Beautiful Monasteries

A couple observations about Bhutan. First, the women are beautiful. I think they are the most beautiful of any other Asian country that I have been to. Second, English is a very common language and taught from primary school on. Therefore, it is easy to get around. The kids are so cute; they all want to say hello and ask how I am doing.

Third, Bhutan royalty is honored everywhere. There are few rooms that don't have huge pictures of the King and Queen and the Royal Family. My guide wears a button on his Gho, the traditional dress for me, of the King and Queen. I have never seen anything like it. There are no pictures of the President or any other government official.

Last night was a real treat. There were some Australians working with Bhutan on the democratic election and they were being entertained with the traditional Bhutanese Dance. I was able to enjoy the dancing during dinner.

The hotel is very nice but on the runway... the first flight leaves at 6am.. am I glad I do not live anywhere near a runway path at home.

Today we started out on a 3 hour hike to the White Cliff, where there is a very old and beautiful monastery hanging over the cliff. It was a very strenuous hike uphill but worth the effort. I told Palden that I wanted to hike and he came through.

Everyone in town is getting ready for the festival. They are setting up booths and all the villagers are washing their clothes. I hope it is as exciting as I think. Apparently, most of the locals come on the last two days... I will be long gone by then... so I may get to see a bunch of tourists attending the festival.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon visiting the Museum and Monastery in Paro. I am winding down to just two more days and off to India and to my dad's 90Th birthday party. I am anxious to see my family.

I finally found a real coffee shop and bought my guide and driver real coffee and peach cake. It was a very special occasion. Nescafe is really bad but I have been desperate.

Namaste, Paula

Arrived in Paro

After I finally arrived at the hotel, I took a shower to relax after 8 hours of travel. My guide called me. Apparently they did not have a room and he suggested that we drive to Paro that evening. I immediately asked how long that would take. His response was 2 hours.

Now Palden has a history of being off on travel time by 100%, so I assumed it was 4 hours. Not something I would like to do, especially on windy roads at night. I said to look for other options and if all else fails, I would go. Thanks goodness they found a room in town. It turned out to be a 5 1/2 hour drive.... I am not sure if he is lying or is just clueless. I will give him the benefit of the doubt.

Before we started our journey the next day, we hiked to the monastery above the town. I wanted to beat the tourists, as usual, so we started out at 7:15am. It was a beautiful hike and the monastery was spectacular. On our way down we met a guy, who laughed and said I must of caught the worm (the early bird catches the worm). I just feel that crowds at the monastery take away from the spiritual and peaceful feeling you get when you walk in the door.

After another exhausting travel day, I have changed my plans about driving to Haa Valley. There is no way I will get into that car for another drive. Yesterday I was on the brink of getting sick with the bumps and turns. Numga (I have been calling him Numgi for a week before I realized I was wrong) is a very slow driver. I am not sure if that helps or hurts. You definitely feel every bump. I was watching the speedometer and he was driving 25 miles per hour. I wanted to put my foot on the gas pedal for him.

I will visit the monasteries and take a hike tomorrow. I am excited about the next two days of the Tiger's Nest and another Hot Bath and the festival. I am glad to be at the tail end of the trip and ready to move on to India for two busy days of sightseeing.

Namaste, Paula

8 Hours on the Road

We started out at 8:30am and finally reached our destination at 4pm. It was a very long and difficult drive. It is windy and bumpy and I am in the backseat. I am actually surprised that I am not getting car sick.

We did make a few stops and saw two Fortresses. They were something to see. I arrived in time to join the chanting, which is so peaceful. The overall scenery was breathtaking, so I am definitely glad we did the trip to the central area of Bhutan.

I met a few people from CA. It as nice to talk, although I am really glad I am not with a group. I customized my tour and listening to their itinerary, I am glad I did.

I am learning a lot about Bhutan. There was a very ecentric Llama, who used sexual conduct to make a point about attachment. Based on that, many of the buildings have penises on them. They are not just penises, they are hairy penises. Need I say more.

Not much more to say other than I finished my bottle of wine when I arrived. It was a long day and tomorrow we hike to the stuppa.

Namaste, Paula

On the Road Again

Last night I met a couple women that work for the queen mother. They really helped in understanding the history of the Monarchy. They work with a non-profit against abuse in Bhutan. Apparently it does exist and it is only recently that something is being done about it. They have opened one safe house and it is filled up with mostly children. I guess even Buddhists stray, even though they fear the bad karma.

