Kichu Resort Wangduephodrang

... mountains magnificent and the architecture inspiring. Whatever the purpose, a visit to Bhutan is indeed a journey into an enchanted realm. Bhutan maintains a policy of strictly limiting the number of people who can visit the country in a single year. All visitors are charged fixed tariffs for services such as the provision of accommodation, transport, guides and meals. Our tours to Bhutan will give you the insights to this less spoiled ...

... and promiscuity. In honour of him, locals paint phalluses on their houses to promote fertility. Interesting paintings....very um, interesting,.... Continuing up the mountainside once again, our next stop would be at Wangdue, staying at an awesome resort hotel built alongside a whitewater river. The resort was a welcome site, and was beautiful. Our stay would be short, but it was enough to catch a much appreciated hot shower ...

... that the best bet for us was to prepare for the coronation ceremonies by going out and buying local costume. For me, that meant buying a goa, basically a heavy smock that wraps around and ties up in the back and sports what I would call a bustle in the back above your butt. The gown extends to the knee, and is worn with wool socks that stop just short of the knee. I managed to find one for about $70 USD, though the first several I ...

... us. We asked why, but they would not tell us, and as they had guns, and they kept pointing them at us, we thought it best to believe them !!! Thimphu Town Being the capital, it is the biggest place we have been to, but still no traffic lights. Out in the centre is a policeman giving out hand signals, but this being Asia 1) Nobody understands them 2) The locals ignored him !!! We ended up in the shops, and realising the ...

... are sleeping quarters for the monks. They were everywhere, which is to be expected as it is a monastery. After we had seen enough, Lucy needed the toilet. The guide said they were grim, but she is strong. On the way down, there was **** everywhere, so I took a **** outside, and Lucy being a girl went in. Once out, she said she'd never experienced a drop toilet like it. There were planks with huge holes, but there was **** everywhere as ...

... owns their own farm land and house. This lengthy discussion of food is a preamble to our account of lunch, which of course we had almost immediately after entering the country. Our first lunch was quite excellent and set the stage for many more of the same, and similar, meals to follow. At a cute little restaurant with great view of the valley and lots of lush rice paddies, our favorites were the asparagus (cooked just right), the chilies in cheese sauce (very common Bhutanese specialty ...

... Everyone has a wonderful time during our final meal together, and then several of the guys have to hustle to the airport to catch their homebound flights. The rest of us sit and talk a while longer before saying a final farewell. An excellent tour experience, overall. I cannot wait to return again next year! Thanks for traveling with us! Hugs, Dan

Tuesday, March 18, 2008 Trek to Tiger's Nest (Taktsang) Monastery Dear Readers: Today rivals all the best days of any previous tour! We climb to the beautiful Tiger Nest Monastery, which is prominently featured in virtually every guide book about Bhutan. Our visit far exceeds expectations. The climb is exhausting, but worth every bit of energy expended. Several of us ride horses up. I opt to walk the last half of the trek, as did some others. Words simply ...

... L. Dorje and Tashi, w**e taking me to visit the ruined dzong of Drukgyel when we heard the rhythm of a beating drum emanating from the traditional houses of a roadside village. Climbing down the path leading to the cultivated t**races behind the houses, we found ourselves amidst a group of villag**s dressed in their finest 'ghos' and 'kiras', the traditional Bhutanese costume, the men draped in the c**emonial ...

... andere fuer ein Kloster. Anschliessend ging es erneut ueber einen 3500m Pass und dann ein kurzer Trip ins Phobjika Valley, das Tal ist das letzte in Bhutan ohne Strom. Dort ueberwintern die raren Schwarzhalskranische (Black Necked Cranes, sorry, no foto, da sie sehr weit weg waren und nur mit meinem Tele auf Dias aufzunehmen waren), die die meiste Zeit sonst in Tibet verbringen. Die Touristen werden massenweise dort reingekarrt und nach fuenf Minuten ...