Craig and Jeane Visit the Last Shangri La: Bhutan 2012
Nov 17th, 2012, 01:59 AM
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Marija, crosscheck - if dogster's report had been the only one I read, I'd never have made it to Bhutan...
crosscheck - the festivals are put on for the locals, and although there were always tourists present, they felt authentic. That said, Sonam told us that the younger Bhutanese are less interested in the dances, which are passed from generation to generation to teach the Buddhist philosophy and more interested in the social aspects of the festivals.
crosscheck - the festivals are put on for the locals, and although there were always tourists present, they felt authentic. That said, Sonam told us that the younger Bhutanese are less interested in the dances, which are passed from generation to generation to teach the Buddhist philosophy and more interested in the social aspects of the festivals.
Nov 17th, 2012, 10:22 AM
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Day 10: Paro
We set out early again in order to arrive before the clouds moved in at Chele La, Bhutan’s highest motorable pass (altitude 12,500 feet). The road for most of the 1-1/2 hour drive south from Paro was empty. This was where the trail started for our hike to Kila Nunnery. We had views down to the Haa Valley as well as of beautiful snow-capped mountain peaks, including Jhomolhari, Bhutan’s most famous. We felt like we were about to embark on a mini-Himalayan trek. To add to the mood, there were 2 monks with a drum chanting from scripture at the trailhead. It was all very surreal and the monks with the Himalayan backdrop provided an awesome photo. We hiked out in the open for a while over fairly level terrain and then descended into a wooded area. The trail was rather rocky and we were glad that Sonam had recommended we wear hiking boots (not just shoes with a good tread). Lonely Planet says that this hike is all downhill but we can attest that it’s not. There was a good deal of climbing toward the end of the 1-1/2 hour hike to reach the nunnery, which is tucked high in a crevice overlooking the valley below it.
The nuns were having lunch when we arrived. We were told that there are about 50 of them, ranging in ages from 8 to 80. Like their male monk counterparts, all of the women shave their heads. Kila nunnery dates back to the 9th century when it was established as a meditation site. It is reputedly the oldest nunnery in Bhutan. We peeked into the dining area and the kitchen. The kitchen stoves were recently converted to propane from wood for cooking. The nuns’ living quarters are currently heated with wood but electricity will be available soon. In fact, engineers were there that day doing a survey. We walked up to the temple for a tour. Afterward, the nuns had finished their meal and started to head off to get on with their studies. We were told that they had a big exam later that day. Jeane took some photos of the girls that had not yet left.
There is a road that was recently built to bring supplies to Kila and we hiked down to it where Dorji was waiting for us. On the way, Sonam mentioned that Kencho’s family had donated all of the metal roofs for the nuns’ living quarters. The day before Sonam had offered us a choice between bringing a picnic lunch or eating lunch in Paro. Given that a picnic lunch would likely be quite basic, we opted for another buffet lunch in town - at a place called Yue-Ling.
After lunch, we had two more sites to see, both somewhat off the normal tourist track. I neglected to mention earlier, that after our second festival we stopped at the dzong in Jakar. After our tour there, I remember telling Sonam that I was “dzonged out” and was glad that we had only the one remaining dzong in Paro to visit. There are actually 2 dzongs in Paro, the active Paro Dzong and the ruined Drukgyel Dzong. We were to visit the Drukgyel Dzong 10 miles north of Paro, which was destroyed by fire several decades ago. It was an interesting site. From this 17th century fortress, the Bhutanese repelled several Tibetan invasions over the years. It is said that revengeful Tibetans came and burnt it down but no one knows for sure if that’s what happened. In any case, Paro didn’t really need 2 dzongs, so this one was never rebuilt.
The last stop of the day was Kyichu Temple, known to be one of Bhutan’s oldest and most beautiful. We did a short tour there, took a few photos outside, and headed back to the hotel. Sonam told us that we would leave for Tiger’s Nest at 8 AM the next day, that our horses were all arranged for the trip up and that we should bring our hiking boots again.
We relaxed, read for a while, had dinner and turned in fairly early.
