Phuntsholing felt like one of those cowboy towns in the Wild West. Not the lawlessness, but the electric vibe of a place that’s at the borderlands; a city far from the capital and seemingly less concerned about formalities; a town with thriving trade and commerce like one of those cattle trading posts in a desert - full of activity and life, but so far from everything else.

It took us a good five hours’ drive to get to Phunsholing from Paro airport. Landing back in Bhutan after last being here three years ago, felt like coming home. The first half of the drive down south was beautiful and scenic, as we winded up mountain roads, dramatic river valleys and an occasional cow lying on the road. But soon the weather changed and thick fog enveloped us. It was so bad that we could hardly see a few metres in front of the car. Headlights were useless, and we couldn’t see oncoming cars until it’s almost too late. Thankfully, our driver had a steady hand, and we made it out of the harrowing fog after an hour. And then, about an hour more of gut-churning winding roads down the mountain into Phunsholing.

Arriving, you could smell Phunsholing in the air. This was a town that thrives on trade and industry. I learned that the air quality was poor as there’s many heavy chemical industries nearby. Huge cargo trucks zip through the border gate, spewing smoke and dust. There’s definitely a raw and gritty vibe to this place. This is a town that is also completely porous with the neighbouring Indian city of Jaigaon - the border was just a metal grill fence that looks like any other fence you might find around a building. From above, you wouldn’t be able to tell any separation at all - it was essentially one whole blended city. Indians and Bhutanese don’t need visas to cross over to Phunsholing/Jaigaon, so it’s like strolling into another part of town for them, except that it is legally in another country. In fact, Phunsholing feels like India in Bhutan. Unfortunately, I can’t just walk into Jaigaon because Singaporeans need a visa into India. Otherwise, it would have been an interesting experience to see how it’s like on the other side of the fence.

We were here for work, to conduct a training workshop for public officers of Bhutan. It’ll be held in a lovely training institute with air-conditioning and all the works.  A very modern experience for sure. But being here, being immersed in this vibe, I couldn’t help but feel like one of those early traders in 200 BCE, crossing on camelback through the desert on the Silk Road, braving great risks of bandits and wild creatures, to finally arrive at my destination hungry and thirsty, at a trading outpost built around an oasis in the desert, far from everything else, eager to get your trade done, replenish, and then make the long way home.