photography – Page 8 – Destination NOW

Helsinki

Usually my blog functions as a substitute for postcards. It is a way to stay connected with family and friends–a way for them to share in the wonder and excitement of travel without enduring the long plane rides, jet lag, and other miscellaneous discomforts of life on the road.

For this cruise, however, the free wifi was not robust enough to allow photo uploads. Being a very visual person, I saw no point in posting without photos. So, now that I’m home, I’m playing catch up. These postcards were way delayed! But maybe my posts will be helpful to anyone that is considering the Viking Homelands cruise, or might be touring any of the Baltic ports we visited.

Now about Helsinki…

Helsinki was the perfect respite between the two sensory overload ports of Stockholm and St. Petersburg. We took the included Viking tour, which was a morning bus trip with three stops. And that was enough for us.

First stop was the Sibelius monument, which consists of 600 welded stainless steel tubes,

P1160186 — The individual pipes really are quite spectacular

and a bust of the composer.

P1160182 — Is it just me, or does it look like he’s been beheaded and impaled?

The guide told us that Sibelius’s bust had seven wrinkles–one for each of his symphonies. I wasn’t able to verify, but I’m not so sure I like that way of displaying accomplishments. If that were the universal yardstick, I’m either way behind with achievements or way ahead with wrinkles.

Our guide told us that when Sibelius died in 1957, at the age of 91, the US Embassy was the only one to have a moment of silence in his honor. Nicely done, USA.

Next up, the Rock Church, which is not its real name, but its real name is long, hard to spell, and not as descriptive. So here’s the story: two brothers got the bright idea to hollow out an enormous hunk of granite, turning it into, of all things, a church. Lo and behold, their idea was the competition winner. After four years of applications, permits and paperwork, plus one year of construction, the church was completed. And here you have it.

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Our final stop was at Senate Square, where Russian Tsar Alexander ll stands, with the Finnish constitution in his hand and a bird atop his head (Just so you know, the bird is not a permanent part of the statue). He was quite beloved in Finland, much more so than in Russia, where he was assassinated after freeing the slaves, providing an example of common ground between Russia and the USA.

Behind him is the Lutheran Church, which we opted not to visit. Did you see all those steps? Instead, we stopped inside the tourist information center, where we discovered this promotional brochure from a Finnish company.

Okay, I’ll admit it. I was completely taken in by this brochure, and thought that
1. the company was real, and 2. that it had an amazing sense of humor.

Being a curious soul and having access to the internet, I decided to check this company out and discovered that it is actually fictional — the work of Finnish painter and sculptor Alvar Gullichsen. I wish I’d known that when we were in Helsinki. I would have explored that yellow building in the background, rather than posing for a color coordinated photo.

Stockholm: Three Days, Ten Highlights

Ahhh, Stockholm–there is so much to love about you! It’s a nice place to visit and I definitely would like to live here, but only in the summer. Arriving two days before we were scheduled to board the Viking Star was a very good decision indeed.

I haven’t done a numbered list in a while, so don’t you think it is time? Why not throw out 10 somewhat random reasons to love the city? There clearly are many, many more, but hey, we were a bit jet lagged and at our age, it is all about quality time. (Or was “quality time” what I told myself our kid was getting so I didn’t feel guilty about being a working mom? Doesn’t matter –both apply.)

1. THE INHABITANTS
Everyone speaks English, and they do so willingly and cheerfully, without trying to make you feel stupid for being uni-lingual.

Boston Grill in Stockholm? They also had a TGI Fridays and a Texas Longhorn Steakhouse. We ate at none of them!

2. THE MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM
Mass transit is easy to decipher, affordable, and appears to run constantly. We rarely had to wait more than 5 minutes, frequently less. Thanks to Rick Steves, we knew we should get the SL card, which was sold at Arlanda Airport. For about $16 (the Senior rate), we got a card good for 72 hours worth of rides on all modes of transportation: T-Bana, ferries and buses. When we departed, we still had 4 hours remaining, so we gave our cards (yes they are transferable) to our friends. What a deal!

Our friends, Edie and Ayhan, displaying the magic card as they get ready to board.

3. GAMLA STAN, THE OLD CITY
The old town is absolutely charming. During the ’80s the government wanted to demolish the old buildings, replacing them with concrete and steel skyscrapers. Fortunately, the citizenry protested vigorously, and the idea was abandoned. Good thing, wouldn’t your say?