Next: Tiger’s Nest and our last full day in Bhutan
We set out early again in order to arrive before the clouds moved in at Chele La, Bhutan’s highest motorable pass (altitude 12,500 feet). The road for most of the 1-1/2 hour drive south from Paro was empty. This was where the trail started for our hike to Kila Nunnery. We had views down to the Haa Valley as well as of beautiful snow-capped mountain peaks, including Jhomolhari, Bhutan’s most famous. We felt like we were about to embark on a mini-Himalayan trek. To add to the mood, there were 2 monks with a drum chanting from scripture at the trailhead. It was all very surreal and the monks with the Himalayan backdrop provided an awesome photo. We hiked out in the open for a while over fairly level terrain and then descended into a wooded area. The trail was rather rocky and we were glad that Sonam had recommended we wear hiking boots (not just shoes with a good tread). Lonely Planet says that this hike is all downhill but we can attest that it’s not. There was a good deal of climbing toward the end of the 1-1/2 hour hike to reach the nunnery, which is tucked high in a crevice overlooking the valley below it.
The nuns were having lunch when we arrived. We were told that there are about 50 of them, ranging in ages from 8 to 80. Like their male monk counterparts, all of the women shave their heads. Kila nunnery dates back to the 9th century when it was established as a meditation site. It is reputedly the oldest nunnery in Bhutan. We peeked into the dining area and the kitchen. The kitchen stoves were recently converted to propane from wood for cooking. The nuns’ living quarters are currently heated with wood but electricity will be available soon. In fact, engineers were there that day doing a survey. We walked up to the temple for a tour. Afterward, the nuns had finished their meal and started to head off to get on with their studies. We were told that they had a big exam later that day. Jeane took some photos of the girls that had not yet left.
There is a road that was recently built to bring supplies to Kila and we hiked down to it where Dorji was waiting for us. On the way, Sonam mentioned that Kencho’s family had donated all of the metal roofs for the nuns’ living quarters. The day before Sonam had offered us a choice between bringing a picnic lunch or eating lunch in Paro. Given that a picnic lunch would likely be quite basic, we opted for another buffet lunch in town - at a place called Yue-Ling.
After lunch, we had two more sites to see, both somewhat off the normal tourist track. I neglected to mention earlier, that after our second festival we stopped at the dzong in Jakar. After our tour there, I remember telling Sonam that I was “dzonged out” and was glad that we had only the one remaining dzong in Paro to visit. There are actually 2 dzongs in Paro, the active Paro Dzong and the ruined Drukgyel Dzong. We were to visit the Drukgyel Dzong 10 miles north of Paro, which was destroyed by fire several decades ago. It was an interesting site. From this 17th century fortress, the Bhutanese repelled several Tibetan invasions over the years. It is said that revengeful Tibetans came and burnt it down but no one knows for sure if that’s what happened. In any case, Paro didn’t really need 2 dzongs, so this one was never rebuilt.
The last stop of the day was Kyichu Temple, known to be one of Bhutan’s oldest and most beautiful. We did a short tour there, took a few photos outside, and headed back to the hotel. Sonam told us that we would leave for Tiger’s Nest at 8 AM the next day, that our horses were all arranged for the trip up and that we should bring our hiking boots again.
We relaxed, read for a while, had dinner and turned in fairly early.
Next: Tiger’s Nest and our last full day in Bhutan
Nov 18th, 2012, 05:05 AM
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Day 11: Paro
We rose early, ate breakfast and were ready to go at 8 AM for the 20 minute drive to the trail that leads to Taktsang Monastery (Tiger’s Nest). Sonam found the horseman who would accompany us as on our ride upward. Our 2 horses were fairly large compared to some of the others but there was a platform there to help us mount them. We were given 2 simple instructions: (1) lean backward when going down a hill and (2) lean forward when going up. Sonam led Jeane’s horse and the horseman led mine. Jeane and I would not be holding the reins or steering today. The saddles were english style and comfortable. There were 2 other horses that rode up with us. They were taking supplies to the 2 cafeterias near the monastery view point. We generally moved faster than those on foot, passing a number of tired looking people on the way up. The trail was fairly wide but those who were hiking often had to move aside for us. The horses needed to stop and rest from time to time. There were a couple of water troughs for the horses along the way and my horse took a very long drink at one of them.
