1 00:00:03,847 --> 00:00:05,599 Hm. 2 00:01:02,887 --> 00:01:07,324 Suddenly, and somewhat surprisingly, I'm back in the land of yaks. 3 00:01:07,487 --> 00:01:11,196 I'm in Bhutan for a last taste of the high Himalaya. 4 00:01:22,087 --> 00:01:27,115 Bhutan is a tiny pebble squeezed between the great rocks of China and India. 5 00:01:27,287 --> 00:01:30,563 Mostly mountain and forest, it has few roads, 6 00:01:30,727 --> 00:01:34,720 so I'm walking up to Chomolhari, which borders on Tibet. 7 00:01:34,887 --> 00:01:40,007 My guide Dorji wears national costume - as men are expected to in this country. 8 00:01:41,007 --> 00:01:44,238 I favour the international dishevelled look. 9 00:01:52,487 --> 00:01:54,478 There's room to move here. 10 00:01:54,647 --> 00:01:59,596 Bhutan is the size of Switzerland with a population of little more than a million. 11 00:02:03,447 --> 00:02:07,235 It has one of the strictest environmental policies in the world. 12 00:02:07,407 --> 00:02:09,967 A quarter of the country is national park 13 00:02:10,127 --> 00:02:14,200 and not even fallen wood can be gathered without permission. 14 00:02:18,727 --> 00:02:21,799 It's a country jealous of its independence, 15 00:02:21,967 --> 00:02:26,836 ruled by a much-loved king whose policy is "Gross National Happiness" 16 00:02:27,007 --> 00:02:29,521 before "Gross National Product". 17 00:02:33,807 --> 00:02:38,676 The influence of Buddhism is everywhere, like this cliff-top hermitage. 18 00:02:38,847 --> 00:02:43,967 Holy spots seem to crop up all over Bhutan. What's special about here? 19 00:02:45,167 --> 00:02:49,001 Legend claims it was founded by a saint - Guru Rinpoche - 20 00:02:49,167 --> 00:02:54,685 who rode here on a tigress 1,200 years ago and turned himself into something so nasty 21 00:02:54,847 --> 00:02:58,635 that the evil spirits fled and left the valley to Buddhism. 22 00:02:58,807 --> 00:03:01,162 Wow! Fantastic. 23 00:03:15,207 --> 00:03:18,995 That looks like a black rat on the wall there, painted. What is it? 24 00:03:19,167 --> 00:03:21,362 - It's a weasel. - A weasel? 25 00:03:21,527 --> 00:03:25,406 You see the thing that's falling off? It's a precious stone. 26 00:03:25,567 --> 00:03:29,401 It symbolises wealth, prosperity for the house. 27 00:03:29,567 --> 00:03:35,358 Coming out of the mouth of a weasel. Is the weasel considered a lucky creature? 28 00:03:35,527 --> 00:03:40,681 (DORJl) Not the weasel but the actual god of the north holds a weasel in his hand 29 00:03:40,847 --> 00:03:43,236 that spits out precious stones. 30 00:03:43,407 --> 00:03:46,205 (PALIN) It's so complicated. I see. 31 00:03:47,167 --> 00:03:49,965 Gods of the north and regurgitating weasels 32 00:03:50,127 --> 00:03:54,803 are a reminder that religious symbolism is at the heart of Bhutanese life. 33 00:03:54,967 --> 00:03:58,926 If you want a safe journey, don't pass a prayer wheel without spinning it. 34 00:03:59,087 --> 00:04:01,840 (DORJl) I'll leave one for you. 35 00:04:06,407 --> 00:04:08,204 There we go. 36 00:04:10,887 --> 00:04:16,439 Bhutan has taken deliberate steps to keep tourist numbers manageable. 37 00:04:16,607 --> 00:04:21,886 Visitors have to pay a minimum of $200 a day - even if you're staying in a tent. 38 00:04:33,647 --> 00:04:38,402 It's amazing how many people you need to enjoy the outdoor life. 39 00:04:39,527 --> 00:04:42,724 In order to travel through Bhutan as we are now 40 00:04:42,887 --> 00:04:46,641 and kind of see..."off piste" Bhutan... 41 00:04:46,807 --> 00:04:50,197 There are no roads, so you need stuff to be carried - 42 00:04:50,367 --> 00:04:52,323 hence all the horses. 43 00:04:53,407 --> 00:04:55,796 We've got about 20 ponies here 44 00:04:55,967 --> 00:04:59,277 and they have to carry all the gear, really. 45 00:04:59,447 --> 00:05:05,363 All the tents, the kitchen tent down there, chairs, bags, food. 46 00:05:05,527 --> 00:05:10,123 There's a catering cavalry taking all the stuff we'll need for lunch 47 00:05:10,287 --> 00:05:12,642 and another camp this evening. 48 00:05:15,007 --> 00:05:16,998 There's six of us - the crew - 49 00:05:17,167 --> 00:05:22,799 but the rest are the people who help us live and move and see this wonderful country. 50 00:05:22,967 --> 00:05:25,527 All I have to do is fill my water bottle. 51 00:05:26,687 --> 00:05:29,440 I don't even have to do that, actually. 52 00:05:29,607 --> 00:05:31,723 But I drink it. 53 00:05:31,887 --> 00:05:34,355 As you can see, rather nimbly. 54 00:05:37,647 --> 00:05:42,846 Next morning, nothing happens until platefuls of red rice flavoured with chillies - 55 00:05:43,007 --> 00:05:48,035 the magic ingredient of Bhutanese cooking - are devoured for breakfast. 56 00:05:49,287 --> 00:05:54,202 After a few days on the trail, we're out of the woods and into the high country, 57 00:05:54,367 --> 00:05:56,642 where one creature dominates. 58 00:05:56,807 --> 00:05:59,879 (DORJl) All depend on the yak for everything. 59 00:06:00,047 --> 00:06:05,440 (PALIN) And every bit of the yak is used, including its droppings. 60 00:06:05,607 --> 00:06:08,485 - Yeah. The dung. - That's for fire, cooking. 61 00:06:08,647 --> 00:06:10,683 - Eating? - No. 62 00:06:10,847 --> 00:06:15,557 We're in amongst the big peaks again. That's really spectacular. 63 00:06:15,727 --> 00:06:20,198 And the glacier. Is that one of the highest in Bhutan? 64 00:06:20,367 --> 00:06:23,325 No. It must be fourth or fifth highest. 65 00:06:23,487 --> 00:06:25,842 It amazes me that people live here. 66 00:06:26,007 --> 00:06:30,842 This house is at 14,500 feet - higher than the top of the Eiger. 67 00:06:33,487 --> 00:06:37,116 It's the home of a man Dorji very much wants me to meet, 68 00:06:37,287 --> 00:06:40,484 a poet who wrote one of Bhutan's hit songs. 69 00:06:40,647 --> 00:06:44,435 Pleased to meet you. Nice of you to let us drop in. 70 00:06:44,607 --> 00:06:47,405 We just walked in, didn't we, really! 71 00:06:51,927 --> 00:06:54,805 Sorry. I don't know his name. 72 00:06:54,967 --> 00:06:58,482 - Jumi Doji. - Jumi Doji. I'm Michael. 73 00:07:00,207 --> 00:07:03,040 Very nice to meet you. How old are you, sir? 74 00:07:03,207 --> 00:07:06,244 (TRANSLATES) 75 00:07:06,407 --> 00:07:10,036 - 82. - 82? Oh. He looks very good. 76 00:07:10,207 --> 00:07:12,357 Very good for 82. A long life. 77 00:07:20,967 --> 00:07:25,006 So he's saying it's like the sun now is fading... 78 00:07:25,167 --> 00:07:28,842 his life is also... it's fading. 79 00:07:29,007 --> 00:07:30,998 Still, he looks... 