“Nothing holy, just human interest”
Kuensel, Buhutan’s National Newspaper
However, if I make a film in Bhutan and me as the maker, you’ll see a little element of Buddhism here and there. Buddhist-related films are difficult …

Concluded

Sustainche today was surprised in receiving substantial help in fully understand Germany’s National Strategy for Sustainable Development. The Federal Government was handed over a report prepared by a team of international experts reviewing the present German National Strategy for Sustainable Development. Well, to make it short: The expert team does not consider the strategy to be a strategy, not to mention that they can’t recognize a comprehensive and cross-cutting vision for the future, which they deem necessary until the year 2050. Sustainche is not surprised to reading something as strong as this ! 

Sustainche fully agrees that the document For a Sustainable Germany is far away from what he personally would consider being a vision. A well-known vision is for example when United States President John F. Kennedy in 1961 announced that until the end of the decade Americans will walk on the moon and will safely return to Planet Earth … which – by the way – is perfect objective formulation.

For Polar Bear Sustainche a vision is more than a technical description of individual isolated pieces; it is rather a mosaic of nicely designed, comprehensive and cross-cutting objectives and full of positive energy and joy which makes people say: WOW, YES, we want to discover this unknown territory ! Sustainche is sure that if Christopher Columbus would just have told his comrades how to technically build a ship to cross the great ocean, they would have never ever arrived in America … which at that time they thought to be the Indies ! “If you want to realize a vision, you need to implant a GREAT wish deep in the heart ! Only than the entire universe will provide support”, Sustainche thinks and Aristotle would add: “The whole is more than the total of its individual pieces.” 

So, we return to joy and happiness … which seems to be a major problem in Germany … . Of course, we know that Polar Bear Sustainche has a very special understanding of happiness; this includes simply to ‘zivej’ … However, Sustainche knows that also some human mammals perceive that gross national happiness (GNH) is more appropriate than gross national product (GNP) to describe the quality of life. The term gross national happiness (GNH) was coined in 1972 by Bhutan’s former King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who has opened up Bhutan to the age of modernization, soon after the demise of his father, King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk. It signaled his commitment to building an economy that would serve Bhutan’s unique culture based on Buddhist spiritual values. Gross national happiness is the unifying vision for Bhutan’s five-year planning process and all the derived planning documents that guide the economic and development plans of the country. While conventional development models stress economic growth as the ultimate objective, the concept of GNH claims to be based on the premise that true development of human society takes place when material and spiritual development occur side by side to complement and reinforce each other. The four pillars of gross national happiness (GNH) are the promotion of sustainable development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, conservation of the natural environment, and establishment of good governance. “How nice !” Sustainche is happy  

Germany’s National Strategy for Sustainable Development does not know words like joy and happiness. This is although ‘quality of life’ is indeed mentioned ! However, what is understood as to be quality of life ? The indicator areas outlined are: Economic prosperity (gross domestic product per capita and growth – of course !), Mobility (Is it … ?), Farming (Bravo !), Air quality (Yes !), Health (Wow … hunting smokers !), Nutrition (Yeah !) and Crime (Burglaries in homes … hmmm … strange Germans; do they think that quality of life is improved if there arrives only one bandit per year in your home ?). “This is a rather technical perception, isn’t it”, Sustainche wonders. 

In a widely cited study, ‘A Global Projection of Subjective Well-being: A Challenge to Positive Psychology?’ by Adrian G. White of the University of Leicester in 2007, Bhutan ranked 8th out of 178 countries in Subjective Well-Being, a metric that has been used by many psychologists since 1997. In fact, it is the only country in the top 20 “happiest” countries that has a very low gross national product (GNP). 

By the way: “Happy” Germany is ranked 35th … “GNP” Germany is ranked 4th …

(An oto/ophthalmoscope. from www.adion.ro)

In which Josh writes about a $600+ piece of equipment, lectures, faces on cadavers, the MSLG HEAL project and playing with an oto/opthalmoscope in Doctoring Skills.

