Happy New Year,s , Todaybwe are iN our last port, Darwin which is 12 degrees below the equator. It I
S HOT. . Not too much to domherebthough the stores have opened for us. There is only a population of 75000 so when you drop 1200 off, it is wise to open your store no matter what day it is. we walked around to the Smith St Mall which
Has free wifi. the highlight of the day talking to Brian, Brit and Robert. Saw the cathedral. th
Is city has been destroyed by bombs during ww2 and in 1974 by a cyclone. Most of the buildings are new so not too much charm.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Cairns, Australia.december 8,2011
Cairns December 28,2011
We still had the Suzuki Swift until 1 PM so we got up at 5:30 AM to hit the road. We were able to park it for the night alongside the ship for $3, one of the biggest bargains we have found in Oz. Cairns is funny in that it is so small but has the widest streets. It is easy to navigate as there are so few roads. We headed north out of town towards Daintree National Park. The road follows the coast of the Coral Sea with mountains on the left. The mountains are covered in palm, eucalyptus ,fig and jacaranda trees. Whenever we stopped the car you could hear all kinds of bird and animal calls. After reaching the tiny village of Daintree we started back by way of Port Douglas. This area is obviously very well off with lots of resorts and high end shops. Reminded me a little of Palm Beach in Fla. but on a smaller scale. I think I prefer Daintree, the old hippie colony . Saw various abörigine areas especially around Mossman. Though time was short we stopped at one of the sandy beaches by the side of the road. There I collected many tiny perfect scallop shells. The sea was warm and just such a serene way to wade along the shore. No waves just quiet lapping of the water. You cannot swim at this time of year due to the presence of poisonous box jellyfish. There was no way I was going to take a chance on getting stung by one of those guys. The sea was tempting though. Got the car back on time after being able to FaceTime with Robert. So awesome to actually talk with loved ones from halfway around the world. Just reminds me of StarTrek. Here we are over 10,000 miles from New York and we can see his face today and Brit's last night. God bless McDonalds and their wifi.
Now we have 3 days at sea, sailing around the Great Barrier Reef, through the Torres Strait which separates Australia from Papua New Guinea and the on to the top end of Oz, Darwin which has just experienced a cyclone this week.
We still had the Suzuki Swift until 1 PM so we got up at 5:30 AM to hit the road. We were able to park it for the night alongside the ship for $3, one of the biggest bargains we have found in Oz. Cairns is funny in that it is so small but has the widest streets. It is easy to navigate as there are so few roads. We headed north out of town towards Daintree National Park. The road follows the coast of the Coral Sea with mountains on the left. The mountains are covered in palm, eucalyptus ,fig and jacaranda trees. Whenever we stopped the car you could hear all kinds of bird and animal calls. After reaching the tiny village of Daintree we started back by way of Port Douglas. This area is obviously very well off with lots of resorts and high end shops. Reminded me a little of Palm Beach in Fla. but on a smaller scale. I think I prefer Daintree, the old hippie colony . Saw various abörigine areas especially around Mossman. Though time was short we stopped at one of the sandy beaches by the side of the road. There I collected many tiny perfect scallop shells. The sea was warm and just such a serene way to wade along the shore. No waves just quiet lapping of the water. You cannot swim at this time of year due to the presence of poisonous box jellyfish. There was no way I was going to take a chance on getting stung by one of those guys. The sea was tempting though. Got the car back on time after being able to FaceTime with Robert. So awesome to actually talk with loved ones from halfway around the world. Just reminds me of StarTrek. Here we are over 10,000 miles from New York and we can see his face today and Brit's last night. God bless McDonalds and their wifi.
Now we have 3 days at sea, sailing around the Great Barrier Reef, through the Torres Strait which separates Australia from Papua New Guinea and the on to the top end of Oz, Darwin which has just experienced a cyclone this week.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Cairns. December 27,2011
This is a smallish city in the north east is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and to the many rainforest areas along the coast. It is very tropical, has large wide streets with palm trees, not many people, clean and safe. I see a pattern with these Oz cities. We rented a Suzuki car and drove, on the left, to Kuranda, an abörigine settlement in the mountains. We get to stay overnight here which is nice. On the way to Kuranda we got lost but did find the Baron river gorge which was not too different from those I have been to inNH. The difference here is that no one stops you from swimming in the river and playing on the rocks. When we finally found Kuranda most of the tourists had gone home. There is a cable car here and old railroad. By 5PM it was very quiet. We walked along a jungle trail which was fabulous. It was dark and eerie with lots of animal calls and howls We could not see them but they were there. We did see a strange looking turkey with a flaming red head and bright yellow throat.Also saw green parrots. I did think I saw a koala in a tree but cannot be sure. I am still looking for a kangaroo. I may have to go to a zoo. almost the best part of the day was stopping at a McDonald,s which had wifi and I was able to connect to file these blogs and to check messages. Even better Brit was online and we face timed . So cool!
This is a smallish city in the north east is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and to the many rainforest areas along the coast. It is very tropical, has large wide streets with palm trees, not many people, clean and safe. I see a pattern with these Oz cities. We rented a Suzuki car and drove, on the left, to Kuranda, an abörigine settlement in the mountains. We get to stay overnight here which is nice. On the way to Kuranda we got lost but did find the Baron river gorge which was not too different from those I have been to inNH. The difference here is that no one stops you from swimming in the river and playing on the rocks. When we finally found Kuranda most of the tourists had gone home. There is a cable car here and old railroad. By 5PM it was very quiet. We walked along a jungle trail which was fabulous. It was dark and eerie with lots of animal calls and howls We could not see them but they were there. We did see a strange looking turkey with a flaming red head and bright yellow throat.Also saw green parrots. I did think I saw a koala in a tree but cannot be sure. I am still looking for a kangaroo. I may have to go to a zoo. almost the best part of the day was stopping at a McDonald,s which had wifi and I was able to connect to file these blogs and to check messages. Even better Brit was online and we face timed . So cool!
