Douglas Easton Travel Blog
October 30, 2008

Paro, Bhutan

The Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan is a small country sandwiched between India and China. It offers Asia's purest civiliztion, virtually untainted by western culture. We feel privilaged to be among the 20,000 tourists who are annually extended visas to enter.
 
Bhutan for many years was closed to outsiders. Even now, with tourism firmly established, the kingdom's traditions endure: Men are required to wear traditional dress (called a gho) when entering any government building; television access is extremely limited; monks are revered and fulfill an important role in society; etc.

This morning, we hiked up to the Tiger's Nest, a place even more magical than its name might indicate. It involves a two-hour climb, rising some 3,000 feet, to a monastery perched precariously on the edge of a cliff.

Approaching the soaring mountain, we forded a clear stream. From there, the path took us up... and up and up. Half of our valiant group opted to hike, while the other half elected to go on horseback. As we made our way up the switchbacks, our eyes were treated to a panorama of Bhutan's mountainous beauty: deep valleys, swollen rivers and towering mountains.  The air was pine-clear and refreshing and contributed to optimum viewing.
 
The final few hundred meters of the climb took us up and over a large ravine set in front of a thirty-meter high waterfall and onto the grounds of the monastery. Inside, we found monks in red robes offering prayers. Isolated and devoted to their religion, these monks live their faith.
 
The walk back down to the valley floor below was the perfect time to reflect on the beauty of what we had just seen. Bhutan will do that to you... it focuses the visitor on the symbiosis of man and nature and guides one toward a respectful appreciation for the natural wonders of this world.


Past Travel Blogs:
 06/08/10
 09/24/09
 09/09/09
 09/04/09
 08/27/09
 08/09/09
 07/19/09
 05/06/09
 04/25/09
 04/08/09
 04/02/09
 03/08/09
 03/06/09
 02/22/09
 02/10/09
 02/04/09
 02/02/09
 11/18/08
 11/12/08
 11/10/08
 11/06/08
 10/20/08
 09/28/08
 09/16/08
 09/10/08
 09/03/08
 07/06/08
 05/30/08
 05/23/08
 05/11/08
 04/30/08
 04/20/08
 04/13/08
 04/08/08
 02/24/08
 02/16/08
 01/24/08
 01/08/08
 01/04/08
 01/03/08
 01/02/08
 01/01/08
 12/30/07
 12/29/07
 12/28/07
 06/01/07
 05/26/07
 05/22/07
 05/18/07
 05/04/07
 05/02/07
 04/10/07
 04/08/07
 04/03/07
 04/01/07
 03/31/07
 03/30/07
 03/26/07
 03/23/07
 03/20/07
 03/18/07
 03/13/07
 03/08/07
 02/17/07
 12/15/06
 12/13/06
 11/22/06
 11/09/06
 11/04/06
 10/30/06
 10/25/06
 10/18/06
 10/12/06
 10/06/06
 10/03/06
 09/28/06
 09/24/06
 09/17/06
 
Douglas Easton Travel (310) 657-0263 FAX (310) 657-0253 email - info@CelestielleGroup.com