Two new toys this week. The first is an oto/opthalmoscope, which we will discuss at the end of this entry. The second we received in the gross lab, one for each table. It costs over $600, they warned us, so take good care of it. An expensive piece of clinical equipment?

No. It’s a skull. 

Dead serious. (Pun not intended.) It’s intended for us to review bony structures on. Who knew skulls were expensive?

***

There were fewer lectures this week than I remembered. Dr. Hendley finished up her lectures on autonomics, particularly sympathetic and parasympathetic reflexes and receptors.

Then Dr. Low, one of my favorite lecturers at UVM, arrived to talk with us about growth hormone, the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. I’ve heard one student complain he doesn’t teach anything. That’s not true. What he teaches are not numerous bits of material, but the overarching picture about the material. This means his questions are application-oriented instead of detail-oriented.

***

It’s been a while since I discussed the cadavers. By this point, we have begun studying the face, particularly the muscles and the bones. Before, the faces were covered with cloth, but now they have to be uncovered so we can do what we need to do.

This can be a little tough for some people. I’ve been ok with everything, but last week, one of our tablemates asked to be excused since she couldn’t stand the particular dissection. We understood. 

***

This week in MSLG, each group got paired up with social worker students to work on our HEAL project. We now know we’ll be putting on a health program of some sort for an international community here in Burlington. 

My group will be doing a Family Planning program for the Bhutanese in Burlington in February. This gives us some time to research them and meet with a Bhutanese representative from the community to learn what’d work best for them.  

***

One nice thing about Doctoring Skills is that they provide the tools we need to practice with. Case in point: The oto/opthalmoscope costs around $400, so most of us just use the ones provided in the exam rooms we go to for Doctoring Skills.

We were taught how to examine the ears, nose, eyes and mouth using the scope. And a tongue depressor. It’s hard to see the arteries or the discs in the eye the first day you use it, but I was able to see an artery.

Tidbit: If you’re using a tongue depressor on someone, wash it with water first before placing it on the person’s tongue. Not because of germs. It makes it easier for the patient to not gag when you place it on the tongue. (Incidentally, I have NEVER seen a doctor or any other medical professional do this. Shame shame shame.)

Josh Pothen (UVM’s Meager Med Student)

Donate $1 to The Meager Med Student!

Way of the Tea – Bhutan Observer – Bhutan News
By Bhutan Observer
The principles like harmony, respect and purity, tranquility central to the ceremony have found their way in architecture and gardens. Just like Mahayana Buddhism propagates desolation and solitude, tea ceremony reminds the participants …

arthub | Bhutan an exploration on contemporary art, VAST
By dadou
However, Bhutan has a long history of traditional Buddhist art, which has been recognized in the West by collectors and art galleries, most recently by the exhibition “The Dragon’s Gift: The Sacred Arts of Bhutan”, organized in 2009 by ..

In case you are thinking of purchasing the new global version of Amazon’s Kindle for Christmas, be aware that there are still quite a few places that the global version will NOT work.  I was disappointed to find that the new version still will not work in my country.

Apparently the new global version will only work in SOME countries.   I thought it would be helpful to most expats to have a complete list of which countries it will, or will not work in (below).

It’s also interesting to note the PATTERN of groups of countries where the Kindle doesn’t work–some countries probably lack satellite coverage or delivery systems, while others probably don’t WANT readers to be able to download whatever they want by satellite.

STARRED (*) countries marked below indicate that Kindle needs to be ordered from a SPECIAL PAGE on the Amazon site.

The Global Kindle version DOES work in (as of Dec. 2009):

Aland Islands, Albania, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Aruba, Australia*, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Boznia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Kenya, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Liberia, Leichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Moldovia, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozembique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Réunion, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,  Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Virgin Islands – British, Virgin Islands – U.S.,  Wallis and Futuna, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

The Global Kindle version does NOT work in (as of Dec. 2009) the following countries:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Antarctica, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bouvet Island, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chile, Chad, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, French Southern Territories, Gambia, Guinea, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Isle of Man, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea – Democratic People’s Republic of, Korea – Republic of, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco (including the Western Sahara), New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Pitcairn, Qatar, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Helena, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands, Sudan, Svalbard and Jan Mayan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tokelau, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Uzbekistan,  Yemen.