Brisbane, Australia. Christmas, 2011
Christmas day found us in Brisbane. This shiny city of 2 million is located a few miles inland on the Brisbane River. The ship we are on, the Zaandam docked about 4miles away as the river becomes too shallow to navigate. To get to the center or CBD central business district , as it is called, we took a catamaran called the CityCat. These catamarans effectively are used as busses. We were one of the first off the ship at 7AM and had the cat to ourselves. Since it is Christmas virtually nothing is open so we rode the 35 minutes to South Bank which is the main park in the city center. It is an urban oasis consisting of different walkways, bamboo gardens, rainforest boardwalks.a Nepalese temple and a giant ferris wheel left over from a world exhibition held here in 1988 . It was interesting to see how Aussies observe the holiday. Basicly they have huge picnics in the parks comprised of large family groups and friends. South Bank has a man made beach with lots of water features and young and old had a blast playing in the various pools and fountains and beach. I searched in vain for WIFI to no avail so felt awful that I couldn't get in touch with our children and grandchildren. After a couple of hours we headed across the. Ew solar powered bridge to walk through the botanic gardens. Much of Brisbane was inundated a year ago by a massive flood. Many of the gardens were flooded and washed away. Still, though,there were camellias, what a wonderful scent! there were also the ubiquitous black necked ibises. These funny birds are about 2-3feet tall with very long skinny beaks.I have seen them stick those slender beaks in ladies pocketbooks looking for food. When they fly they look like herons , only less gangly and more graceful. I liked what we saw of "Brissie" . Like Sydney it was clean, lots of public conveniences, safe and friendly. The ride back on the cat was equally fun, even better because the guy never charged us,, Merry Christmas to the yanks. He was happy because he was making $450 for his shift.
Today we met Bert's cousin. Georgia Phillips and her husband Peter. Georgia emigrated here over 30 years ago as a teacher librarian and met Peter. they have 2 grown children, Liz and David who we had abeer with after his work. In the Am we went to the Sydney art museum which was awesome. My favorite painting was " The Ferry" by Fox. We then drove out to watson's bay for lunch at Doyle's and to see the gap. This walk on the sandstone cliff head brought us to the South Head and we could see ahead to the North Head. These are the two guardians to the opening of the harbor of Sydney and we will sail between them tomorrow AM. We then drove to the famous Bondi Beach. The sand is a beautiful butter color and as soft as talcum. not a stone in it and easily packed. there were many surfers and swimmers and we even saw 2 policeman on horseback patrolling the beach. we finished the day's drive with a beer at the local pub where we got to meet David. It was a really nice day and wonderful to get to know Georgia and Peter .
After we got back to the hotel we skipped out again to the QVB to see the unusable clock which beheads the king on the hour. on the way we stopped at St Andrews Anglican Cathredral to participate for a few minutes in carols and the service. sobeautiful to listen to the small boys in their choirrobes and the organ was magnificent. everyone is out shopping and eating and having fun. this city is wonderful.
After we got back to the hotel we skipped out again to the QVB to see the unusable clock which beheads the king on the hour. on the way we stopped at St Andrews Anglican Cathredral to participate for a few minutes in carols and the service. sobeautiful to listen to the small boys in their choirrobes and the organ was magnificent. everyone is out shopping and eating and having fun. this city is wonderful.
Australia
I've left Australia for my last continent, I think, for one reason. I've had some sort of fear of flying so far across an ocean. Other Asiantrips involved going over the pole. guess I thought we stood some sort of chance landing or crashing on ice than five mile deep ocean. anyhow we made it to Sydney via Washington and San Francisco, about 40 hours total. during the last stretch we had a lovely 31 year old woman from SFwho was moving to Australia for a year with a new job. Economy here is better than the US as evidenced by the prices which are astoundingly high. IU have seen $5 for a chocolate bar, al McDonalds is double, other prices I couldn't even believe.
after landing we walked to the next village, Wolli Creek thereby saving $25 on the train. From Central Station we walked the 5 blocks to the Vibe Hotel. nice big room. we dropped o,ur bags, showered and hit the streets. There is a tourist bus ,the 555, which is free and took us to Circular Quay which is the heart of the harbor, the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge are here. we took a ferry to Manly Beach which crossed the harbor giving us spectacular views of the skyline. Sydney has 4 million people, many are Asian and yo,u hear so many different l a gauges. it is extremely clean, vibrant, easy to navigate. Manly was a 30 minute ride and we walked along the Corso, the main pedestrian way to the surfing beach. Very picturesque framed on each end by rocks. We walked along for a short while before taking the ferry back .Dinner at Maloney Hotel and bed at 7 PM.
December 21,2011. Sydney
After 12 hours sleep I feel much refreshed. Today we will join a tour of downtown Sydney starting at the Town Hall. there were about 50 people and our guide was Evan a university students who just works for tips. He was so energetic and we walked for 7 km all over learning so many anecdotes . Sydney was settled about 200 years ago by convicts sent from England. We saw large Cathedrals, the rum hospital, Hyde park, the Victoria mall. outside this was a statue of Queen Victoria and her dog. the dog actually speaks when you put a coin in front of him, a charity thing, so funny though. We ended the tour at The Rocks, the original seedy section which now is the cool area with cafes and shops and cobbled streets. I learned so much and really loved Evans' lively presentation. After a short rest we headed over to inspect the Opera House. this iconic building was a bit disappointing. I thought it would be white but it is a dull butter color and kind of ugly up close. the harbor with all its ferries and boats was wonderful to watch. there were aborigine buskers who played their digeridoos . a warm sunny day at about 72 degrees, just perfect.
after landing we walked to the next village, Wolli Creek thereby saving $25 on the train. From Central Station we walked the 5 blocks to the Vibe Hotel. nice big room. we dropped o,ur bags, showered and hit the streets. There is a tourist bus ,the 555, which is free and took us to Circular Quay which is the heart of the harbor, the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge are here. we took a ferry to Manly Beach which crossed the harbor giving us spectacular views of the skyline. Sydney has 4 million people, many are Asian and yo,u hear so many different l a gauges. it is extremely clean, vibrant, easy to navigate. Manly was a 30 minute ride and we walked along the Corso, the main pedestrian way to the surfing beach. Very picturesque framed on each end by rocks. We walked along for a short while before taking the ferry back .Dinner at Maloney Hotel and bed at 7 PM.
December 21,2011. Sydney
After 12 hours sleep I feel much refreshed. Today we will join a tour of downtown Sydney starting at the Town Hall. there were about 50 people and our guide was Evan a university students who just works for tips. He was so energetic and we walked for 7 km all over learning so many anecdotes . Sydney was settled about 200 years ago by convicts sent from England. We saw large Cathedrals, the rum hospital, Hyde park, the Victoria mall. outside this was a statue of Queen Victoria and her dog. the dog actually speaks when you put a coin in front of him, a charity thing, so funny though. We ended the tour at The Rocks, the original seedy section which now is the cool area with cafes and shops and cobbled streets. I learned so much and really loved Evans' lively presentation. After a short rest we headed over to inspect the Opera House. this iconic building was a bit disappointing. I thought it would be white but it is a dull butter color and kind of ugly up close. the harbor with all its ferries and boats was wonderful to watch. there were aborigine buskers who played their digeridoos . a warm sunny day at about 72 degrees, just perfect.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Bhutan
January 2, 2010 Thimphu
We travelled back from Punakha through the Dochula pass to Thimphu. This time there was snow from about 9,000 feet up. Great driver. These are basically one lane roads and as winding and twisting as anywhere I have been. You literally cannot go more than 1000 feet without a turn.
