Reflections

Thursday Thoughts – Beyond Beauty

/ Leya / 21 kommentarer

In the fertile Punakha Valley, where the Mo Chhu (Mother river) and the Pho Chhu (Father river) meet, lies Punakha Dzong – Pungthang Dechen Phodrang (Palace of Great Happiness). It was constructed in 1637 and maybe the most impressive building in Bhutan – also considered the most beautiful dzong in the country.

Bhutan 2018 663

The very size of Punakha Dzong is impressive, 180m long and 72m wide, but the elaborately painted gold, red and black carved woods, the brass roof and the location adds to the light perfection.

You walk the bridge, and enter through this gate…
…pups lying in the sand under the trees…
The first court yard with the huge chorten and the old bodhi tree.

Punakha served as Bhutan’s capital for over 300 years and the first king was crowned here in 1907. Since the mid 1950’s, Thimpu is the capital, but Punakha is still the center for official meetings, the kings’ weddings and other important ceremonies.

In this temple, in the southernmost courtyard, lies important relics in a sealed casket. Only the King and the highest Lama may enter this room …
– except for the guards.

The dzong, like all the other dzongs in Bhutan, has suffered fires several times, but is always restored. Due to its location by the two rivers, it is also vulnerable to the floods following climate change. In 1994 a glacial lake burst and destroyed parts of the building, and before that, in 1897, there was also a severe earthquake.

The temple is grand and holds thrones for the King as well as for the high Lama.

There are 300 monks in the dzong, and our guide told us that today the monastery schools are almost like ordinary schools – you take different subjects like science and mathematics along with languages and the scriptures.

Meeting over…
…two of the monks carrying the books, the scripture rolls, back.

The young monks are very curious and good at English.

The junction of the two rivers, seen from inside the dzong.

And so we left this magnificent fortress – without using the middle, golden steps, made for the King only. A breathtaking visit – only there was so much more we wanted to see, hear and learn – but maybe next time…

 

Man’s Best Friend – For Real

/ Leya / 23 kommentarer

I have never, during my travels, seen so many dogs as I did in Bhutan. And definitely never dogs that well kept. They were everywhere, and they were all quite lovely. Our guide, Rinzen, told us that a dog chooses a door – a house – to which it will return and wait for food every day. And they are fed. With joy.

Here are some of all those that I met, and something of their tasks…named by me…

Housewatchers
Wardoffers
Streetroamers
Childguardians
Bridgeholders
Relaxhelpers
Patientlywaiters
Hotelentertainers

In Thimpu, we had a hotel with a view – of dogs. There was a construction site outside our window, and some dogs had made it their home. Here is, in short, their story with us.

We silently threw them in the sand beside them, and some faces lifted from the ground. Only the leader moved towards the food – he ate it all.
The last day we decided to give them some of our old sandwiches and waffles.
When we had finished our hotel breakfast, we went for a longer walk…
…passing by the dogs again.

There is rabies in the country, but mostly on the border to India in the southern part of Bhutan. Thousands of dogs have been vaccinated, and there are many sterilized as well. The government is dealing with it in a constructive and loving way.

Bhutan had many special dogs…but a couple of them more special than the others.

We had lunch at a farmstead one day – an interesting experience and very good food. Then, when we were about to leave, I saw a beautiful dog standing in the garden, looking at me. I lifted my camera slowly while talking to him. But no, he shied away and tried to hide around the corner. I kept talking in a soft voice.

Finally – when I had given up on a photo – he came out on the road to our car, went straight up to me and let me pat him on the head and on the back – touching his thick, shining coat. Surely you can understand from his gentle eyes how sweet he was.

Then he slowly turned around and walked away.

 

 

 

 

 

Four Spring Favorites

/ Leya / 20 kommentarer

In the header – my Magnolia. The other three found on my sunny walks this weekend.

Anemone Hepatica

Wood Anemone

Pasque flower

 

Earth Day

/ Leya / 11 kommentarer

The theme this year is to put an end to plastic pollution.

I hope we will all do our best not to use plastic. Bags, for example. Every day in media, we see turtles, birds, sharks, etc. entangled and dying. Not to talk about all the micro plastics killing lives in the ocean and in our lakes. On a trip to Morocco some years ago I was shocked to see millions of plastic bags blowing over the desert sand.

As I recently came back from Bhutan, I want you to know, they have banned plastic bags. So should we all. This is an easy starter, then it will be even easier to follow that road of sustainability. Even if you might think it difficult – just imagine what lies at the end of this winding and narrow path! And think of what awaits our planet, and us all, if we don’t follow that road. So let us Do instead of think and talk.