We started out early for the drive back to Trongsa. It is a beautiful drive through the villages. It only took 1/2 of the day; there were less road closures. I have checked into the hotel and I have a fantastic view of the forest and Fort. It is a really nice hotel. They even have computers, which is why this blog is so long.

We visited the Fort and Museum in the area, which are spectacular. We were lucky and arrived at one of the monasteries in the Fort while they were doing their musical chant. Apparently there are no words, just all the instruments are playing: many types of horns, drums, sea shell, etc.. It was something to see.

Palden and I walked from the Fort to the Museum and back to the hotel. It was a steep walk up but a pleasant walk back. I am really working on my steps, since I have really been lazy this trip.

Tonight my plan is to finish my bottle of wine and enjoy the view. This is such a nice hotel to relax. Tomorrow is another 1/2 day drive.

Namaste, Paula

Walking to Monasteries

The day ended with a very costly mistake. I broke my computer. I am typing this on my iPhone. I haven't finished paying for my computer yet;think I may cry . As my guide said, I have used up some negative karma;that has to be good. It is going to be a short blog.

We spent the day walking from monastery to monastery it was an easy walk and the monasteries are beautiful. I will say that I am a little bored with Bhutan. It is too organized for me. Everyone wears the same clothes,the houses are alike,and not much energy.
I think I would leave if I could but it would cost a fortune. Besides, I still have the 12 hour drive back to Paro.
The mother queen was at the hotel again for a meeting and the whole hotel was focused on the event. Guests were sent to our rooms. Good thing we had stopped at a brewery. I was set with my bottle of beer.
We did go to the burning lake and it was very peaceful. There was a Llama from Taiwan chanting and it was beautiful.
Don't get me wrong Bhutan is wonderful and I am glad I came. I guess 7 days would have been ok.
Tomorrow is more driving. Hope I can find a computer.
Namaste. Paula

busy busy

It has been a couple days because I did not have access to Internet. I was in a beautiful valley at a hotel with hot water bottles and wood fireplaces. It was beautiful, although the 8-hour drive on very windy, bumpy and one-lane roads was a bit tiring.

The valley is where the black neck cranes, an endangered species live. This is the off-season, so I was very lucky to see them close up. We had to hike to see them and we ran across the Road Scholars group and we had to try and pass them. We were lucky we did because by the time they got to the spot, the cranes had moved.

My guide keeps telling everyone that I walk so fast; he can’t keep up. My driver was just starting to take a nap, when we returned from our hike to the monastery. He was startled, because he thought we would be a couple hours. They are just starting to get to know me…..

I did get a chance to meet some people on my journey. The Road Scholars group is from all over US and Canada. They are 60 to 80 years in age and mostly women. I think at 75 I may decide to use this group when I want to travel. What do you guys think??

Besides seeing all the monasteries and hiking through beautiful farmland, we really relaxed. I am trying to get my 10000 steps in to prepare for the big hike later in the week. I feel very lazy these days. I used my exercise bands once. So glad I am carrying them all over with me.

Today is another travel day of 8 hours and the only thing keeping me going is that the hotel, where we are staying, has a hot stone bath. We finally arrived at 4pm and just after we arrived the Queen Mother arrived. You can imagine the uproar, when she arrived unannounced. Apparently she owns the hotel and she is checking it out. It is a really nice place out in the rural area.

My guide made sure I stood when she passed and she kept telling me to sit; I did not know what to do since it is my first time in front of royalty. She is one of the four wives of the 4^th King. She seems pretty businesslike and she is very beautiful.

She asked me how I liked Bhutan and I talked about her textile museum, which is really beautiful. I think I made a good impression for the USA.

I almost didn’t get my hot stone bath because of the commotion. I now understand that my guide, although a great guy, is not aggressive enough. He definitely is learning from me (or embarrassed by me). I asked again and now my bath is at 8:30pm this evening. Perfect timing to take a bath and go to bed.

Tomorrow is visiting all the monasteries and forts. It should be a great day.

Namaste, Paula

A Packed Day

It was a busy day today. I finally had a good nights sleep. I seem to be recuperating from the smog in Kathmandu. The bed is so comfortable compared to the normal Nepali beds.

We had a major sightseeing day. Bhutan is beautiful, but full of tourists. I guess I had assumed that there would not be a lot of tourists and was I ever wrong. I am trying to beat the big tourist bus so I can enjoy the scenery.