80 00:07:36,007 --> 00:07:38,726 He's the one who composed this song. 81 00:07:42,527 --> 00:07:46,918 - If you want to hear him sing, he can. - Yeah. 82 00:07:47,087 --> 00:07:51,603 He's saying that he's old and his voice is not as good as it used to be. 83 00:07:51,767 --> 00:07:56,682 I would just love to hear. If he would like to sing, that would be wonderful. 84 00:07:56,847 --> 00:07:59,839 (PROLONGED NOTE) 85 00:08:44,047 --> 00:08:46,515 Thank you. That was really good. 86 00:08:49,447 --> 00:08:54,316 I could sing you a song about a lumberjack, but you won't want to hear that! 87 00:08:58,007 --> 00:09:00,840 You want to hear it? Well, it's very silly. 88 00:09:01,007 --> 00:09:02,998 - No, but... - OK. 89 00:09:05,407 --> 00:09:09,446 ♪ I cut down trees, I eat my lunch, I go to the lavatory 90 00:09:09,607 --> 00:09:13,566 ♪ On Wednesdays I go shopping and have buttered scones for tea 91 00:09:13,727 --> 00:09:16,446 ♪ I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK, I cut down... ♪ 92 00:09:16,607 --> 00:09:20,805 I sleep all night and I work all day. I can't even remember it! 93 00:09:20,967 --> 00:09:24,277 It's not as nice as your yak... song. 94 00:09:27,207 --> 00:09:30,563 We could go on tour together. Let's go on tour. 95 00:09:30,727 --> 00:09:35,323 You sing your song and I'll do mine. 96 00:09:35,487 --> 00:09:36,886 Thank you. 97 00:10:05,767 --> 00:10:08,918 Tonight we'll be staying at Chomolhari base camp, 98 00:10:09,087 --> 00:10:11,726 the highest point on our trek, 99 00:10:11,887 --> 00:10:14,765 where the mountain trails lead into Tibet. 100 00:10:15,767 --> 00:10:19,442 A beautiful place for a site. It's quite enclosed. 101 00:10:19,607 --> 00:10:24,397 - This is one of the best camps. - And this is permanent? Obviously. 102 00:10:30,167 --> 00:10:31,919 Hi. 103 00:10:47,367 --> 00:10:51,280 How many days before we? We start to go down now, really. 104 00:10:51,447 --> 00:10:54,086 How many days before we get to Paro? 105 00:10:54,247 --> 00:10:58,957 - Three days from now we'll be in Paro. - Three days? Right. 106 00:10:59,127 --> 00:11:02,278 - For the festival. - Yeah. 107 00:11:02,447 --> 00:11:07,601 - So it's pretty much downhill from here? - Yes. Downhill all the way. 108 00:11:10,527 --> 00:11:15,157 That's not so bad. It's very nice up here, kind of enclosed. 109 00:11:28,007 --> 00:11:31,886 In the morning, the sight of the mountain passes behind us 110 00:11:32,047 --> 00:11:37,917 makes me feel a kinship for those who, for centuries, have kept trade routes open. 111 00:11:38,087 --> 00:11:39,998 It must be in the blood. 112 00:11:40,167 --> 00:11:45,764 Men of the mountains doggedly shifting food, clothes, animals and... God knows what. 113 00:11:45,927 --> 00:11:48,999 For me, unfortunately, it's one-way traffic. 114 00:11:49,167 --> 00:11:52,204 This is a bit of a sad moment because up there 115 00:11:52,367 --> 00:11:57,043 is probably the last of the great Himalayan peaks I shall see - Chomolhari. 116 00:11:57,207 --> 00:12:00,563 About 24,000 feet, just over 7,000 metres. 117 00:12:00,727 --> 00:12:05,721 I'll miss the big mountains. Nowadays I think those are the only mountains. 118 00:12:05,887 --> 00:12:08,879 Anything less than 20,000 feet is just tiny. 119 00:12:09,047 --> 00:12:14,167 So farewell, the big monumental Himalayan peaks. Farewell, Chomolhari. 120 00:13:28,287 --> 00:13:30,039 Oh-ah! 121 00:13:30,207 --> 00:13:33,404 This is just the great joyful moment of trekking. 122 00:13:33,567 --> 00:13:37,799 Getting to the end of a trail and then finding you're by a river. 123 00:13:37,967 --> 00:13:42,085 And... a bath for the feet. 124 00:13:42,247 --> 00:13:44,363 Wow. It's icy cold. 125 00:13:45,527 --> 00:13:51,045 Glacier water. It looks a bit muddy but it actually is probably pure. 126 00:13:51,207 --> 00:13:53,846 And it is such a relief. 127 00:13:55,647 --> 00:13:58,719 It's the joy of trekking by the river, really. 128 00:14:00,087 --> 00:14:02,396 If it was warmer, I'd have a swim. 129 00:14:03,407 --> 00:14:07,036 Oh, that's just lovely. Those rocks... 130 00:14:07,207 --> 00:14:13,237 We did about 15, maybe 20, kilometres today, 18 kilometres yesterday. 131 00:14:13,407 --> 00:14:17,446 It's a lot of wear for feet only used to going up and down stairs. 132 00:14:19,007 --> 00:14:21,396 Trekking is a great leveller. 133 00:14:22,407 --> 00:14:28,642 The river is everyone's bath and the horses are our indispensable companions. 134 00:14:43,967 --> 00:14:46,640 Dawn beside the Paro River. 135 00:14:46,807 --> 00:14:49,879 Another day, another of the world's great campsites, 136 00:14:50,047 --> 00:14:54,438 another early-morning call with another cup of "bed" tea. 137 00:14:59,727 --> 00:15:02,605 Oh. One of the advantages of trekking 138 00:15:02,767 --> 00:15:06,680 is that you are absolutely knocked out by the time night comes. 139 00:15:06,847 --> 00:15:10,556 I've slept better here than I probably ever do in London. 140 00:15:10,727 --> 00:15:13,480 The only disadvantage is bodily hygiene. 141 00:15:13,647 --> 00:15:16,161 I haven't seen my body for several days, 142 00:15:16,327 --> 00:15:21,162 so when I get back to Paro later there'll be a bit of sandblasting needed. 143 00:15:21,327 --> 00:15:25,036 Otherwise, it's not a bad life - I say, reluctantly. 144 00:15:33,247 --> 00:15:35,238 What more could we want? 145 00:15:35,407 --> 00:15:40,765 The horses get ready to carry our bags, there's dried yak buttock for breakfast, 146 00:15:40,927 --> 00:15:44,715 no queue for the bathroom and time for leisurely discussion. 147 00:15:46,767 --> 00:15:50,999 The intention is to go to this festival. What is the festival? 148 00:15:51,167 --> 00:15:54,443 The festival is very important to the people. 149 00:15:54,607 --> 00:15:57,075 It's got very religious significance. 150 00:15:57,247 --> 00:16:03,561 At the same time, it's a time for the people to wear their best dress and mess around. 151 00:16:03,727 --> 00:16:08,755 It's like a holiday, but it's got a lot of religious significance. 152 00:16:13,767 --> 00:16:17,442 The Buddhists of Bhutan are different from those in Tibet. 153 00:16:17,607 --> 00:16:20,246 Their spiritual leader is the Je Khenpo. 154 00:16:20,407 --> 00:16:24,400 The Dalai Lama has no authority and has never even been here. 155 00:16:24,567 --> 00:16:28,196 Dorji boasts of Bhutanese victories over the Tibetans, 156 00:16:28,367 --> 00:16:33,964 whose armies made repeated attempts to invade his country down these very trails. 157 00:16:41,647 --> 00:16:44,957 - Wish us luck on the journey. - Safe journey. 158 00:16:46,447 --> 00:16:50,520 Another day's slogging brings us to the outskirts of Paro. 159 00:16:50,687 --> 00:16:52,837 - (PALIN) Ooh. - Tired? 