Can you guess who was my Simple Fellow Traveller ?

We went on holiday to Krabi, Thailand. We went on a Phi Phi island tour. The travel agent took us to the pier and put us on a boat. There were many foreign tourists from all over the world.

Left to us was an African American with his wife/GF who is a Thai. To our right there was a German couple. In the front there was this family of one elderly man , his wife and a pretty daughter. We heard him telling some one that they are from Bhutan.

We were busy in enjoying the scenery and amazing waters and islands of Phi Phi and did not interact with others much.

At lunch three families shared a table in typical lunch where we shared the dishes placed on the table. We started introducing our selves and one young couple was from Taiwan on their honeymoon . And then the family from Bhutan was there.

He introduced himself that he was public servant and took retirement some10 years back. He is 64 now. Wife runs a school and pretty. Well behaving daughter was 16 year old and wants to become Environmental scientist ( or something like that). He talked about Bhutan's Gross national Happiness etc. He travelled a lot and visited many countries to give lectures. I thought it was on HR and motivation etc. I did not probe further (unfortunately). he said how he likes India and was praising Bangalore, where I live. He said he could not take his family out on holiday for many years. So finally he decided to bring wife and daughter out ! The entire family was smiling all the time and apparently very happy family. All three were very friendly.

He and his daughter would jump out for snorkelling at every place the boat stopped. When I told that I do not know swimming and I repent not learning to swim, he told me nothing is impossible and requested me to learn as it is never late.

After lunch we became close and have been talking a lot. After getting off the boat and as we were leaving, took his email. I invited them to Bangalore and said I would trouble them in Bhutan as I never visited Bhutan and we will plan to visit Bhutan soon. They invited us to Bhutan.

I sent a casual mail thanking him how it was a pleasure meeting him and asked him to be in touch.

I could not get his full name and casually I typed in his email in google search.

I realised that he is not a common fellow traveller. He was Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup , an Ex- Education minister and ex-PM of Bhutan. His sisters are the wives of King of Bhutan ! And he runs many foundations!

One report says " In 2002 he undertook with six other members the Move for Health Walk from Trashigang to the capital city of Thimphu covering on foot a distance of 560 km concluded successfully as scheduled. The Walk was conceived by Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup to promote the fund raising for the Bhutan Health Trust Fund, an important initiative to keep the primary health services of Bhutan free of charge."

He received the World Health Organization’s excellence in public health award.

I have never met such a high profile person and his family who are down to earth and did not show off even indirectly.

Sir, hats off to you !

I feel blessed to interact with such a learned man.