Tiger's Nest Hotel Paro

... and delectable and well presented but after no sleep for 48 hours I was completely gazumped, and decided to have an early night, it was about 7.30pm when i went back to my room, my bed had been turned down, and there was a little gift left on the bed a little book on Bhutan and an invitation to a meditation discussion the following evening.

I was so tired I crawled into bed and and slept like a baby till the next morning.

XOXO

... also a reincarnation of an important Bhuddist figure, was currently in India finishing his studies and when he is done, he will begin preaching to the Dalai Lama. He's 14. Bhuddism permeates every aspect of Bhutanese life and so many of the places we visited, or stories we were told, revolved around these monasteries and their teachings. Quite a change coming from a predominantly secular culture. The brightly coloured paintings inside each monastery are amazing and never ceased to impress us.

... ancient Buddhist mantras in Sanskrit and periodically poured bless water on them from a curled silver urn that had ornate peacock feathers on top. Occasionally, he tossed rice over them in a direct and calculate manner. They are now blessed to take Buddhist well wishes, goodness and knowledge into the world beyond the Bhutanese borders. Another great culture moment was coming back to my hotel in Paro, and coming across these incriedibly ...

... mixed with a Himalayan version of the Swiss Alps (you get me?!) There's beautiful lush greenery everywhere, bubbling brooks, stepped farming plots, and joyful smiling beautiful people. They all looks so happy to be alive! The houses are designed in traditional Bhutanese architecture, which looks a lot like a Chinese inspired Swiss Chalet. There are no people begging! And no one cares that I'm a single white woman traveling alone (although i told Sangay that I'm ...

... chance to meet their king up close and offer the scarf. Unlike Western crowds, there was no great and unruly push toward the front - everyoine seemed genuinely patient and good natured about what turned into a rather long, and hot wait under the shining sun. Even as the security guards poked over the fence to tell people that the ceremonies were running late - and then they would be postponed to a later inthe week because of the massive ...

... 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 ...

... through steep mountains and a deep valley. The plane comes in from the south, so the people on the left side of the plane could see Mt. Everest (what is it with those people on the left side? Why always them?). So there's your first travel tip - booking on Druk airlines (there is no other choice), get a window seat on the left side.

... with winds, white outs and fog. On top of that the nights were cold, often sleepless and I was in desperate need of a shower. In spite of this it was incredibly hard to leave the trail. This had been a truly awe-inspiring experience. Bhutan is blessed with such an amazing landscape. Mountains give way to verdant valleys that open to ever more foreboding peaks. All of this is freckled with the most charming homes painted and decorated in unimaginable ...

... we couldn't come back because we were going to Tiger's Nest. I saw later on TV part of what I missed, oh no! That was a mistake! They showed people walking holding colourful umbrellas and a big Bhudda or something like that. Man! I wouldn't have missed one minute if I had been on my own, I wanted to cry again! I can't remember how I first found out about Bhutan, but most likely it was after seeing a picture of Tiger's Nest. That was, with the festival, the ...

... won actually decided to step down as they thought it would be a lost hope to ever try and stand up to the other 45 in the house. The festival in Paro was wonderful. It was really our first interaction with many of the locals who came dressed up in their finest traditional clothing to share in the event. The highlight was definitely the cultural dances that were put on. The photos included will hopefully express the rhythms and movements that ...