160 00:16:53,007 --> 00:16:56,636 So this is what we've been aiming for. Yes, I am tired. 161 00:16:56,807 --> 00:16:59,605 I'm very tired. Well, my legs are tired. 162 00:16:59,767 --> 00:17:03,316 My brain kind of switched off long ago. 163 00:17:07,407 --> 00:17:12,845 Oh, wow. It's nice to see a village. This place is rather beautiful. 164 00:17:13,007 --> 00:17:17,717 - The start of the route. - Is that Paro there? 165 00:17:17,887 --> 00:17:21,562 The great castle or "dzong" at Paro dominates the valley. 166 00:17:21,727 --> 00:17:24,844 It's where the Tsechu festival will begin tomorrow. 167 00:17:29,927 --> 00:17:33,397 Is it considered essential to go to the Tsechu? 168 00:17:33,567 --> 00:17:37,116 It's not essential, but it's... er... 169 00:17:38,127 --> 00:17:41,836 of very religious significance and it's very important. 170 00:17:42,007 --> 00:17:45,044 - So if you go, you get a bit of merit? - Yes. 171 00:17:45,207 --> 00:17:47,198 Tsechu means "tenth", 172 00:17:47,367 --> 00:17:51,997 the day of the month when Guru Rinpoche's great deeds took place. 173 00:17:52,167 --> 00:17:58,276 - It's an opportunity to buy, sell... - Make some money. 174 00:17:58,447 --> 00:18:01,359 (SLOW CHANTING) 175 00:18:01,527 --> 00:18:05,645 The way to the castle is lined with monks offering blessings for money, 176 00:18:05,807 --> 00:18:07,923 and packs of stray dogs. 177 00:18:08,087 --> 00:18:12,842 In a Buddhist country, all life is sacred, so they're free to be a nuisance. 178 00:18:13,007 --> 00:18:14,998 The dogs, I mean, not the monks. 179 00:18:17,447 --> 00:18:21,918 How many people do they expect for the opening day? 180 00:18:22,087 --> 00:18:26,478 - Maybe about 2,000. - Really? Yeah. 181 00:18:26,647 --> 00:18:30,083 (PALIN) Mostly... um... Bhutanese? 182 00:18:30,247 --> 00:18:32,477 Yes. Mostly local. 183 00:18:34,807 --> 00:18:37,116 As the opening dances begin, 184 00:18:37,287 --> 00:18:40,245 everyone tries to grab the best vantage point. 185 00:18:41,247 --> 00:18:44,637 You can't reserve seats because there are no seats, 186 00:18:44,807 --> 00:18:47,765 except for senior monks and their families. 187 00:18:51,047 --> 00:18:53,515 (DRUMS, BELLS AND CHANTING) 188 00:19:24,527 --> 00:19:27,883 It's a long dance. What are they doing in the dance? 189 00:19:28,047 --> 00:19:31,881 There's a lot of hand gestures symbolising a lot of things. 190 00:19:32,047 --> 00:19:36,802 (PALIN) But they're basically purifying the area. 191 00:19:37,967 --> 00:19:43,360 Dorji tells me that the long-sleeved tunics were once cover for an assassination. 192 00:19:43,527 --> 00:19:50,877 One... saint who was doing a dance, and there was an anti-Buddhist king in Tibet, 193 00:19:51,047 --> 00:19:56,565 so he hid his bow and arrow in the sleeves and shot the king. 194 00:19:56,727 --> 00:20:00,561 - So it's symbolic, these long sleeves. - I see. 195 00:20:09,087 --> 00:20:14,400 In a country with few theatres or cinemas, which has only had TVfor five years, 196 00:20:14,567 --> 00:20:20,437 this festival is, apart from any religious significance, riveting entertainment. 197 00:20:28,927 --> 00:20:33,079 Monarchy and religion - the twin pillars of Bhutanese society - 198 00:20:33,247 --> 00:20:35,966 come together in the Queen Mother's Chapel, 199 00:20:36,127 --> 00:20:39,756 to which I've been invited to watch evening prayers. 200 00:20:41,287 --> 00:20:45,519 Music is played and candles are lit to warn off harmful spirits. 201 00:20:58,927 --> 00:21:02,681 I have plenty of time to study the sumptuous decorations 202 00:21:02,847 --> 00:21:08,444 and contemplate my own impermanence and the awful fragility of human life. 203 00:21:24,407 --> 00:21:26,875 (LOW CHANTING) 204 00:21:32,167 --> 00:21:34,920 Next day, the atmosphere is anything but reflective, 205 00:21:35,087 --> 00:21:39,000 as Dorji and I join the crowds for the second day of the festival. 206 00:21:39,167 --> 00:21:43,718 - Everything seems to be uphill in Buddhism! - In Bhutan. 207 00:21:43,887 --> 00:21:46,560 It's a steep religion. And Bhutan, yes. 208 00:21:46,727 --> 00:21:51,960 I suppose because Buddhism is very much a Himalayan religion anyway, 209 00:21:52,127 --> 00:21:56,837 so anywhere you go temples will be built high up on the hill. 210 00:22:00,407 --> 00:22:02,443 Oh, wow. Look at this. 211 00:22:02,607 --> 00:22:07,727 It's amazing. There are so few people in the country and they're all here! 212 00:22:07,887 --> 00:22:10,196 It's like Wembley Cup Final. 213 00:22:10,367 --> 00:22:15,282 It's a small place, all crammed, but on the whole it's a very small population. 214 00:22:15,447 --> 00:22:19,076 And nice to see everybody dressed up. It's wonderful. 215 00:22:19,247 --> 00:22:22,683 - Brocade... - Everyone's got their best stuff on. 216 00:22:40,007 --> 00:22:44,285 It's quite tempting, all that. What do you recommend? 217 00:22:44,447 --> 00:22:47,325 - Have a dumpling. - Momos? 218 00:22:47,487 --> 00:22:51,082 Yeah. OK. Lovely. How much are they? 219 00:22:53,047 --> 00:22:55,038 - 35. - 35. 220 00:22:56,087 --> 00:22:58,396 - That's 100. - OK. Thank you. 221 00:22:58,567 --> 00:23:00,444 Some chilli. 222 00:23:01,447 --> 00:23:06,237 The chilli looks dangerous. You love chilli here, don't you? 223 00:23:07,847 --> 00:23:09,838 Mmm. Thank you. 224 00:23:16,607 --> 00:23:22,159 The highlight of today's festivities is the dance of the Judgement of the Dead. 225 00:23:22,327 --> 00:23:24,966 (LOW WAILING) 226 00:23:25,127 --> 00:23:27,595 The God of the Dead, with his attendants, 227 00:23:27,767 --> 00:23:32,716 listens to mortals, weighs up their actions and judges them accordingly. 228 00:23:35,167 --> 00:23:39,877 The dances are a test of stamina for audience and participants alike. 229 00:24:04,287 --> 00:24:08,439 Away from the arena, there are reassuringly familiar things. 230 00:24:08,607 --> 00:24:12,805 A car park, portable cinemas showing the local blockbusters, 231 00:24:12,967 --> 00:24:15,959 even Bhutanese bingo. 232 00:24:17,007 --> 00:24:20,636 (CALLER) Four and nine. 49. 233 00:24:23,727 --> 00:24:26,878 Eight and five. 85. 234 00:24:27,047 --> 00:24:31,643 Anyone? OK, no one. Unlucky, unlucky. 235 00:24:31,807 --> 00:24:34,321 The star attraction is archery, 236 00:24:34,487 --> 00:24:38,196 which I watch with the King's cousin, Ashi Khendum. 237 00:24:38,367 --> 00:24:42,042 - Almost. That was quite close. - How can you see? 238 00:24:42,207 --> 00:24:44,926 You can tell. You sort of get used to it. 239 00:24:45,087 --> 00:24:48,443 (PALIN) You can tell from just the movements of the people. 