with the Ministry of Tourism, and the Civil Aviation Authority at the same time was no easy task. Each required their own set of regulations and forms to be filled out.
Jorge and I covered a lot of ground during our time in Bhutan. The culmination of our trip was a very important meeting in Thimpu, the capital. Yangphel set up a meeting with the Minister of Tourism. Our guides ditched their hiking boots and backpacks and donned their traditional Gho. Each specific for an official government meeting.
Bowing, tea and other pleasantries made the meeting with "His Excellency” all the more important. I conveyed how perfectly what Convergence provides lined up with Bhutan’s tourism philosophy: high value, low volume.
From the Tiger's Nest to a Home-Cooked Meal
As we drove back to Paro for our remaining night in Bhutan, I sketched the final draft of the itinerary. Knowing that the long walk in the morning to the Taktsang, The Tiger’s Nest, would give me time to wrap my head around all the details.
Jorge and I jogged to 3120m (10,236 ft) to make sure we were the first to lay eyes on the iconic monastery that defines Bhutan. With more business meetings on the schedule, we had to make the most of our free time at the end.
The trip closed out with a wonderful home cooked meal from one of our hosts' grandmother. A classic Bhutanese dish, cooked over open flame.
The warmth of the food among the crisp fall air allowed me to reflect on the amazing places we visited and the flying we had.