In this square, Swedish leaders were beheaded by the Danes. The son of one of the victims escaped, led a successful revolution and became Sweden's first king. — In this square, Swedish leaders were beheaded by the Danes. The son of one of the victims escaped, led a successful revolution and became Sweden’s first king.

Tourists trying to distract the guard at the palace

We followed part of Rick’s recommended walk, but after about 5 minutes worth of the Changing of the Guard, we’d had enough. My assessment? I wish we’d chosen another activity, like visiting the Nobel Museum. The Changing of the Guard consumed far too much time. It starts around noon, but you have to get their early enough to be able to see anything, especially if you want a bench in the shade. Benches were occupied, so we grabbed a column with a pedestal that we climbed upon. Even so, this was our view.

p1150962 — It helps to have a good zoom lens

4. THE RIVAL HOTEL

Less than three blocks from the T-Bana, in Sodermalm, this little boutique hotel is ideally located. You can sip wine on the restaurant’s balcony while you watch men play bocce in the park across the street.

The view from the room. Good thing the blinds closed!

We booked directly with the hotel, prepaid 6 months in advance, to get an amazing rate. The room was small, but very comfortable, although I must admit to being mystified by the strategic placement of the bathroom window. This is ONE throne room we didn’t want to view!

5. Kungsträdgärden

Perhaps those long winter months make the Swedes cherish these long, glorious summer days. It looked like EVERYONE was outside on this Saturday night, having a wonderful time.

6. VASA MUSEUM
Can you imagine spending months of your life creating glorious carvings that will ultimately become bulls-eyes for cannonballs? What were they thinking??? Fortunately, this ship was as top heavy as a playboy centerfold, and shortly after setting sail, it flipped on its side, then sank to the bottom of the harbor, where it remained for over 300 years.

The museum is absolutely fascinating, especially for those of us that grew up in a former whaling port. The admission price (It was less than $20), includes a film and a guided tour. I thought “Vasa” was Swedish for boat, because “Vaca” is the Maori word and “Barco” is the Spanish word. But no, the ship was named after Gustav Vasa. He was the son of one of the beheaded victims (at the fountain) who led the revolution against the Danes and became Sweden’s first king.

We used our SL ticket to catch the ferry to Djurgården, and used it again to ride a tram between the Vasa Museum and Skansen.

7. SKANSEN
The Swedes call it an open air museum. WE called it the Swedish version of Plimoth Plantation and Waterloo Village. We had the perfect day and the perfect setting for strolling outdoors.

What kid wouldn't love these? — What kid wouldn’t love these?

A beautiful garden with a beautiful view

8. CITY HALL
You may never win a Nobel prize, but that doesn’t mean you can’t visit the banquet hall and stand on the staircase where the presentations are made. The blue hall (which isn’t blue) is where the prize winners receive applause and a free meal.

Although I have not visited every city hall, I going to proclaim that this is one of the most (if not THE most) glorious one on this planet. The location, the mosaics, the architecture–all breathtaking!

P1160138 — It is hard to capture the beauty of the gold leaf mosaics in a photo. This hall was exquisite.

And if you have any breath left after touring city hall, you can climb #9.

9. CITY HALL TOWER
Timed tickets ensure that the tower is not overcrowded. Yes, it IS 365 steps to get to the top, but it is SO worth the climb to for sn aerial view of Gamla Stan. Wouldn’t you agree? There are nine bells in the tower, and we made sure that we were not standing beneath them when they rang.

365 steps later, this is what we saw. And yes, that is our ship in the distance.

P1160102 — The grounds surrounding city hall, as seen from the tower.

10. FOTOGRAFISKA MUSEUM
Such luck! Our last day in port coincided with our friends’ arrival, allowing us just enough time to meet Edie and Ayhan in Gamla Stan for coffee. Right smack dab on our route to the Viking Star was the Fotografisca Museum, so of course we HAD to stop.

p1160176 — Our ship is reflected in this portrait of Amy Winehouse.

I had no idea that Bryan Adams was a Renaissance man–a musician AND a very talented photographer. I’m betting ( And it’s a petty safe bet) that his access to the celebrities was because of HIS fame. But for me, the most memorable part of the exhibit (and most emotional) were his photos of the British soldiers wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Something tells me this won’t be our last visit to Stockholm!

Tibet, Part Two

My last post about Tibet was a bit of a downer, wasn’t it? As my friend Sally reminded me, “not every place is lovable”, but as with all travel, there are always positive elements, whether it be a greater understanding of a particular culture or country, or an increase in self knowledge.

