As I sit here nearing the end of my school year, I am planning my summer trip to Bhutan.  My travels take me to the Vajrayana conference in Thimphu and then into the country side with my friend and guide, Namgay.

My goal this summer is to scout sites for my next student tour into the country.  I am looking for appropriate home stays and talking to folks about ways to expand and enhance the student experience in Bhutan.

As you may have read, student’s experiences in Bhutan are remarkable.  The people students meet are always interested in talking about their country and the U.S.  While I’m not suggesting that somehow these experiences can’t be had in some other place, the particular experience for students in Bhutan is unique.

A student asked me a couple of weeks ago why I go back to the same places in Asia.  She said, “With all of the world in front of you, why keep going back to Japan, Thailand, and Bhutan?”  I thought about that idea for a minute and offered, “What I find, each time I travel to those places, is something new, something interesting, and something I can be a part of.”  For me, visiting the whole world or having some kind of “bucket list” seems anathema to the whole idea of cultural exchange.  I have been to a few places in the world, and I come back to these places because I’m interesting in digging in; in meeting people and being a part of a community (as much as you can in a short time).  I also want students to realize that you don’t have to see every possible historical or cultural site in the world to gain an understanding of a people, a history, or culture.

So I’m headed back to Bhutan in July.  This trip will be my first one on my own; without 20 students in tow and all of the planning that goes with it.  I’ll let you know how the trip fares, what I learned (or didn’t learn) and where this all takes me.  Maybe, what I find will be something completely new in a place I have seen many times.

 

One of the most remarkable regions of Bhutan is the Trongsa region that includes the massive Trongsa Dzong.  Surrounded by spectacular mountains rising thousands of feet from the valley floor, the place feels ancient and , in some ways, untouched by human settlement.

As you look across the valley you can see mountains that have, literally, not faced human habitation or settlement.  The word in town and among the people is that these mountains have NEVER been trod by humans.  Looking at the thick undergrowth and brush, it’s easy to imagine an almost primeval place traveled only by animals.

Here is a short video of the valley taken from the Yangkill Resort….enjoy!

It has been a bit more than five years since my first excursion to Bhutan.  The magical quality of this country still surprises me.  For those who have traveled to Bhutan, I imagine you understand the feeling of awe and the power of this place.  I will never forget the feeling of walking down the steps off the plane, stepping on the ground and truly feeling something and some place different from the rest of the world.

Many people have asked “what’s so special about Bhutan?” From my perspective, the difference is in the stillness of the place and the people.  Every person I have ever talked to in Bhutan has that sense of stillness.  Even the students in school have that sense of quiet.  It’s almost as if a still mind is built into the country in some way.

Some of this stillness is the separation from many aspects of the modern world.  When I say modern, I mean the buzz that is constant in cities and towns in the United States.  Maybe it’s the hum of the television sets or the whir of the streets lights or the sound of cars careening down the road.  Of course, this is not to say that Bhutan has escaped the modern world; that word is fast overtaking the country as satellite television, cell phones, cars, trucks, SUVs, material goods, all make their way into Bhutanese culture.

So far, it seems that those “things” have not invaded to such a point that they have become the meaning of people’s lives.  That working for a new car has become the be all end all of someone’s life….I do think such a situation is making it’s way into the country.  My hope is Bhutanese families and individuals can see the limitations of that way of life and means of accomplishment.  Time well certainly tell.

These trips also are joyful because of the students and families that travel with me.  Their reactions and engagement with the place is important to me.  For the most part, I provide some information about Bhutan, but, for the most part, I leave the learning to the students when we arrive.  I believe that experiential learning, especially when visiting countries, places, and people not familiar to us, creates a unique learning environment for both the students on the trip and for the people they encounter.  Their reactions to eating ferns or learning about the Divine Madman and seeing his temple, or talking to a monk, or playing games with school children impact them much more than anything I can teach or tell.

More importantly, for me, is the relationship I have with Namgay, our guide.  His insights and obvious love of his country and history is integral to the process of learning and experiencing Bhutan.  I was lucky to meet him on our first trip and cannot think of a better guide for any group to the country.  His playfulness, insights to Bhutanese culture, and knowledge of History is worth the price of admission.  Students gain a deep appreciation of Bhutanese culture from this wonderful human being.   If you are reading this reflection and are planning or know of someone planning to travel to Bhutan, contact Illuminating Tours
first!