240 00:24:48,607 --> 00:24:51,167 Archery is the national sport of Bhutan. 241 00:24:51,327 --> 00:24:56,242 Players are allowed, even encouraged, to put off their opponents. 242 00:24:56,407 --> 00:24:58,398 He's a baby. 243 00:24:59,407 --> 00:25:01,125 Take it easy, man. 244 00:25:01,287 --> 00:25:06,600 ♪ Don't let me down! 245 00:25:06,767 --> 00:25:08,598 ♪ Don't let me down! ♪ 246 00:25:08,767 --> 00:25:11,042 The sport is played at the highest level. 247 00:25:11,207 --> 00:25:16,076 This team of Bhutan's elite contains bankers and cabinet ministers 248 00:25:16,247 --> 00:25:19,717 not afraid to let whatever hair they have down. 249 00:25:19,887 --> 00:25:23,562 (SING IN DZONGKHA) 250 00:25:23,727 --> 00:25:25,718 (SHOUTS) 251 00:25:34,247 --> 00:25:38,798 0n the last day of Tsechu, crowds gather at the dzong before dawn 252 00:25:38,967 --> 00:25:41,162 to witness the most important event, 253 00:25:41,327 --> 00:25:45,684 a rare chance to see one of the great treasures of Himalayan Buddhism - 254 00:25:45,847 --> 00:25:49,362 a tapestry the height of a five-storey building. 255 00:25:49,527 --> 00:25:52,246 (SOFT CHANTING) 256 00:25:55,167 --> 00:25:57,556 To avoid damage by sunlight, 257 00:25:57,727 --> 00:26:02,084 the tapestry - called a "thongdrel" - is unveiled before daybreak. 258 00:26:03,087 --> 00:26:08,798 By the light of butter lamps, one can make out a throng of monks and pilgrims. 259 00:26:14,807 --> 00:26:19,119 For such a devotional people, this is a hugely significant event, 260 00:26:19,287 --> 00:26:23,439 attended by the abbot and senior monks in full panoply. 261 00:26:23,607 --> 00:26:26,519 "Thondrel" means "liberation by sight" 262 00:26:26,687 --> 00:26:30,396 and just to be in its presence earns enormous merit. 263 00:26:37,087 --> 00:26:41,205 As sunrise approaches, the crowd surges forward to be blessed. 264 00:26:41,367 --> 00:26:44,643 Anywhere but Bhutan the crush would be frightening. 265 00:26:46,687 --> 00:26:50,760 But this is not a crush of triumphant winners or angry losers, 266 00:26:50,927 --> 00:26:55,398 but a crowd united in a Buddhist way in looking for a better life - 267 00:26:55,567 --> 00:26:58,206 either this time or next time around. 268 00:27:08,127 --> 00:27:10,482 Thimphu is the capital of Bhutan. 269 00:27:10,647 --> 00:27:12,638 With traffic police doing T'ai Chi, 270 00:27:12,807 --> 00:27:16,243 women wearing national dress and monks out shopping, 271 00:27:16,407 --> 00:27:19,763 this is not quite like any other capital I've known. 272 00:27:19,927 --> 00:27:23,317 But behind the facade of metropolitan Buddhism, 273 00:27:23,487 --> 00:27:28,686 there are places where confused Westerners won't feel out of place. 274 00:27:34,487 --> 00:27:36,717 At this downtown snooker club, 275 00:27:36,887 --> 00:27:40,516 there's chance of a decent drink and a gossip at the bar. 276 00:27:40,687 --> 00:27:45,442 Benji Dorji - sometime Chief Justice, Minister of Health and of Education - 277 00:27:45,607 --> 00:27:49,202 is introduced to me by his cousin Khendum who I met at the archery. 278 00:27:52,847 --> 00:27:56,237 This is a rather nice lifestyle. 279 00:27:56,407 --> 00:27:59,126 I'm not sure I expected it in Bhutan. 280 00:27:59,287 --> 00:28:01,926 Here we are having a drink, playing pool 281 00:28:02,087 --> 00:28:05,796 and it's a very tolerant bar-type atmosphere. 282 00:28:05,967 --> 00:28:09,277 Is this compatible with the principles of Buddhism? 283 00:28:09,447 --> 00:28:13,804 - Yes, of course. Tolerance. Happiness. - Is that what it's about? 284 00:28:13,967 --> 00:28:19,087 - Everybody knows everybody. - Yeah. That's interesting to hear. 285 00:28:19,247 --> 00:28:23,081 And also everybody should do what makes them happy. 286 00:28:23,247 --> 00:28:25,841 - Really? - Do their own thing. 287 00:28:26,007 --> 00:28:30,046 We're not very judgemental or very conservative. 288 00:28:30,207 --> 00:28:34,564 Are you a practising Buddhist? Do you go to temple and all that? 289 00:28:34,727 --> 00:28:38,845 - Yes, yes, I do. Very much so. - So you? 290 00:28:39,007 --> 00:28:45,321 For us Buddhism is a way of life more than a religion. It's more a part of everyday life. 291 00:28:45,487 --> 00:28:50,163 It's not something that you think about and do. It just comes naturally. 292 00:28:50,327 --> 00:28:54,115 - And do you think about it? - Now and then I think about it. 293 00:28:55,847 --> 00:29:00,443 Because we're from the West. We're riddled with guilt, basically. 294 00:29:00,607 --> 00:29:02,563 - We don't have that. - No guilt? 295 00:29:02,727 --> 00:29:07,517 I'm multi-denominational so I only think about God when I'm in trouble! 296 00:29:10,207 --> 00:29:15,235 - So you think about him quite a lot! - Not all of us are like that. 297 00:29:15,407 --> 00:29:17,637 It's just easy. It's easy. 298 00:29:20,207 --> 00:29:25,759 Do you believe in reincarnation - that you'll be something else in another life? 299 00:29:25,927 --> 00:29:28,077 - Me personally? - Yes. 300 00:29:28,247 --> 00:29:33,401 I'm not sure. I have this little problem with reincarnation. 301 00:29:33,567 --> 00:29:38,925 I think some people definitely are reincarnated 302 00:29:39,087 --> 00:29:44,445 and have had other lives and are aware and they're very spiritual and holy. 303 00:29:44,607 --> 00:29:47,838 I don't think all of us are destined for greatness 304 00:29:48,007 --> 00:29:50,999 and I don't think all of us will be reincarnated 305 00:29:51,167 --> 00:29:55,718 or that we had another life or that we'll ever know about it if we did. 306 00:29:55,887 --> 00:29:59,277 - I thought that was a basic... - It is. Of course it is. 307 00:29:59,447 --> 00:30:03,076 But I personally don't... I can't reconcile my belief, 308 00:30:03,247 --> 00:30:06,876 my practising of Buddhism, with that aspect of it. 309 00:30:08,327 --> 00:30:11,683 - That's an unusual thought. - It is unusual. 310 00:30:11,847 --> 00:30:14,964 I know what I'd like to be reborn as. 311 00:30:15,127 --> 00:30:20,076 A black, seven-foot-six basketball player who earns a lot of money. 312 00:30:21,967 --> 00:30:26,757 I think you're going to have to work hard! You might be a little... 313 00:30:26,927 --> 00:30:31,318 - He'll be a cockroach in his next life! - I'm sure he won't be. 314 00:30:31,487 --> 00:30:36,242 - A nine-foot-tall, basketball-playing cockroach! - Thank you very much! 315 00:30:46,567 --> 00:30:49,639 Benji's passion has always been the environment 316 00:30:49,807 --> 00:30:54,517 and he's taking me to a remote valley to show me his favourite project. 