We not only saw the exterior of the iconic Potala Palace, we were also able to climb to the top and visit some of the interior on our way up. Built by the fifth Dalai Lama in the late 1600’s on the site of Songzen Gampo’s palace, it became the winter residence of successive Dalai Lamas. Photographs are not allowed of any of the interior rooms, but they were so dark, smoky and gloomy, it would have been difficult to get a good shot anyway.

The red sections were administrative; the white sections were religious — The red sections were for religious studies; the white sections were the living quarters of the Dalai Lamas

The palace, 13 stories high, offers a great view of the city of Lhasa.

Here’s a different view, showing the modern city the Chinese have built around the Potala.

It was so hard to imagine a small child being taken from his family and brought to live in this massive place, surrounded by monks who were charged with his instruction. The current Dalai Lama was two years old when he was identified. He spent two years in a monastery near his family’s home in Amdo, then moved to the Potala two years later.

The summer palace, the Norbulingkha (Treasure Park) has a very different feel to it. This was built in the mid 18th century by the 7th Dalai Lama. It is actually quite close to the winter palace. The largest horticultural park in Tibet, it includes a private zoo, which wasn’t open when I visited. At one time it housed an elephant that was a gift from the Maharaja of Nepal.

Heinrich Harrer conducted lessons with the 14th (current) Dalai Lama in the summer palace. It was from this site that the Dalai Lama departed in 1959 to escape from the Chinese. Another fun fact: According to Harrer in his book “Seven Years in Tibet”, women were not allowed in the Norbulingkha because it was believed that they would have defiled the gardens.

Two famous monasteries in Lhasa are located near the palaces. The Drepung monastery was being repaired, so we only visited the Sera Monastery. I was disappointed because I had learned in my pre trip reading that Tibet’s creation story was told in murals at the entrance of the Drepung Monastery, and I had hoped to see it.

What we DID see were the Sera monks interacting in an outdoor courtyard. That yellow hats on their shoulders? It made me smile–all I could think of was Woodstock, Snoopy’s little friend.

The detail on the exterior of the buildings was exquisite, however it was nothing compared to the tombs of the Dalai Lamas inside the Potala. Those looked like wedding cakes–5 to 7 tiers high, covered with carvings and encrusted with jewels and precious stones.

We arrived in Lhasa on 5/14, which was the start of a 15 day “festival” celebrating Buddha’s birthday. For Tibetans, a festival consisted of either walking around a sacred site, or prostrating themselves as they slowly made their way counterclockwise, praying as they went.

Leaving Lhasa, we traveled to Gyantse, where we visited the Palcho Monastery.

Here, you were allowed to take photos, as long as you paid a fee. In the distance, you can see the red fort that dominates the landscape.

P1150733 — Plastic bags filled with offerings are scattered throughout the monastery. Devotees leave food, money, grain, white scarves (called Kata), whatever they have.

This monastery was built in the 1400’s; its interior looks very much like the interiors of the other monasteries, small chapels, very dark and smoky. I used a flash and the highest ISO possible to get these photos.

P1150757 — The founder of the “red hats”. Red hat monks are allowed to marry. “Yellow hats” are not. The Dalai Lama is a “yellow hat”.

I asked why this statue's face was covered. Our guide said he can only be seen by those that complete a complex list of devotional activities. — I asked why this statue’s face was covered. Our guide explained only those that complete a complex list of devotional activities are allowed to view his face.

P1150727 — I have no idea which color hat these monks belong to–it looks like they hedged their bets with yellow, red *and* black. Plus, their hats come with bangs and braids.

The other special feature of the Palcho monastery is the Kumbum Podang. (Don’t you love the name?) A Kumbum is a stupa that is also a three-dimensional mandala. The first five floors of this structure are square and the remaining four are circular.

Unfortunately, this building was also being repaired so we were unable to go inside, but according to Wikipedia, it has 76 chapels and shrines and is also known as the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagodas. Why? Because it contains ten thousand images and murals of Buddhas.

Gyantse is also notable because in 1904, the town and monastery were attacked by the British, led by Francis Younghusband. The Tibetans were armed with outdated weapons, but they had been assured by their religious leaders that their victory was preordained. In addition to their weapons, they were protected by talismans that they thought would repel bullets. They were mowed down, and the buildings were shelled.

In 1959, the Chinese attacked the complex and it was also damaged during the cultural revolution.

After one night in Gyantse, we traveled to Shigatse, Tibet’s second largest city and the location of the Tashilhunpo Monastery. This monastery has been the home of the Pachen Lama, the great scholar, and is where most of the prior Pachen Lamas are entombed.

