Archery, darts and penises

What is a Bhutanese delinquent to do when their parents have already painted penises on every available surface?

Bhutan has turned out to be far more varied than we expected. We walked through rice paddies today in really hot weather. The hike took us up to a temple on top,of a hill with great views up the valley. The walk down the took us along an impressive river to a suspension bridge which we bounced over as you do.

Lunch was on an outcrop overlooking the main dzong. This area used to be the capital and the dzong is a bit like Buckingham Palace in its symbolic centering. Because of this it was quite beautiful. We were lucky enough to visit the temple within the dzong while the monks were beginning their daily prayer ritual. About a hundred novices and monks gathered in lines to chant hypnotically. A couple of bruisers with flails did the rounds maintaining discipline – and those whips got used.

As we left the dzong I wandered down a little road and found an archery competition in full swing. Bhutanese archery involves two teams a couple of hundred meters apart shooting at a tiny target which the opposing team stands around. Sledging is an essential part of the sport, as is a little dance that’s a cross between the haka and a morris dance. I was so happy to have seen it.

Next up we went to the Temple of the Divine Madman. This was a priest who was into sex and drugs and rock and roll back when the Buddhist creation myths were being formed. His temple is all about fertility and all of the houses in the valley are adorned with pictures of penises. The shops sell penises in all shapes, sizes and materials. Confronting, maybe. Amusing, absolutely.

As we reached the road we came across some locals having a game of Bhutan’s other major sport – darts. This is not like Western darts. This is throwing huge weighted darts at a target 50m away. Andrew and I gave it a try, but neither of us were in any danger of threatening the locals.

A great and fascinating day.