"At five the next morning, we wake to see it, huge and white, impossible, as if the moon had fallen to earth. We walk toward it, climbing over boulders and splashing through an icy river. Over a moraine, down into soft wet sand, shallow cloudy green river winding through. We climb another moraine and then we can see the base of the mountain, rock falls, snow and ice, pieces of the mountain smashed into gravel, gravel crushed into grey sand. We can see the ramains of a glacial lake, bottle-green. Even this close to the mountain, there are yaks pulling up bits of grass. We climb up a slope until we can see another upthrust spire of mountain, Jichu Drake'. In the brilliant light, I cannot tell the mountain from the cloud."

"At first I think, this awful, awful place. An icy, windy desert. But then I realize it is not wasteland, land used up and useless, it is not the end of life, but the beginning of it. Here are the great mother mountains and the watersheds, the beginning of the river that grows the forests and rice in the fertile valleys downstream. This is primeval land, belonging to itself. It is not a landscape of many choices. It is immaculate, spare, sparse, parsed into its primary elements. The grammar of mountains. Stone, ice, time. The wind sounds like the ocean. Nothing I have with me would help me here for very long. There is little here, and little to want. But there is space and time to think."

Update - December 2005 - Bhutan's King Wangchuk says he will step down when the tiny Himalayan state holds elections in 2008.Click here to read the complete article.


The following article gives you some insight into what is currently the condition in Bhutan.

Buddhist Bhutan Stands at Cultural Crossroads

By Sugita Katyal

THIMPHU, Bhutan (Reuters) - A young Buddhist nun scrambles about for a piece of paper and quickly scribbles something down before she gets back to chanting prayers.

"Here's my e-mail address. Will you send me my photograph?" asks an excited Pema, 25, sitting hunched over a sheaf of scriptures in a nunnery in the capital of the Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan. "I go to the market on Sundays and use the Internet."

For years, the tiny mountain nation of Bhutan, called "Druk Yul" or the Land of the Thunder Dragon, was considered the last Shangri-La, untouched by the winds of modernization sweeping the rest of the world.

But four years after the country of 700,000 people tucked between India and China opened its doors to satellite television and the Internet, Bhutan is at a cultural crossroads between tradition and modernity.

"It's an aerial invasion," said Kinley Dorji, editor of its only newspaper, Kuensel. "Bhutan is a small country which may not have military might and economic strength. But its strength is its unique identity, its religion, clothes. Television exposure is seen as a dilution of this culture."

Signs of change are everywhere.

During the day, people dress in traditional clothes because it is mandatory for men to wear a gho, a long kilt-like outfit, and for women to be dressed in a kera, a Bhutanese sarong.

By night, men and women in trendy jeans and figure-hugging shirts dance to pop music at discos and hang out at snooker bars dotting the sleepy little capital of Thimphu.

From Tibet News Digest:

10 October 2007

Chinese intrusions in Bhutan worry Indian government

(Hindustan Times) India is concerned at reports of Chinese intrusions into non-delineated parts of Bhutan's northern border with Tibet and is speaking to the governments both in Beijing and Thimpu to clarify the matter, government sources said. India is concerned that such Chinese intrusions, if they have occurred, could be a way of forcing Bhutan to settle the outstanding issues of delineating its border with China. As scheduled national elections are due to take place in Bhutan, such intrusions could have a destabilising effect as the tiny monarchy moves towards a parliamentary system of democracy.

MONKS AND MOVIES

Walk into one of Bhutan's many monasteries and the rhythmic chanting of Buddhist hymns by shaven-headed monks in maroon robes fills halls lit by traditional butter lamps.

Not too far away, taxi drivers listen to pop singer Shakira while shopkeepers are glued to television channels showing the latest U.S. action dramas, sitcoms and reality shows.

Indian soaps with their melodramatic clashes between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law are also a huge hit in Bhutan where state-run Bhutan Broadcasting Service airs a mix of news, cultural and development programs.

"Opening up to TV was well thought out and well timed. But there are also some unwanted channels," said Mingbo Dukpa, the managing director of Bhutan Broadcasting Service. "Hollywood films with too much sex and violence make our families uncomfortable. It's a bit out of context in Bhutan."

Analysts say television is leading to a dilution of traditional culture.

They say children watch wrestling on television instead of playing traditional sports such as archery.

"English has become more powerful than our own language, Dzonkha," Dasho Sangay Wangchug, secretary of the National Commission for Cultural Affairs, told Reuters.