This photo was taken in Gyantse–no interior photos were allowed in Tashilhunpo. The top photo is of the 10th Pachen Lama and the bottom is of the current (11th) as a child.

The 10th Pachen Lama was taken to China as a child to be educated. Although he initially supported the Chinese incursion into Tibet, after returning home and seeing the impact on his country, he began to speak out. This resulted in his being tortured and imprisoned in China for 16 years. After his release, he married a Han woman, had a child and returned to Tibet. He died suddenly in 1989, at the age of 51 shortly after giving a speech critical of the Chinese government. His resting place is an amazingly beautiful tomb, with gold carvings and jewels, similar to that of Dalai Lamas in the Potala.

P1150836 — The entrance to the tomb of the 10th Pachen Lama

There was considerable controversy over the selection of the 11th Pachen Lama. The Dalai Lama’s choice disappeared after being named and the Pachen Lama chosen by the Chinese, now in his 20’s, is still being educated in China.

Inside the Monastery. No photography allowed inside the buildings

The Mandala surrounded by two deer is seen on most buildings

How can you tell which shoes belong to whom?

Apparently they are able to figure it out!

Because we were in Shigatse for two days, we were able to wander through the city on our own. Marilynn, my energetic buddy, and I climbed to the Shigatse fort that overlooked the city.

Shigatse Fort overlooks the city. As with many buildings in Tibet, it is being repaired, so no entry allowed.

From the fort, you can get a good view of the city. Not sure what that bike is doing on top of the building!

He was as interested in us as we were in him.

For some reason, the ride back seemed far more pleasant than the ride to the two cities. Perhaps it was because we traveled back along the river or maybe it was because we knew what to expect for toilet facilities?

P1150873 — Scenery along the way back to Lhasa

After Shigatse, it was back to Lhasa for our return to our gorgeous hotel in Nepal, the Gokarna Forest Resort. Great food, margaritas, beautiful surroundings, greeted by our wonderful Nepali guide Binoy– we were SO very glad to be back in Kathmandu!

Saving Nepal’s Best for Last

After our stay at the comfortable, but basic, Seti River Camp, it was a complete shock to our senses when we arrived at the Kasara Chitwan Resort. We were experiencing luxury overload!

I was expecting a room, not a stand alone suite. When I opened my door, I entered this private courtyard. The photo doesn’t do it justice, but I was too focused on enjoying my surroundings to put much energy into a photo shoot.

Air conditioned bedroom on the left, bathroom with open air shower on the right, and a beautiful courtyard in between. Those are little ponds on either side of the boardwalk, complete with resident frogs.

After getting settled, we headed out to hunt for black rhinos. Success! We saw several. My favorite is this shot, because he seemed a bit bored by us gawkers.

Our mode of transportation during our “safari” was a platform mounted on the elephant’s back. It was not the most comfortable ride, for us, or probably for the elephant either, but it was a fun experience.

We didn’t see any tigers, but the group before us caught sight of one. After hearing about the elephant’s reaction, I was just as glad that we hadn’t. There was a whole lot of stomping, bouncing and trumpeting going on!

For me, the best part of our visit was when we were able to interact with the elephants in the water.

The rest of the group had heard all about my nephew Jack, and how much he LOVES elephants, so Jim was gracious enough to take stills with my camera, while Binoy, our wonderful guide, shot video with my iPhone.

Wait, I thought I was going to be washing–not getting washed!

Peter, Marilyn and I giving our buddy a nice massage, using smooth stones.

These are such beautiful, intelligent and gentle creatures. What a privilege to send time with them.

Check out the toenails on her. Fun fact–elephants sweat through their toenails.

While at Kasara, I kept thinking about these lines from the song “Camelot”. “The rain will never fall till after sundown; By 8 the morning clouds must disappear”, because that’s exactly how it worked during our two days there. In fact, we were extremely lucky during our entire trip. We couldn’t have asked for better weather–slightly overcast when we were trekking, which is much more comfortable than walking under a hot sun.

The resort has a lovely pool, so I was very glad I’d packed my bathing suit. Again, no photos. Sometimes you have to put the camera down and just soak in your surroundings (literally).

It also has a great second story bar overlooking the pool. I decided to skip the ox cart ride through the village, and partake in a margarita instead. That’s what my sisters, hermaña preferida, and cousins would have wanted me to do, and I couldn’t let them down.

Time to fly back to Kathmandu, and another lovely hotel, The Gokarna Forest Resort.