I have just submitted several works to the annual PDNedu student photography contest and need your help!

Please CLICK HERE to go to the website where you can vote for me. Just type in my name and then vote away!

Please tell friends and family and get voting! Thanks in advance for all of your support!

Lourdes Segade is a Barcelona based photographer whose work appears in newspapers and magazines all over the world. In Spain, Lourdes confronts common modern day issues of AIDS, child obesity and dwarfism through the perspective of motherhood. Internationally, she has documented life after the Chernobyl meltdown, the daily relationship of women and water in Malawai and a glimpse at Nepal and Bhutan. Lourdes is a founding member of Eve Photographers and member of the French collective PictureTank (where you can see over 25 of her portfolios.)

Amazon's Global Kindle Reader

I heard that Amazon now has a global version of Kindle. I was disappointed to find this morning that the new version still will not work in my country.

Since I’ve wanted one for some time, but have been waiting until they got a version that would work in my country, I checked out their website this morning, only to be disappointed again. Apparently the new global version will only work in SOME countries.

In case you are thinking of purchasing the new Global Kindle for a Christmas gift this year, since the new version will only work in SOME countries, I thought it would be helpful to most expats to have a complete list of which countries it will, or will not work in.

STARRED (*) countries marked below indicate that Kindle needs to be ordered from a SPECIAL PAGE on the Amazon site.

The Global Kindle version DOES work in (as of Dec. 2009):

Aland Islands, Albania, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Aruba, Australia*, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Boznia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Kenya, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Liberia, Leichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Moldovia, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozembique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Réunion, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Virgin Islands – British, Virgin Islands – U.S., Wallis and Futuna, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

The Global Kindle version does NOT work in (as of Dec. 2009):

Afghanistan, Algeria, Antarctica, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bouvet Island, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chile, Chad, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, French Southern Territories, Gambia, Guinea, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Isle of Man, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea – Democratic People’s Republic of, Korea – Republic of, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco (including the Western Sahara), New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Pitcairn, Qatar, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Helena, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands, Sudan, Svalbard and Jan Mayan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tokelau, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Uzbekistan, Yemen.

I am often asked about which countries I enjoy photographing the most.  That’s very hard to answer, but I do enjoy going back again and again to Buddhist countries, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Bhutan, Tibet, Sri Lanka, and Burma. 

Buddha statue in Mandalay, Burma, 2008

Monk at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Tibet, 2000

The ethics and the aesthetics of Buddhism are melded in a unique way. The vivid color of robes and sacred places contrast with the monochromatic tradition I grew up with.

 Young monks play with computer games in Sera Monastery in Bylakuppe, India, 2001

Every time I have visited a Buddhist monastery, I have seen a playfulness among the monks, a joy in the way they conduct themselves and the way they interact with each other. 

Young nun, Rangoon, Burma, 1994

Monks in the Rain, Angkor Wat, Cambodia, 1999

A monk studies Buddhist scripture in the late afternoon at a monastery in Aranyaprathet, Thailand, 1996

As I photographed the picture of the monk and the cat in a monastery in Thailand, it occured to me that all the qualities that I observed – contemplation, serenity, meditation – are ones that are antithetical to the hard-charging, ladder-climbing Western culture. 

Young monks study Buddhist scripture at a monastery in Litang, Kham, Tibet, 1999

Pilgrim praying at the Buddhist academy of Larung Gar, near Serthar, Kham, Tibet, 2001

The Monks have a way of taking something we could consider mundane, and transform it into something sacred. 

Candles are a form of offering at the Tibetan Prayer Festival, during which thousands are lit under the Bodi tree. Bodh Gaya, India, 2000

Monasteries have always been places of refuge for people and animals who have no other place to go.  Monks will share whatever they have, no matter how small. 

