Near the end of our trip, we spent a day in Thimphu, largest city (70,000) in Bhutan and its capital. Trivia fans ... Thimphu is the only national capital city in the world without a traffic light. We had just spent 2 days in our tented camp and Thimphu was part of our carefully crafted re-entry program to the rest of the world. We lunched on Pizza and Druk 11000 beer (comes in half liter bottles, measures out at 8% alcohol, and at altitude packs a whallop).The Taj Tashi hotel lived up to 4-5 star western standards.

These photos were taken in October 2008 mostly with a Nikon D3.
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DigitalQuixote > Thimphu's main street.
DigitalQuixote > Absent a traffic light, here's how the light traffic is managed and controlled.
DigitalQuixote > Thimphu photo
DigitalQuixote > Bhutan is trying desperately to manage/control the influence of the modern world. Tourism is strictly limited and heavily taxed ($200/day per person). There is little evidence of external media. Although mobile phone and internet service is available it is not a culturally dominant factor. Traditional dress is the rule, not the exception, even in Thimphu, let alone the rest of the country. Standard of living is simple and there is little evidence of extravagance anywhere. Still the future is beginning to leak into the country. But it seems to be leaking into the country in a mostly simple naive way. Witness these posters on the wall of a building on a side street of Thimphu. Crime, corruption, drugs and other accoutrement of the modern world are insignificant. Bhutan is experimenting with an interesting and highly customized form of democracy. Other than a few rivers suitable for hydro generation, it has few resources worth plundering. It doesn't occupy a strategically interesting placement on the world's geopolitical map. And perhaps because of all that, it is filled with simple, open, friendly, and happy people. I hope the country can preserve what's best about all this, and adopt only what is genuinely useful from the modern world that's 100 years further in its journey to the future. I fear it is on the cusp of change and that now may be the last decade in which to see it in its genuine form.
DigitalQuixote > Bhutan is trying desperately to manage/control the influence of the modern world. Tourism is strictly limited and heavily taxed ($200/day per person). There is little evidence of external media. Although mobile phone and internet service is available it is not a culturally dominant factor. Traditional dress is the rule, not the exception, even in Thimphu, let alone the rest of the country. Standard of living is simple and there is little evidence of extravagance anywhere. Still the future is beginning to leak into the country. But it seems to be leaking into the country in a mostly simple naive way. Witness these posters on the wall of a building on a side street of Thimphu. Crime, corruption, drugs and other accoutrement of the modern world are insignificant. Bhutan is experimenting with an interesting and highly customized form of democracy. Other than a few rivers suitable for hydro generation, it has few resources worth plundering. It doesn't occupy a strategically interesting placement on the world's geopolitical map. And perhaps because of all that, it is filled with simple, open, friendly, and happy people. I hope the country can preserve what's best about all this, and adopt only what is genuinely useful from the modern world that's 100 years further in its journey to the future. I fear it is on the cusp of change and that now may be the last decade in which to see it in its genuine form.
DigitalQuixote > This fellow was in a market we visited. I liked the character of his face. I didn't notice when I clicked the picture but I was struck by something when I saw the photo. What's up with his 50 Cent hat. 50 Cent is an American rapper who rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003) and The Massacre (2005). Both albums achieved multi-platinum success, selling over twenty-one million copies combined. How on earth did this Bhutanese gentleman come to be in possession of a 50 Cent hat?
DigitalQuixote > She was also in the market and the only person I saw during our whole trip begging. By observation, Bhutanese people seem to be self reliant, care for each other, and proud of their independence.
DigitalQuixote > In the small market there were native handicrafts for sale. Since there isn't much of an external tourist trade, the market felt like it was oriented to travelers from within the country, or possibly from india and Tibet. It is possible to drive here from both places and to take a bus.
DigitalQuixote > In the small market there were native handicrafts for sale. Since there isn't much of an external tourist trade, the market felt like it was oriented to travelers from within the country, or possibly from india and Tibet. It is possible to drive here from both places and to take a bus.
Thimphu's main street.
> Thimphu's main street.
Thimphu's main street.
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