This is the capital city, population 70,000. there are no traffic lights, none in the country at all. There is one main street with the many small shops. There are absolutely no large stores, Nothing approximating a supermarket or department store. All shopping seems to be done daily. as everywhere here there are dogs. they seem to be one of the major disturbances in this "Land of Happiness". The sleep all day and bark all night. There was an effort to round them all up and cage them but the stronger dogs preyed on the weaker ones and so they were all neutered and freed. Because of the Buddhist belief system they cannot be euthanized.
We went to the Takin Preserve higher up the mountain- everything in Bhutan is higher up the mountain. The national animal seems to be a cross between a goat and an antelope. Very tame. cute and shy. We descended to visit the Thimphu fortress and temple- clean and impressive- and finally, the weekend market. Always fun. The hotel- Jumolthari is on the main street. Night time means dogs barking but OK, we were tired.
January 3, 2011 Tiger's Nest , Bhutan
Because we missed the first day in Bhutan, we arranged for a special trip to Takshang Monastery aka the Tiger's Nest. This sacred monastery is built at 10,200 feet into the side of a cliff. So bright and early, Eddie, Bert and I were driven back a hour past Paro to the start of the trail. For the first part of the terrain we rode horses. Mine was named Rumpenchen. The Bhutanese horse guide let me ride alone though Bert and Eddie were led by our driver and our guide. The exciting part was that the horses walked right on the edge of the cliff- it's down 1000s of feet. Once I just closed my eyes and held my breath but, as I got used to it, the vistas were spectacular. After an hour we reached the tea house with a view across the gorge to the monastery. We stopped for tea, let the horses go and then climbed another 1000 feet. Here I stopped for a while while the men trekked on. I sat for a long time on a rock luxuriating in the peace, listening to the echoes of a barking dog, greeting passing trekkers and monks and smelling the pure fresh air. Though I was not supposed to be alone, I made my way higher to the second viewpoint amid the many tattered colored prayer flags.
After a few hours the fellas made it back to the tea room where we had lunch with our fellow pilgrims. The way down was hard on the knees, no horses, took a while. The guys made it to the monastery, up and down 800 steps. I was impressed. Just a wonderful day!
Jan 4. Bhutan- Katmandu
An hour's drive from Thimpu to Paro, a 50 minute flight on Druk Air to Katmandu. Passed Everest again-ho hum. This is monotonous. LOL
Katmandu was an eye opener. Traffic clogged every street. Most were not paved or any pavement was broken. The bus bumped alongg at 10 MPH at most.Rivers were fetid with garbage and human waste.. children picking through heaps of trash. There were too many people for the city to absorb. Our hotel, Gokarna Forest outside the city is an oasis. Located in a royal hunting preserve, it is fairly modern and has generators. This is a big plus because Nepal only allots 12 hours of electricity a day throughout the country. there is a published schedule and is something like 6 hours on and 6 hours off and changes so that sometimes you have power during the day and other days during the night.
At Gokarna besides the clean rooms, the attraction for me was the monkeys. theymaremeverywhere- even getting into the hallways. So funny to,walk down to breakfast and see the banana peels on the stairs. we had dinner here and welcomed 3 more to our group- now 10 . Our guide is Suladev Panday-Dave for short.
January 5, 2011. Katmandu
Namaste! Our first full day in Katmandu starting with a very long bus ride to Durbar Square, the center.. We passed the Palace where the Royal family was assassinated in 2001. A republic for the past few years , much of the terrorism and Maoist unrest seems behind them. 2011 is the year of the tourist. Perhaps they should have cleaned up a bit more. we walked through the Ason bazaar purchasing tea and eying the spices and eclectic mix of things for sale. Herethe traffic is mostly carts, men and women carrying huge bundles and the annoying motorcycles which honk constantly. Durbar Square is the heart of Katmandu. comprised of many shrines,temples , forts and palaces, millions of pigeons, the usual dogs and touts and beggars, it is all very exotic. We entered the palace of the living goddess. She is the" Kumari" , a young girl around 6 who is venerated by the faithful. Her " reign" lasts about 2 years before another " perfect" 6 year old is chosen from among the girls of Patan. She never leaves the palace except for very rare occasions, such as a festival. all her wishes are obeyed. Anywayshe came to a balcony to wave to us. Expressionless face, I felt sorry for her but then I see how the other children live and I guess she ' s lucky. " Freak Street" was the home of the hippies from the 70s and was interesting. they are gone but their memory lives on in the head shops.
Onto Patan- the second city in the Katmandu valley. again a virtual cacophony of sounds, smells and ancient temples. Lunch in a quiet courtyard was the best food I have had.The vendors are fun to watch and bargain with. " Danny bad" means " thank you" . Still don't know the word for " no"- they wouldn't listen anyway.
We ended the day at a place. Very. Similar to Varanasi, India. Located on a river- now nearly dry- bodies are brought for cremation. Indeed we witnessed several funeral pyres with relatives and friends saying goodbye to their loved ones. Vert eerie to watch. we then climbed higher to see more monuments. we left at 4:30 PM- monkey rush hour. We literally had to pass. Between hundreds of monkeys, making sure not to make eye contact. I guess they get grouchy at sunset. Amazing experience.