During our Nepal trip, we added three travelers, Ann from Indianapolis, was born in Indonesia. She and her Turkish husband met in veterinary school. Karl is a retired navy chaplain who served in Iraq. He and Eugenia were born in Hong Kong, but have lived in San Diego when they are not traveling the world. Their fluency in Chinese was much appreciated by all of us when we got to Tibet.

Standing, left to right: Marilynn, Marie, Ann, Eugenia, Karl, Peter, Dick. Me, practicing my squat, an essential skill for the airport rest rooms. Jim is missing because he is the photographer.

Here are Marie and Dick, enjoying their first class seats.

Jim, Peter and Marie will be returning to the USA after our last night together at the Gokarna, while the remaining six of us head off to Tibet. The farewell dinner is an OAT tradition when the main trip ends, and what a farewell dinner it was!

Yes, we needed help getting dressed, and no, we didn’t get to keep the saris.

Some of the men played dress up too.

It was the perfect ending for three fantastic weeks together. Little did we know, but the remaining six of us were going to have a very different experience in Tibet.

Pokhara

What a fun city! Unlike Kathmandu, you can actually walk alone along the streets of Pokhara without fear of never finding your way back to your hotel.

What to do during our three nights there?

Of course there were temples to visit. This poor rooster seemed to know his minutes were numbered. Yes, Hindus still do animal sacrifices. But maybe he’ll get lucky and be reincarnated as a cow.

p1150236 — When this guy saw my camera, he insisted that I photograph him and the rooster.

The next temple could only be reached by boat.

What made this visit special were the sweet boys collecting money for the Red Cross.

“50 rupees, madam?”

“Okay”, and as I’m reaching for my money I hear, “100 rupees, madam?”

“But you said 50”

“Okay madam, 50”.

He had such a sweet smile, I gave him 1,000 rupees, the equivalent of $10. THAT guaranteed me a photo shoot with the entire group, who then insisted upon taking MY picture. My sweet negotiator is the one in the middle.

Next up, a visit to the Parakhawking Project. Please do a YouTube search to learn more about the vulture and hawk rescue project.

Believe it or not, this beautiful creature is a vulture, who, if you decide to leap off a mountain, will fly with you, locating the updrafts, thereby guaranteeing you’ll have a spectacular flight..

Unfortunately, he was molting, so he has been grounded for the next few months. What a disappointment– I was SO ready to sign up! So since parasailing was not an option, what else could I do with my free afternoon? Oh so many options…how to choose?
Who could resist this menu of services? Certainly not I!

As tempting as it was to come home with dreadlocks, I decided to be a little less adventurous and settled for a manicure. It WAS an interesting experience. I’d never had my cuticles pushed back with a coin before. And the choice of polish was greatly simplified when there are only three colors, all with sparkles.

It sorta made me wonder what my hair would have looked like if I’d chosen a dye job.

The best part was my manicurist dried my nails by waving a magazine back and forth over my fingers. Again, I thought of my hair…and what might have been.

After a round of shopping, it was clearly time for music. Initially, we thought the Bollywood Dance Club had potential, until we gave their sign a more thorough inspection. Let’s put it this way. Although we didn’t go inside to verify, we suspected the club might have fit right in with New York’s pre-Guliani Times Square or Boston’s combat zone.

Instead, we opted for Emon’s Rooftop Cafe. We ended up being the sole (but enthusiastic) customers here.

Sitting on the balcony overlooking the street, sucking down a local beer, we enjoyed a rendition of “I want to hold your hand”, Nepalese style. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Heavenly Himalayas

It’s a 17 minute flight from Kathmandu to Pokara if the planes are able to take off. Otherwise, it is a 5 hour drive on bumpy mountain roads. We were in luck. After a 45 minute delay, it was clear enough to fly.

We stopped at the Pokhara office to load what we would need for the next three days into the OAT supplied duffels, leaving our big bags behind. After lunch atop a mountain, we drove for about an hour, then hit the trail, to walk the last three miles to our lodge.

Could this be what the OAT description means by “uneven steps”?

As I was walking up and down the mountain trail, I was thinking about my gym buddies at Somerset Hills Y. Knowing that they would all be in class was the extra motivation that got me to Zumba, AOA, Yoga and Barre— and boy oh boy, were those classes necessary. Our treks were far more enjoyable because I’d been “training” for the past 6 months. It also helped that the heavy lifting was done by village women, who carried our bags in baskets on their backs, attached to a strap across their foreheads.

That’s our luggage inside those baskets!