317 00:30:58,127 --> 00:31:03,121 The road runs east from Thimphu towards Popshika in the Black Mountains. 318 00:31:03,287 --> 00:31:09,362 Beyond that, to the south and east, lies my final destination - Bangladesh. 319 00:31:15,407 --> 00:31:18,205 - It's quite a good road. - Yes. 320 00:31:18,367 --> 00:31:24,636 You know, until about 30 years ago there wasn't a road here and you had to... 321 00:31:24,807 --> 00:31:26,798 How did you get across? 322 00:31:26,967 --> 00:31:30,323 You'd take pack ponies, riding horses, 323 00:31:30,487 --> 00:31:34,958 and it would take you days on the old trail... 324 00:31:35,127 --> 00:31:38,915 to get to wherever you wanted to go. 325 00:31:39,087 --> 00:31:43,603 (PALIN) Because this is a main link through the centre? 326 00:31:43,767 --> 00:31:47,840 Yes, this is the main link through Bhutan, linking east to west. 327 00:31:53,847 --> 00:31:58,125 Bhutan is conditioned, mentally and physically, by the Himalaya. 328 00:31:58,287 --> 00:32:02,121 Mountain ranges split the country into a series of valleys, 329 00:32:02,287 --> 00:32:05,836 each with their own character and, often, climate. 330 00:32:06,007 --> 00:32:11,081 0n the other side of this 10,000-foot pass, we leave the snow behind. 331 00:32:18,807 --> 00:32:21,162 This is the Popshika Valley, 332 00:32:21,327 --> 00:32:26,447 winter home of one of the world's rarest birds - the black-necked crane. 333 00:32:26,607 --> 00:32:30,759 Most elegant of all Himalayan birds, they fly here from the north, 334 00:32:30,927 --> 00:32:34,442 attracted by the marshy wetland of the valley. 335 00:32:34,607 --> 00:32:40,079 Benji has fought to preserve their habitat from being drained by local farmers. 336 00:32:40,247 --> 00:32:43,284 - They look quite grand, the houses. - Yes. 337 00:32:43,447 --> 00:32:46,598 Are they quite prosperous farmers here? 338 00:32:46,767 --> 00:32:48,758 Not necessarily. 339 00:32:48,927 --> 00:32:51,600 Houses are built by communities. 340 00:32:51,767 --> 00:32:55,316 - They all build houses for each other. - I see. 341 00:32:55,487 --> 00:33:00,607 So if I'm building a house, they'll all come and help me build my house. 342 00:33:00,767 --> 00:33:05,921 - So the people share the cost? - They share the cost. 343 00:33:10,807 --> 00:33:14,561 In Bhutan, every farmhouse looks like a small manor. 344 00:33:14,727 --> 00:33:18,197 By law, all must be built to a traditional design. 345 00:33:18,367 --> 00:33:20,597 Wood? Mainly wood and what? 346 00:33:20,767 --> 00:33:27,036 Wood, acra, mud. The lower part is all mud. They build first the foundation. 347 00:33:27,207 --> 00:33:30,199 They don't have a foundation as such, as a Western house. 348 00:33:30,367 --> 00:33:34,883 They put the stones down, then they compact mud down - a thick wall. 349 00:33:35,047 --> 00:33:39,120 A very thick wall of mud and then on top it's wood and acra. 350 00:33:39,287 --> 00:33:43,246 It's all hand-made... the wooden... 351 00:33:44,247 --> 00:33:47,922 And most houses in western Bhutan have the phallic symbol. 352 00:33:48,087 --> 00:33:51,079 That's a really wonderfully drawn phallus. 353 00:33:51,247 --> 00:33:55,638 It's to ward off evil and for prosperity and protection. 354 00:33:55,807 --> 00:34:00,676 So that's actually a fertility symbol with the sperm coming out and all that? 355 00:34:01,847 --> 00:34:05,556 There are half a dozen painted penises in this village. 356 00:34:05,727 --> 00:34:10,642 They were inspired by a 16th-century religious hero called Drukpa Kunley, 357 00:34:10,807 --> 00:34:12,365 the Divine Madman, 358 00:34:12,527 --> 00:34:16,566 who walked the country preaching and practising 359 00:34:16,727 --> 00:34:19,560 his fervent brand of phallocentricity. 360 00:34:19,727 --> 00:34:22,195 And no one here bats an eyelid. 361 00:34:24,647 --> 00:34:27,957 So, Michael, this is a typical Bhutanese stair. 362 00:34:28,127 --> 00:34:30,925 - As you can see, it's very steep. - Yup. 363 00:34:31,087 --> 00:34:33,601 There's an art to going up it. 364 00:34:33,767 --> 00:34:37,521 The staircase is really a tree trunk with a few notches in it. 365 00:34:37,687 --> 00:34:40,201 They didn't bother to finish the steps. 366 00:34:40,367 --> 00:34:44,280 You're about to enter a typical Bhutanese village house. 367 00:34:44,447 --> 00:34:46,438 Very rough hewn. 368 00:34:48,687 --> 00:34:51,281 A family of five shares the house. 369 00:34:52,287 --> 00:34:55,199 Dawa Zangmar, the youngest of three sisters, 370 00:34:55,367 --> 00:34:57,961 is about to go to boarding school in a town. 371 00:34:58,127 --> 00:35:01,483 She helps the family income by weaving. 372 00:35:03,607 --> 00:35:09,000 She can make a kira - the long skirt with complex textures and colours - in a week. 373 00:35:11,047 --> 00:35:14,642 - No knives and forks. - No knives and forks traditionally. 374 00:35:14,807 --> 00:35:20,165 What we do is we take the rice and we fold it into a ball... 375 00:35:21,207 --> 00:35:24,961 We make it into a ball and then clean our hands with it 376 00:35:25,127 --> 00:35:29,200 and you can also use it to clean your dress - it takes off the dust. 377 00:35:29,367 --> 00:35:32,643 So you wash yourself with the rice? Then you eat it? 378 00:35:32,807 --> 00:35:36,766 - No, you don't eat that! - A nice, rich texture! 379 00:35:40,207 --> 00:35:43,438 Michael, there's an art to going down these stairs. 380 00:35:43,607 --> 00:35:48,635 You have to sort of lean back a little bit and don't slide down. 381 00:35:48,807 --> 00:35:52,516 - I'll show you how it's done. - I'll follow your advice. 382 00:35:52,687 --> 00:35:57,283 Keep your feet a little back. And there we go. 383 00:35:57,447 --> 00:36:00,803 - Obviously don't drink much in Bhutan. - How are you doing? 384 00:36:00,967 --> 00:36:06,599 Obviously don't drink much or they wouldn't make stairs like that! Very nice. 385 00:36:13,447 --> 00:36:15,915 Next morning the weather's perfect 386 00:36:16,087 --> 00:36:19,636 and we have a clear view of the elusive black-necks. 387 00:36:19,807 --> 00:36:22,446 Despite the Buddhist's love of all creatures, 388 00:36:22,607 --> 00:36:26,122 Benjigot a cool response when he tried to have them protected. 389 00:36:26,287 --> 00:36:30,724 The government refused to stop draining the marsh for a mere 20 birds. 390 00:36:30,887 --> 00:36:35,039 Benji went out and counted 80 of them. This changed their minds. 