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Blogs from Bhutan, Asia - page 9
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May 9th 2011
Took Tram to top of Peak. Hiked about 400 stair steps to another peak for spectacular views of tropical mbtns and 1000's of skyscrapers. Woke up on roof in tent in the middle of hong kong. Walked through HK Park to Peak Tram. Went up to victory peak,walked through 4 floors of glitzy mall to get out to actual lookout. Looked down on a bagillion skyscrapers and even more across Victoria Bay into Kowloon. Walked around the peak and then went up a seperate path and about 500 concrete stairs to a higher peak to take in more jungle and a zillion more skyscrapers and empty waiting container ships in bay. Had lunch at a spanish tapas bar in supermarket that was more stocked than Whole Foods. Spent the rest of the evening throwing the frisbee ... read more
Textile Trails 4: Traversing Bhutan (Khoma & Goenpaka)
Published: July 19th 2011Asia » Bhutan » Lhuentse
May 8th 2011
The Highlight of my Trip My itinerary budgeted 3 days to spend in Khoma, famous for producing the best kushutara in Bhutan. All of us (my guide, driver & I) loved it so much that we accepted our hosts' invitation to stay on, staying 5 days and including a day hike up 1000m to the village of Goenpaka, where their weaving is even finer. By the time we left, our hosts felt like family and we were very sad to have to move on. Getting There From Mongar we drove 3 hours north along a road that was equal parts exhilarating and nerve-wracking. Much of it was sealed, but we had to traverse several sections that had recently been re-established after landslides. We were often clinging to the very steep sides of the valley, with only ... read more
May 5th 2011
Wednesday morning, we set out for Kuenzangdak Gompa, reportedly the most challenging of our hikes. Less than half the group elected to go. We had seen the gompa while visiting the nunnery a few days ago. It was across the valley and high above the nunnery, so we had a preview of the vertical climb. Indeed, even those hearty souls, thus far, found this climb to be quite a challenge. We brought up the rear of the group with our now well-practiced "slow and steady" approach, with plenty of stops to recover and drink lots of water. After about 2 and a half hours with increasingly spectacular views of snow-capped peaks, we caught sight of the gompa clinging to the rock face. Even more impressive than Tharpaling in construction, it seems a miracle that any structure ... read more
May 5th 2011
Thursday morning, Rinchen spoke with us about the 10 rules to be born as a human. The guidelines were quite similar to the 10 commandments. Tobgay helped with the translations as Rinchen's English still sometimes eludes us. After his talk, we meditated together. It was easy to go deep in such a conducive environment. Finally, we had the opportunity to place objects on the altar for blessing. We placed our 2 red marble pieces that Tshering gave us on Wednesday as we hiked up to Kuenzangdak Gompa. We had stopped by a water-powered prayer wheel halfway up the mountain and Tshering found the marble in the stream. In the blessing, Rinchen read prayers, three rice, poured holy water along the altar, then distributed rice to each of us. At his cue, we repeatedly tossed rice upon ... read more
May 5th 2011
Tuesday morning, we drove an hour along windy roads through a beautiful mix of mountains and valleys filled with farms growing wheat and potatoes. A long climb up a dirt track of hairpin turns, quite muddy in some spots, made us greatly appreciative of our 4-wheel drive vehicles. Water-powered prayer wheels dotted the track all the way up to a tiny village where we left the cars. From there, under a light rain, a steep but short hike brought us up to Tharpaling Monastery, a very small monastery of a dozen or so monks, including several boys. This site is one of the special meditation places of Padmasambhava and his consort, Yeshe Tsogyel. There are images in many temples we've visited of Padmasambhava riding on the back of Yeshe Tsogyel, in the incarnation of a flying ... read more
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Textile Trails 3: Traversing Bhutan (Trongsa -Mongar)
Published: June 26th 2011Asia » Bhutan » Mongar
May 3rd 2011
Averaging 30km/hr Travel across Bhutan's single transverse road is slow. We spent the next day and a half covering only 261km. But I loved this stretch of the journey because it took us over two high passes, across some unspeakably winding roads, and through bleak and isolated surroundings, which always seem to speak to me. And because we passed from Western Bhutan, through Central Bhutan, and into the isolated east of the country, the area where the most sophisticated weaving was to be found, fewer tourists reached, and where I had been told I would experience “the real Bhutan.” Long, slow journey to get there? Bring it on!! Conversation with a Tikul Stopping in Jakar, Bumthang for the night, we paid a visit to a couple of monasteries before the light faded. At the second one, ... read more
May 2nd 2011
Monday morning, we set out to Mebar Tsho, popularly known as "the lake", though it is actually a fast running river. The lake part is a very deep area between high narrow cliffs where the water appears to move slowly, but actually is full of eddys and whirlpools that swirl out of sight into a cave area under the cliff face. The site is a sacred place as it is where one of the sacred "terma" (religious treasures of understanding buried by bygone gurus to enlighten the world in a later time) was found. Prayer flags are everywhere, and a holy man sits in a shallow cave along the trail leading to the water, chanting and burning incense. Tiny chortens abound. The rocks above and by the water are slippery and there are no guardrails. Our ... read more
Textile Trails 1: Traversing Bhutan (Thimphu to Trongsa)
Published: June 16th 2011Asia » Bhutan » Trongsa
May 1st 2011
My much-anticipated 2 week trip across Bhutan began with a long, hot day's drive across to Trongsa. My guide, Jamtsho, and driver, Sonam, arrived in the Toyota Landcruiser at 8am, and along with my travel pack, we loaded in the remainder of my things from my apartment (most had been stored at Joyce's for the fortnight I would be away) so they could go straight to my new apartment 2 weeks later. The first couple of hours were lovely in the cool of the day and winding through the beautiful forest up to Dochula and down to Lobesa. I was amused to see a truck with prayer flags strung across above the top of the cab; the Bhutanese use water- wind- candle- and people- powered prayer wheels of all sizes, along with prayer flags strung anywhere ... read more
May 1st 2011
We left our beautiful hotel at Dochula Pass Thursday morning after breakfast on the terrace overlooking the magnificent Himalayas. We had arisen early to watch the sun rise over the mounbtains. We were literally on top of the world! Just before we left, the hotel owner wanted to share an enormous thangka (religious painting on fabric often embroidered, as well), and had his entire hotel crew help to hoist up to the hotel roof a 20x20 thangka, the largest we've ever seen. The central deity was Padmasambhava. Our drive today was about 5 hours through beautiful mountain woodland, along the National Highway (the only east/west road), with non-stop hairpin turns all the way. Up to Dochula Pass, the road is in good shape, but beyond Dochula, it begins to degrade. Periodically, we passed road upgrade projects, ... read more
May 1st 2011
Friday morning, we took a beautiful hike through Phobjika Valley which is very wide, and where the cows and the one black necked crane graze together. The expanse of the valley is unusual as most valleys are narrow and steep. The idea was considered to build an airport in the valley which is understandable beacuse of its flat width. But, true to Bhutanese sensibilities, once it was realized that this valley is vital to the endangered black necked cranes, the idea was canned. After crossing the valley floor, the trail rose into the far mountains and continued up the valley through a lovely woodland with great views of the valley. The walking was cool and easy for Bhutan. Eventually, we arrived at the top of the valley and began a steep ascent up a high hill ... read more