January 6,2011
A busy day in kAtmandu. first stop the monkey temple- for obvious reasons. These rhesus macaques are everywhere, even more than the ubiquitous stray dogs. Climbed about 100 steps to the top, a white stupa with surrounding smaller smaller temples and many vendors. Saw chanting monks playing drums and ringing bells in a side temple. So fascinating, in Nepal you see a blend of Buddhism and Hindu- sometimes separate, sometimes together. a large Tibetan influence as well. We also went to Boudhanath, the largest stupa in the world. by now I am somewhat used to the overcrowded slum that is Katmandu. there are, to be sure, pockets of quiet and peace. This stupa is Tibetan, again quite interesting
A highlight today was our trip to Bhaktapur, the third city in the valley. a former kingdom before unification, this UNESCO. Site was wonderful and costs $15 to enter. It is a collection of ancient ornate wooden buildings and temples and almost too much to take in. Except for the motorcycles you would think it was the 17 th century. we ate in a rooftop restaurant overlooking the older square filled with stupas, temples and street vendors selling everything from spices and tangerines to puppets and pashmina shawls. Many of the buildings were made of red brick with extremely ornate Windows's mostly without glass.
n the evening we attend a home hosted dinner in a family home. Our group of 5 ate rice, eggplant, chicken with a side of local moonshine made from millet"The extended family ranged in age from " Mary" who was 3 to her mother who looked about 40 . they had 4 children and assorted aunts and uncles and cousins. Lovely people in a nice home. Would have been even bettering if it wasn't dark and if we had power!
January 7,2011. Pokhara
Today we lleave Katmandu for a short flight- 30minutes via Yeti Air- on an old jet stream prop plane. Right now the pilot has left the plane- explanation in Nepali? OK now the ever present Katmandu fog has cleared and we're off past more magnificent snow- covered 20,000 ft mountain. Tops. We only fly at 13000 feet so very impressive. Pokhara is a smaller, cleaner city on a lake surrounded on 2 sides by those mountains. It looks almost fake. We stop at the trekking place to ditch most of our luggage and then drive 2 hours to the trailhead. Using an all female group of Sherpas to carry our small bags, we walked the old route used by traders for thousands of years past villages and huts along a river . Two hours later we arrived at Sanctuary Lodge, our home for 3 nights. Very beautiful setting next to the river and under the sacred " Fish Tail" , Maccha Picchre mountain. we had a large bedroom with a shower but no heat nor power. WThe water is heated via solar so maybe a hot shower. dinner is near a fire and the hot water bottle in the beds were a blessing. we celebrated Garry 's birthday. What a memory for him!
January 8,2011 Birethanti,Nepal
This AM I am catching up on my journal as the group goes for a hike. It is so peaceful to sit in the sun and write listening to the river. In the afternoon four of us took a 2 hour stroll past the lodge on the path towards more settlements and farms. Packs of horses and mules with large bells and colorful cloths carrying empty gas cylinders rushed past us.We stopped to talk to young children and met again one of the young porter girls who carries our bags other back up the mountain.She is17 and in the 8 th grade and wants to be a movie star. Bert called his daughter Helena after dinner to wish her a happy birthday. Glastonbury CT seems a million miles away. tomorrow we are warned. Will be a very difficult trek up the mountain to the school and the village.
January 9
So I made it to the village. we had to cross a 300 foot long chain bridge over a gorge and then a small log bridge, Up a few thousand steps.. It took an hour. the school has 30 children grades 1,2,3 . The kids were adorable singing their ABCs and numbers in English and Nepali.They loved the Winnie the Pooh books I brought. Lunch was further up in the village- outside with a stunning view of the Annapurnas. In all a 7 hour hike but well worth it.
the spirit here is so serene and peaceful. I have especially enjoyed our guide Santaman. He is a Gutung tribesman about42, small and wiry, and a virtual mountain goat. Maybe five feet tall and 100 pounds but as strong as any man. always a smile, is also kind and considerate. His life has been so interesting- grew up herein the mtns and ran away at age 14 from a strict father . He made his way toPokhara where he lived in the streets working as a dishwasher. He is such a friendly soul and was taken under the wing of an .emglishman, a Mr Edward who bought him clothes and brought him along a s a porter giving him gloves. santaman told me he lost the gloves one day and was so afraid to tell him that he had no appropriate shoes for the work. but Mr Edward understood and bought him the boots and helped him to learn to guide. today he is married with a 6 and 10 year old. he makes $15 a day as a guide.ide. Which is quite prestigious. I will be sorry to leave him. I hope I can send him some business when I get home. He is a terrific man. He even made peace with his now deceased father.
Except for the very cold nights and power only 3 hours a day, this lodge is wonderful. I will not take a heated house and 24 hour electricity for granted again. it is hard to describe this trip to anyone. you have to exappearingperience walking the trails, passing the goats and chickens, women carrying 100 pound baskets laden with wood or manure or crops with straps on their foreheads. Tomorrow we hike out the two hours to the road and then the two hours by bus to Pokhara. I will miss it here
January 10,2011
We hiked down the mountain, it seemed so much easier today. stopped to talk with a physicians asst. He trained for three years and administers vaccines,meds, assists with births, sets fractures and general first aid for the 5000 who live on the trail. So interesting. along the way we were passed by an old man , possobly dying, being carried in a basket on the back of a family member, followed by his wife, son and granddaughter. we stopped to watch oxen plowing a field, the left one a bit confused as it was in tri ing. all in a day in the life of a village on the Annapurna trail. Kids in blue uniforms hurrying to school calling Namaste to us. few. Eg. they are poor but reasonably happy.
a two hour bus ride to Pokhara, pop 300000, mainly a trekking center.Lots of cheaper knockoffs of trek gear. And crafts. we checked in to the Pokhara Grand, a hotel that tis just OKbut at least warm and they get tower 4-6 hours a day. nothing to sneeze at! In the late afternoon we watched " Himalaya " a compelling movie about the kingdom of Mustang and Dolpi. So excited to have heat and a room!!!!!!
January 11,2011. Pokhara
This morning out group was taken on small rowboats out on the lake Fewato a small island with a temple. asit is Tuesday there had been animal sacrifices, thankfully we missed them but we did see the blood. Then a tour of the mountain museum. Bert and two of the men decided to try paragliding. the rest of usenet to the landing area to have lunch at the Maya Devi which is a raptor refuge where we met " Ken" and "Bob" who ate Egyptian vultures. there also 3black kites- the birds not the toys. we were then dropped in the center of town to shop after which we walked the hour back to the hotel. stopped for dinner at " Brothers and Sisters" , an open air cafe across the street owned by " Sam"an expat from Pa. He was fun to talk to. Full dinner cost 210 rupees or $3 for the 2 of us. Incredible! tomorrow river rafting.
January 12.2011
An hour bus ride brought us to the raftut icon the Seti River. For 31/2hours we rafter through the hills passing under occasional chain pedestrian bridges and small hamlets. he water is glacial Greenland studded with cataracts. SETI Lobdge camp is basic tents. Freezing cold as we were soaked. no place to warm up but the staff started a camp fire to help. the hot water bottles. Not nearly enough and it was a long night.