391 00:36:35,207 --> 00:36:39,678 A reserve was set up and now some 300 come here every year. 392 00:36:39,847 --> 00:36:42,884 - (BENJl) There are 19 of them there. - 19, yes. 393 00:36:43,047 --> 00:36:48,075 - Then I can spot about three young ones. - How do you tell the young ones? 394 00:36:48,247 --> 00:36:52,718 They're a little smaller and grey in colour. Greyish in colour. 395 00:36:52,887 --> 00:36:54,366 Yeah. 396 00:36:55,447 --> 00:37:01,079 They're handsome. You can see the black head and neck. Totally black. 397 00:37:01,247 --> 00:37:05,445 Why are they so important, Benji? This particular bird. 398 00:37:05,607 --> 00:37:08,804 You know, these birds are sort of... 399 00:37:09,927 --> 00:37:15,843 When they arrive at the end of October, early November when they all get here... 400 00:37:16,007 --> 00:37:19,556 - Arrive from where? - Tibet. They come from Tibet. 401 00:37:19,727 --> 00:37:24,596 They circle this monastery, so people think it's auspicious, 402 00:37:24,767 --> 00:37:27,804 that there's a linkage between the monastery and the birds. 403 00:37:27,967 --> 00:37:34,281 (PALIN) Because there's a lot of religious symbols here. The prayer flags. 404 00:37:34,447 --> 00:37:37,996 - So they think they're somehow sacred? - Sacred. 405 00:37:38,167 --> 00:37:43,161 You seem to have the balance... It feels much better here than elsewhere. 406 00:37:43,327 --> 00:37:47,286 - Buddhist philosophy. Holistic approach. - Yeah. 407 00:37:47,447 --> 00:37:50,883 - That all life is interconnected. - Yeah. 408 00:37:52,007 --> 00:37:57,684 The cynic in me says, "Tell that to the farmers who are trying to make a living", 409 00:37:57,847 --> 00:38:00,281 but cynicism doesn't work in Bhutan. 410 00:38:00,447 --> 00:38:04,406 It seems out of place in this small, well-ordered kingdom. 411 00:38:04,567 --> 00:38:08,924 While Gross National Product remains less important than Gross National Happiness, 412 00:38:09,087 --> 00:38:10,884 the future looks pretty good. 413 00:38:13,967 --> 00:38:19,439 From Bhutan, there's only a narrow bit of India to cross before my last frontier. 414 00:38:19,607 --> 00:38:21,598 I'm now in Bangladesh - 415 00:38:21,767 --> 00:38:25,316 a vast alluvial plain created by the Himalayan rivers. 416 00:38:25,487 --> 00:38:29,116 I shall go from Syhlet through Dhaka, the capital, 417 00:38:29,287 --> 00:38:31,517 and out onto the Bay of Bengal. 418 00:38:31,687 --> 00:38:36,477 I've come from a kingdom to a republic, from an old nation to one of the newest, 419 00:38:36,647 --> 00:38:40,196 from a million people to 135 million. 420 00:38:45,007 --> 00:38:49,205 Good afternoon. There's my Bangladeshi passport in there. 421 00:38:49,367 --> 00:38:52,996 My Bangladeshi visa, I should say, and British passport. 422 00:38:53,167 --> 00:38:55,237 Bangladesh has had a hard life. 423 00:38:55,407 --> 00:39:00,845 It won independence from Pakistan in 1971 amidst war, massacre and famine 424 00:39:01,007 --> 00:39:03,282 which few in the West even noticed. 425 00:39:03,447 --> 00:39:05,677 George Harrison was an exception. 426 00:39:05,847 --> 00:39:09,635 (MUSIC: "BANGLADESH" BY GEORGE HARRISON) 427 00:39:11,807 --> 00:39:14,162 ♪ Bangla Desh 428 00:39:14,327 --> 00:39:16,887 ♪ Bangla Desh 429 00:39:18,487 --> 00:39:21,445 ♪ Where so many people 430 00:39:21,607 --> 00:39:23,598 ♪ Are dying fast 431 00:39:23,767 --> 00:39:26,804 ♪ And it sure looks like a mess 432 00:39:28,687 --> 00:39:32,202 ♪ I've never seen such distress... ♪ 433 00:39:34,007 --> 00:39:38,364 From the air you can see the cause of so many of the country's problems. 434 00:39:38,527 --> 00:39:43,521 This is the dry season, but even now most of the land is barely above water. 435 00:39:45,287 --> 00:39:47,596 ♪ Bangla Desh 436 00:39:47,767 --> 00:39:50,235 ♪ Bangla Desh... ♪ 437 00:39:52,247 --> 00:39:57,958 Huge rivers and torrential monsoons keep Bangladesh both fertile and fragile. 438 00:39:58,127 --> 00:40:00,197 ♪ It looks like a mess 439 00:40:01,607 --> 00:40:04,883 ♪ I've never known such distress... ♪ 440 00:40:05,047 --> 00:40:09,165 Not far from the border, rivers are being farmed - 441 00:40:09,327 --> 00:40:12,603 providing a livelihood for those who scour their waters, 442 00:40:12,767 --> 00:40:16,362 not for metals or minerals, but just for stones. 443 00:40:18,927 --> 00:40:24,399 Whoa. Boulders like these are Bangladesh's bounty from the Himalaya. 444 00:40:24,567 --> 00:40:29,243 They're washed down from the foothills and gather here on the plain. 445 00:40:29,407 --> 00:40:35,164 In a country that has no stone quarries, these offerings are extremely valuable. 446 00:40:35,327 --> 00:40:37,966 There's money in them thar rocks. 447 00:40:39,287 --> 00:40:41,323 But not for those who gather them. 448 00:40:41,487 --> 00:40:46,959 For a day's hard labour, unskilled workers earn the equivalent of 70 pence. 449 00:40:50,327 --> 00:40:56,118 But thousands of people are desperate enough to work this river, day in and day out, 450 00:40:56,287 --> 00:40:59,723 to serve a building boom that they have no share in. 451 00:41:07,447 --> 00:41:10,484 But money has poured in to the town of Syhlet 452 00:41:10,647 --> 00:41:13,036 from a group known as the Londonies - 453 00:41:13,207 --> 00:41:19,316 Bangladeshis who've made small fortunes from running restaurants in London. 454 00:41:22,567 --> 00:41:25,877 Brick Lane has become marble and stone. 455 00:41:31,447 --> 00:41:35,759 - So this is your newest house? - Yes. 456 00:41:35,927 --> 00:41:39,681 Abdul Rahman made his money selling chickens in Birmingham 457 00:41:39,847 --> 00:41:41,997 and this is what the chickens bought. 458 00:41:43,007 --> 00:41:46,363 15 state-of-the-art apartments for his family. 459 00:41:46,527 --> 00:41:51,203 Should his family want to relinquish them, he wouldn't be short of a buyer. 460 00:41:51,367 --> 00:41:55,201 So much money is coming back to Syhlet that land, he claims, 461 00:41:55,367 --> 00:41:58,165 is more expensive than London or New York. 462 00:41:59,247 --> 00:42:03,763 My ambition is to tell you... 463 00:42:03,927 --> 00:42:06,157 I start from two chicken. 464 00:42:06,327 --> 00:42:08,761 - Yes. - Business. 465 00:42:08,927 --> 00:42:14,126 Then fast, big amount I sell 300... chicken. 466 00:42:15,767 --> 00:42:20,761 In the end, 12,000 chicken I sell. Finish. 467 00:42:21,767 --> 00:42:24,839 Abdul Rahman paved the way for many fortunes 468 00:42:25,007 --> 00:42:28,920 when he obtained Britain's first halal butcher's licence. 469 00:42:29,087 --> 00:42:33,000 - That I have got first licence. - The first licence in? 470 00:42:33,167 --> 00:42:35,635 Licence halal. 471 00:42:35,807 --> 00:42:39,595 And I have been explain what the halal, 472 00:42:39,767 --> 00:42:43,555 why is the halal, what is the quality? 