Thimphu

Bhutan

Tuesday

December 5, 2023

Hello,

Druk Air Flight 131 departs Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Airport five minutes early at 07:55 and heads northwest to an intermediate  stop in India.

 Drukair Corporation Limited, operating as Drukair — Royal Bhutan Airlines, is the flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bhutan, headquartered in the western dzongkhag (district) of Paro.

After a brief stop, we take off from runway 36.*

Dramatic is the word to describe the descent to Paro International Airport.  To the west in the bright sunlight lie Mount Tichu Drake and the sacred Mount Jumolhari, snowcapped peaks towering above their Himalayan companions.

Ms. Kinga and Mr. Jimmy, my guide and driver await my arrival.  We begin our one-and-a-half-hour mountain drive from Paro toward Thimphu.

Thimphu

Capital of Bhutan

pop 115,000

elev 2334 m  7667 ft

December 7, 2023

Hello,

Incongruous!

That's the word that comes to mind.  When i spot clotheslines and the daily wash hanging in the front of a home, 

Incongruous!

My guide is puzzled.  For Kingya, the architecture is an ordinary sight.  Wash hanging in front is also quite ordinary.

This is what I see every day in every city, in every town, at every hotel..........

Dochu La

Butan

December 8 2023

Hello,

We make two transits over the  Dochu La, the highest mountain pass in Bhutan at 3100 m. 10,200 ft. The first stop is outbound heading east  through the mountains and valleys to ancient Punakha. 

The weather is perfect.  Not too cold. A bit windy.  In the distance the snow-capped, cloud-embraced Himalayas brings a smile to my face. 

Impressive and inviting, Druk Wangyal Chortens, a monument of 108 Bhutan style memorial stupas surrounds the top of the pass.  I’m so fortunate to be here. 

Wangdue Phodrang Dzong

Thedtsho Gewog Town

Wangdue Phodrang District

Central Bhutan

December 8, 2023

Hello,

A Dzong is a fortified monastery with three main areas: Temple, Monks’ Living Quarters and Administrative Offices.

Dzongs serve as the religious, military, administrative, and social centers of their district. They are often the site of  religious festivals or community events.

Typically, half of the rooms inside a dzong serve administrative purposes such as the office of the governor, while the other half is dedicated to religious purposes, primarily the temple and housing for monks.

This division between administrative and religious functions reflects the idealized duality of power between the religious and administrative branches of government.

Phobjikha Valley

The Four Boutique Hotel

Central Bhutan

December 10, 2023

Hello,

Whenever I mention to anyone that I recently visited Bhutan, I get the same response, “I have always wanted to visit Bhutan.”

Why?  I am not sure that anyone can explain it.  Bhutan just lives in our imagination.

Just go!

Jan

When you visit Bhutan, I recommend these sites:

Puna Mochhu Bazam...The Punakha Dzong...Phobjikha Valley

Paro Taktsang

Tiger’s Nest Monastery

Paro Valley, Bhutan

December 13, 2023

Hello.

HISTORY of the Tiger’s Nest Monastery

The cultural icon of Bhutan, Paro Taktsang, also known as the Taktsang Palphug Monastery and the Tiger's Nest, is a sacred Vajrayana Himalayan Buddhist site located on the cliffside of the upper Paro valley in Bhutan. It is one of thirteen Tiger's Nest caves in historical Tibet in which Padmasambhava practiced and taught Vajrayana.

First established in the 9^th Century as a meditation cave, a later monastery complex was built in 1692 where Guru Padmasambhava meditated and practiced with students including Yeshe Tsogyal before departing the kingdom of Tibet in the early 9th century.