There is a resting point with platforms for dismounting near the first cafeteria. We stopped there for a few minutes while the horses rested and then continued on for a little while longer, until it was time to walk. It took us about an hour or so to get that far. It was a 10 minute hike from there to the viewpoint, after which there were 700 steps (half down, half up) to the monastery. Most of those that arrived at the viewpoint on foot were tired and did not continue on to Taktsang. It is definitely worth it to come that far. The view of the monastery was spectacular. Since we had come on horseback, the steps to the monastery were no problem for us. At the entrance to the monastery, we checked our belongings, including our cameras and cell phones. There are a couple of filthy toilet stalls just beyond the checkpoint for those brave enough to use them.
We visited 3 temples inside the 17th century monastery while Sonam told us the story of how the Guru Rinpoche meditated in a cave on this site for 3 months back in the 8th century, after flying there on a tigress. This was the origin of the name “Tiger’s Nest”. There is evidence of the 1998 fire that damaged the monastery, however the temples have been fully restored. After touring the temples, we returned to the viewpoint, stopping to take some photos. Then we continued all the way down to the parking area on foot. I thought the hike down would be slippery but it was easy to maintain our footing. At one point Sonam stumbled - it was obvious that he was tired, walking the entire way without much rest. We spent a little over 4 hours on the trail.
We stopped at a quaint little restaurant called Yak Herder just beyond the parking area. A big tour group was leaving as we arrived, so we had the place to ourselves. The food, atmosphere and service were good.
After lunch, we headed into town. Our first stop was a modern art gallery. While we didn’t really care for the artwork, there were good quality adult-sized souvenir t-shirts for sale. I bought one for $8. Next, Dorji had been playing Bhutanese popular music in the car and I wanted a copy of his memory stick. So he parked the car and we walked to an electronics store while Jeane went off with Sonam. After we made the copy, Dorji drove me to the hotel. Dorji brought Jeane back shortly thereafter as the shopping in Paro wasn't very good.
Sonam had made sure that our outbound flight was confirmed and obtained copies of our e-tickets for us. We agreed to leave for the airport early the next day so we would have time to say our goodbyes and get good seats for our 11:30 AM flight to Bangkok.
We spent the remainder of our day packing for Bangkok and the flights home, followed by one last buffet dinner and sleep.
Next: The Druk Air flight to Bangkok and a wonderful dinner at Gaggan
We rose early, ate breakfast and were ready to go at 8 AM for the 20 minute drive to the trail that leads to Taktsang Monastery (Tiger’s Nest). Sonam found the horseman who would accompany us as on our ride upward. Our 2 horses were fairly large compared to some of the others but there was a platform there to help us mount them. We were given 2 simple instructions: (1) lean backward when going down a hill and (2) lean forward when going up. Sonam led Jeane’s horse and the horseman led mine. Jeane and I would not be holding the reins or steering today. The saddles were english style and comfortable. There were 2 other horses that rode up with us. They were taking supplies to the 2 cafeterias near the monastery view point. We generally moved faster than those on foot, passing a number of tired looking people on the way up. The trail was fairly wide but those who were hiking often had to move aside for us. The horses needed to stop and rest from time to time. There were a couple of water troughs for the horses along the way and my horse took a very long drink at one of them.
There is a resting point with platforms for dismounting near the first cafeteria. We stopped there for a few minutes while the horses rested and then continued on for a little while longer, until it was time to walk. It took us about an hour or so to get that far. It was a 10 minute hike from there to the viewpoint, after which there were 700 steps (half down, half up) to the monastery. Most of those that arrived at the viewpoint on foot were tired and did not continue on to Taktsang. It is definitely worth it to come that far. The view of the monastery was spectacular. Since we had come on horseback, the steps to the monastery were no problem for us. At the entrance to the monastery, we checked our belongings, including our cameras and cell phones. There are a couple of filthy toilet stalls just beyond the checkpoint for those brave enough to use them.