January 13,2011. SETI LIodge
today Knox, a fellow group member, and I and our guide walked about 4 miles to a village passing and talking withpeoplegoing about their lives. there was a man making moonshine, a woman ,culling fodder for the buffaloes, a preacher starting a Christian community. the afternoon sawing me lazing on a rattan chair reading Snow Leopard and watching the river. Heavy rapids tomorrow.
January 14
The rapids were fun. - got a bit wet but not too bad- mostly2 s. Another2 hour bus ride took us to Naranya Safari Lodge in the south of Nepal. now we are on the rather flat lowlands. Once a malaria infested jungle filled with tigers,leopards and rhinos, it is now called Chitwan and is the former hunting reserve of royalty and a national park.
We travelled back from Punakha through the Dochula pass to Thimphu. This time there was snow from about 9,000 feet up. Great driver. These are basically one lane roads and as winding and twisting as anywhere I have been. You literally cannot go more than 1000 feet without a turn.
This is the capital city, population 70,000. there are no traffic lights, none in the country at all. There is one main street with the many small shops. There are absolutely no large stores, Nothing approximating a supermarket or department store. All shopping seems to be done daily. as everywhere here there are dogs. they seem to be one of the major disturbances in this "Land of Happiness". The sleep all day and bark all night. There was an effort to round them all up and cage them but the stronger dogs preyed on the weaker ones and so they were all neutered and freed. Because of the Buddhist belief system they cannot be euthanized.
We went to the Takin Preserve higher up the mountain- everything in Bhutan is higher up the mountain. The national animal seems to be a cross between a goat and an antelope. Very tame. cute and shy. We descended to visit the Thimphu fortress and temple- clean and impressive- and finally, the weekend market. Always fun. The hotel- Jumolthari is on the main street. Night time means dogs barking but OK, we were tired.
January 3, 2011 Tiger's Nest , Bhutan
Because we missed the first day in Bhutan, we arranged for a special trip to Takshang Monastery aka the Tiger's Nest. This sacred monastery is built at 10,200 feet into the side of a cliff. So bright and early, Eddie, Bert and I were driven back a hour past Paro to the start of the trail. For the first part of the terrain we rode horses. Mine was named Rumpenchen. The Bhutanese horse guide let me ride alone though Bert and Eddie were led by our driver and our guide. The exciting part was that the horses walked right on the edge of the cliff- it's down 1000s of feet. Once I just closed my eyes and held my breath but, as I got used to it, the vistas were spectacular. After an hour we reached the tea house with a view across the gorge to the monastery. We stopped for tea, let the horses go and then climbed another 1000 feet. Here I stopped for a while while the men trekked on. I sat for a long time on a rock luxuriating in the peace, listening to the echoes of a barking dog, greeting passing trekkers and monks and smelling the pure fresh air. Though I was not supposed to be alone, I made my way higher to the second viewpoint amid the many tattered colored prayer flags.
After a few hours the fellas made it back to the tea room where we had lunch with our fellow pilgrims. The way down was hard on the knees, no horses, took a while. The guys made it to the monastery, up and down 800 steps. I was impressed. Just a wonderful day!
Jan 4. Bhutan- Katmandu
An hour's drive from Thimpu to Paro, a 50 minute flight on Druk Air to Katmandu. Passed Everest again-ho hum. This is monotonous. LOL
Katmandu was an eye opener. Traffic clogged every street. Most were not paved or any pavement was broken. The bus bumped alongg at 10 MPH at most.Rivers were fetid with garbage and human waste.. children picking through heaps of trash. There were too many people for the city to absorb. Our hotel, Gokarna Forest outside the city is an oasis. Located in a royal hunting preserve, it is fairly modern and has generators. This is a big plus because Nepal only allots 12 hours of electricity a day throughout the country. there is a published schedule and is something like 6 hours on and 6 hours off and changes so that sometimes you have power during the day and other days during the night.
At Gokarna besides the clean rooms, the attraction for me was the monkeys. theymaremeverywhere- even getting into the hallways. So funny to,walk down to breakfast and see the banana peels on the stairs. we had dinner here and welcomed 3 more to our group- now 10 . Our guide is Suladev Panday-Dave for short.
January 5, 2011. Katmandu
Namaste! Our first full day in Katmandu starting with a very long bus ride to Durbar Square, the center.. We passed the Palace where the Royal family was assassinated in 2001. A republic for the past few years , much of the terrorism and Maoist unrest seems behind them. 2011 is the year of the tourist. Perhaps they should have cleaned up a bit more. we walked through the Ason bazaar purchasing tea and eying the spices and eclectic mix of things for sale. Herethe traffic is mostly carts, men and women carrying huge bundles and the annoying motorcycles which honk constantly. Durbar Square is the heart of Katmandu. comprised of many shrines,temples , forts and palaces, millions of pigeons, the usual dogs and touts and beggars, it is all very exotic. We entered the palace of the living goddess. She is the" Kumari" , a young girl around 6 who is venerated by the faithful. Her " reign" lasts about 2 years before another " perfect" 6 year old is chosen from among the girls of Patan. She never leaves the palace except for very rare occasions, such as a festival. all her wishes are obeyed. Anywayshe came to a balcony to wave to us. Expressionless face, I felt sorry for her but then I see how the other children live and I guess she ' s lucky. " Freak Street" was the home of the hippies from the 70s and was interesting. they are gone but their memory lives on in the head shops.
Onto Patan- the second city in the Katmandu valley. again a virtual cacophony of sounds, smells and ancient temples. Lunch in a quiet courtyard was the best food I have had.The vendors are fun to watch and bargain with. " Danny bad" means " thank you" . Still don't know the word for " no"- they wouldn't listen anyway.
We ended the day at a place. Very. Similar to Varanasi, India. Located on a river- now nearly dry- bodies are brought for cremation. Indeed we witnessed several funeral pyres with relatives and friends saying goodbye to their loved ones. Vert eerie to watch. we then climbed higher to see more monuments. we left at 4:30 PM- monkey rush hour. We literally had to pass. Between hundreds of monkeys, making sure not to make eye contact. I guess they get grouchy at sunset. Amazing experience.
