We were fortunate enough to be invited into the home of a family in Metsina. We were walking back from Chimi Lhakhang and our path took us through some harvested rice fields and past some farm houses.
We walked alongside the outer walled area surrounding a farm house and our guide said something to the young woman of about 16 years of age on the other side of the wall. They spoke a few words back and forth and then he looked at us and said that she would be happy for us to go in and see what a typical Bhutanese farm house might look like and to meet the rest of her family.
This would be our first look into the life of the locals and as it turns out, our timing was perfect as she was also in the process of making some rice wine on an open fire.
Many rural homes have 2-3 floors of living space. The lower level may be used for smaller animals in winter months and equipment. The second floor is for storage of grains, utensils, etc and the upper level is the kitchen, living room area, bedrooms, and a room set aside for a shrine. And finally, there is a space between the upper floor and the roof that is open-air that they use for storage and a place to dry crops.
This particular home was 2 storeys and from what we were able to determine, the owners didn’t have a need for keeping animals in the lower level area and so those rooms were rented. They lived on the second floor.
We passed a sleeping dog and climbed a steep staircase at the side of the house to see a smiling young boy of about 4 years of age at the top, just grinning and smiling at these new guests.
The interior was relatively sparse of furnishings and was very tidy. Their bedrolls had been placed neatly in the corner of the bedroom and they had a TV in the living room area, which is where we found the parents of the girl that we had met outside.
They were sitting cross-legged on a straw mat and were quite welcoming. Although, they didn’t speak English, it was obvious that their children could speak it by the way they spoke to our guide. We had asked questions and before they had a translation, they were already answering. It seems they were just a bit shy.
When we first arrived, we had seen a very young girl sitting on the mother’s lap. I might have guessed that she would have been the grandmother to this child, but she explained to Nima, the young girl had been adopted by them. There was no doubt that this family was willing to open their hearts and home.
Mark, myself, and our guide Nima were given a small plastic pink bowl filled with warm rice wine fresh from the batch being made. I think it’s something that would take some time for me to acquire a taste for, but it warmed us up and made my cheeks immediately rosy-red. (Anyone that knows me, knows that this isn’t surprising!)
It is a simple life for these hard-working farming families, but with the land they have, they can grow enough rice and food for their own families and in some cases sell extra at local markets.
This chance introduction was a very special treat for us.
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