We visited 3 temples inside the 17th century monastery while Sonam told us the story of how the Guru Rinpoche meditated in a cave on this site for 3 months back in the 8th century, after flying there on a tigress. This was the origin of the name “Tiger’s Nest”. There is evidence of the 1998 fire that damaged the monastery, however the temples have been fully restored. After touring the temples, we returned to the viewpoint, stopping to take some photos. Then we continued all the way down to the parking area on foot. I thought the hike down would be slippery but it was easy to maintain our footing. At one point Sonam stumbled - it was obvious that he was tired, walking the entire way without much rest. We spent a little over 4 hours on the trail.
We stopped at a quaint little restaurant called Yak Herder just beyond the parking area. A big tour group was leaving as we arrived, so we had the place to ourselves. The food, atmosphere and service were good.
After lunch, we headed into town. Our first stop was a modern art gallery. While we didn’t really care for the artwork, there were good quality adult-sized souvenir t-shirts for sale. I bought one for $8. Next, Dorji had been playing Bhutanese popular music in the car and I wanted a copy of his memory stick. So he parked the car and we walked to an electronics store while Jeane went off with Sonam. After we made the copy, Dorji drove me to the hotel. Dorji brought Jeane back shortly thereafter as the shopping in Paro wasn't very good.
Sonam had made sure that our outbound flight was confirmed and obtained copies of our e-tickets for us. We agreed to leave for the airport early the next day so we would have time to say our goodbyes and get good seats for our 11:30 AM flight to Bangkok.
We spent the remainder of our day packing for Bangkok and the flights home, followed by one last buffet dinner and sleep.
Next: The Druk Air flight to Bangkok and a wonderful dinner at Gaggan
Nov 18th, 2012, 11:00 AM
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PARO TO CONNECTICUT VIA BANGKOK
We left for the airport at 8:30 AM, so we had plenty of time to say goodbye to Sonam and Dorji. Their service had been exceptional. I gave them what I thought was a generous premium over the standard $10/day tip for guides and $6/day for drivers. We also presented them with 2013 calendars with USA photos and NY Yankees baseball caps. After we returned, I also wired some money to Kencho so that she could donate some clothing to the nuns at Kira. I forgot to mention that Kencho had presented me with a colorful wallet made in Bhutan before we left Thimphu...
We arrived at check-in in time to get seats on the “good” side of the aircraft. We took our checked luggage over to security and then headed to the business lounge. There were several departing flights that morning, and early on the lounge was almost full. There was a nice selection of beverages and food but we were neither hungry nor thirsty. The Wifi was strong and relatively fast and the unisex restroom was clean. Security was easy when it came time to depart. In contrast to the inbound flight from Delhi, we had real business class seats. Unfortunately, all flights to Bangkok stop somewhere in India and ours touched down at Bagdogra for 30 minutes before continuing on. After that, we had a nice lunch and a generous beverage service, arriving in Bangkok on schedule. We took a bus from the aircraft to the terminal but it was a very short walk to immigration.
We quickly breezed through immigration, picked up our bags and spotted the AAC Limo rep almost immediately upon exiting. The drive to the Renaissance went fairly smoothly, considering we had arrived at rush hour. I e-mailed Pook when we got there to tell him that our 8 PM dinner was on.
Jeane and I checked into the Renaissance in the executive lounge. The Floor Manager who came up with us in the elevator arranged for drinks to be brought to us. Afterward, we went to our room to prepare for dinner.
We decided that we would walk to Gaggan and enjoyed the somewhat warm and humid Bangkok weather on the way. It took about 10 minutes to get to the restaurant from the hotel. Pook and his daughter Mony were already there. Pook suggested we order the 10 course tasting menu, so that's what we did. A fabulous feast was to follow with each dish spectacular in its own way. Our conversation with Pook and his daughter flowed easily. We asked about Mony’s future plans and were excited to hear that schooling abroad seemed to be in her future. After 10 creative and delicious courses, plus a bonus or two added by Chef Gaggan, it was time to leave. Pook graciously offered to drop us near our hotel. He enjoyed demonstrating his BMW's quick acceleration and its fab sound system. We’ll have to race each other sometime, but maybe not on the streets of Bangkok.