Woman meditates in Bagan monastery, Burma, 2008

Even though they get merits for helping people in need, one never has the impression that they do it for any other reason other than their good nature, dedication, and hospitality. 

Quotations from the Buddha:

“Teach this triple truth to all:  A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.”

“Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.”

“In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.”

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez didn’t appreciate the recently released data that showed the Venezuelan economy has slipped into a recession. So what’s a Socialist leader to do? Create a new economic gauge, one that is “Socialist-friendly.”

“We simply can’t permit that they continue calculating GDP with the old capitalist method,” President Chávez said during a televised speech to members of his party Wednesday night.

“It’s harmful,” he added.

So what caused Mr. Chávez’s deep displeasure? For one, new data showed Venezuela’s GDP fell 4.5 percent in the third quarter compared to the same period last year making it the second consecutive quarterly decline. This data, moreover, was provided by the Venezuelan central bank.

It remains unclear what Chávez’s new measure would look like. Either way Chávez’s push for an alternate to the GDP is far from innovative.

In 1972, for instance, Bhutan’s former King Jigme Singye Wangchuck coined the term “Gross National Happiness” (GNH) as an alternate to GDP. This measurement sought to quantify well-being and happiness through measuring economic wellness, environmental wellness, physical wellness, mental wellness, workplace wellness, social wellness, and political wellness.

The GNH never really caught on, due largely to the (intentionally) subjective nature of the measurements. I have a feeling what led to the GNH’s failure will be exactly what attracts Chávez.

Kingdom of BHUTAN

stamp: 1 ngultrum

year: 1990

mammal: bear / Giant Panda – Ailuropoda melanoleuca

E alla fine arriva il Bhutan. Poche settimane fa aggiungevo il flag counter al blog e scrivevo [...] Perciò se qualcuno di voi si trovasse per caso dalle parti di Thimphu, e sempre per caso si imbattesse in una connessione internet e ci venisse a trovare, mi farebbe felice. Alle volte basta poco…

It was around this time last year that we were in Bhutan finishing up a 2 month stay.  We spent that time traveling with a Buddhist study group, scouting rivers for upcoming kayak groups, running our Class II-III trip, catching what we could of the fifth king’s coronation and capping it all off with our Class III-IV+ trip.  What follows is an account from that final kayaking trip.  You can follow the links to these Bhutan posts to read about our other adventures there.  If these trips sound interesting to you, consider joining us in the Fall of 2010 when we’ll return again to kayak Bhutan!

Mike W. getting "warmed up" on the Paro Chu, first day's paddle.

On the trip to the airport in Paro to pick up our group, Mary and I were joined by our Bhutanese crew of our driver Hari, our cultural guide Chencho,  Tinley -an up and coming kayak guide, and Kali -an excellent kayak and raft guide from Nepal.  Amongst the arriving 12 kayakers was a commercial pilot. He talked his way into the cockpit for the landing, and was in awe of the approach -and the skill and training of the pilots.

The approach into Paro airport is a thing of legend amongst commercial pilots.

The luggage went off to the hotel with Kali and Tinley, who would also prep the fleet of kayaks for folks to outfit later that day.  The rest of us started our tour in downtown Paro to do some quick shopping (electrical adapters, postcards, maps, etc.) before making a visit the Paro Dzong. Dzongs were built as strategic fortresses in the 1600s as protection for the newly emerging country of Bhutan. Today these impressive structures serve as regional government administration offices, as well as housing an active monastery. Walking up to the Dzong from the main part of town, we stopped in at the archery range to watch a match that was taking place. Archery is the national sport of Bhutan and the National Playoffs happen in the fall. Bhutanese are very passionate about their sport!

An archer takes aim at a target over 125 meters away.

