Road to Bhutan: Vintage cars, a grand piano and many musicians
20 November, 2008 – Bhutan is in for a grand treat with two groups of special guests arriving in the country to be a part of the coronation and centenary celebrations.
A group of 20 people will arrive in Gelephu today in 10 cars making “music all the way”. The group, known as Road to Bhutan, has travelled for the last nine weeks through Italy, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and India before reaching Bhutan.
A much larger and remarkable group of 70 people, who travelled the same route, enters the country tomorrow in about 35 classic vintage cars, comprising of Rolls Royce, a 1920 BMW, Mercedes Benz, Jaguars and Volvos. They call themselves the Himalaya Trail, 2008.
The group has also shipped a Grand Piano from The Netherlands to Bhutan and the first ever four-handed piano concert will be performed by two well known pianists, Leo van Doeselaar and Wyneka Jordans. Two prominent folk musicians, Linde Nijland and Bert Ridderbos, are also with the group and will perform at different occasions in Thimphu. The piano will be donated to the Kilu music school in Thimphu along with other musical instruments.
Besides the musical performances, classic cars will also be exhibited in Thimphu. Most cars are more than 70 years old and represent boundless values. While some of them are roofless, others were without power steering and some even required manual ignition.
The trip to visit Bhutan was an initiative of Bhutan and Partners, an independent organisation in The Netherlands, coming together with some travel enthusiasts.
But the idea of being a part of the “special events in Bhutan”, that started in spring 2007, was not as easy as it seemed, and there were problems like financial uncertainties and the transportation of a Grand Piano to Bhutan. With so many arrangements to be made, it took the group countless meetings and careful preparations, the team stated in their website.
However, the positive attitude of the group and their passion for travelling and adventure kept them going and soon they began their journey to Bhutan.
By Kesang Dema (Kuenselonline)