Dragon Nest Wangduephodrang

... br>Bumthang Different Handicrafts and Bumthang small Town. Dinner and<br>Overnight in Hotel at Bumthang<br><br>Day 05: Bumthang Sightseeing.<br>After<br>breakfast, visit Chakhar (Iron Castle) Lhakhang, it is the site of the<br>palace of the Indian King, the Sindhu Raja who invited Guru Rimpoche to<br>Bumthang. The Original palace was made of Iron and hence the name<br>Chakhar. The saint Dorji Lingpa built the Current building in 14th<br>century. Its correct name is ...

... it needs to be replaced. This is one indigenous product that is always in demand. The sale of Handicrafts in Bhutan is as new as tourism. Items that were once considered just for everyday domestic use, are now produced for sale. The government (often with the help of UNDP and other external agencies) has established weaving centers and other handicraft centers around the country. These encourage the preservation of the skills involved in ...

an 8am departure from Thimphu today, as we would have a LONG drive into Central Bhutan. We would be on the road for about 8 hours or so, driving though the Himalayan mountains along narrow and winding roads at speeds 30Km/h and less - a wise speed given the twists and hairpin turns. Our first stop along the way was the stunning Dochula Pass, a collection of 108 stone chortens (monuments) dedicated by an early queen of Bhutan ...

... the gates to the stadium swung open, and the crowds surged forward uncontrollably. In this mad crush, women and kids were crushed (one literally, as we found out later), and it was impossible to do anything but allow yourself to get pushed forward with the current. Pretty crazy stuff, I had never experienced this before - something like you'd see at a soccer game or something, but it is very unnerving. Eventually, I was ...

... women's dress is less distinctive, consisting of long skirts with a wrap around top, with cuffs of varying colours. The people do appear really happy and are very welcoming. The following day we visited a range of sites, including the National Library, a paper-making factory and an arts and crafts school, a view point over the town, an animal reserve with a new animal for us, the Takin, and the National Memorial Chorten. The chorten (or stupa ...

The first noise heard on the earth was OM. When you are in Nepal, certain parts of India and here in Bhutan, you constantly here that song, the prayer, and I am now hooked, and the worse part of it is I'm not religious Om Ma Ni Pe Me Hung I sing it all day, at every temple, stupa or chorten. The locals are impressed, but secretly, I've been brain washed !!! Off we drove into the mountains. Not hard really as they are everywhere, as we are in a ...

... same level as the Dalai Lama. There were some nice paintings around and his throne was made of gold. Around the courtyard there were loads of kids dancing as they were practising for the centenary celebrations. It was quite nice to watch, but most were a little of the same !!! Khamsum Yulephelma Chorten Off we drove again, until we arrived at the next site. Khamsum Yulephelma Chorten is on top of a hill, and after yesterdays walk, my knees felt like ...

Saturday, March 29, 2008 Return to Bangkok / Farewell Dinner Dear Readers: We depart the hotel at 6am this morning for the 90 minute drive back to Paro. The day is beautiful, and we have the opportunity to take great photos of the High Himalayas from the airport before our flight to Bangkok. It leaves on time, and makes a brief stop in Dakar ...

Aren't cultural diff**ences fascinating? Wh**e I come from, the incident of a couple of raucously laughing, tipsy fellas prodding an unsuspecting female in the neth** regions with a 12 inch wooden penis would be construed sexual harassment. H**e in Bhutan, I (the unsuspecting female) was expected to be thankful for the good fortune this 'blessing' would bring me. Hmmm... not sure about that! Through a translator, I ...

Hallo zusammen, eine Nacht habe ich in Wangdue Phodrang verbracht, ein recht netter Ort zwischen Trongsa und Thimpu. Dort hatte ich das erste Mal Gelegenheit in ein Internet Cafe zu gehen, in Jakar gab es zwar eins, aber das war zu, wenn ich mal vorbeigeschaut habe (ausserdem war mein Hotel sehr weit weg). Das Internet Cafe hier war in einem Holzverschlag auf einem alten Computer mit 56k Modem Verbindung, aber immerhin, es funktioniert:-) Auf dem Weg von ...