The range is 125 meters long with a target mounted on a board about the size of a man’s torso. There is one located at each end.  Two teams compete and members from each team are split up and are positioned alongside the targets. In this case, there were about twelve men total. They were dressed in Ghos, the traditional Bhutanese attire, but sporting high-tech compound bows and in some cases, running shoes. The rules were pretty straight forward, hit the target as close to the dinner-plate sized circle as you could.  Team members at each end of the field would take turns shooting to the opposite end while their teammates and members of the opposing team stood, what we thought was, much too close to the targets. Distracting the opponent while they take aim is freely allowed. If a teammates hits the target, little victory dances (and playful teasing) also interrupt the shooting.  We’ve been told that serious tournaments can go on for weeks at a time.

We toured the Paro Dzong with Chencho who explained the significance of some of the paintings and carvings that are in abundance there. Dzongs are intricately decorated and painted with Buddhist symbolism. We received a basic course in Bhutanese Buddism during our stay in the country, and this was the beginning.  After lunch we were off to the hotel to outfit our kayaks and settle in for the night. The group was jet-lagged but excited. The nights were turning cool and crisp in the late autumn in the Himalaya, great sleeping weather.

A young monk studies a tangkha painting of the Buddhist wheel of life inside the Paro Dzong.

Our first shake down paddle was 30 minutes down the road from our lodging, the Paro Chu. The section we did had a nice Class III warm-up stretch, followed by a mile of fun Class IV. On the river we split into two groups. This ensured that everyone had plenty of room to move about the river, enjoying the moves and playspots without a crowd. We ran it this way for the rest of the trip; one large family in the van, 2 smaller groups on the river. Kayaking on the cool, clear water of the Paro Chu was like floating over green glass.

Irishman Robert M. during a run on the Paro Chu.

We took out at the confluence with the Wang Chu, near the site of three of the different styles of Chortens (also called Stupas); Nepali, Tibetan and Bhutanese. Stupas are found at “auspicious” places, often at a river confluence or a mountain pass. These structures are religiously very important, and often house sacred relics.

From the take-out we traveled on to the capital city of Thimphu to catch the final day of the coronation ceremonies. Many in the group wandered over to the National Stadium where the last of the festivities were being held. Others used the time to shop. The following day we paddle a section of the Wang Chu, just outside of Thimpu.  This river was similar in technicality to the day before, allowing folks to continue warming up. Then we headed east over Dochu La (10,300 ft pass) which provided us with the clearest and most stunning views of the Bhutanese Himalaya we had seen during our stay thus far.

Prayer flags and stupas at the summit of Doche La (pass) en route to Punakha.

We ate a hot lunch very near the pass, which gave us more time to enjoy the view. From there we drove down, down, down to the Punakha Valley and our base camp for the next two nights.

Prayer flags fly over the Himalaya on a clear day.

In Punakha we paddled stretches of the Mo (mother) and Po (father) rivers.  The volume of these rivers is much greater than our previous days runs. We had paddled these same rivers on our Class II-III trip, but now we put-in further up the drainages to access sections that were steeper and more technical, with more challenging rapids.

Put in of the Mo Chu.

Kali sets a beautiful line in a rapid on the Mo Chu.

The upper runs on the Mo and Po are similar to each other in that they start off with a scout or a portage of a stout rapid not to far downstream of the put-in.  With these behind us, we paddled many wonderful pool-drop rapids through a remote and thickly forested valley.  Toward the end of the run, the rivers mellowed out and the forest gave way to rice fields from which curious Bhutanese laughed and waved, seeming to enjoy the excuse to take a break from their work in the fields.

Taking a break from riding on the bus on the way to the put in for the Po Chu.

After paddling there was always time to relax, hike, or see some more sites. Not far from base camp we did a hike up to a temple that over looks the Mo Chu valley. The rice harvest was in full swing and the green fields of the weeks before were now giving way to the golden hue of drying rice.

Smiling while working late. A woman stacking rice during the harvest.

People were busily harvesting and threshing the crops before the rains could damage them. It is a very important time for them and much of their survival for the upcoming winter depends on their success.  Bhutanese throughout the country put in long hours of work each day during the harvest.

Green fields of rice give way to gold and brown during the harvest.

