Kichu Resort Paro

... then drive you the short distance to the Hotel.<br><br>Day 02:Thimphu Sightseeing (2200M).<br>After<br>breakfast you will drive to Thimphu and visit the King's Memorial<br>Chorten (built in memory of the third King of Bhutan who reigned from<br>1952-1972), Changangkha Monastery, the radio tower (for a great view of<br>Thimphu Valley and the Thimphu Dzong), on the back stop at the zoo,<br>which contains the national animal of Bhutan, the Takin. From there you<br>will visit ...

... introduced to some man who shook my hand and said thank you???Bizarre! and then into another room where a lady scribbled something on a piece of paper and then gave it an official stamp and my visit was over. I had been Okayed.<br><br>We went back to the van, and driven back into the main high street of Paro, as you can see not much to write home about, though the decorative architecture was beautiful and returned to Amankora Paro in time for lunch.<br><br>After ...

... in the here and now. Ian then took me to my suite, which I will be calling home for the next few months, see the pictures! The amazing thing was that my luggage was<br>already in the room by the time I arrived, the service really is efficient and the people lovely. <br><br>I spent a few hours sorting out my stuff and unpacked my stuff, loaded the pictures into my digital photo frame (thanks guys :-)) and went to have lunch with Ian the big boss. <br><br>The food ...

... Bhuddist manuscripts. It was an amazing experience. Within 15 hours of arrival, Jeremy became violently ill and spent the night close to the bathroom. Wiz, not wanting to waste our short time in Bhutan, explored the villages around Paro with T while Jeremy was curled up in the feotal position. By mid afternoon on the second day, however, he was well enough to take the 45 minute drive to Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan. There are very few main roads in Bhutan - 2 in fact - and the newly ...

... when approaching us at table. Di let it out that I had done a cooking class in Cambodia. Tsheten took it on himself to organise for Mr Tenzin to take us into the kitchen and help prepare two dishes - Bhutanese potato and cheese (with chilli of course) and "ants up a tree" - fine copped beef mince (the ants), rice noodles (the tree), and chopped spring onions (the leaves). Four of us enjoyed the candlelit dinner amidst a heady aroma of incense and went to bed early.

... One of the many lasting legacies he offers is a national policy that does not focus on capitalism and domestic financial growth (a GDP), but rather focuses his policy on ways to improve GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness). Its amazing how the country can be at the same time so much more civilized, wisened and progressive compared to the West, yet so many people are still living in such rural conditions. Bhutan has one foot in the past, and one foot in the future...

... suffered the altitude sickness, but was otherwise incredibly attentive and made a kick-ass fire!). Making for the downhill trail into Thimphu, we happened across a beautiful Buddhist Monastery that was closed to the public, but afforded some amazing photos from the outside. We continued onward to Thimphu through lush pine, spruce forests and eventually reached a sub-tropical done that felt every bit like parts of Africa. The ...

... airport in plenty of time. After going through all the airport procedures (which I can assure you I will not miss), including an attempt by the security staff to get half of our group to pay them a bribe, we sat around waiting for hours with a flight delay. Finally we were advised that it was raining in Bhutan - now rain might not usually be a problem for flying, but the Bhutanese planes do not use instruments to land, but rely ...

... to describe this hidden country. With television not being introduced until the 1990s, internet just arriving in a limited capacity, daily power blackouts (that is in the"big cities with the capital having a whooping 15000 people...yup many universities are larger) and the national past-time being archery this is going to get intense....almost as intense of my love for run on sentences. I'll catch you all on the other end!

... important civilians were making offerands and giving money and food to all the monks. Let me tell you, the monks in Bhutan must be the richest monks in Asia. They had a really nice stack of small bills by the time I left. We had to leave at 7am for breakfast. What a bad timing, again I couldn't leave, they had just handed out the red hats for the monks to wear. So I waited a bit until they put them on and got a few pictures then went for breakfast ...