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October 2001

Phuentsholing, Paro, Thimphu, Bumthang District

Brett Voegele
2005-11-14 18:40:19

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at a lower monastery for the caretaker to lead us to the upper monastery. I was expecting a wizened man, but was instead greeted with monks-in-study of 13 and 14 years. We sat around the kitchen that night talking, joking, and playing games with the two kids, who seem to walk a fine line between peaceful, grown-up monks and two little kids. It was an amazing place to spend the night, as we could look down on the lights of Thimphu.

The following day we awoke to a view over a carpet of clouds - obscuring Thimphu, but offering some views of the Himalaya. We then hiked up over the top of the ridge and to a small lake, where we cast fishing line wound around an aluminum can into the lake, reeling in 4 small trout, which were prepared for my lunch the following day at a restaurant back in Thimphu. A great way to spend a few days.

Bhutan Is...

After Thimphu I traveled back to Paro for my flight out of Bhutan and into Kathmandu, Nepal. Bhutan is a wonderful country - one of the best I've been fortunate enough to see. The people are amazing, there is some wonderful culture, great festivals, and some fantastic outdoor pursuits. The 28 day snowman trek is considered one of the most difficult in the world. I will certainly return, as I'd like to get farther East, I'd like to see one of the festivals, and want to do a longer trek. If anybody is interested in traveling to Bhutan - and I highly recommend it, let me know and I'll give you Yeshup's information. He is a fantastic guide - many of the other people that were in the country with different guides were actually taking his card to give to their friends back home. In a country where you have to have a guide he can make or break your trip. For me, Bhutan is: tranquillity; no touts; friendly, laughing, teasing people; doma and red teeth; monasteries; traditional kho and kira outfits; dogs; ema datse; green, steep, forested hillsides; winding, poor roads; unique and beautiful architecture on homes; prayer flags flapping in the wind; road crew women breaking rocks with hammers; temples built on precarious cliffs or high mountains; archery; singing and dancing. I will return.