AAC would be at the hotel at 7:30 AM, so we hit the sack soon after returning to the Renaissance. I rose early and went to the lounge for coffee. It was nice not having to prepare it myself, for a change. Jeane and I both decided to skip breakfast, knowing that there would be plenty of food in the Royal Thai Silk Lounge. AAC was waiting for us in front of the hotel lobby. After we got out of central Bangkok, there was little traffic. Check in and immigration were all "fast track" for Thai business class customers, so it went quickly. In the lounge, we watched the early election results on CNN as the polls at home began to close.
The service to Beijing was the best we have ever experienced on a short haul business class flight. We were only in the air about 4 hours on our A330 but we had lie-flat 170 degree seats, VOD, a fantastic meal and non-stop beverages.
At Beijing, we went through a very rigorous security check but there was plenty of time. Afterward, we headed to the Air China lounge to wait for our United flight. This lounge was one of the worst Asian lounges I have ever experienced. It was crowded, the selection of food was poor, and there was only beer available. We had to scan our passports in order to enable Wifi and of course, Facebook and other sites were blocked. There was a TV viewing area but it seemed to be geared to the Chinese. I managed to get online and find that the election results had been decided. Was it too late to turn back to Thailand?
Our United flight took off on time. It was a 777 with lie-flat seats, so we were quite comfortable for our 14 hour flight. Food and beverage service was okay but not as good as it was on our Thai Airways flight. I had plenty of sleep but Jeane did not sleep well.
When we arrived at Washington Dulles, I was pleased that we did not have to take a bus to the International arrival area. While it was a fairly long walk, it was good to stretch our legs. Immigration went very quickly and our bags arrived within minutes. Unfortunately, I had messages and emails on my smartphone indicating that our flight to Hartford had been cancelled due to a snow storm and that our next flight out would not leave for 2 days. There were United people in the baggage area and they offered to reroute our checked bags to the main terminal so that we could pick them up. Our next stop was a security check, which is only for arriving international passengers. This is so much better than being dumped in the queue with all departing passengers, as is done at O’hare. We headed upstairs to the United Club to try and sort out how we might return home sooner.
When we first arrived in the United Club, there was just one receptionist on duty. She wasn’t much help, but soon another staffer showed up who knew what she was doing. It took awhile but our flight plan was changed to a departure late the next morning on US Airways from Reagan International. The staffer arranged a taxi transfer, reserved a hotel close to the other airport and reserved our US Airways flight. I was happy and Jeane was happy.
The next day we were on our way. We had a disagreement at the gate over baggage fees, but I was able to resolve this with United after returning home. Jeane and I arrived at Bradley Airport in the early afternoon. We had originally arranged for a driver to meet us, but with the flight change she was unavailable. Instead we had a $60 cab ride to our home.
It was a great trip and it all went like clockwork, aside from the one glitch at the end.
For our next trip, we will again be looking for a new experience (perhaps Japan), but we hope to go at a slower pace with quality upscale shopping for Jeane and great food for us both.
Feel free to ask any and all questions. And if you made it this far, thanks for "listening".
We left for the airport at 8:30 AM, so we had plenty of time to say goodbye to Sonam and Dorji. Their service had been exceptional. I gave them what I thought was a generous premium over the standard $10/day tip for guides and $6/day for drivers. We also presented them with 2013 calendars with USA photos and NY Yankees baseball caps. After we returned, I also wired some money to Kencho so that she could donate some clothing to the nuns at Kira. I forgot to mention that Kencho had presented me with a colorful wallet made in Bhutan before we left Thimphu...
We arrived at check-in in time to get seats on the “good” side of the aircraft. We took our checked luggage over to security and then headed to the business lounge. There were several departing flights that morning, and early on the lounge was almost full. There was a nice selection of beverages and food but we were neither hungry nor thirsty. The Wifi was strong and relatively fast and the unisex restroom was clean. Security was easy when it came time to depart. In contrast to the inbound flight from Delhi, we had real business class seats. Unfortunately, all flights to Bangkok stop somewhere in India and ours touched down at Bagdogra for 30 minutes before continuing on. After that, we had a nice lunch and a generous beverage service, arriving in Bangkok on schedule. We took a bus from the aircraft to the terminal but it was a very short walk to immigration.
