Okay, we're now in Japan for our little layover on the way to Bangkok. Narita airport is far more subdued than I imagined a Japanese airport this close to Tokyo might be.
No real excitement except for having seen 4 movies over the course of 11 hours inflight. I think I am officially caught up on mediocre America films. And so you know, I still think Russell Crowe is a terrible actor.
Onto more interesting things, one of the cool things we're going to do while in Bhutan is attend a Tsechu. Tsechus are religious festivals of Drukpa Buddhism. The focal point of the tsechus are the sacred Cham Dances, which are banned in neighbouring Tibet. These costumed, masked dances typically are moral vignettes, or based on incidents from the life of the 9th century Nyingmapa teacher Padmasambhava and other saints.
Most tsechus also feature the unfurling of a thongdrel (or thangka) - a large tapestry typically depicting a seated Guru Rinpoche surrounded by holy beings, the mere viewing of which is said to cleanse the viewer of sin. The thongdrel is unrolled before dawn and rolled up by morning.
Here are some visuals courtesy of utube:
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