Leaving the Punakha valley, we continued East over the Pele La (11,220 ft pass) and descended to Trongsa, the former center of government in the early twentieth century. Just outside the town, overlooking the Mangde Chu, we made camp in the football pitch (soccer field) of the local elementary school.  The kids there were curious and polite. The school principal, Sonam, and his wife (also Sonam) joined us for dinner that night. The following morning they invited the group to the school for their daily assembly, an opportunity in which everyone in the group eagerly participated.

Earning his turns, Lance P. makes his way down to the put in for the Upper Mangde Chu.

Our camp put us within a short drive and a steep hike down to our next run -the Upper Mangde Chu. This stretch of river contained straight forward Class IV- rapids in an extremely remote and intimate setting.

Once off the river we toured the Trongsa Dzong and then drove south towards Endocholing, the former winter palace of the first king.  We spent three nights here, giving us a chance to run the Ema Datsi canyon section of the Mangde Chu (Ema Datsi is the national dish of Bhutan and can be very spicey).  The group was really boating well together and this was the pinnacle of our kayaking in Bhutan.  Kali, who had done this section on two other occasions, said the river was the highest he had seen it.  Mary and I had last run this section in 2006, also at a lower flow.  With an early start and a conservative approach we took our time and had a GREAT run!  Kali’s memory for rapids was spot on and the day was a peak experience for all.  Everyone was very excited and most were eager to get back on the following day.

Some of the group after a successful run on the Ema Datsi section of the Mangde Chu river.

That night the monks of Endocholing and the village locals put on an incredible feast and dance performance for the group.  The masked dances, performed by men, are amazingly physical and lasted for upwards of half an hour. The women’s dance was very subtle and beautiful -in elegant contrast to the men’s athletic marathons.

Masked dancers of Endocholing prepare for a night performance

Leaving Endocholing we traveled back west to the small village of Wangdue. Here we ran our last river- the Wangdi Chu. This was an awesome river. We did a short, super technical, low water stretch sprinkled with lots of eddies. We found the river to be super fun, yet challenging.  For those that wanted (and everyone did) we had time for a second lap. What a great way to finish off our kayaking in Bhutan.

Our last full day of the trip we left Wangdue early to drive back to Paro and hike up to the Taktshang Goemba or Tiger’s Nest Monastery.  This is the most famous Dzong in Bhutan and is perched on a cliff face 3,000 feet above the valley floor at an overall elevation of around 9,000 feet. It is an impressive site to behold and even more impressive to imagine what it must have taken to construct it back in the 17th century. That night we celebrated with our Bhtanese crew at a farewell dinner.

Tiger's Nest Monastery as viewed from the trail.

We all flew out the next day to our respective destinations; Bangkok, Katmandu and Calcutta. Our kayaking pilot talked his way into the cockpit again. Hmmm, what does it mean when a pilot’s eyes get big?

Photos and content ©DeRiemer Adventure Kayaking all rights reserved.

Incontro Francis è tornato dal Bhutan dove ha scroccato per una settimana vitto e alloggio a UNDP per una Conferenza internazionale su “Deepening and Sustaining democracy” (12-14 ottobre). Bel posto, tutti simpatici, paese che merita di essere visitato, assomiglia un po’ al Nepal di 20 anni orsono. Anche qui tutto è in movimento e i soldi che provengono dalla vendita di elettricità all’India hanno portato ricchezza, almeno a Paro e Thimpu (le città principali).

Tanto più, nessuno lo dice, che agli inizi degli anni ’90 hanno espulso 120.000 bhutanesi di etnia nepalese (Lhotshampa), sequestrandogli beni e case e mandandoli a languire in campi profughi nel Terai. liberando un pò di spazio e risorse.

Adesso qualcuno è entrato in programmi di “resettlement” e lentamente (20.000 fino ad oggi) sta emigrando in USA, Canada, Australia, Olanda e in altri paesi europei. La situazione nei campi è pessima malgrado le prime evacuazioni. Il WFP ha bloccato l’invio di cibo e alcuni pensano che sia un modo per forzare i rifugiati ad abbandonare i campi e indurli a smettere di chiedere di tornare nella loro patria, appunto il simpatico Bhutan.  Nessuno vuole litigare per accontentarli, così i numerosi incontri fra governi (Nepal, contro India e Buthan e  paesi occidentali donatori)  hanno prodotto niente.

