Bhutan is small country tucked away in the Himalayas and has been closed to the outside world until relatively recently. There are no McDonalds, shopping malls or movie theaters and the 'highway' connecting the various towns and villages throughout the country is more or less a one to two lane dirt and paved road. The country is Buddhist and dotted with incredible monasteries and temples. Some are perched high on mountain cliffs like the Tiger's Nest Monastery which took us a 3 hour climb to reach. There are clear rivers tinged with blues and greens, mountains and huge forests everywhere, and there is a calmness that is hard to find elsewhere. People are friendly but don't seem too used to tourists. Bhutan is surely a unique place.
For the past week we've been traveling to various towns and villages, staying one or two night in each location and watching colorful festivals, going on half day hikes through beautiful valleys, and visiting temples and massive zongs which are fortresses dating back to the 12th century.
For this part of our journey, we have Nadia's father Nabil and his wife Violet traveling with us, which has made the experience all the more special because we get to share it with family. Maya and Mira have really enjoyed spending time with their grandfather (Jidu) and Violet.
We've just arrived in the capital, Thimbu, after an all day drive over mountain passes (+10,000 ft) and down into terraced rice paddy valleys dotted with houses built with a unique architecture I've never seen anywhere else. Tomorrow morning we'll visit the weekly farmer's market to see what's for sale. Life is good.
Cheers, Rob
Hiking to Tiger's Nest Monastery
Terraced rice and wheat fields, Paro
Former royal palace
Happy kids on their way home from school
Traditional dancer at festival in Bhumthang
At makeshift marketplace near festival
Weathered faces are the norm in Bhutan
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