The day of departure draws near and the students in school are eager to fly across the ocean to Asia.  Our trip preparations are almost at an end as we make final decisions and make small changes to what we are carrying, thinking, doing in preparation.

I spoke with Jasper today who is trying to get over a cold and is focused on completing his finals.  When asked, “Are you ready?” he said, “I will be on Wednesday.”  His comment definitely summarized what most of us are feeling….get what we need to get done so that we can get done what we need to get done so that…..you get the idea.

A FEW RANDOM THOUGHTS ABOUT TRAVELING TO ASIA

1. Travel light; yeah I know people *say* this all the time, but in traveling to Thailand and Bhutan it is doubly true….lugging around stuff you don’t need is definitely a problem on this trip….take only what you need and don’t take what you don’t….so, what do you need?  Not much.

2. Take the basics; basics include a small vial of liquid soap (Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint is my favorite)….having the chance to clean your face is a beautiful luxury…the soap helps.

3. Don’t sweat the details, unless the details include your Passport!  Having traveled with students on many trips, the Passport issue is huge…I cannot tell you how many times someone has “misplaced” that document…lesson here: is it secret? Is it safe?

4. Be open and accepting….that’s always the lesson!

Thailand and Bhutan are places of contrasts; ancient and modern, past and present flow together in a kind of perfect dance.  In terms of material culture and the structure of the communities, often both past and present live side by side….not really seamlessly, but certainly together.

Our travels to Thailand and Bhutan definitely reflect the challenges both societies face in addressing modern issues like global warming or economic determinism….the questions we will encounter and will certainly inform our trip.

The photo above, of Punakha Dzong was taken traveling in a mini-bus on a small two-lane dirt and gravel road in Wangduphodrang province in Bhutan.  The Dzong stands as it has for more than 500 years sitting between two rivers.  The building itself houses government officials and monks (sometimes one and the same), young folks attending monastic training, and a giant hive of bees living above the front entrance way to the building.

This building, constructed of something very much like adobe and cement mortar, reminded us of churches in New Mexico built during the Spanish period.  The massive walls, thick enough to support the tall sides of the structure, represent the power and authority of the building itself.  The solid, white walls stand out from the hills that surround the structure making a clear distinction between this building and the environment around it.

Related articles

• GOOD WALK & WONDERFUL SIGHTS – Wangduephodrang, Bhutan (travelpod.com)
• Bhutan-The Land Of Gross National Happiness (chimalaya.org)