We quickly breezed through immigration, picked up our bags and spotted the AAC Limo rep almost immediately upon exiting. The drive to the Renaissance went fairly smoothly, considering we had arrived at rush hour. I e-mailed Pook when we got there to tell him that our 8 PM dinner was on.
Jeane and I checked into the Renaissance in the executive lounge. The Floor Manager who came up with us in the elevator arranged for drinks to be brought to us. Afterward, we went to our room to prepare for dinner.
We decided that we would walk to Gaggan and enjoyed the somewhat warm and humid Bangkok weather on the way. It took about 10 minutes to get to the restaurant from the hotel. Pook and his daughter Mony were already there. Pook suggested we order the 10 course tasting menu, so that's what we did. A fabulous feast was to follow with each dish spectacular in its own way. Our conversation with Pook and his daughter flowed easily. We asked about Mony’s future plans and were excited to hear that schooling abroad seemed to be in her future. After 10 creative and delicious courses, plus a bonus or two added by Chef Gaggan, it was time to leave. Pook graciously offered to drop us near our hotel. He enjoyed demonstrating his BMW's quick acceleration and its fab sound system. We’ll have to race each other sometime, but maybe not on the streets of Bangkok.
AAC would be at the hotel at 7:30 AM, so we hit the sack soon after returning to the Renaissance. I rose early and went to the lounge for coffee. It was nice not having to prepare it myself, for a change. Jeane and I both decided to skip breakfast, knowing that there would be plenty of food in the Royal Thai Silk Lounge. AAC was waiting for us in front of the hotel lobby. After we got out of central Bangkok, there was little traffic. Check in and immigration were all "fast track" for Thai business class customers, so it went quickly. In the lounge, we watched the early election results on CNN as the polls at home began to close.
The service to Beijing was the best we have ever experienced on a short haul business class flight. We were only in the air about 4 hours on our A330 but we had lie-flat 170 degree seats, VOD, a fantastic meal and non-stop beverages.
At Beijing, we went through a very rigorous security check but there was plenty of time. Afterward, we headed to the Air China lounge to wait for our United flight. This lounge was one of the worst Asian lounges I have ever experienced. It was crowded, the selection of food was poor, and there was only beer available. We had to scan our passports in order to enable Wifi and of course, Facebook and other sites were blocked. There was a TV viewing area but it seemed to be geared to the Chinese. I managed to get online and find that the election results had been decided. Was it too late to turn back to Thailand?
Our United flight took off on time. It was a 777 with lie-flat seats, so we were quite comfortable for our 14 hour flight. Food and beverage service was okay but not as good as it was on our Thai Airways flight. I had plenty of sleep but Jeane did not sleep well.
When we arrived at Washington Dulles, I was pleased that we did not have to take a bus to the International arrival area. While it was a fairly long walk, it was good to stretch our legs. Immigration went very quickly and our bags arrived within minutes. Unfortunately, I had messages and emails on my smartphone indicating that our flight to Hartford had been cancelled due to a snow storm and that our next flight out would not leave for 2 days. There were United people in the baggage area and they offered to reroute our checked bags to the main terminal so that we could pick them up. Our next stop was a security check, which is only for arriving international passengers. This is so much better than being dumped in the queue with all departing passengers, as is done at O’hare. We headed upstairs to the United Club to try and sort out how we might return home sooner.
When we first arrived in the United Club, there was just one receptionist on duty. She wasn’t much help, but soon another staffer showed up who knew what she was doing. It took awhile but our flight plan was changed to a departure late the next morning on US Airways from Reagan International. The staffer arranged a taxi transfer, reserved a hotel close to the other airport and reserved our US Airways flight. I was happy and Jeane was happy.