That’s it for my reflections at this point.  Stay close for student reflections about the trip coming soon (as soon as they write them!).

Our rafting experience was a blast considering the long drive to get to the river in the first place!  The Mo Chu is the more calm river of the two in the area.  The Mo Chu, or female river, joins with the Po Chu, or male river, just below the Punakha Dzong.  The Mo Chu passes under a series of cantilever bridges and right next to the Punakha Dzong….the Dzong is imposing from this angle and stands high above the river as we floated by.

Namgay photographed us as we passed by and these photos are all his….thank you Namgay!

After the two hour journey, the guides were impressed with our group effort and next time asked is we would be willing to take on class 4 and 5 rapids on the Po Chu.  I think most of the students would relish the chance to tackle the more active river.

If anyone is every interested in rafting Bhutan, the Druk Rafting Service was excellent, the guides were well trained, and really made the trip much more enjoyable.

Hi Folks,

Updates to the site will continue for the next few weeks.  I will upload pictures to the Student pages, add students insights and perspectives, and add additional information to blog posts from my journals etc.

Thanks for reading over the past few weeks!

Be well,

TGF

Here I sit in the Bangkok Airport, Emily, Carter and Gwen sitting beside me watching every word I type….Emily is laughing at the fact that I keep misspelling words and is now actually laughing out loud….good grief!

We depart at 6:50 from Bangkok and make our way back to the U.S….we arrive home at 10:30 PM if all goes well and the airplane gods like us on this long day in the air.

I will keep posting to this blog, updating photos, adding to the pages on student pictures and etc….in the meantime, we hope you have enjoyed reading, seeing, and visiting this silly little site.  Be well, my friends, and see you all soon.

Starting just north of Paro and leaving the valley floor, the trail to Taktsang contours around the hills below the temples of Taktsang. The buildings were constructed to commemorate the meditation of Padmasambhava and his consort Tsogyal Yeshe. They both stayed at this place, and according to legend subdued demons in the Paro Valley, brining Buddhism to the western part of Bhutan in the 8^th century.

The hike is meant as a kind of pilgrimage to remove sins or bad deeds. WE can certainly vouch for the struggles associated with the climb. The trail is straight up the side of the surrounding hills, and there is very little respite from the climb.

However, about half way into the journey, the trail reveals a tea house perched on the side of a cliff. As has been a part of our trip each day, we stopped for tea and biscuits, sat down at the tables and looked toward the temple.

After the tea house the trail turns up again, steeply climbing until you are actually above the temple….lest you think things get easier, they don’t. A hundreds of steps lead around the opposite cliff side and descends down about 200 feet before climbing again on the other side of a waterfall toward the temple itself.

I think the biggest hurdle here are the various widths and heights of the steps….some small some large, some ridiculously high…at times it’s a real struggle to reach the next step.

Once at the temple, a series of shrine rooms await with various deities and statues inside….the main temple houses an ancient statue of Padmasambhava that, according to legend, remained even after fires destroyed the temple around it (the last one in 1998).

Our trip down was a bit shorter and a catered meal awaited us at the base among the trees. From there we went to soak in a traditional stone bath and finally our last dinner in Bhutan.

We leave for Bangkok and then home. All are eager to see family and friends!

 

Our travels today took us to the highest pass in Bhutan. At almost 14,000 feet, the pass is the first one we went over that is above the tree line. In most cases in Bhutan, you cannot get above the tree line! With peaks over 12,000 feet with dense, jungle-like qualities, it’s kind of strange to finally see the world above the trees and brush.

At the pass, we hiked up to a couple of unnamed peaks covered in prayer flags. The wind whipped from the south and clouds gathered on the Himalayas to the west. It was easy to see Tibet from this high perch and we took in the scene, a little out of breath, but eager to see the landscape.

Once we gathered at the bus for the trip into the Haa valley, we stopped for tea, lunch along the rode, and then into the valley.