 

 

Saving the World – And the Contents of a Pouch

/ Leya / 14 kommentarer

Listen to this hopeful and brilliant TED talk by an intelligent and sound soul. Humor and sensibility are essential in this approach. This is Bhutan and its people in a nutshell.

My contribution is my own pouch findings in Bhutan…Tshering will show you the whole potential of his Gho.

 

Thursday Thoughts – 108 Chortens and A Himalayan Panorama

/ Leya / 41 kommentarer

Between Paro and the Capital of Bhutan, Thimpu, the road takes you over the Dochula Pass (3140 m) with its 108 chortens. A chorten is a kind of stupa, often built at crossroads and passes to ward off evil. And all chortens contain religious relics.

The Druk Wangyal Khang Zhang Chortens are red-band or khangzang chortens, built in a central hillock at the pass, under the patronage of the Queen Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk. In local language they are called ”chortens of victory”, because they were built as a memorial in honour of the Bhutanese soldiers who were killed in the December 2003 battle against Assamese insurgents from India. It also marks the victory of King Jigme Singye Wangchuck who dislodged the rebels from their camps in Bhutanese territory.

This is a peaceful place for slow walks – contemplating life, feeling the fresh air and nature’s beauty.

Circumambulating clockwise.

When the sun comes shining through – my heart shines too.

The rhododendrons and magnolias touch the sky.

After the completion of the chortens, the temple known as the Druk Wangyel Lhakhang was built in June 2008 – as a memorial to celebrate 100 years of monarchy in Bhutan.

From the Dochula Pass you will, on a clear day, have a panoramic view of the Himalayan  range. The best time is in October/November, but we were still quite lucky this day.

On the far right you will find the highest unclimbed mountain in the world, Gangkar Puensum, 7564 meters. It is also the highest mountain in Bhutan.

Since 1994, climbing of mountains in Bhutan higher than 6,000 meters has been prohibited out of respect for local spiritual beliefs, and since 2003 mountaineering has been completely forbidden.

But somewhere, far away behind the treetops, these enigmatic giants are waiting…

 

CFFC: Kind and Caring

/ Leya / 23 kommentarer

For Cee this week – Kind. To be kind and caring is essential in my life. And so I believe it should be in everyone’s life. A good start is to teach your children to be kind to animals – and to other people of course. But, especially to animals, because animals cannot defend themselves. Humans have always got the upper hand.

The Galapagos Islands shows kind co-existence and its benefits for everyone. And at home, in Sweden, a good example was Mille’s kindness towards the new puppy, Totti. Mille let him do anything without punishing him…Totti thrashed his ears twice with his extremely sharp little teeth. Mille said nothing. Did nothing. We had to go to the vet both times to open his thickened ears and empty them from all that blood.

If you are taught right from the start, you will emerge a kind person throughout life. Being too kind is not the aim, but being Kind.

 

 

On the Wings of the Dragon…

/ Leya / 25 kommentarer

…we flew to Bhutan, Druk Yul, Land of the Thunder Dragon. This is the country launching GNH – Gross National Happiness – instead of GNP. I asked people I met if they really were, Happy. And, they said yes, they were. I can understand why.

Through the windows I could see the Himalayas, snow capped mountains welcoming me a second time. In 1986 I went to Nepal and India, but haven’t been in these parts since. I fell in love with Nepal. And now I am passionate about Bhutan.

Paro, Buthan, is said to offer one of the three most dangerous approaches and landings in the world. You could almost reach out and touch the mountain houses…

It was difficult to take photos, but I had to try. Druk Air indeed has got some skilled pilots.

With surrounding peaks as high as 5,500 m (18,000 ft), Paro airport is considered one of the world’s most challenging airports, and only a select number of pilots are certified to land here. I heard they were 14.

Flights to and from Paro are allowed under visual meteorological conditions only and are restricted to daylight hours from sunrise to sunset. We flew early morning.

The spectacular and dangerous left turn in the valley before landing had us all holding our breath. And, in a way we never let that feeling go…

The most beautiful airport in the world?

We were of course met by the Royal Family – portraits of the King, or of his whole family, were present everywhere in Bhutan. Even as pins on the men’s Gho (national dress).

It may be small, but the arrival hall is exquisitely decorated. Finally we are at the entrance to the land of Happiness. The last Shang-ri-La.

March 20 – the End of Winter

/ Leya / 18 kommentarer

Spring Equinox started off with more snow during the early morning hours.

Later in the day, sun and a couple of degrees above zero. Cold wind, but birds singing – not very convincingly though. A tiny wren ventured out of the heap of last years’ lavender, when the shadow of a kite swooping down made me let Totti out – to save the smaller birds from this giant.

Winter, ”Kung Bore” we call him in Sweden, hasn’t lost his grip yet.