January 6,2011
A busy day in kAtmandu. first stop the monkey temple- for obvious reasons. These rhesus macaques are everywhere, even more than the ubiquitous stray dogs. Climbed about 100 steps to the top, a white stupa with surrounding smaller smaller temples and many vendors. Saw chanting monks playing drums and ringing bells in a side temple. So fascinating, in Nepal you see a blend of Buddhism and Hindu- sometimes separate, sometimes together. a large Tibetan influence as well. We also went to Boudhanath, the largest stupa in the world. by now I am somewhat used to the overcrowded slum that is Katmandu. there are, to be sure, pockets of quiet and peace. This stupa is Tibetan, again quite interesting
A highlight today was our trip to Bhaktapur, the third city in the valley. a former kingdom before unification, this UNESCO. Site was wonderful and costs $15 to enter. It is a collection of ancient ornate wooden buildings and temples and almost too much to take in. Except for the motorcycles you would think it was the 17 th century. we ate in a rooftop restaurant overlooking the older square filled with stupas, temples and street vendors selling everything from spices and tangerines to puppets and pashmina shawls. Many of the buildings were made of red brick with extremely ornate Windows's mostly without glass.
n the evening we attend a home hosted dinner in a family home. Our group of 5 ate rice, eggplant, chicken with a side of local moonshine made from millet"The extended family ranged in age from " Mary" who was 3 to her mother who looked about 40 . they had 4 children and assorted aunts and uncles and cousins. Lovely people in a nice home. Would have been even bettering if it wasn't dark and if we had power!
January 7,2011. Pokhara
Today we lleave Katmandu for a short flight- 30minutes via Yeti Air- on an old jet stream prop plane. Right now the pilot has left the plane- explanation in Nepali? OK now the ever present Katmandu fog has cleared and we're off past more magnificent snow- covered 20,000 ft mountain. Tops. We only fly at 13000 feet so very impressive. Pokhara is a smaller, cleaner city on a lake surrounded on 2 sides by those mountains. It looks almost fake. We stop at the trekking place to ditch most of our luggage and then drive 2 hours to the trailhead. Using an all female group of Sherpas to carry our small bags, we walked the old route used by traders for thousands of years past villages and huts along a river . Two hours later we arrived at Sanctuary Lodge, our home for 3 nights. Very beautiful setting next to the river and under the sacred " Fish Tail" , Maccha Picchre mountain. we had a large bedroom with a shower but no heat nor power. WThe water is heated via solar so maybe a hot shower. dinner is near a fire and the hot water bottle in the beds were a blessing. we celebrated Garry 's birthday. What a memory for him!
January 8,2011 Birethanti,Nepal
This AM I am catching up on my journal as the group goes for a hike. It is so peaceful to sit in the sun and write listening to the river. In the afternoon four of us took a 2 hour stroll past the lodge on the path towards more settlements and farms. Packs of horses and mules with large bells and colorful cloths carrying empty gas cylinders rushed past us.We stopped to talk to young children and met again one of the young porter girls who carries our bags other back up the mountain.She is17 and in the 8 th grade and wants to be a movie star. Bert called his daughter Helena after dinner to wish her a happy birthday. Glastonbury CT seems a million miles away. tomorrow we are warned. Will be a very difficult trek up the mountain to the school and the village.
January 9
So I made it to the village. we had to cross a 300 foot long chain bridge over a gorge and then a small log bridge, Up a few thousand steps.. It took an hour. the school has 30 children grades 1,2,3 . The kids were adorable singing their ABCs and numbers in English and Nepali.They loved the Winnie the Pooh books I brought. Lunch was further up in the village- outside with a stunning view of the Annapurnas. In all a 7 hour hike but well worth it.
the spirit here is so serene and peaceful. I have especially enjoyed our guide Santaman. He is a Gutung tribesman about42, small and wiry, and a virtual mountain goat. Maybe five feet tall and 100 pounds but as strong as any man. always a smile, is also kind and considerate. His life has been so interesting- grew up herein the mtns and ran away at age 14 from a strict father . He made his way toPokhara where he lived in the streets working as a dishwasher. He is such a friendly soul and was taken under the wing of an .emglishman, a Mr Edward who bought him clothes and brought him along a s a porter giving him gloves. santaman told me he lost the gloves one day and was so afraid to tell him that he had no appropriate shoes for the work. but Mr Edward understood and bought him the boots and helped him to learn to guide. today he is married with a 6 and 10 year old. he makes $15 a day as a guide.ide. Which is quite prestigious. I will be sorry to leave him. I hope I can send him some business when I get home. He is a terrific man. He even made peace with his now deceased father.
Except for the very cold nights and power only 3 hours a day, this lodge is wonderful. I will not take a heated house and 24 hour electricity for granted again. it is hard to describe this trip to anyone. you have to exappearingperience walking the trails, passing the goats and chickens, women carrying 100 pound baskets laden with wood or manure or crops with straps on their foreheads. Tomorrow we hike out the two hours to the road and then the two hours by bus to Pokhara. I will miss it here
January 10,2011
We hiked down the mountain, it seemed so much easier today. stopped to talk with a physicians asst. He trained for three years and administers vaccines,meds, assists with births, sets fractures and general first aid for the 5000 who live on the trail. So interesting. along the way we were passed by an old man , possobly dying, being carried in a basket on the back of a family member, followed by his wife, son and granddaughter. we stopped to watch oxen plowing a field, the left one a bit confused as it was in tri ing. all in a day in the life of a village on the Annapurna trail. Kids in blue uniforms hurrying to school calling Namaste to us. few. Eg. they are poor but reasonably happy.
a two hour bus ride to Pokhara, pop 300000, mainly a trekking center.Lots of cheaper knockoffs of trek gear. And crafts. we checked in to the Pokhara Grand, a hotel that tis just OKbut at least warm and they get tower 4-6 hours a day. nothing to sneeze at! In the late afternoon we watched " Himalaya " a compelling movie about the kingdom of Mustang and Dolpi. So excited to have heat and a room!!!!!!
January 11,2011. Pokhara
This morning out group was taken on small rowboats out on the lake Fewato a small island with a temple. asit is Tuesday there had been animal sacrifices, thankfully we missed them but we did see the blood. Then a tour of the mountain museum. Bert and two of the men decided to try paragliding. the rest of usenet to the landing area to have lunch at the Maya Devi which is a raptor refuge where we met " Ken" and "Bob" who ate Egyptian vultures. there also 3black kites- the birds not the toys. we were then dropped in the center of town to shop after which we walked the hour back to the hotel. stopped for dinner at " Brothers and Sisters" , an open air cafe across the street owned by " Sam"an expat from Pa. He was fun to talk to. Full dinner cost 210 rupees or $3 for the 2 of us. Incredible! tomorrow river rafting.
