Bhutan - Kingdom in the Clouds - Land of the Thunder Dragon:

This is perhaps the second most adventuresome trip we've attempted. We are visiting a remote region of the Himalaya that, until a few years ago, was impossible to reach without weeks (if not months) or arduous travel. While it now seems quite reasonable that we could fly to places like Paro, we remind ourselves that this trip remains on the fringe of mainstream travel. We expect none of the luxuries we've been accustomed to at home ... consistent power ... reliable communications ... the availability of safe drinking water. Our expectations were properly set. Let's go exploring!

Until 1960, the country had no national currency, no telecommunications, no schools, no hospitals, no postal service, ... and no tourists. Bhutan is carefully allowing controlled modernization efforts. Cautiously, the king is permitting limited tourism, television, and the internet.

If you want to see this magical country before it changes, ... Go Now! These photos were taken in October 2008 mostly with a Nikon D3.
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DigitalQuixote > To jump off on our flight to Bhutan, we start at the modern Bangkok airport. This is a very secure airport. We passed through 3 X-ray checkpoints and were physically searched at 2 of the 3. I guess we looked like we needed attention.
DigitalQuixote > I love looking out the window during a flight, any flight, and this was no exception. The view of the ground yields an exceptional perspective! The view of the clouds! The view of other aircraft! The perspective of angels! This, as almost always, was pretty neat!
DigitalQuixote > Arriving in Bhutan was fun, interesting, scary. Scary? The approach to Paro follows a narrow valley. We bank 60 degrees to the left, then 60 degrees to the right. Our wingtips seem to scrape the trees on the valley edge. I am sure it's an illusion, but it's scary nevertheless.
DigitalQuixote > Road map of Bhutan and our route marked in blue. You can zoom in by clicking on the photo and selecting (O)riginal resolution. Bhutan is 180 miles from West ot East and 90 miles from North to South. It lies between Tibet to the North and India to the South. The altitude ranges from 320 feet to 24,740 feet (Gangkhar Puensum). The few major roads are mostly paved and mostly single lane with wide outs for oncoming traffic to pass. Here's the URL for the CIA Factbook on Bhutan: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bt.html
DigitalQuixote > Satellite map showing Thimphu. People have lived here since 2,000 BC - herders at that time. Tibet and India have exerted varying degrees of influence over the country over the centuries. The modern history of Bhutan dates from 746 AD when the Guru Rinpoche arrived near what is now Paro. In 1616, Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel unified the land and created a code of laws and government to distinguish Bhutan from Tibet. With the "assistance" of the British, the current form of government was established in 1907 with the crowning of king Ugyen Wangchuck, the Dragon King. Until last week, the fourth king ruled as chief of state. This fourth king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, abdicated 2 years ago and began the process of converting the country to a constitutional democracy. last week, the new, much loved, but largely symbolic king was crowned.
DigitalQuixote > Departing Bhutan, after surviving the 10 days of iffy water and marginal food (tasty as it might have been), the climbout was exhilerating. These are actually the mountains we came here to see and experience. Although we didn't trek among them, I appreciated this view.
DigitalQuixote > Everest in the background.
DigitalQuixote > Back to the nice, sweet, thick air at sea level in Bangkok.
To jump off on our flight to Bhutan, we start at the modern Bangkok airport. This is a very secure airport. We passed through 3 X-ray checkpoints and were physically searched at 2 of the 3. I guess we looked like we needed attention.
> To jump off on our flight to Bhutan, we start at the modern Bangkok airport. This is a very secure airport. We passed through 3 X-ray checkpoints and were physically searched at 2 of the 3. I guess we looked like we needed attention.
To jump off on our flight to Bhutan, we start at the modern Bangkok airport. This is a very secure airport. We passed through 3 X-ray checkpoints and were physically searched at 2 of the 3. I guess we looked like we needed attention.
Gallery pages:  1  
< 1 of 8 >

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