The center of political power in Bhutan is firmly situated in Trongsa, the former capital of the country. The former province was among the most economically powerful in the region for centuries before the country of Bhutan existed as a single entity. Testimony to that past is the massive Dzong sitting on a north-south axis.
Our travels today took us to the Dzong, the National Museum, and various stops along the way seeing yak, photographing the mountains and riding our small bus for hours.
I asked our group to write something about their experiences so far. Today you’ll hear from a few people as they consider this trip. Enjoy the photos and commentary!
Ronan: One of my favorite moments so far in this trip was the Hong Kong Ladies’ night market, where we tried really good food and bought fun things. We saw a lot of people selling clothing, bags, and other souvenirs. I also tried these beef skewers that I thought were going to be questionable, but they were good. They were slowly grilled and seasoned to perfection. Sadly, we didn’t bring enough cash to buy more things so all we were able to get was the food and 3D printed snakes.
Nancy: My favorite moment of the trip thus far was waking up at 2am in Thimphu and happening to glance out the hotel window to see a giant golden buddha statue glowing in the dark of the night. I rubbed my eyes to make sure I was seeing correctly, and opened them again to realize it was indeed, still there! I felt welcomed by the country of Bhutan and watched over as I went back to sleep for a few hours. We visited the statue the following day and I later learned that the giant statue was transported to the area in three pieces. I can imagine the shock of seeing the giant pieces traveling on the road by all those they passed along the way.
Brian: Thus far I am most struck and enjoying the continuous array of prayer flags throughout the environment. Strung on bridges; wrapped around stupas; planted high on hillsides or ridge lines on long vertical poles; yellow ones lining the winding road ascending the mountain to the golden buddha; tall white funereal ones planted in groups high on hillsides commemorating a relative. They are literally everywhere and bring so much color and joy to traveling through this beautiful landscape.
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