The Tourist Within by Tshering Denkar

 

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 21^st 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.