Saturday, February 17, 2007

Why This Trip?

A lot of people ask me 'why?' when I tell them I'm going to travel in Nepal and Bhutan.

The short answer is 'why not'.

To give a little more perspective and insight here's the longer story:

I've not been out of the country since 2003 unless you count a 4 day trip down to Mexico during the particularly hellacious winter of 2004. The time has come to leave the great US of A.

So why Asia and why this particular part of Asia?

Nepal and Bhutan are very interesting locations; the geographic wonders in these regions speak for themselves - the Himalayas - which we will get to see from a spectacular vantage point when flying from Kathmandu, Nepal to Paro, Bhutan.

The cultures in these countries are fascinating to me. I've studied and practiced a couple of different forms of Buddhist meditation over the last handful of years. A large part of my interest in seeing Bhutan is particular is to witness a Buddhist kingdom; particularly one that has not been overrun by the Chinese.

The other neat thing about spending time in these two countries is that they are both relatively small (especially compared to neighboring China and India) and thus we will not be doing a monstrous amount of driving or flying from city to city. These appeals to the part of me that is dire need of a *vacation*. I want to relax and enjoy myself. In 2000, I traveled to Costa Rica for 2 weeks by myself. It was my first trip solo and to Central America. I tried to do way too much, jetting across the Pacific and Caribbean sides of the country with stop overs through the center to witness volcanoes and butterfly farms. I went horseback riding, hung out in a tiny village where 100 year old sea turtles emerged from the waters of the Atlantic ocean to lay their eggs at night. By the time I returned to San Francisco I was sick and exhausted - I needed a vacation.

So - - - - while this is certainly set to be a big trip I want it to be a small trip in the sense that I want to enjoy myself, the company of my mom and the delights of experiencing an extremely different culture from the one to which I am accustomed.

Bhutan Itinerary

Here is the itinerary for our time in Bhutan.

Bhutan Magical Kingdom tours with Punakha Festival (06 nights and 07 days).

Bhutan, the fabled Land of the Thunder Dragon - a country of Buddhists and Dzongs (Fortresses), yaks and Blue Sheep, alpine valleys and lofty white peaks was unknown to foreigners untill the mid -1900s. In 1959 Tibet was taken over by China and in 1975 its other neighbor became part of India. Bhutan became surrounded by two giant powers and as a consequence in 1971 join the United Nations to protect itself.

In 1974 the King opened Bhutan's borders to tourism in order to obtain foreign currency. Unfortunately, foreigners did not respect Bhutan's religios customs - photography or religious treasures and bribed Lamas (Monk) to steal sacred scrolls and other precious items for them. In 1987 the king announced changes for the visitors from foreign lands. He closed most of the monastries, sacred institutions, and sanctified mountains to foreigners. Vistors would now be requested to travel with fixed intineraries and lead by Government guides.

Bhutan is a beautiful land. Across its northern border stand the shimmering peaks of the Grand Himalayas, including to sacred mountains: Jomulhari and Gangkar Punsum. Both are home to bharal (Blue sheep) and rare Snow Leopard. Glaciers tumble down slopes, creating mountaintop lakes and rivers that rush through narrow gorges and wind through wide, sloping valleys.

Day 01. Paro- Thimphu. 24th Feb.07 (Distance : 62 Km.- Drive time : Approx. 2 hrs). After going through the entry formalities (Customs and Immigration), you will be met with Bhutan Dragon Adventures representive and drive to Thimphu Upon arrival in Thimphu you will be tranferred to the Hotel.

Day 02. Thimphu - Punakha. 25th Feb, 07 (Distance : 77 Km. Drive Time: Approx. 03 hrs). Early breakfast, drive to Punakha and visit the Punakha Dzong to witness the festival. Punakha festival is the perfect occasion to closely witness Bhutan’s unique culture and traditions, history, legend and religion. In the past Bhutan had used various means of defense strategies to protect its sovereignty from the Tibetan invaders. On the last day, the Punakha Festival portrays one of such defenses with a grand procession of Bhutanese troops marching into the battlefield and commemorating the great victory over the Tibetan invaders in the 17th century. Bring you a closer contact with the people and give you an insight into the Bhutanese lives, beliefs and more.

Punakha Dzong, was the second of Bhutan's Dzongs. For many years when Punakha Dzong was the capital, and until the time of the second king, the Dzong served as the seat of the Government. King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk convened the new National Assembly here in 1952. In the evening make a short hike / walk to Chimi Lakhang, which was built by Lama Drukpa Kuenley in 15th century. He subdued the demons with his" Magical Thunder bolt". The temple is also known as the "Temple of Fertility".
Over night in the Hotel in Wangdue / Punakha.

Day 03. 26th Feb. 07. Punakha / Wangdue – Thimphu (Distance : 77 Km. Drive Time: Approx. 03 hrs)
Today, we will drive to back to Thimphu via Duchula pass (3150 Mts) if the weather is clear, we stop for a while to view Higher Himalayas.

After lunch, visit to the National Momerial Chorten built in 1974 in honour of our late king Jigme Dorji Wangchuk and the Dupthop Lakhang one of the few surviving nunneries in Bhutan. We then visit the National Labrary, stocked with ancient Buddhist manuscripts, and the painting school where traditional art is still kept alive through instruction inthe art of painting Thankas (Sacred Buddhist religous scroll). After lunch visit Simtokha Dzong built in 1627 by Shabdrung , one of the oldest Dzong of Bhutan. Over night in the Hotel

Day 04. 27th Feb.07. Thimphu – Thimphu
After breakfast, drive to Tango / Cheri Monastery. In 1616 Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel visited Tango Monastery and meditated in a cave nearby.