"We're trying to promote the language and its literature because culturally and religiously, Dzonkha is very important. Also, people have to wear traditional dress because it's our national and cultural identity."

CULTURE SHOCK

The owner of an avant-garde cafe in Thimpu says her cousin, a reincarnate of an ancient Buddhist monk, suffered severe culture shock when he opted out of life in a monastery in his twenties.

"He's never seen all this before -- parties and other things. The family wasn't happy about his decision initially, but then they realized it was his choice," the young cafe owner said.

The meeting between the medieval and modern shows in the lives of people such as Gelay Jamtsho, a tour operator in Thimphu, who says he often spends his mornings online chatting with friends in America while his father milks the cow.

For all the changes, there are no McDonald's or Starbucks in Bhutan which remains a fiercely Buddhist country determined to protect its heritage.

All homes are built in the traditional style with sloping roofs and arched windows decorated with images of dragons and snow lions.

Bhutanese say there are parts of the country where people still cringe if they see a car because it's completely alien.

When I traveled to Bhutan I was surprised to see that the roads were actually conscructed "by hand" literally - no wonder they are very few roads. After my return to the US I purchased a book titled A Painter's Year in the Forests of Bhutan by A.K. Hellum and here is a quote about road workers there:

In Bhutan, gravel for the roads is crushed by hand, and tar is melted over smoking wood fires before it is mixed with the gravel and used to surface the road. The women do most of the crushing, with a hammer and a small ring of metal held by a handle to contain the stones at they are smashed. The men cut the wood, mostly from the forest floor or from standing dead trees. They roll this wood down hill and truck it to their places of tar smoke and wood heat. They melt the tar on ovens made from tar drums covered with gravel crushed by the women and fuelled with the wood. On top of these they put vats of tar to heat. They mix the tar with the gravel, and then men wheel the mix with weelbarrows to the parts of the road to be repaired. Because the roads are all handmade, they are only as wide as absolutely necessary. They twist and turn their way across the rough terrain that is Bhutan.

Religion plays a dominant role in daily life and the country's 5,000-odd Buddhist monks are often called for ceremonies on auspicious occasions such as house-warmings or when people fall sick.

