Kaila Choenzem Guest House Bumthang

... game is played to 25 points, which usually takes the whole day - 9 to 5. But even further, the game is played as the best of three rounds - so matches really last two to three days!!! - Ruthie - I asked my guide again about the journalists and if they're able to get access. It actually sounds like the Bhutanese journalists are not allowed to speak ill of the king, though that may change (and free speech rights put into place ...

... Here, the locals have probably seen fewer Westerners than most Indians; however they culturally have an attitude of live and let live. They're also clearly happy you're here as a traveler as it brings greater prosperity to the country. This quality of selflessness - which is directly descending from their Buddhist philosophy - is best epitomized by the constant presence of prayers flags and prayers wheels. Every time you enter into a ...

... mostly downhill - though it truly was a roller coaster of ups and downs - pushing all the leg muscles, hips and lower back. Not to mention the shoulders. By now I had noticed a silver dollar sized bruise on my left shoulder where my pack was digging into my muscles. I had to keep reminding myself: shoulders back, shoulderblades together, stomach sucked in, head up. It actually works - when I remember to do it!! During a brief spell when ...

... as a result, we did not get breakfast. It was all a bit difficult to figure out if we misunderstood the time he would be collecting us, or if he truly was early - of if, in fact, after several changes of our watches we had landed on the incorrect time zone. In any case, we were away at 8am and going to be working off yesterday's calorie intake! We took the thin and winding road back into town, pulling over for oncoming traffic, cattle herds and numerous stray dogs as we ...

... a forest with prayer flags over it, so we joined in the fun and added a couple which had been blessed by the head Lama for this country, or so we were told when we bought them !!! And then we went down over the other side. We were driving for around threeish hours, when we turned off abruptly. Lucy questioned the guide why we were staying in a different hotel, and he couldn't answer. Once shown the room, I said to Lucy, either you ask for another room, or I ...

... in any time of year. Hooray. Its called Night Hunting but it doesn't inovle killing animals. Based on what I've already recounted your minds are surely coming up with dirty things that the term Night Hunting could describe. Go on, try and guess. Whatever you come up with it won't hold a candle to the actual practice. In the middle of the night a guy sneaks out of the house and sneaks into a girls house. In the country most families sleep in one room (the ...

... poorest people of the country, and reduce the extravagant wealth of the richest, and he did this with a land reform which set a maximum number of acres that a family could own (I think 65), and a minimum of five acres. Those who owned such big palaces could no longer afford to maintain them. Many fell into ruin, but it is a good thing that Ogyen Choling has been saved for posterity. Our drive takes us onto a gravel road through some of the most beautiful mountains and ...

... due to the expense - the government regulates tourism and requires non-Indian tourists to spend at least $240/day per person. This includes hotel, all meals, guide and driver, all of which are arranged and paid for in advance. So itīs not as bad as it sounds. Individual tourism in Bhutan is simply not possible. This policy was implemented, among other reasons, to keep out the hordes of backpackers that travel to Nepal and often donīt leave ...

... Tempel in ganz Tibet und ein paar in Bhutan aufstellen). Ausserdem war Guru Rimpoche, ein tibetanischer Moench, der den Buddhismus nach Bhutan gebracht hat, zuerst in diesem Tal (um einen Daemonen zu unterwerfen, was er auch erfolgreich tat). Waehrend seiner Meditation in einer Hoehle, hat er seinen Koerperabdruck auf einem Felsen hinterlassen, und drum herum wurde ein Tempel gebaut. In den Tempeln darf man in Bhutan nicht fotografieren ...

... on the side of a mountain, it is now a monastery and houses the local Government administration. Today we went over 3 high passes - Dochula (3140m), Pele La (3420m) and Yotonla (3425m) and the roads going up and coming down were pretty windy and only wide enough for 1 1/2 cars. Bit scary at times but we made it OK! Another long drive tomorrow to Mongar, then on to Trashigang the day after. May not log in till we return to Bumthang next week. Hope you are all having fun back home.