January 12.2011
An hour bus ride brought us to the raftut icon the Seti River. For 31/2hours we rafter through the hills passing under occasional chain pedestrian bridges and small hamlets. he water is glacial Greenland studded with cataracts. SETI Lobdge camp is basic tents. Freezing cold as we were soaked. no place to warm up but the staff started a camp fire to help. the hot water bottles. Not nearly enough and it was a long night.
January 13,2011. SETI LIodge
today Knox, a fellow group member, and I and our guide walked about 4 miles to a village passing and talking withpeoplegoing about their lives. there was a man making moonshine, a woman ,culling fodder for the buffaloes, a preacher starting a Christian community. the afternoon sawing me lazing on a rattan chair reading Snow Leopard and watching the river. Heavy rapids tomorrow.
January 14
The rapids were fun. - got a bit wet but not too bad- mostly2 s. Another2 hour bus ride took us to Naranya Safari Lodge in the south of Nepal. now we are on the rather flat lowlands. Once a malaria infested jungle filled with tigers,leopards and rhinos, it is now called Chitwan and is the former hunting reserve of royalty and a national park.
Mystical Himalayas, December-January, 2011
December 27, 2010
I thought I had seen it all travel wise but the start of our journey to India, Bhutan and Nepal was unique. It started with the Christmas blizzard dumping 18" of snow on JFK Airport. Now to get there- trains not running so I rented a car and drove. Roads were great until the Hertz counter- no Airtrain- had to pay a guy $20 to take us to Terminal8 where we found utter chaos. People had been sleeping there for 2 days- could not leave the terminal because there were no shuttles. When we tried to check in we were told that yesterdays passengers had priority and now we were standby. After a 6 hour wait we were awarded the last 2 seats- then told there was only one so I passed. Made a bed of 3 plastic pallets and 2 very thin red blankets. I was sitting next to Eddie Loh, a fellow OAT passenger with an eye on Mr Khan, the Jet Airways agent. There were about 30 others waiting as well. Just as I was falling asleep around midnight, Mr Khan called out, "Mrs Hess you are a nurse. We have a medical emergency on board the plane. Get your bags and your husband and come with me." He whispered, "You're on!" We ran to the gate after waking the TSA guy where they were offloading some poor French woman. Then we sat on the runway for 3 more hours. Transited Brussels and the only flight to India was to Chennai in the far south of the country. all day in the airport and 3 hours back to Delhi. Met by Mr Singh and taken to Ibis Gurgaon about an hour or 10 miles away. Whatever I had seen or read about Indian traffic was true. No such things as lanes. After 6 hours sleep , we headed back to Delhi Airport with Eddie who had made it in the hour before. Since we had missed our direct Druk Air flight to Paro, Bhutan, we had to fly through Kathmandu, Nepal, although, again, a delayed flight. Then we were unable to land in Kathmandu due to fog. Flying very slowly though the snow covered Himalayas we almost missed our flight again but waiting for us at the airport a representative ran us through luggage and security like VIPs and onto the small Druk plane. This is the only airline to Bhutan. Only 16 pilots in the world are licensed to land here and we saw why. About 10 minutes out of Kathmandu, we saw Everest- really good views. landing in Paro was an adventure. It is in a very narrow valley among peaks over 6-8000 feet- you feel you can reach out and touch on either side as you come in. Unfortunately the first time the wind kicked up buffeting the plane and causing sudden drops. People screamed and one poor Chinese lady absolutely lost it. The pilot pulled up and we spent 30 more minutes in the clouds and mountain tops before the 2nd attempt - successful. Was this 3 day journey worth it? You bet!
December 29,2010
Four more group members were already here and out on tour so the3 of us had a quick walk through Paro town- 30,000 population. Nearly all in their Bhutan native dress - Khos for men and Karis for women. Basically the men wear a skirt and knee socks with a tunic and cinched waist. They are all different colors and patterns. the women's karis are longer.. The houses and stores are all similar- by law. Rather large, 3 story, square, white with timbers. Kind of an Asian Swiss house. Whole generations of families live together and these properties are handed down to the daughters in each family. The top floor is open and holds grain and hay. The roofs are tin and held down by a multitude of large rocks due to the wind.
There are very few western faces- only 20,000 tourists are allowed in a year to protect the culture and environment. the law says everyone must have a guide, not travel on your own and spend $250 a day per person. They have a 30 year old king who is immensely popular. He seems to get out all the time and greet people. Most everyone we talked with has met him. Bhutan is a democracy for the past 2 years with a Prime Minister however the head abbot of the Buddhists is equally as powerful. You see many monks with dark red robes- all ages. Buddhist philosophy is endemic to Bhutanese life. They kill nothing- no fishing, hunting,etc. Practice kindness. Little crime. As safe a place as you can be. Somewhat conformist and ethnocentric. Children learn English from infancy and all signs are in English as well as Dzonka.
Bhutan is 72% forested and incredibly mountainous. Farming is done on terraces where possible.
December31, 2010
After a night in Paro at the Tashi Namgay hotel- no central heat but an electric heater, we left for our next town, Punakha. Though less than 100 miles away, it takes 5 hours to get there. One highlight is the Dochula Pass at 10,000 feet. Here we witnessed a stunning panorama of the Bhutan Himalayas. At the top of the pass we saw 23 white stupas which memorialize Bhutan soldiers who were killed in a terrorist attack. A stop at the tea room provided a chance to just gaze at the scenery and prepare for the winding road down to Punakha.
The Punakha Dzong- a dzong is a fortress and monastery- is reputedly the most beautiful in the country. the king is coronated here/ This one has 500 monks living there who walk all over in their maroon robes and flip flops. Some wear sweaters for the cold. New Year's Eve was quiet. They do not celebrate as we do. Theirs is in February like the Chinese.
January 1 ,2011 Punakha, Bhutan
Our first rainy day- a little colder and obviously damper but not too bad. We visited a nunnery built by the 4th king's wife- though there are 4 of them. I must mention here that Bhutanese people also practice polygamy and polyandry. So if it is OK with your first spouse you may take others. Of course that is a big "if". The nunnery is rather new and similar to other monasteries though smaller. The nuns also shave their heads and wear robes similar to the monks.
Then onto to Wangdu Phodrang an old rather derelict town built on a cliff. Because of a recent earthquake and fears for the public safety, the government is building a beautiful new city in the valley. Nearly complete it looks modern in a Bhutanese way. the problem is the Wandue people are not in a hurry to leave. The market was fun. the people are incredibly nice- always friendly and ready to smile and wave. The monastery attached to the town has been left pretty much unrestored to remind people of the "old way". Very interesting though they will need to shore it up soon.