"The impact of television has been exaggerated," Rieki Crins, a Dutch scholar doing her Ph.D on Bhutan. "But at the same time, you can't expect Bhutan to remain a museum forever."

~~~~~~ End of quoted article ~~~~

The "progress" mentioned in the above article makes me sad. On the other hand I'm sure their are benefits to the people.

This is turning out to be the Best Year of My Life!I had been wishing & dreaming of a trip to Bhutan forfour years. A friend of mine went there in thefall and she returned and called me and said "Mortgageyour home, do whatever you have to do to get the moneyand go. I loved it and I'm not even Bhuddhist!" Sothis year, I decided to stop procrastinating and make it happen.

At first I didn't know how I was going to get thetime, or the money. Nor did I have a travel companion. But, that didn't stop me. In December, I discovered that Iwould be having some extra money available to meand it just so happened that I had a temporary jobso it was flexible enough to take the time off needed for the trip. I decided to post something on-line and see if I could find someone to travel with. I went on aBuddhist chat-line and put out some feelers fora travel companion. I got several responses. Oneof the women, Maureen, I had met at a prior retreatand, though we did not know each other well, I thoughtit was a good sign that she also lived in Denver sowe could meet in person and plan the trip.

Both Maureen and I were spending time cruising the internet and reading travel books trying to decide on our destination. At first we talked mostly about India and Nepal. We also discussed Sikkim as a possibility. Well one day I found a tour which involved a festival in Bhutan in early February. Sometime in early January I met with Maureen to discuss the trip and to my surprise she was open to traveling to Bhutan!

So we set our sights and started to plan. I contacted the tour owner and asked about the February tour which was no longer advertised. He bent over backwards to help us to get our visas and set itup with the other 2 people on the tour in a very short time. We went and got our passports and immunizations. Both of us also wanted to stay after the tour and spend some time with one of ourteachers in Kathmandu. So the trip was all set up.

Two days before we left the U.S. we heard on the news that the King of Nepal had closed the airport and shut off phones to the country, due to Maoist activity there. So we were in limbo about that part of our trip. We decidedwe should get visas for India in case we were not allowedinto Nepal. On our first day in Bhutan our guide, Choekey, was nice enough to escort us to the Indian Embassy in Thimpu and helped facilitate applying for Indian visas.

The weather was perfect on our trip. How lucky we were! It was February - considered "off season". But theroads were all dry and there was very little snow not evennear the roads. We had a wonderful clear day when we drove over Dochula pass. We were able to easily see the distant high Himalayas. What a RARE blessing. Spectacular! Here is a picture taken on the pass.





The weather and terrain reminded me a lot of Colorado, though they do have tropical areas with bamboo and bananas and the elevations are higher. Many of the slopes were covered with philodendrons. Our tour consisted of 4 people - 2 from Colorado and 2 from California. We were a nice intimate group. Along with the tour guide and the driver we were able to fit into a small van ratherthan a large bus. It was the perfect size for us and weall pretty much matched in our goals and abilities as faras hiking. The last day of the trip was very memorablewhen we hiked up to the Tiger's Nest. If you plan tosee the inside of temples, be sure to get a letter froma Rinpoche that you are a practicing Bhuddhist becauseotherwise, the holy places are protected from the average touristexcept from the outside.

On the last night of our Bhutan leg we found out that the King had opened the airport in Kathmandu and we were able togo to Nepal rather than to India.

I must say that this was my Best Vacation Ever! All decisions about where to stay and eat were handled for us by the tour.We stayed at some great places. This country is pristine andbeautiful. The people are lovely and friendly. The childrenare photogenic. We took approximately 1000 photos, so bring lotsof film. And No beggars! Our guide was well-informed and knowledgeable. Our driver was safe and competent. The food was superb and plentiful. We all got along very well. The company was willing to make modifications to the packaged tour to meet our desire not to travel long distances by car everyday. I can not say enough good things about this trip. It was definately the trip of a lifetime!

I enjoyed it so much that I have decided to sponsor trips through the same group so that others can have the wonderful experiencethat I had. Thank you, Ugen!

Quote: by Christopher Reeve
-----------------------

"So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable."

Christopher Reeve 1952-2004, Actor and Speaker

So if you want to visit this quaint and spectacularly beautiful country now is the time to go - please e-mail me. I will get back to you about the tour I'm planning. I guarantee the price will be modest. Go now while this culture is still quaint and undiluted.

Watch for this at a theater near you!

Travellers and Magicians: Directed by Khyentse Rinpoche, Bhutan

108 minutes by Yangdon Dhondup - SOAS, UK

Travellers and Magicians, Khyentse Rinpoche's second feature film after the much praised The Cup, was shown in a packed cinema hall during the 47th London Film Festival. Filmed in Bhutan with a cast entirely of non-professional actors and spoken in Dzongkha dialect, Travellers and Magicians tells the story of Dhondup, a young government officer who dreams of going to America, the land of opportunity, instead of staying in his homeland where "there are no movies, no restaurants and most importantly, no cool girls." When he finally receives the long awaited letter to go to America, he leaves the village and heads to Thimphu. While waiting for the bus, he meets an apple seller, a monk, a papermaker and his beautiful daughter Sonam. Reluctant to talk to them at first, Dhondup turns his cassette recorder on - the voice of a female rock singer blares from the loudspeaker: "I gotta get out of here!"

Dhondup slowly joins the group and listens to the monk telling thetravellers the story of Tashi, a lazy magic student who, like Dhondup, sees no future in his village and dreams of leaving. Tashi's younger brother gives him a potion and Tashi enters into a dream world of lust and murder.

Dhondup, meanwhile, feels attracted towards Sonam and is suddenly no longer in such a hurry to arrive in Thimphu. The witty monk shows Dhondup through the story that his dreams are similar to that of the young magician.

Unlike The Cup where Khyentse Rinpoche told the story of living in exile couched in the mundane desires of Tibetan monks, Travellers and Magicians is a tale about young educated Bhutanese who see no future in their homeland. Their dream is to go to America and to make money, no matter whether they have to wash dishes or pick apples. Thus, they are ready to leave a respected and secure job for the sake of quick money. For young people like Dhondup, Bhutan seems to offer nothing - they like to listen and dance to Western music and wear jeans instead of the traditional gho that all Bhutanese have to wear by law.

The script is sharp and the cast delivers a fine performance. Khyentse Rinpoche has based this moving yet funny film on Yasunari Kawabata's story Izuni Odorino, a Buddhist fable, as well as on his own observation of travellers waiting for a ride, and has managed, again, to tell a distinctive tale with a lot of wit and charm.

Review by Bob Gould.

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