After the chaos of Kathmandu, we were so very ready for the beautiful and peacefully remote Gurung Lodge in Annapurna. And what a fantastic lodge it was. Our clean, comfortable rooms were stocked with umbrellas, warm hats and gloves, a north face parka, flashlight, and crocs. The lounge chairs on our front porches were perfect for naps after our hikes through the villages, to the school, the mother’s cooperative, the museum and the two room health center.

Okay, no comments about the white legs. In some parts of the world, pasty white skin is considered quite beautiful. So there, Sue and Sandy.

During our stay, smoke from wildfires in India caused the sky to cloud up, so we only occasionally got a glimpse of the Annapurna Mountains. Despite the clouds and mist, the view was still jaw dropping. It was impossible to capture the magnificence of this mountain range in a photo, although we all tried. As with so much in life, you just had to be there.

Our lodge had electricity for a few hours every day, just long enough to charge our camera batteries. Solar power heated the water, so we took our showers in the afternoon. As for our hair, the only blow dryer in the camp comes courtesy of the afternoon breeze.
Despite a complete lack of so many of the modern conveniences that we take for granted, we had tasty and healthy meals. I so appreciated how hard the villagers and the lodge staff had to work to ensure that we were well fed and comfortable.

We got a little surprise on our village trek. When we arrived, we were greeted by this group of women. It took us a while to realize that ONE of them looked VERY familiar.

Can you identify the nurse from San Francisco?

Marilynn, our power walker, had arrived far in advance of the rest of our group, so the village ladies decided to dress her up and make her part of the welcoming committee.

It made me feel good to see how our contributions to the OAT Foundation are making life easier forthe communities we visit. Before OAT donated the machinery, grain was ground by hand. Not an easy task, as Marie is demonstrating.

If my iPhone counted accurately, the walk to the village is the equivalent of 103 flights of stairs ONE WAY! And we couldn’t get the ladies to carry us in their baskets for the return trip.

But it was worth it, because the scenery was spectacular!

Three Days in Kathmandu

Kathmandu assaults your senses. It is dusty, dirty, noisy, chaotic, crowded. Take a deep breath and you will get a lungful of incense, enough to keep you coughing for a few minutes.

We toured the three major cities of the ancient Malla kingdom: Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. (That’s what happened when you had three sons–you split up your kingdom so they could each have a place to rule. )

We saw the impact of the earthquake everywhere. It is heartbreaking to see that one year later, people are still living in makeshift shelters.

Still, there are parts of the cities that were not damaged, allowing you to experience their grandeur and the beauty.

Plaza in Bhaktapur as seen from the balcony of the New Cafe Nuatapola, where we had a delicious lunch

The royal family's bathtub — The royal family’s bathtub

While preparing for this trip, I read about the living goddesses, known as the Kumari. (The post “Follow the Yellow Brick Road, Part Two has more information about the goddess.)

After our visit, all of the women in our group felt so sorry for this sad looking little girl, who was chosen when she was three years old. I couldn’t help but compare her to my happy, active nieces. Of course, we don’t know what other options were available to her. Maybe sitting on a “throne” placing tikkas on the foreheads of gawkers was the better alternative.

Despite the hardships they have endured, the Nepali people’s beautiful spirit shines through.

The hawkers are everywhere. The problem is if you buy from one, you are mobbed by many others. Still, I couldn’t resist this woman’s sweet smile, especially after she told me if I wanted to buy more than one, there would be no problem.

Okay, so I bought more than one. Sisters, cousins, nieces, friends…you know the drill…gifts are coming your way, but you may have to earn them. There may be a quiz!

This next one was more of a hard sell. “Madam, blessings for you, blessings for me”, chanted continuously while she walked beside me for the equivalent of five city blocks.

Okay, so I got blessed. I now own the necklace the lady on the right is holding. I expect those blessings to be coming my way!

Six Days In Happy Land

We are now in Nepal; quirky Internet connectivity made it difficult to do justice to beautiful Bhutan, so this post will be a quick collection of photos and memories of Happy Land.

THIMPHU

A few years ago, Rio’s Christ the Redeemer was chosen as one of the seven new wonders of the world. Thimphu’s gigantic Buddha didn’t exist at that time. If it had, I’m convinced Buddha would be giving Rio’s statue some serious competition.

The base of the statue contains a temple, filled with hundreds of thousands of smaller Buddhas, butter lamps and butter sculptures. Yes, you read that right–sculptures are made of colored butter!

Just the artwork on the base would get MY vote

Dedicated to teaching Bhutanese arts and crafts, this school focuses on 18 traditional crafts including painting, woodcarving, metal work and embroidery.