Interesting facts about Bhutan: Since the population is all Buddhist, they have little theft and really no killings. There is a speed limit, but there is no police monitoring it because everyone follows it. I guess we could learn something from the Bhutan society.

We started out at a beautiful old monastery. Apparently you can roll the dice to see if you are lucky. I hit 13, which is very lucky and happens to be my lucky number. What a great start to the day.

In each monastery they have you take some healing water. You drink some and put the rest over your head. It is to heal you inside and out. I think I am starting to feel better and I am assuming the water is healing me.

After we left there we visited a nunnery. The girls were practicing their Mantras. The Mantras are very long and most monks or nuns know them by heart. They were printing mantras on handmade paper on to but in the statues.

Next we visited a paper mill, a textile museum, market, and an art school. The art school is amazing. The kids learn painting, sculpture, embroidery, woodwork, etc. We were able to visit all the classrooms.

The market was something to see. I bought pepper (red and black) and incense. The incense is sold in large bags because they put it in their special fireplace. The produce was amazing. The only non-vegetable was dried fish, although many eat meat.

Prices in general are much higher than Nepal. I doubt that I will be buying too much, but I do hope to get some weaving.

All this sightseeing was before lunch!!!

After lunch we went out to one of the oldest monasteries up in the hillside. It was a steep one-hour walk up, but worth the effort. There are about 30 select monks that live and go to school up there. The area is very holy. You can see caves in the hillside where the monks meditate. You can see all of Thimphu from the top.

I was lucky and caught an archery contest when I returned. The prince was in the competition. I finally realized that all these pictures around town are not models for a certain product; they are the King and Queen. A really good looking couple.

Last and definitely not least was my massage. Two women worked on me at the same time. I guess it would be a guys dream. They used this great lotion. When they were done, they sent me to the sauna, steam room, and shower. It was one of the best overall massages I have had. Not deep tissue, but definitely relaxing.

Tonight is hair night. Definitely see the grey. It is real easy to do it myself, especially since I have light.

I will sleep like a baby tonight.

Namaste, Paula

Let me introduce Palden, my guide, and Numguy, my driver. They are wonderful and I am confident I will see everything there is to see in Bhutan.

Yesterday was a terrific day. We were able to see most of Thimbu, the capitol of Bhutan. It is amazing how small it is. I am not sure of the exact population but it must be very small.

Everything is so clean in Bhutan compared to Nepal. Apparently the entire population of Bhutan is Buddhist and is governed by a President and King. A few years ago Bhutan became a democratic society based on the King wanting what is best for the people. They truly practice the Buddha Way.

Note:

I put a number of pictures on facebook of Nepal, including:

The Kopan Monastery

The Orphanage

My place at Tara's

And more

Hope you enjoy them.

Namaste, Paula

Goodbye Nepal and Hello Bhutan

I spent my last night at a dinner for the Tewa staff and board. It is difficult to say goodbye to everyone, but I have a lot of visitors from Nepal during May. The President of Tewa, Sadhana, and Razeena are coming. For those that don’t remember Razeena, she was my friend last year and she recently married and moved to the states. I get to meet her husband, Subir, who is Sadhana’s son. Ok, if you are not confused by now, you are really sharp.

I will be hosting a high tea for the Nepali group that live in LA to help generate donations, while Sadhana is here. Anyone that would like to attend from the OC group is more than welcome. It will be a great event. Obviously, the goal is to generate funds for grants to rural women’s groups.

Also Tara, the lady I stayed with in Nepal, will be visiting the end of May. It will be a hectic month, but I am really excited to have them visit.

I had to get up early to catch the flight to Paro, Bhutan. It was an amazing flight with spectacular views of the Himalayans including Mount Everest. The plane did a dive into Bhutan, because it is in a valley. The flight is an event in itself.

Everyone was taking pictures of the airport; it was so pretty. All the buildings are decorated in a similar manner. The traditional outfits that the main wear are their suits and the women have beautiful dresses.

All my concern is gone. I have a great guide and driver and Bhutan is beautiful. I am anxious to see as much as possible in the 13 days. The guide, Palden, speaks perfect English, so I am learning a lot about the people. My next blog will include pictures of Palden and my driver, Numguy.

Some interesting tidbit: the women and men are treated as equal. There is no difference in how they are treated.

I am tired, so I will close now and write more tomorrow.

Namaste, Paula

Last Days in Nepal

My dinner was somewhat of a success, since the group had nothing to compare my gnocchi against…. It is a win / win until they get to taste someone else’s. The difficulty was the lumps of potato. Since there is no mixer, the potatoes are mixed by hand and there is no way to get them totally smooth. I preferred fresh potatoes over boxed.

