Bhutans Sense of Humour
By Chris Dwyer
The Land of The Thunder Dragon, as the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutans full name translates into English, has famously embraced modern life at a considerably slower pace than much of the rest of the world.
Television and the internet only arrived in 1999, with mobile phone networks coming four years later. And unbelievably, it wasnt until 1960 that construction began on the countrys very first road. Until then, the only way to get around Bhutan was via the footpaths and mule tracks that criss-cross the breathtaking mountain landscape.
But more than 1,500km of roads have been built since then, and theres a particular and unexpected pleasure for those driving them today: some very quirky roadside signs.
Variously funny, blunt and occasionally profound, they form part of Project Dantak, an Indian government-funded initiative by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which for more than half a century has helped Bhutans steady path towards modernisation through construction and development projects.
In Bhutans second city of Paro, home to the countrys only airport, just 12 pilots are permitted to manually land on the short runway that seems to appear from nowhere between the mountains. At a nearby bend in the road underneath the flight path, where cars pull over for the perfect view of the citys 17th-Century Ta-Dzong watchtower, drivers will see a poetic warning of the perils of drink-driving, a common theme among Bhutans road signs.
The signs are in English and occasionally also in Dzhongka, Bhutans official language. What they lack in punctuation, they make up for by being consistently memorable, thanks to a neat turn of phrase thats perhaps unexpected from the pens of bureaucrats.
With just 75,000 cars for the total population of 750,000 in a country the size of Switzerland the roads are usually pretty empty. Theres also not much in the way of traffic signals. The capital Thimphu was home to Bhutans sole traffic light for just 24 hours. It was quickly removed to be replaced by a now famous policeman who directs traffic with flamboyant, white-gloved hand movements from the middle of what is one of the citys busiest streets. Not that youd know it.
Along the invariably winding mountain roads, speeding is another regular theme. The rhyme playbook is bought out again with Going faster will see disaster or the slightly less terrifying On the bend, go slow friend.
The warnings can also be blunt in the extreme especially when they raise the prospect of not seeing out the end of your journey. Life is a journey, complete it or Time is money, but life is precious leave no doubt as to the goal of making it home in one piece.
Rhyming may be taken to the limits of credibility with Dont hurry, be cool, since heaven is already full but the message is again clear. Project Dantak seems to have some romantics in its ranks, reminding drivers of their loved ones to ensure that speed limits are adhered to.
Elsewhere, the road from Thimphu to the former capital of Punakha passes one of the worlds most beautiful rest stops at the Dochula Pass, where the Jigme Singye Wangchuck Himalayan range and national park provide the horizon.
But as all careful Bhutanese drivers know, Mountains are pleasure only if you drive with leisure.
Its not just road safety that the signs communicate, as a clean environment is clearly a happy one in Bhutan: Dont litter, it will make your life bitter. Theres even room to quietly show some pride in their work, Smooth road for your smooth ride.
Source: BBC