After lunch in Lhakhang we hiked to Chimi Lhakhang temple devoted to the Divine Madman. This is the village of the phallic symbols. They are painted on houses, walls and wooden ones are sold in all the little stalls and shops and are everywhere you look.Couples come to the temple to pray for fertility and then to give thanks with their baby. Indeed, we saw a baby being blessed with an 18 inch long wooden penis while we were there! On the way back to the bus we stopped in the village to visit an old farmhouse owned by a woman elderly in looks but only 66. It is a hard life here.
I thought I had seen it all travel wise but the start of our journey to India, Bhutan and Nepal was unique. It started with the Christmas blizzard dumping 18" of snow on JFK Airport. Now to get there- trains not running so I rented a car and drove. Roads were great until the Hertz counter- no Airtrain- had to pay a guy $20 to take us to Terminal8 where we found utter chaos. People had been sleeping there for 2 days- could not leave the terminal because there were no shuttles. When we tried to check in we were told that yesterdays passengers had priority and now we were standby. After a 6 hour wait we were awarded the last 2 seats- then told there was only one so I passed. Made a bed of 3 plastic pallets and 2 very thin red blankets. I was sitting next to Eddie Loh, a fellow OAT passenger with an eye on Mr Khan, the Jet Airways agent. There were about 30 others waiting as well. Just as I was falling asleep around midnight, Mr Khan called out, "Mrs Hess you are a nurse. We have a medical emergency on board the plane. Get your bags and your husband and come with me." He whispered, "You're on!" We ran to the gate after waking the TSA guy where they were offloading some poor French woman. Then we sat on the runway for 3 more hours. Transited Brussels and the only flight to India was to Chennai in the far south of the country. all day in the airport and 3 hours back to Delhi. Met by Mr Singh and taken to Ibis Gurgaon about an hour or 10 miles away. Whatever I had seen or read about Indian traffic was true. No such things as lanes. After 6 hours sleep , we headed back to Delhi Airport with Eddie who had made it in the hour before. Since we had missed our direct Druk Air flight to Paro, Bhutan, we had to fly through Kathmandu, Nepal, although, again, a delayed flight. Then we were unable to land in Kathmandu due to fog. Flying very slowly though the snow covered Himalayas we almost missed our flight again but waiting for us at the airport a representative ran us through luggage and security like VIPs and onto the small Druk plane. This is the only airline to Bhutan. Only 16 pilots in the world are licensed to land here and we saw why. About 10 minutes out of Kathmandu, we saw Everest- really good views. landing in Paro was an adventure. It is in a very narrow valley among peaks over 6-8000 feet- you feel you can reach out and touch on either side as you come in. Unfortunately the first time the wind kicked up buffeting the plane and causing sudden drops. People screamed and one poor Chinese lady absolutely lost it. The pilot pulled up and we spent 30 more minutes in the clouds and mountain tops before the 2nd attempt - successful. Was this 3 day journey worth it? You bet!
December 29,2010
Four more group members were already here and out on tour so the3 of us had a quick walk through Paro town- 30,000 population. Nearly all in their Bhutan native dress - Khos for men and Karis for women. Basically the men wear a skirt and knee socks with a tunic and cinched waist. They are all different colors and patterns. the women's karis are longer.. The houses and stores are all similar- by law. Rather large, 3 story, square, white with timbers. Kind of an Asian Swiss house. Whole generations of families live together and these properties are handed down to the daughters in each family. The top floor is open and holds grain and hay. The roofs are tin and held down by a multitude of large rocks due to the wind.
There are very few western faces- only 20,000 tourists are allowed in a year to protect the culture and environment. the law says everyone must have a guide, not travel on your own and spend $250 a day per person. They have a 30 year old king who is immensely popular. He seems to get out all the time and greet people. Most everyone we talked with has met him. Bhutan is a democracy for the past 2 years with a Prime Minister however the head abbot of the Buddhists is equally as powerful. You see many monks with dark red robes- all ages. Buddhist philosophy is endemic to Bhutanese life. They kill nothing- no fishing, hunting,etc. Practice kindness. Little crime. As safe a place as you can be. Somewhat conformist and ethnocentric. Children learn English from infancy and all signs are in English as well as Dzonka.
Bhutan is 72% forested and incredibly mountainous. Farming is done on terraces where possible.
December31, 2010
After a night in Paro at the Tashi Namgay hotel- no central heat but an electric heater, we left for our next town, Punakha. Though less than 100 miles away, it takes 5 hours to get there. One highlight is the Dochula Pass at 10,000 feet. Here we witnessed a stunning panorama of the Bhutan Himalayas. At the top of the pass we saw 23 white stupas which memorialize Bhutan soldiers who were killed in a terrorist attack. A stop at the tea room provided a chance to just gaze at the scenery and prepare for the winding road down to Punakha.
The Punakha Dzong- a dzong is a fortress and monastery- is reputedly the most beautiful in the country. the king is coronated here/ This one has 500 monks living there who walk all over in their maroon robes and flip flops. Some wear sweaters for the cold. New Year's Eve was quiet. They do not celebrate as we do. Theirs is in February like the Chinese.
January 1 ,2011 Punakha, Bhutan
Our first rainy day- a little colder and obviously damper but not too bad. We visited a nunnery built by the 4th king's wife- though there are 4 of them. I must mention here that Bhutanese people also practice polygamy and polyandry. So if it is OK with your first spouse you may take others. Of course that is a big "if". The nunnery is rather new and similar to other monasteries though smaller. The nuns also shave their heads and wear robes similar to the monks.
Then onto to Wangdu Phodrang an old rather derelict town built on a cliff. Because of a recent earthquake and fears for the public safety, the government is building a beautiful new city in the valley. Nearly complete it looks modern in a Bhutanese way. the problem is the Wandue people are not in a hurry to leave. The market was fun. the people are incredibly nice- always friendly and ready to smile and wave. The monastery attached to the town has been left pretty much unrestored to remind people of the "old way". Very interesting though they will need to shore it up soon.
After lunch in Lhakhang we hiked to Chimi Lhakhang temple devoted to the Divine Madman. This is the village of the phallic symbols. They are painted on houses, walls and wooden ones are sold in all the little stalls and shops and are everywhere you look.Couples come to the temple to pray for fertility and then to give thanks with their baby. Indeed, we saw a baby being blessed with an 18 inch long wooden penis while we were there! On the way back to the bus we stopped in the village to visit an old farmhouse owned by a woman elderly in looks but only 66. It is a hard life here.
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