473 00:42:43,727 --> 00:42:48,755 English way of... Have you killed any chicken, English way? Have you? 474 00:42:48,927 --> 00:42:53,364 I haven't killed a chicken, no. They wring their necks, don't they? 475 00:42:53,527 --> 00:42:57,315 - English way is squeeze and... pull. - Yeah. 476 00:42:58,327 --> 00:43:02,161 - We think this is cruelty way. - You think that's cruel. 477 00:43:02,327 --> 00:43:07,765 We think Muslim way... Not only myself, it's Muslim way of life. 478 00:43:07,927 --> 00:43:11,966 We say this is a very, very cruelty because... 479 00:43:12,967 --> 00:43:19,042 Now, the very sharp knife - very sharp - this is our religion way. 480 00:43:19,207 --> 00:43:22,916 You cut like this, not sharp - no, no. 481 00:43:23,087 --> 00:43:27,603 Very sharp. And have a quick... throat and let the blood out. 482 00:43:27,767 --> 00:43:32,841 And she's very nicely asleep... finished. This is halal way. 483 00:43:35,167 --> 00:43:38,716 There are 135 million Bangladeshis. 484 00:43:38,887 --> 00:43:41,959 The building trade that thrives on mansion mania 485 00:43:42,127 --> 00:43:46,086 is not the only industry to benefit from a pool of cheap labour. 486 00:43:46,247 --> 00:43:50,365 Construction and destruction are both big business. 487 00:44:00,327 --> 00:44:04,957 This has to be the most extraordinary knacker's yard in the world. 488 00:44:05,127 --> 00:44:08,437 Here in Chittagong, great ships come to die, 489 00:44:08,607 --> 00:44:11,121 and they're destroyed not by machinery 490 00:44:11,287 --> 00:44:16,281 but by thousands of individuals picking them apart like an army of ants. 491 00:44:44,927 --> 00:44:47,919 Next for the knackers is the "0cean Breeze". 492 00:44:48,087 --> 00:44:51,159 She was launched by the Queen 50 years ago, 493 00:44:51,327 --> 00:44:57,960 but in under six months she will be reduced to a pile of scrap on a Bangladeshi beach. 494 00:45:12,767 --> 00:45:15,839 In the dog-eat-dog world of cheap labour, 495 00:45:16,007 --> 00:45:20,125 these privately owned Bangladeshiyards are feeling the pinch. 496 00:45:20,287 --> 00:45:25,964 Many are closing down, their profits eaten away by state-run Chinese competition. 497 00:45:43,167 --> 00:45:47,399 The vast majority of Bangladeshis are poor and live off the land, 498 00:45:47,567 --> 00:45:52,516 helped by people like Naila Chowdury, who works for Grameen Phone. 499 00:45:52,687 --> 00:45:57,078 - Are they planting at the moment? - Right now they're planting. 500 00:45:57,247 --> 00:46:01,286 After three months it's going to be OK before the rains. 501 00:46:01,447 --> 00:46:06,396 "Grameen" means "village" and most are built on man-made embankments 502 00:46:06,567 --> 00:46:08,558 to keep them above the flood. 503 00:46:08,727 --> 00:46:13,881 - Hello. - You've got a welcoming party, Naila. 504 00:46:14,047 --> 00:46:18,199 The idea of the Grameen scheme is to offer loans to villagers 505 00:46:18,367 --> 00:46:20,358 to help them help themselves. 506 00:46:20,527 --> 00:46:23,758 We're meeting a lady who's used her loan to buy a mobile phone 507 00:46:23,927 --> 00:46:26,725 which she'll charge with solar energy. 508 00:46:26,887 --> 00:46:32,245 Sultana. And among the ten villages she's the only one holding a village phone. 509 00:46:32,407 --> 00:46:34,204 How did you choose her? 510 00:46:34,367 --> 00:46:38,963 She came up on her own to take the loan and she really started doing well. 511 00:46:39,127 --> 00:46:41,118 Everybody coming to her. 512 00:46:42,447 --> 00:46:45,803 - She's an important woman. Hello. - Michael Palin. 513 00:46:45,967 --> 00:46:47,798 Nice to meet you. 514 00:46:47,967 --> 00:46:49,878 The scheme has had an impact. 515 00:46:50,047 --> 00:46:54,802 Mrs Sultana can now afford to send her daughter to university. 516 00:46:54,967 --> 00:47:00,883 You were saying it's very important that you've given these loans largely to women. 517 00:47:01,047 --> 00:47:04,596 - Can you explain that? - The loan is for the women. 518 00:47:04,767 --> 00:47:08,885 We feel that women are always staying in a permanent position 519 00:47:09,047 --> 00:47:11,607 and the return is far safer also. 520 00:47:11,767 --> 00:47:16,238 This is how you empower the nation because you're building up the family. 521 00:47:16,407 --> 00:47:20,320 She'll ensure that the children study and come up in life. 522 00:47:20,487 --> 00:47:25,880 She said that a lot of the income comes from people ringing their families 523 00:47:26,047 --> 00:47:28,242 who are workers in the Gulf, 524 00:47:28,407 --> 00:47:31,604 but also do the people ring now within the villages? 525 00:47:31,767 --> 00:47:35,680 - Has it made a difference to village life? - To the farmers. 526 00:47:35,847 --> 00:47:39,317 They get connected to other villages to find out the rates 527 00:47:39,487 --> 00:47:43,446 of the seeds, fertiliser and machinery for farming. 528 00:47:43,607 --> 00:47:46,758 Now nobody can hoodwink them. They're far more clever. 529 00:47:46,927 --> 00:47:51,682 They can get the prices from other villages and bargain for the right price. 530 00:47:51,847 --> 00:47:54,407 So that's a remarkable improvement. 531 00:47:54,567 --> 00:47:59,766 Can you see in this village... You've been here before. Can you see it's changed? 532 00:47:59,927 --> 00:48:06,480 I can see pumps around. I can see wealth creeping in. I can see the difference. 533 00:48:08,767 --> 00:48:10,803 Creating wealth may not be easy, 534 00:48:10,967 --> 00:48:15,836 but a small loan to buy a cow or install a pump has been so successful 535 00:48:16,007 --> 00:48:18,680 that it's being copied all over the Third World. 536 00:48:18,847 --> 00:48:21,202 But is it too little too late? 537 00:48:22,167 --> 00:48:24,476 (TRAFFIC ROARS) 538 00:48:24,647 --> 00:48:28,401 Bangladeshis are leaving the countryside in such numbers 539 00:48:28,567 --> 00:48:33,482 that the population in the capital, Dhaka, is spiralling out of control. 540 00:48:43,887 --> 00:48:46,879 30 years ago this was a city of one million. 541 00:48:47,047 --> 00:48:52,041 Today the population has risen to 15 million and shows no sign of stopping. 542 00:48:57,447 --> 00:49:00,917 0ften the only way to get anywhere is to hire a rickshaw. 543 00:49:01,087 --> 00:49:04,921 The good news is we're in the rickshaw capital of the world. 544 00:49:05,087 --> 00:49:07,920 There are 600,000 to choose from. 545 00:49:12,687 --> 00:49:15,599 The waterways are no more restful. 546 00:49:16,567 --> 00:49:20,116 This is the Sadarghat - centre of river life in the capital. 