All in all they were light and my sauce must have really been good, since they were licking their plates. It was a lot of fun.

I actually found all the ingredients I wanted except for good Parmesan cheese. The super grocery store is really fun. I am tempted to buy but realize I leave in 1 ½ days. Too bad I did not find this place when I arrived.

I met with Mike Wallam and his associate from the National Democratic Institute. I would really like to work with them, so next year I will give them plenty of notice. I may be able to do some consulting for them with Nepali government. They are working with the Nepali Parliament to understand how to work in a democratic society. Perhaps we could use this consulting in America??

Janaki and I are going to Kopan Monastery today because she has never been there. It is a great place and I am anxious for her to see it, although she is Hindu and not Buddhist. I really don’t think it matters.

There is a big dinner tonight for all of Tewa and I am trying to get all the washing and packing done before I leave. I really want to give gifts to everyone, but it is really a large group and I would not know where to start.

There is so much need in Nepal. Today on my way to the European bakery there was a man going through the garbage and collecting all the food particles including the maggots. I am just so thankful for what I have and wish I could do more to stop the suffering in Nepal. I must have good Karma.

Namaste, Paula

Typhoid Scare

The day was a very interesting one. First off, I was informed that there was a breakout of Typhoid Fever at the Orphanage where I have been going on Saturdays. I opted out of the Typhoid shot when preparing for the trip, so I am on my own .

I spent the day with the photographer trying to get good shots for the brochure at Tewa. The internet is really bad, so I was ready to come home early. Sita was going down the hill and offered me a ride on her scooter. There was already a passenger so I had my first three-person scooter ride. It was a little hairy. NO HELMET and the traffic is amazing. All I could think of was how I could be helicoptered out if I was really hurt bad. I survived!!

That evening I learned how to make Momos. It is the food of Nepal. They are like pot stickers, but slightly different shape. The shape is a killer. You could definitely tell mine from the others. It was a lot of fun and the girls were so helpful and had a lot of patience.

It is now morning and I am at my usual morning spot, Mike’s Breakfast, having eggs (my only protein for the day). They have great coffee and the people are so nice. Actually everyone in Nepal is nice until they get behind a steering wheel or motorbike or have to wait in line. There is no such thing as taking your turn.

I am making spaghetti sauce and gnocchi for dinner tonight for the group at Tara’s home. It is my way of saying thanks to everyone. So I have to go to the super grocery store and attempt to find the ingredients. Not sure how everything will work out but it is the thought that counts.

I can’t believe I only have a couple days left before my trip to Bhutan. I am already counting on my trip back in March. Sorry Eric, I am really hooked on this place.

Namaste, Paula

Wrapping Up

I spent the morning trying to find coffee. Every place I went was closed or no electricity. It is really hard to start a day without my wake up medicine.

I had a meeting at 11am in Patan with Rita, founder, and Janaki of Tewa. We reviewed the marketing plan, brochure, letter, and presentation for “The Tewa Center”. We made some minor changes and are ready to move forward.

I really hope that we can implement my suggestions and get the occupancy rate up to 20% in a short period of time. This will be a breakeven point for the expenses of Tewa.

After the meeting, Leslie and I went to Dhurbar Square Kathmandu and did the tourist stuff (or she did, since I have already seen it). We are still in search of a Kurti for Leslie, so we had to do some walking and I was in low blood sugar.

We stopped at the hotel yesterday to try and finalize my trip to Bhutan. I still have not been able to get my itinerary. Apparently they have not purchased the visa, since they needed my passport and airline confirmation. Interesting that they did not tell me this and it was only my initiative that I found out.

I had to go back to the hotel today (walked over an hour) to give them what they needed and now have to wait to see what is next.

I saved $500 but it is not worth the effort or aggravation. I have to stop worrying as Venerable Palzang would say. Can’t worry about what has happened or what may happen in the future. Enjoy the moment. Actually what he does say is the everything is impermanent and that you should eliminate attachment so you stop suffering and can be happy. He is definitely right. I am suffering over this decision.

I am working on finalizing the brochure and the other sales tools so that I can leave on Thursday feeling like I have accomplished my goal. There is a lot to do once I am gone and I hope the momentum continues.

I am half way through the last book of the Hunger Games and have seen most of the new movies. I guess it is time to move on.

Namaste, Paula