"Glimpse of Bhutan" a Phuntsholing Travel Page by raultram

In 2002 Phuensholyng the border city of Bhutan with
India was made a free zone, and foreigners were allowed to visit it as a day trip. Not anymore. I new that. You need a valid visa for that. And for the moment I had no pockets from which I could fork the 200$/day. Even the 4 days trip, would have been 800$. I thought of it. Too much for the current budget. And 4 days. What’s that? I decided anyway to travel till there and see how the situation is. In the evening I was roaming around, and with guts I just walked through the border officers like I owned the place. They said some Hello , but I didn’t bother to look back. I avoided the eye contact. My steps hurried and no hesitation…few more metres and I was in
Bhutan. Just as you do when you want to get pass an idiot bouncer in a
London club. Phuentsholyng is not much anyway, it’s a small place, but there you fell the difference: of sudden the cacophony of the roads of
India is left behind, fresh clean streets and sidewalks appear. It’s relaxed. People are smiling, they do not mind you at all. The women rush , and proud male wearing their Ghos (tipically Bhutanese robe) many with a dagger attached roam the side walks. It was evening and the electricity was gone soon after. I roamed the streets for a while glad to make it. I went for dinner in a small restaurant, dined on pork dishes and good mushrooms and drank Druk11000 the local beer. Did I mention that they don’t pay taxes here, so booze is cheap. My next stop was the tailor shop to acquire a Ghos for myself. I chose a striped one and the guy told me to come the next morning. I walked easily back and nobody minded about me. I thought that is all ok, and the next morning I was heading again to my tailor appointment. But this time some officers asked me to produce a visa for them. Errr…Visa, Why? I played dumb? One soldier came and told them I was also yesterday. I said, yes of course. After a 2 minutes small discussions they told me that the fine is 10000Rupees if I get caught, so I should consider lucky I made it the evening before. I agree on that and I returned back. Later I found a way over a small rivulet where I jumped over, and made it to my tailor, got my nice Ghos and sneaked out at the speed light.

gate to Bhutan from Indian side and from Bhutan side