Arrival in Thimphu

An employee of the hospital’s Emergency Medicine department had arrived in an ambulance to pick me up and drive me the 65km from Paro to Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan. Our 1.5hour drive was filled with lessons in Bhutanese culture and frequent stops to take photos of various dzongs (monasteries), chortens (Buddhist shrines), and great works of nature. Along the windy roads we followed the route of the Paro River to then meet the Thimphu River. Stopping to take in the view of the joining of the two rivers, lessons continued and I learned that fishing from these rivers is illegal in consideration of Buddhist teachings. I also learned that roads are few and far between to reach houses and monasteries above the river, and walking bridges and paths are carved out for access.

We reached Thimphu and I entered the apartment adorned with prayer flags that would become my home for the next several months. I met the volunteer who had just completed a 2month stay in Bhutan and would be orienting me to the city of Thimphu and my role at the National Referral Hospital. She would also orient me to the ins and outs of the apartment, such as how to avoid blowing the fuse, maximize the indoor heat (there is no central heating in most of Bhutan), and purify the water. After a brief rest, together we walked down the mountain to go into town.