Visit Handicraft Emporium followed by shopping for souvenirs in Thimphu, and in the evening visit Tashi Chodzong,seat of the National Government and the Central Monastic Body, including the summer residence of the Je khenpo (Chef Abbot of Bhutan ).
Over night in the Hotel.

Day 05. 28th Feb.07. Thimphu – Paro (Distance : 62 Km.- Drive time : Approx. 2 hrs)

After breakfast drive to Paro, Visit Ta Dzong built in 656 and renovated in 1968, an ancient watch tower, which now houses the National Museum of Bhutan. Below the Museum is the Rinpung Dzong ( Literally meaning "Heap of Jewels" ), the centre of civil and religious authority in this valley, built in 1646 by Shabdrung.

In the evening explore the ramparts and on a clear day experience an unforgettable view of Mt. Jhomolari (7,314m). On the way back, visit Kichu Lakhang, built in 659 A.D by the Tibetan king Srongsen Gampo. This Monastery is one of the 108 monasteries built across the Himalayan region. The rest of the monastereis lie in the other neighboring Himalayan Countries.Dinner and over night in hotel.

Day 06. 01 March.07. Paro - Paro. Day Excursion to Taksang Monastery

After breakfast a short drive takes us to Satsam Chorten, the trail climbs through beautiful pine forest, many of the trees festooned with spanish moss, and an occasional grove of fluttering prayer flags.

We stop for a rest and light refreshments at the Taksang Cafeteria and then walk a short distance untillwe see, clearly and seemingly within reach, Taksang monastery. The primary Lakhang was built around Guru Rimpoche's meditation cave in 1684 by Paro Penlop, Gyaltse Tenzin Rabgye; this incredible monastery clings to the edges of sheer rock cliff that plunges 900 meters into the valley below. Legend has it that Guru Padmasambhva, the tantric mystic who brought Buddhism to Bhutan in 747 AD, flew here on the back of a flying Tiger , Droji Drolo, said to be his favourite consort. Over night in the Hotel.

Day 07. 02nd March 07. ( Driving distance: 5 km . Time Approx. 20 Minutes )

Early breakfast, drive to Paro Air Port and. fare well.

Tashi Delek !!!

The Countdown Is On - We Leave Tuesday

Okay, so it's Saturday morning of President's Day Weekend. The weather in San Francisco is *gorgeous* - sunny, not a cloud in the sky. It's the kind of day that in February is to be relished because sooner or later the rains of late winter will arrive and we will all be soaking wet or cooped up indoors.

I am now officially on vacation having finished up my last day at TagAviation yesterday. The 'out of office' auto reply I left went something like this 'I'll be on vacation from Feb.20 through March 7th. I will not have access to email or voicemail. In case of emergency call my director'. And that was that.

The white 3X5 index card containing my remaining to-do's reads:

bank
keys
pharmacy
REI
dry cleaners
blog

Looks like I'm working from the bottom up.

So, here we are, I have no idea how much I will be able or will want to update this thing while I'm traveling. But! At the very least it'll be home to the myriad pics I take on this adventure.

What I can now report is that setting up a trip like this requires a fair amount of time, effort and patience. Not to mention a willingness to get stuck with needles. My good friends and coworkers have all heard about or witnessed my post vaccination woes. I am happy to report that yesterday I received the last shot I'll need for awhile - the twinrix (hepa/hepb combo) did leave me tired and a little sore last night. My first round of shots was a month ago; probably haven't seen anything like that since I was a kid on the child vaccination schedule. Needless to say the experience has given me new appreciation for my immune system.

Aside from having dead viruses injected into your system trip preparation for this part of the world it's all about the details of working with your Bhutanese tour operator as entry into Bhutan is strictly limited for tourists. Nepal is much easier; you pay for a visa upon entry and get to where you're going.

Once again, the interweb proved to be a lifesaver when trying to get to the heart of how things work. My thanks to Adrian Jones for putting together the Bhutan Travel Advice page that appears as part of his larger travel blog. Had I not found this early on in the planning phase I probably would have floundered quite a bit.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

I'm Going To Asia Here's The Uber Travel Itinerary

Yes. It's true and we leave in under a week's time.

This is my first trip to Asia. My mom and I are heading to Nepal and Bhutan. All things considered we are covering a very small amount of geography it just happens to be geography that's on the other side of the world from home.

Here's the uber travel itinerary:

Tuesday, Feb 20 - Depart SFO

Wednesday, Feb 21 - Arrive BANGKOK

(Overnight in BANGKOK)

Thursday, Feb 22 - Depart BANGKOK - Arrive KATHMANDU

(Two Overnights In Bodhnath)

Saturday, Feb 24 - Depart KATHMANDU - Arrive PARO

(Six Overnights - See Bhutan Itinerary)

Friday, Mar 2 - Depart PARO - Arrive KATHMANDU

(Four Overnights In KATHMANDU)

Tuesday, Mar 6 - Depart KATHMANDU - Arrive BANGKOK

(Overnight In Bangkok)

Wednesday, Mar 7 - Depart BANGKOK - Arrive SFO