Whenever I visit a country, particularly one whose economy is dependent on the tourist trade, I like to drop some dollars by buying gifts, so a stop in the school’s small shop was a definite requirement.

Handmade paper is another traditional Bhutanese craft. We watched the entire process: the raw materials being delivered, heated, compressed, made into sheets and dried.

Notice how hard these young women are working? They were all smiling as they were lifting those heavy bundles! And yes, I most certainly did make a purchase at their tiny gift shop.

The modern world is rapidly creeping into Bhutan. Construction is everywhere. But it isn’t just new buildings and new technology. Since the introduction of television in 1999, the western world has slowly been influencing Bhutan’s youth.

Thimphu’s clock tower plaza, right beside our hotel was the site of what looked like an auto exhibit, but it was a whole lot more.

Young Bhutanese shed their traditional clothes, donning jeans and tee shirts to dance to Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face”. Unfortunately, my camera’s software is incompatible with my iPad, so you won’t be able to see the beautiful young girls I videoed dancing, but with any luck, I’ll be able to link a YouTube video of the boys doing their hip hop routine when I get back home.

You may be wondering what kind of audience the entertainment drew. Well, wonder no more, because when my personal paparazzi used his long lens to capture me unawares, he also photographed the crowd.

A bit sparse, no?

PUNAKHA

Much of the road between Thimphu and Punakha is under construction, making travel slooooow and very dusty. We stopped at the Dochula Pass on the way to and from Punakha.

The Dochula Pass memorial honors the 15 Bhutanese that were killed fighting the Indian separatists from Assam. The separatists were creeping across the Bhutanese border, creating training camps. The fourth king actually led his troops into battle and was victorious. No wonder he is so beloved!

The pass is 10,000 feet above sea level, so Tashi thought it would be good practice for the Tiger’s Nest if we took a hike in the Royal Botanical Park that adjoins the memorial.

The rhododendron were in bloom–they weren’t bushes, they were trees.

The jacaranda were also in bloom, outside the Palace of Great Happiness.

Notice the covered wooden bridge in the distance.

This is the entrance to the Palace’s temple. Inside Tashi gave us a fantastic lecture about Buddhism, using the artwork that covered the temple walls as an ancient Power Point Presentation.

I was so glad to see these monks, enjoying themselves by the river bank outside the Palace of Great Happiness.

We also visited a nunnery located atop a mountain, where I purchased some bracelets from this sweet 21 year old nun, who spoke perfect English.

Marilynn from San Francisco on the right, bracelets on the window sill on the left.

No visit to Punakha would be complete without a stop at the Chhimi Lhakhang Monastery. To get there you need to hike through rice fields, a village and up a hill.

The shingles on roofs are held down with stones instead of nails.

These sweet villagers were happy to pose for me

This monastery was founded by Drupka Kinley, the Divine Madman, whose “Thunderbolt of Wisdom”, also known as his “Flaming Thunderbolt” , brought his own special form of enlightenment to local women. Infertile couples visit the monastery where the woman is doinked on the head with a huge wooden “thunderbolt”. Could that be the Bhutanese version of IVF?

The Divine Madman is the inspiration behind the artwork that festoons the area’s houses.

Although not part of the “official” itinerary, our wonderful guide thought we might enjoy a visit to the 17th century village of Rinchen Gong. These villagers are definitely not used to having visitors! Our arrival was quite an occasion, especially for the children, who chased our van up the steep dirt road.

Like me, Jim enjoys photographing the locals

Shy at first, they warmed up when they saw the shots.

Our last stop was in Paro, where we climbed to the Tiger’s Nest and visited Bhutan’s very first temple. It was built in the 7th century by Tibet’s great ruler, Songtsen Gampo, and it is where he pinned the left foot of an ogress who once covered all of Bhutan and part of Tibet.

Jim, spinning the prayer wheel outside the sacred Kyichu Lakhang

The Cast of Characters

The Cast of Characters
For those of you who expressed concern about my traveling alone, after Mike and Greg had to cancel, have no fear. I now have five new friends. Here we are at the National Memorial Chorten, which was built to honor Bhutan’s third King, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk .

first row: Jim, Peter, Marilyn, Marie. Back row, Dick, me

Jim is a former hotel and restaurant owner from the greater San Diego area. His family used to own Marty’s restaurant and hotel, an establishment frequented by yestereyear’s stars, such as Lucy and Desi, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin.

Peter and Marie are from the greater Boston area. They retired from the financial industry, and have been traveling the world ever since. Prior to arriving in Delhi, they had taken another OAT tour through the Balkans, then spent a few days in Dubai. Jim, Peter and Marie will be heading home after Nepal.