Francis racconta che, oltre alla triste storia dei rifugiati, suonava strano vedere baci e abbracci fra il Primo Ministro bhutanese Jigmi Thinley e il Regional Director dell’UNDP Ajay Chhibber quando è noto che il Bhutan non è ai primi posti, per quanto possa valere, come democrazia.  L’attuale classe politica (due partiti Druk Phuensum Tshogpa- Bhutan United Party- 47 seggi e People’s Democratic Party -PDP- 2 seggi) eletta nelle prime elezioni parlamentari nel 2008 a liste bloccate (come nel passato),  è formata da appartenenti all’aristocrazia, le autonomie locali sono inesistenti, il sovrano mantiene il controllo tramite i suoi uomini eletti e la Presidenza dell’Alta Corte di Giustiza.

Poi, per amordiddio, conclude Francis la gente, almeno a Thimpu , la capitale se la passa abbastanza e la città s’è riempita di bei ristoranti e discoteche negli ultimi anni. I turisti rimangono pochi (circa 20.000 all’anno), per scelta tradizionale del governo, e vi è attenzione alla difesa della natura (circa il 60% della popolazione vive nei villaggi  d’agricoltura e allevamento).

Il Buthan, si legge nell’annuale Report sulla corruzione nel mondo (in base agli indici di percezione del fenomeno elaborati da Transparency International),  è 49° (su 180 paesi), meglio dell’Italia (63°), India (84°), Nepal (143°) e Cambogia (158°).

Poi, però, mi capita sotto le mani un libretto scritto da Tek Nath Rijal, Torture, Killing Me Softly, pubblicato in Nepal dopo il successo del suo libro precedente Nirbasan (in nepali). Il poveretto è stato 19 anni nelle prigioni del Buthan, per le sue attività pro-Lhotsampa e per “Deepening and Sustaining democracy” in quel paese. “This book describes the hell named Bhutanese prisons and is the first documentation of mind control in this part of the globe.  I have presented an account of my harrowing experiences and injustice I continue to suffer, for which the king and his regime of tyranny are mainly responsible. I have been the victim of mind control for the last 19 years,“

E racconta sistemi di tortura morbidi e raffinati come il “mind-control device”. “It is an electromagnetic mind control technique, which can take full control of the person’s body and mind permanently. It uses modulated microwaves to produce audible voices in the person’s head. It is in the form of subliminal hypnotic command and the victim can be hypnotically programmed for the years without knowing. The motive of mind control is to destroy the targeted person’s life. He digresses from his goal, forgets his mission, behaves strangely with his family and relatives and can not follow his routine life. It is used to elicit the required information from the prisoner as it hypnotises him.”  Ricordiamoci un pò anche degli sfigati.

Random. Utterly random.

The dogs of Bhutan are weird. Ultra-weird. You know, if you go up into the mountains, they are practically indistinguishable from foxes. A few more thousand feet, then they are practically indistinguishable from wolves. Which is just a wee bit disconcerting.

The city dogs though are just plain weird. Take your typical Indian street-dogs for instance. Haring it across the moment they see the slightest sign of traffic. As if their bloody lives depended on that one mad dash across the street. Which, to be fair, it probably does.

The Bhutanese branch of Canis Lupis Familiaris though, seem to possess none of this unseemly haste. These chaps will just park themselves in the middle of the road, and stare at all incoming vehicles with a peculiar mealy-mouthed sadness. Propah Hamlet types. Willing ‘em blasted cars to go on and do their worst. And they won’t move. Not an inch.

And I Stop and Stare

At times, I see stuff which really cracks me up. This signboard’s right up there:

The Incredibly Funny Placard

Not teasing animals, in forsooth, is an admirable sentiment. But not when the animal in question is this:

A Takin. Wondering whether or not to be pissed.