The thing about the Haa valley is that it is remote even though its only 67 km from Paro. You would think the town would be covered in tourists and yet we were the only ones there….we walked the streets, saw children coming out of their Saturday classes, and wandered into a bakery that served Chocolate Eclaires, German Chocolate Cake, and the like. What a remarkable find here in this village!

Namgay also introduced us to dried Yak cheese. You take a piece of it and put it in your mouth. It slowly softens….very slowly. In a test of wills, we tried the cheese…..my small piece took almost 2 hours to finally breakdown, Evan’s was whole 3 hours later! I think this one food item might be an acquired taste.

As the day winds to a close, we are climbing to the Tiger’s Nest tomorrow. The monastery is placed on a cliff wall about 1500 feet above the valley floor. Afterwards, a traditional stone bath awaits us in Paro!

Leaving Bumthang and heading west represents the beginning of the end of our travels in Bhutan. Just about everyone commented on the fact that our trip is rapidly coming to an end.   Yes we still have a couple of days left and yes we still have adventures to tackle AND we all can see the end of this experience and to a person we do not want it to end.

On each of the trips I have led to Bhutan, the group comes to the same conclusion at the same time….that we feel our experience just beginning. That feeling is a good one, based on time well spent. Our time in Bhutan has been especiall

y full.

The Phobjikha Valley sits just south of the road into Trongsa and climbs to about 3500 M….the valley spreads out before you much like Valles Caldera….a wide, grass-filled valley with a stream running right through the middle of the place. The photos we took hardly do it justice.

We hiked from the local temple, about 4 km to the valley floor. Once we reached it, we found a small group of folks playing soccer. Our football ambassador, Austin, wanted into the match….so we joined. That hour on the field was among the most remarkable moments of the trip….playing football in the middle of the Phobjikha Valley…as you will see, an idyllic setting.

At exactly the same time, a group of horses galloped into the valley from the surrounding hills and frolicked in the grass and marsh. It was surreal to see the game going on while horses played nearby….another amazing experience on a trip filled with them.

The next morning we left very early for our travel to Punakha and a date with Druk Rafting Service. We rafted the Mo Chu river….the experience was wonderful and we paddled our way past temples and dzongs, seeing the royal sheep (no joke) a mongoose, and other fowl and beasts.

By the time we made it to Thimphu to eat, of all things, pizza, we were fairly spent.

Tomorrow, we head up to the Haa Valley and, hopefully, a clear view of the Himalayas.

Sitting high on a hill overlooking the town of Chamkar is the Chamkar Dzong.   The building, massive in construction, is a kind of beacon one can see across the valley. The building was placed on that site when a white (Cham) bird (kar) settled on the hill. The builders, searching for a site for the Dzong, chose that site after seeing this auspicious omen.

Our group spent time hiking around the valley, visiting Kurjey Lhakang Temple and two other temples dedicated to Padmasambhava. We walked across a suspension bridge that led to the temple grounds. The Queen mother was meditating at the temple and we could not spend time in the shrine room dedicated to Padmasambhava…we did, however, go through the cave in the temple that Padmasambhava meditated in…that was a tight fit for most of us!

The sky in Chamkar is much like New Mexico….crystal clear blue skies, white billowy clouds stretching across the sky….a truly magical spot in Bhutan. If you wonder where Shangri-la is, I’m pretty sure it’s near this wonderful town.

The wonderful thing about the day today is that we got to visit a couple of shrine rooms that few people ever get to see.   The inner sanctum at Kurjey, and the shrine rooms at the other temples were all opened to us. Unfortunately we could not take pictures of those places; however, the energy in those spaces is powerful (if you accept such an idea). Some of us were in awe of the moments we spent in these temples.

The other thing we have seen more of on this trip are monks chanting in the temples…we have been lucky enough to have the chance to sit and listen to the chants. Those moments are so full of stillness (if you get my meaning).

Our day tomorrow sends us off to the Phobojika Valley. This valley is a nature preserve that is the home of the black-necked crane. Hopefully, we will see one or two of the birds. Our hike takes us around the valley floor and through the nature preserve filled with all kinds of animals including the elusive Bengal tiger. We are NOT searching for that particular animal!

Posting photos has been very limited. Maybe tomorrow I can catch up on the photo posts!