30 years ago, Günter Schlager from Styria opened the first optical store in Bhutan and made spectacle lenses from the bottom of beer bottles. He didn’t just fall in love with the country.
It all started in Zell am See (Sbg.). “I saw a reading circle magazine there and there was a small advertisement for a book. On foot through the Middle Ages. Wonderland Bhutan’ by Michel Peissel. Then I knew I wanted to go there. So I saved money and then, in the early 1970s, I went on a motorbike to the Himalayas,’ says the Gröbminger resident.
Two daughters continue the optician’s business
However, the 79-year-old has not gained weight. “It was incredibly difficult to get into the country at the time.” In Nepal, Schlager met German tourists with whom he also had contact after the trip. “A colleague at the time spoke to a WHO doctor responsible for ophthalmology in Bhutan, and the World Health Organization was looking for an optician. And my friend introduced me,” the Styrian looks back.
Homesickness for the first time, ‘but then to Bhutan’
After two years of cooperation with the WHO, Schlager returned to the Alpine Republic. “Then I got homesick for the first time – but then to Bhutan.” So the master optician returned to the kingdom 4,000 miles away and made glasses from the bottom of beer bottles.
“Then I fell in love with my wife, started a family and opened the first eyewear shop in Bhutan.” Today, the daughters Karma and Sanyay run a total of ten branches in the country, which is only half the size of Austria.
The pensioner does not miss Styria: “What am I missing here? It’s just like in the Ennstal. Lots of forest and high mountains! The people are also so open and friendly.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
