The Tourist Within by Tshering
Denkar is about the amusing and thrilling stories of travel, nature, culture
& tradition and some history of Bhutan. The book is divided into three
chapters of Moments, Faces and Places. The author has put her persuasive story telling
aptitude to hook the readers in every story until they complete the book. The
narrative stories of her travel are inspiring and the documentary information
of the places are truly enlightening.
The first chapter takes us through her
beautiful journey right from how it all began. The author reflects inner
calling of her passion into reality when she was asked, 'How is the world outside?'
by her inmate student in Thailand. She then decided to come back home and
explore Bhutan as a first female solo travel blogger & vlogger.
Her first solo trip to Phobjikha in Wangdue
would make us engrossed in the story where she meets crane Karma all by himself
with his own reflection in the mirror. Coincidently the author begins her
travel odyssey from the prison cell of this injured Karma and of her
students back in Thailand. Her travel dream gets birth in the closed cells for
herself and to the world outside. The Bhutanese belief of stepping in the heap
of cow-dung came true for Tshering Denkar when she first set her foot on the
valley of cranes.
The stories from hitch-hiking in Doyas village
in Samtse in the south to walking up the snowcapped mountains in the north
would make us mesmerized. Many of us would be surprised to know that we have
one of the highest unclimbed mountains in the world-the Gankar Puensum. Will it
remain virgin as it is in future or are we curious to explore it? Well the
present status may carry more value than later. There, we have the world’s most
expensive fungus plant called Cordyceps Sinensis (yartsa guenbub) which fetches
about Nu.1.5 million to Nu.2.7 million per kg.
Likewise, the travel stories of Haa in the west
to Merak in the east would never make you bore but keeps on rousing. Many of us
would know more about our own home town and places after this book. For
example, I was never aware of how my district town got her name Damphu having
spent all my teenage years till high school graduation to this date. Thanks to
Denkar’s Gateway. The hike to the most visited Tiger Nest-Paro Taktshang would
make many of you nostalgic and of course remind the spiritual journey of one’s
life. The toilet in the bush with 360° view of nature is to laugh your lungs
out and for me it was a cowboy vertical view memory from a tree top and the
sharp edge huge rock. Toilet culture in Bhutan is yet to be worked out right
from homes to institutions to public toilets. It is a sad reality that many of
us might have just left to the wet sweepers in public toilets to our baby
sitters at home until we did ourselves in some foreign lands for few dollars. Thanks
to Bhutan Toilet Organization for taking the right path.
The second chapter is more stimulating with the
people she met and inspired more in her journey. One should be fortunate enough
and brilliant to get the individual royal audience by His Majesty the King which
she made it with her works. Isn’t it amazing to hear the stories of travel and
other golden words from our own God Father? Many would live the dream of seeing
His Majesty in person and this book brings you closer to the dreams of every
Bhutanese. She also shares the brief moment with our Great Fourth.
Further, the inspiring stories of Denakar’s
Gateway will never keep your eyes off every page you flip and wish the book
continues. The story of Nomad Kencho and Tashi would melt your hearts that they
are the ones who are keeping the culture of Yak herding and guarding the
mountains in the fast paced world of modernization in capital city and other
parts of the country. Her local travels would inspire many to explore the
nearby places rather than dreaming for far foreign places. All places on earth
are equally beautiful in its own way until we explore it passionately. We
always think more of outside and seldom visit our inside nature. We have blessed
pilgrims’ sites and temples yet people wants to travel far and out for more
blessings. We have beautiful places to visit yet we want to take a luxurious vacation
trips to some foreign lands. This book will definitely help us in turning
inside rather than outside for our basic goal in life is to see within
ourselves and live the life.
The last chapter will bring you more stories of
places and its history. You will travel with Denkar to all the corners of
Bhutan where many of us have not even explored our own hometown. The stories of
freezing mountains in the north to the scorching plains to the south will bring
you more present history of Bhutan than what a past history you read in your
primary to high school. When we talk about history, the least heed we give it
to because we were misguided that the subject is only for the Arts students.
But one should realize our life is history in making and at least our children
would read it if not others.
The stories of places should make us feel proud
of how the places are named and its historical legacies that we live today. Her
stories would attract more tourist and help boost the tourism industry in
future for our economy but what is more important is that how every Bhutanese
got to preserve and continue the legacy of beautiful Bhutan. Where would be the
next cleanest village in our country next to Khetokha? Aren’t we excited to
create another such village, community, town, for the high end tourism country?
List are long for all of us to explore and her work would definitely encourage
local tourism and you may come across the new word and subject called Dark
Tourism and Waddling Tour.
This book is master piece of travel literature for
those who want to explore Bhutan but no less piece of art to the blogger,
writers, authors, historians, nature lover, environmentalist, so on. While the
book sounds bit touristic but it has more insight to nature and environment
than mere travel and history. Her stories of climbing the mountains and melting
glaciers lake, there is a message to the world, how climate change is affecting
the small tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan.
The book undoubtedly shall promote tourism
through the stories of our unique traditions and culture right from food to
dress code. The local tourism may boom sooner or later. The book is must for
every tourist guide and I am sure there won’t be any facetious stories our
guide has to tell the tourist like someone did for the Mebar Tsho- the burning lake in Bumthang valley. It inspires the
film industry to make the documentary films may be the Mountain Girl or
relevant movies from the stories.
The aboriginals Lhops (Doyas) community from
the south to the nomads in the north are few realities of culture and
traditions as tiny Kingdom embraces the ever changing world of 21st
century. The other minorities culture right from mother tongue to food is
already in the verge of dying and this book is the reminder for all of us to
hold on to our culture and tradition for Gross National Happiness. The rate at
which Bhutanese leaving for greener pastures in foreign lands are alarming and
will our children ever continue to stay back home and uphold these values, traditions
and culture? Let this book be a guide lesson to our children and to the
leaders.
I found my own passion subject in the very
first page of the first chapter of the book and I guarantee bird lovers would
never regret this book as you will find the location check list of rare birds
like Beautiful Nuthatch to critically endangered White-bellied Heron. The
birders would find more birding hotspots through the stories like in Jigmechu
in Tala and Dewathang in the east.
The Tourist Within shall inspire and motivate
countless mind especially the women across the country and around the globe for
breaking the barriers of woman in the kitchen mindset society. The men will be
equally motivated. The very title of the book itself is liberating for many.
For example, our human nature is always outside centric and not inside. The
wise are the ones who seeks themselves first and outer world later. The book
also reminds us of the royal vison of Bhutan First and His Majesty’ quote, “We
must breathe Bhutan”. The book will definitely inspire thousands of souls
beyond Bhutan.
I have visited number of places from the book
and I would take my family and loved ones for sure in future and add to my
travel list. I am passing this great book to my wife and my daughters. You can
also gift it to your children.