Marilyn, a retired nurse from San Francisco, is like the little energizer bunny. She walks faster than I do!

Dick, from Seattle, retired from Boeing. He’s the most widely traveled of our group, having been on 27 OAT trips, plus tours with numerous other companies. Marilyn, Dick and I are the only members of the group that will be visiting all three countries. In Nepal, we will be joined by three new travelers.

Although not actually traveling with us, we see the royals EVERYWHERE. Photos of them are on hotel and restaurant walls, on the sides of buildings, in museums and temples. This official portrait is of the fourth King, known as the “Royal Fourth” with his four wives ( all sisters), the ten children they produced, (including the “Royal Fifth”) and the first grandchild. Since that photo was taken, the Royal Fifth has married. He and his stunningly beautiful wife have produced an heir, the Royal Sixth.

Tashi has identified which member of the royal family is in the motorcade when they go whizzing by. So far, we have seen one of the four queens, and a royal uncle.

This photo of Tashi was taken at the Memorial Chorten. He’s instructing us on the proper way to circumambulate a prayer wheel. Walking in a clockwise direction, you give each wheel a good spin as you pass by. If we had been carrying rosaries, we would be using them to keep track of our prayers while we walked.

As with all mountain roads, Bhutan’s have their fair share of hairpin turns. What they don’t have are guard rails. This tour is NOT for the faint of heart or the queasy stomached. We have come so close to passing vehicles, we could have flossed the other driver’s teeth. What a relief to have an excellent driver like Gembo getting us to the top of the mountain and back down again.

An unexpected delight was the owner of our hotel in Thimphu. Her story deserves an entire post, but that will have to wait till I get home, or until YOU stay at the Thimphu Tower.

Jim and Tshering, the owner of Thimphu Tower

Druk Yul, Land of the Thunder Dragon

Bhutan’s airport looks like it was designed by Walt Disney. The buildings are covered with carvings of dragons (Druk means dragon in Bhutanese) and the windows are highly decorative. It is the country’s sole airport, because Paro is the only area flat enough to accommodate a runway. It’s a very SHORT runway, but a runway nonetheless.

The mountains that surround the runway make landing quite exciting. So exciting, that only 8 pilots are skilled enough to fly into and out of Paro. Fortunately one of those 8 was flying our plane today.

Tashi, our guide, and Gembo, our driver were waiting for us outside the terminal, ready to get this party started. First stop, Paro’s dzong. Every city/community had its own dzong. Back in the day when the Tibetans’ favorite leisure activity was invading their neighbors, the dzongs were fortresses. Today they have been repurposed into administrative and religious buildings.

Anyone thinking about visiting Bhutan should take a close look at those stairs. They are steep, uneven, and lacking handrails. And they are everywhere!

After touring the dzong and the national museum, we stopped for lunch at a typical farmhouse. In a “typical farmhouse” the ground floor is where the cows sleep. They are protected from predators, yes, but this arrangement is multipurpose. They also act as the home’s furnace, generating heat (among other things) for the floors above. The second floor is used for storage, mainly food. The room we viewed was loaded with drying rice. The top floor contains the bedrooms, the kitchen/gathering spot and the altar.

Our hostess served us a delicious meal, complete with butter tea, into which you tossed grains of toasted rice. Okay, so maybe that last part wasn’t so delicious–at least not to me–but the fresh spring asparagus was particularly wonderful.

Our hotel, the Thimpu Tower, is smack dab in the center of town, right by the historic clock tower. It was very easy to stroll through the capital city and check out their version of a traffic light.

By the way, that’s the ONLY “traffic light” in Thimphu. Like Massachusetts and New Jersey, they DO have “rotaries”, but their traffic circles are a bit more decorative.

My lovely room overlooks the “clock tower plaza” and from my window, you can see the largest Buddha (in that particular contemplation pose) in the world. Tashi tells us its construction is being completely funded by Asian Buddhists from Singapore, Thailand, China and Indonesia. A much more up close and personal view will follow.

There is construction everywhere in Thimphu. I needed to watch my step at all times to avoid the uneven pavement and the frequent holes in the sidewalks. (I sure was missing Mike, who normally does all the watching for me, making sure I don’t trip over my own feet or fall into one of those holes!)

The kids roam freely in the land of gross national happiness. These two were moving so quickly, I couldn’t get a good shot, but you’ll get the idea. What better toy than a box and paper bag? They were having a blast!

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