The next day we were on our way. We had a disagreement at the gate over baggage fees, but I was able to resolve this with United after returning home. Jeane and I arrived at Bradley Airport in the early afternoon. We had originally arranged for a driver to meet us, but with the flight change she was unavailable. Instead we had a $60 cab ride to our home.
It was a great trip and it all went like clockwork, aside from the one glitch at the end.
For our next trip, we will again be looking for a new experience (perhaps Japan), but we hope to go at a slower pace with quality upscale shopping for Jeane and great food for us both.
Feel free to ask any and all questions. And if you made it this far, thanks for "listening".
Nov 18th, 2012, 03:20 PM
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indiana, what matters is at what elevation you sleep - in the valleys where the hotels are, it is 7,000 to 9,000 feet.
I actually get a kick out of AO's posts (although I really don't need to hear about his pre-marital dalliances...)
I actually get a kick out of AO's posts (although I really don't need to hear about his pre-marital dalliances...)
Nov 18th, 2012, 03:57 PM
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Great report Craig and I was happy to see both you and Jeane in Bangkok again. Next time I promise to drive slower!
A tiny correction - the tasting menu at Gaggan was 12 courses + the special desert.
A tiny correction - the tasting menu at Gaggan was 12 courses + the special desert.
Nov 18th, 2012, 09:03 PM
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Hi Craig, I'm finally catching up with your report. I appreciate the level of detail. As you know, we have considered Bhutan, as it seems like a must-visit place for us with our interest in Buddhism. But we have been put off by the required guide everywhere and the lack of flexibility in planning. Of course, I'm chuckling about your complaint about 8:30 starts give our 5 am start a couple of days ago.
I'm glad we chose Sikkim as an alternative - it has the Buddhist culture, the Himalayan scenery, nice places to stay, better food and almost no tourism. But it has very little shopping, so Jeane would miss that. I expect we will continue to evaluate whether we want to go to Bhutan as the country and it's tourism policies change.
I'm glad we chose Sikkim as an alternative - it has the Buddhist culture, the Himalayan scenery, nice places to stay, better food and almost no tourism. But it has very little shopping, so Jeane would miss that. I expect we will continue to evaluate whether we want to go to Bhutan as the country and it's tourism policies change.
Nov 19th, 2012, 03:45 AM
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Brilliant thread, Craig. Like all great trips, it doesn't end when you get home, but it continues in replay forever and ever.
There's a certain window in life when you can take trips like these. Too young and you lack the resources and experience to appreciate -- and, in most cases, afford -- it all. Too long in the tooth, and the physical challenges become too daunting.
(Also pleased to hear that Hanuman is a weed-kind-of-guy. I knew there had to be some common ground.)
There's a certain window in life when you can take trips like these. Too young and you lack the resources and experience to appreciate -- and, in most cases, afford -- it all. Too long in the tooth, and the physical challenges become too daunting.
(Also pleased to hear that Hanuman is a weed-kind-of-guy. I knew there had to be some common ground.)
Nov 19th, 2012, 06:44 AM
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Craig and Jean were more ambitious than we were. We did not get up early most mornings. That is one of the good things about Bhutan with private guide, you can do what you want. To me the very best thing about the trip was seeing a country in transition. Such a contrast between generations. With the road across most of the country, tourists, schools, and medical facilities, it will not be long until Bhutan has 7-11, Subway, and a Met Museum gift shop. Well, at least a traffic light. Need to go soon!
Thanks, Craig, for your report.
Thanks, Craig, for your report.
Nov 20th, 2012, 01:41 AM
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Kencho e-mailed me this morning and pointed out a couple of inaccuracies in my report:
1. At the Textile Museum in Thimphu, the video about the making of a kira, not a gho. The gho is the men's traditional garment. The kira is the women's.
2. Our first lunch in Thimphu was at Karma Coffee, not Khamsa Coffee.
Just wanted to set the record straight...
1. At the Textile Museum in Thimphu, the video about the making of a kira, not a gho. The gho is the men's traditional garment. The kira is the women's.
2. Our first lunch in Thimphu was at Karma Coffee, not Khamsa Coffee.
Just wanted to set the record straight...
Nov 25th, 2012, 11:29 AM
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