It’s been quite some time since you have heard from me, but we are most busy travelers. It’s up early for a full day of adventure with some hours of bus time. By the time we get to our hotel to settle in, it’s time for a 7:30 dinner. Crawling into bed at 10 or 10:30 affords little time or ambition to think about a blog.
I am having a most fascination adventure to this beautiful small country with beautiful people. It is becoming more modern as time goes on, but the Bhutanese are trying hard to retain their culture. We see it in dress, cuisine, architecture, & their strong religious beliefs. We have seen our share of monasteries, monks, idols & deities; sometimes hard to grasp the mythology. Probably no different from Greek or Roman mythology or the statues of Catholicism. Actually, when one stops to think about it, religion is universal worldwide with the same aims of unity, love, peace & tradition.
Now on to some pictures to tell the story of what I have been seeing.
5th King of Bhutan with his wife who was a commoner, now a Royal. The previous King had 4 wives, all sisters, but this king has chosen wisely. Actually, only the Bhutanese in the hill country still practice polygamy & polyandry (multiple husbands). The Monarchy came about in 1908. The people of Bhutan honor their royals by wearing picture pins of them on their native attire.The 4th Queen Mother had these 108 Stupas built to honor the soldiers who died in the 2003 two-day war to clear militants from the area. These Stupas are located at the Dochula Pass which is at 10,100 feet. Misty day, so lucky to get this picture.Joan took this picture of me among the stupas appreciating the serenity of this place.Posing monk in front of the Bhutanese stupa. The stupas are holy places for the Buddhists.Punakha Dzong, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan, & called the Palace of Happiness. Built in 1637 at the junction of the Phochu & Mochu Rivers. When we enter these temples, we walk clockwise to view the stunning artwork & the various Buddhas. No photos allowed, & no shoes.Joan & a mountain woman, always dressed in black, selling her wares outside a temple. She could have been featured in the movie A Yak in the Classroom. After seeing that movie, Bhutan was on my bucket list.Palace of Happiness, & more stairs to climb. Shoes must come off to visit any monastery, & no pictures. We have been fortunate to witness & hear monks chanting, & in one instance eating with their hands during a break.Palace of Happiness. This beautiful architecture is found all over Bhutan on government buildings, offices, hotels, homes. It’s characterized by ornate wooden windows, sloping roofs & symbolic paintings. Technology is still a way of life even in the monastery. Maybe he should put it aside given he is in the Palace of Happiness.Family in traditional dress visiting the Palace of Happiness. They each prostrated themselves 3 times as they entered, & then walked clockwise inside to worship the hundreds of colorful deities & Buddhas.Roadside Market selling dried cheese, apples, grapes, fiddle head ferns & other assorted items from the garden. That which looks like bunched garlic gloves is actually dried cheese.Coming into the bustling city of Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan. Population of around 100,000 & is the administrative center of Bhutan. Royal family resides here as well.Changing of the guard outside the administrative offices of Bhutan in Thimphu. The King rules from here as well, hence the guards. On the other side of the government headquarters, which we could not enter, is the Tashichhoed Dzong, a fortress on the banks of the Wangchhu River.Human traffic light. Thimpu is the only capital in the world with no traffic light. One was installed a few years back, but the locals complained enough that it was removed. They want to preserve their culture & only let so much modernization creep in.Chenchi, one of our guides, & me in front of the Golden Buddha. He is responsible for the research for a book about female shamans: Devine Messenger: Female Shamans of Bhutan. It was written by 2 females, one from the US & one from Paris. The Paris woman went to Bhutan in 1978 & is now a citizen. The Golden Buddha was erected in 2007 to commemorate 100 years of monarchy in Bhutan. It is made of bronze & gilded in gold. It was built to encourage happiness, prosperity & peace all over the world.Water bowls at the top of the Golden Buddha. Steps took us to the top where we had a beautiful view of the valley.Jigme, one of our 2 guides, agreeing to be photographed with the Golden Buddha in the background.
Let’s call it a night. More fun pictures with stories to come tomorrow.
Traveling with Judy 
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