An Interview With Ugyen

(Halle) Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon, is home to 720,000 people. The terrain is very mountainous with lush forests. The main religion practiced is Buddhism and the language is Dzhongkha. In Bhutan, there are innumerable temples and Dzongs (forts). I decided to interview our guide Ugyen. This is his story.

Q: What was your life like as a child?

A: At age four, Ugyen was responsible for looking after the cows. He made sure that the cows were fed well and then brought back home from grazing. If all the cows didn’t return, his mother would be infuriated. Sometimes all 10 cows would run away in different directions and he would cry and then have to chase them down! As a kid, Ugyen played with marbles and wheels. He was fascinated to see bicycles and people who could balance on two wheels. When he turned 7 his parents sent him to school and he was happy to give up the cows!

Q: Where did you go to school and what was it like?

A: At age 7, Ugyen went to boarding school with his older brother 7 kilometers from home. Since Ugyen was very young and too small, the school refused to board him. Instead, his dad received permission from the school to build a small bamboo hut for him to sleep. It consisted of two planks on which he slept on and there was no running water or heat for the cold winters. Even though Ugyen was all alone, he liked how peaceful it was. If he got into a fight with an older student, then he could just run back to his hut for safety.

When Ugyen moved on to secondary school, once again the school wouldn’t allow him to board, so he would sleep at his dad’s friends house. Since the school didn’t feed him dinner, his family friends fed him for a few months then stopped feeding him. He always thought that if he peeked his head through the door he would get some food but they never gave it to him again. Ugyen was always hungry. If it were not for the World Food Program and their school feeding program, he says he would not be here speaking English right now. On the weekends, the school would allow students to go home for a home cooked meal then come back on Sunday in time for evening prayers and studies. The hike back home took 8 hours up and down mountains!

Q: Why did you come to the U.S.?

A: Ugyen met a man named Bill Lahey in Bhutan and he invited him to learn bike mechanics. At age 21, he went on his first airplane to Massachusetts.

Q: Why did you become a tour guide?

A: Growing up, his family had very little. His house had wooden shingles with a dozen containers under the roof because it leaked when it rained.  After Ugyen finished high school, he thought about supporting his family. In Bhutan, every child has a deep respect for their parents. He went to the U.S. as a bicycle mechanic to make some money. He returned to Bhutan and bought his family a tin roof! He then became a temporary teacher for 4 months, which he did not like because the kids would not listen to him. Then a guide encouraged him to become a guide because he could continue to travel.

Q: Tell me about your cycling.

A: Ugyen got the inspiration from the U.S. to become a cyclist. He now owns a bicycle shop in Bhutan. His motto is “Any distance is biking distance”. Ugyen created a bicycle race to challenge the Bhutanese to push beyond their limits. This race is known as one of the most difficult in the world.  They start this race in the summer at 2:00am and ride 268km over 4 mountain passes that reach up to 10,000ft high in one day. He says that mental strength pushes you up the mountains, especially on the last mountain because it’s 44km straight uphill. Ugyen believes that the young population of Bhutanese athletes could be good Olympians.

Q: What was your biggest accomplishment?

A: In 2005, Ugyen was the first person to ride across the country of Bhutan on a bicycle. He rode a total of 2,500 kilometers in 21 days. In the duration of his journey, Ugyen delivered his message of living a healthy lifestyle to schools across Bhutan and the students were inspired. Some people thought Ugyen was crazy for cycling over these enormous mountains.

Q: What are you most proud of?

A: Ugyen is very proud to inspire the Bhutanese in the field of cycling. He organized a bike race to raise money for cancer. Ugyen’s youngest sister died of Leukemia at age 25 and now he supports many people with cancer.  Ugyen is also proud of his family, especially his two daughters. He encourages them to accomplish their dreams and goals.

Q: What is your dream?

A: Ugyen’s ultimate dream is to become a politician.

Q: What do the Bhutanese think of their country?

A: All Bhutanese are very grateful to the Kings and what they’ve done for the country. He hopes Bhutan can be a model to the rest of the world, even as a developing country.

Ugyen was an excellent guide and made the trip educational and enjoyable. His two daughters Karma 1 & 2 (both are named Karma) were very nice and we got the chance to play soccer with them! Karma 1 could speak great English and was very artistic. Karma 2 was very funny and good at soccer. I’m very glad Ugyen was our guide and I know he will continue to do big things in his future.