Bhutan

  Paro, Bhutan
Thursday, October 5, 2006

I flew into the Paro airport, the only airport in the country. A hair raising approach as there are hills very close to both ends of the runway. Got to spend 4 days traveling around the country.

Went from Paro to Thimpu, on to Wangdue Phodrang and up to Punakha before heading back to Paro. This is a mountain pass between Thimpu and Wangdue Phodrang

Scenes from Thimpu. Ladies with their prayer wheels and beads outside the National Memorial Chorten. Mendola in Dupthop Lhakhang, a nunnery. Made of colored sand

All the towns here have a dzong, or fort, that was built around the 16th century for defense against Tibet. Now they are used half for government offices and half for monasteries.

Every local meal in this country involves a lot of chilies! I was able to eat their food and the locals were impressed.

The national sport is archery. They shoot at that tiny target for the distance of a football field. They dance around between shots when their team members hit the target and when the other team's members miss.

Local women who can't get pregnant come to the Chimi Lhakhang Monastery for a blessing. There are penises all over the place in the monastery and even painted on the outside of houses in this town. I called this monastery the penis palace!


For a Buddhist country it is very progressive. They like to drink and party, they can choose who they marry and even divorce. It was clean without all the crazy traffic or people begging that I am so used to here in Asia. The houses were different, more like swiss chalets. The locals have a unique dress, somewhat formal.

This country was like nothing I have seen in Asia, quite an experience!