547 00:49:20,287 --> 00:49:22,926 You have to watch your back here as well. 548 00:49:32,407 --> 00:49:35,001 Here's something I don't understand. 549 00:49:35,167 --> 00:49:38,637 The water's filthy, but the laundry's spotless. 550 00:49:41,927 --> 00:49:44,805 It's from here that boats leave for the south. 551 00:49:44,967 --> 00:49:50,280 Later tonight, with a bit of luck, I shall be on one - a bit bigger than this, I hope. 552 00:49:54,927 --> 00:49:57,919 The paddle steamer 0strich is the name I've been given, 553 00:49:58,087 --> 00:50:03,286 but it's only one of dozens of ferries in what looks like a permanent rush hour. 554 00:50:09,047 --> 00:50:13,677 With so many comings and goings, I have to ask around before I find her. 555 00:50:15,687 --> 00:50:18,121 OK? Yes. 556 00:50:18,287 --> 00:50:22,075 The 0strich is a venerable old bird, built in 1929. 557 00:50:22,247 --> 00:50:26,126 She carries 700 in steerage and 24 in first class. 558 00:50:26,287 --> 00:50:28,755 I'm afraid I've opted for comfort. 559 00:50:31,367 --> 00:50:33,722 The Sadarghat is wonderfully manic, 560 00:50:33,887 --> 00:50:38,517 galvanised by almost permanent hysteria, like Venice on speed. 561 00:50:51,047 --> 00:50:53,402 Six o'clock sharp, we pull away, 562 00:50:53,567 --> 00:50:57,845 leaving a swarm of other ferries fighting for our place at the dockside. 563 00:51:01,927 --> 00:51:04,487 Things are no quieter out on the river 564 00:51:04,647 --> 00:51:10,165 where the combined waters of the Ganges and the Brahmaputra slurp away beneath us. 565 00:51:13,327 --> 00:51:18,481 Ferries have no radar. Collisions are avoided only by careful use of the searchlight - 566 00:51:18,647 --> 00:51:21,115 or occasionally not avoided at all. 567 00:51:24,167 --> 00:51:27,557 Next morning we pass our sister ship heading to Dhaka. 568 00:51:27,727 --> 00:51:30,036 (HORN BEEPS) 569 00:51:30,207 --> 00:51:36,203 We're part of the Rocket Service, which has plied the river since the days of the British Raj. 570 00:51:40,447 --> 00:51:43,519 Bangladesh has 250 rivers - 571 00:51:43,687 --> 00:51:46,440 5,000 miles of navigable waterways. 572 00:51:46,607 --> 00:51:50,725 Down here in the delta they're the only way to get about. 573 00:52:01,407 --> 00:52:07,403 Places like Barisal, Jhalakharti, Charkali and Moralgunj depend on the boats, 574 00:52:07,567 --> 00:52:11,719 and the 0strich is both local bus and cargo truck. 575 00:52:24,087 --> 00:52:29,286 There's little to do but enjoy the view and meet my fellow passengers - 576 00:52:29,447 --> 00:52:32,086 one of whom is Mahjabeen Khan. 577 00:52:32,247 --> 00:52:35,125 Known to all as Moni, she's a professional singer 578 00:52:35,287 --> 00:52:37,960 with a repertoire of Bengali classics. 579 00:52:39,727 --> 00:52:43,436 (SOFT SINGING) 580 00:53:21,967 --> 00:53:23,958 - Very good. - Thank you. 581 00:53:24,127 --> 00:53:27,244 That's a lovely song. Where's it from? 582 00:53:27,407 --> 00:53:30,479 - It's by Rabindranath Tagore. - Yes. 583 00:53:30,647 --> 00:53:35,084 Our Bengali-language Nobel laureate. 584 00:53:35,247 --> 00:53:37,602 - Yes. - You must have heard about him. 585 00:53:37,767 --> 00:53:41,282 He was the only Asian Nobel prize winner for Literature. 586 00:53:41,447 --> 00:53:43,438 Yes. That's right. 587 00:53:43,607 --> 00:53:48,476 Is he still regarded as the great figure of Bangladesh literature? 588 00:53:48,647 --> 00:53:53,516 Any Bengali would say that he is the greatest Bengali poet. 589 00:53:53,687 --> 00:53:57,680 - Rather like Shakespeare of Bangladesh? - Right. 590 00:53:57,847 --> 00:54:03,604 Will you do another one for me? They're lovely songs. Tell me what it's about. 591 00:54:03,767 --> 00:54:08,363 It's about the people. It could apply to anywhere in the world. 592 00:54:08,527 --> 00:54:12,884 It could apply to my country, it could apply to India, 593 00:54:13,047 --> 00:54:17,882 to any country where the people have a very simple way of living. 594 00:54:18,047 --> 00:54:21,198 Whatever they wish for sometimes is washed away 595 00:54:21,367 --> 00:54:23,483 and yet they don't lose hope. 596 00:54:23,647 --> 00:54:28,721 They keep praying to the Almighty that He should be with them. 597 00:54:28,887 --> 00:54:33,881 So this is Tagore - the universal voice, which obviously makes him so popular. 598 00:54:34,047 --> 00:54:37,960 Well, the river awaits. As do I. 599 00:54:42,567 --> 00:54:45,764 (SOFT SINGING) 600 00:55:14,767 --> 00:55:17,839 It's hard to believe that in the monsoon season 601 00:55:18,007 --> 00:55:23,127 they call this stretch of water "cyclone alley" and the wind rips up it. 602 00:55:27,767 --> 00:55:33,125 24 hours after leaving Dhaka, we arrive at Bangladesh's second port, Mongla. 603 00:55:33,287 --> 00:55:36,120 It's as far south as the 0strich can go. 604 00:55:47,247 --> 00:55:50,239 (HUBBUB OF VOICES) 605 00:56:25,047 --> 00:56:28,198 It's 90 miles from Mongla to the Bay of Bengal. 606 00:56:28,367 --> 00:56:31,404 The only boat that'll take me there is an ex-lifeboat 607 00:56:31,567 --> 00:56:34,798 with a viewing platform grafted on top. 608 00:56:34,967 --> 00:56:37,765 0n either side are the uninhabited banks 609 00:56:37,927 --> 00:56:41,556 of the largest coastal mangrove forest in the world. 610 00:56:41,727 --> 00:56:45,845 These are the Sunderbans - habitat of the Royal Bengal Tiger, 611 00:56:46,007 --> 00:56:49,044 which, despite appearances on travel posters, 612 00:56:49,207 --> 00:56:52,324 runs the yeti a close second for elusiveness. 613 00:56:53,567 --> 00:56:55,922 In a tiny space next to the lavatory, 614 00:56:56,087 --> 00:56:59,079 our cooks prepare the last meal of the journey. 615 00:56:59,247 --> 00:57:03,638 Locally caught crab, lobster and the best prawns in the world. 616 00:57:04,727 --> 00:57:09,642 A meal to remember as the strengthening wind tells us the finish is close. 617 00:57:24,967 --> 00:57:27,356 At last the moment has come. 618 00:57:27,527 --> 00:57:33,045 After six months in the mountains, I can sniff the unfamiliar smell of the open sea. 619 00:57:56,527 --> 00:58:01,840 As I head off onto the Bay of Bengal on tons of mud that was once Himalaya, 620 00:58:02,007 --> 00:58:05,204 I feel I've made the last in a chain of connections - 621 00:58:05,367 --> 00:58:08,086 between the sea and the mountains we've climbed 622 00:58:08,247 --> 00:58:11,796 and the gorges we've walked and the rivers we've sailed - 623 00:58:11,967 --> 00:58:16,438 and all the people we've met along the way suddenly seem very close. 624 00:58:55,607 --> 00:58:57,359 "Himalaya" - the high lifel