I just got back from vacation in Bhutan. An amazing 8 days in a very remote country that is certainly way behind in terms of being westernized. IE no McDonald's, Starbucks or much else that is recognized. My world phone didn't work, my blackberry didn't get emails...it was great!
This was the first photo I took upon getting off the plane in Paro, Bhutan. You can only fly there from Bangkok or one city in India and must fly on Drukair. According to what our guide told us they have only had one accident many years ago and that was a Taiwan pilot. Since that happened only Bhutan pilots can fly in because navigating the mountains and winds makes it too challenging.
After settling in to our hotel and grabbing lunch we started the tourist bit. Our first stop was to watch archery which is their national sport. Sounds simple until you see that the target is 140meters (459ft) away! Not only that but the other competitors stand within feet of the target and watch the arrows whip in. We were scared and we were 10-20 feet away!
Next we were on to see a temple and a fortress. We did a small amount of hiking to acclimate to the altitude. Below is a photo from around the city that gives you an idea of just how beautiful things are. Fresh air, blue skies, clear waters...all those things we don't have in Shanghai!
There were five of us on this trip and over the next few posts I will share many more photos and great experiences. One of the most intriguing things about Bhutan is that you can't just decide to go. You must actually buy a trip through one of the gov't controlled tour operators. The idea is to prevent too much tourism and to prevent a rapid spread of Westernism (not really a word of course). All tourists pay the same amount on a daily basis but that is all inclusive - guide, food, lodging, etc. If you want additional luxuries you can pay more but generally speaking they limit the tourists.
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