A takin, as per popular legend, owes its origin to an act of veritable legerdemain. The redoubtable Lama Drukpa Kunley (aka The Divine Madman) upon being urged to perform a miracle, fused a goat’s head on a cow’s torso. And lo and behold, the animal trundled across to the meadows to forage for herbiage. True Takin-style.

Be that as it may, a takin is also possibly the placidest, the most unflappable, and the most singularly unconcerned-looking creature I have ever come across. To wit, many might there be beasts to be bothered by a goodly banter, but surely doth not a takin stand arrayed amongst them

The Bard once said, What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet. Methinks that’s utter faff. Imagine if Romeo’s name had been Rentomendarkwapipachu instead. Juliet would’ve happily spent the rest of her life as Mrs. Paris. As opposed to causing general misery and heartburn all round.

Well the point is, there are at times, certain names which get your goat. Take this hotel for instance:

And this one's for you, Mr. Freud.

Unearthed it while randomly roaming around in Paro. Inconspicuous though it might be, it is by no means hidden. Hell, its just off the main road! Bloody hell, its off the only road Paro has!! And more importantly, one would think that the entire point of having a hotel, is that it should be anything but hidden.

Or perhaps, I am missing the entire point. If there is one place in the world, where an establishment can call itself “Hidden Hotel”, and get away with it, its gotta be in The Last Shangri-La.

Heute noch zum Buddhismus konvertieren und morgen frei haben, es ist nämlich Trashigang Tsechu!

Ihr wisst nicht was das ist? Zur Verteidigung vor Eurem (noch) Arbeitgeber: Tsechus sind regionale bhutanische Feiertage des tibetanischen Buddhismus zu Ehren des Guru Rinpoche, welcher den Buddhismus ins Königreich Bhutan gebracht hat. <- Diesen Satz jetzt schön auswendig lernen und ab zum Chef! Da der Buddhismus eher eine Lebenseinstellung als fixe Religion ist, müsst Ihr ihm auch keinem Taufschein o.ä. vorlegen. (Foto: King Chi, Flickr)

P.S.: Wem das jetzt zu kurzfristig ist: Tsechus werden an unterschiedlichen Tagen abgehalten, je nach Region. Vielleicht ist bei Euch ja auch erst übermorgen ein Tsechu…

The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner

What makes people happy? NPR correspondant Eric Weiner traveled to countries like Iceland, Bhutan, Qatar, Holland, Switzerland, Thailand and India to find out why they’re supposedly the happiest people (at least, that’s what they tell researchers). I don’t think he found the complete answer to what makes people happy, but it’s an interesting look at the values different countries share.

My friend Brenda recommended this book and it’s fascinating to people who have wanderlust like me. It’s entertaining and informative. If you’re planning to visit any of the above mentioned countries, I recommend it!

mountains are a powerful and deep source of life force.  my earliest memories are on the shore of spirit lake, at the base of mount saint helens. from 7 years, we explored the north cascades every summer for weeks, learning the lessons of the mountains – lessons on change, perseverance, pain, exaltation, strength, weakness, limits, transformation, beauty, cycles of devastation and renewal, and the grand power of nature.

mount adams summit 1975

may 21 2009 mount saint helens crater

those volcanoes have been my teachers, along with the peaks of enchantment lakes, the boulder flatirons, mount rainier, mount merapi, mount batur, the himalayas, and my recent discovery of the black tusk of the squamish nation. you can find this view (and some awesome skiing) from the top of whistler mountain, home of this winter’s olympics.

black tusk, whistler b.c. canada

i’ve often wondered if my connection to mountains was the beginning of my attraction to architecture.  or was it trees?  in the mountains, i’ve felt magical power, tested my limits, been infinitely small, and on top of the world with a view to infinity.

enchantment lakes, prussik peak, north cascades

the one on the edge, pre-teen, early 70’s.  being on the edge of a sheer vertical drop, i’ve felt the rush of wind and power – the exhilaration and expanse of the view spread below.

summit little annapurna, enchantment lakes

at enchantment lakes, the first time – my eyes overflowing with so much beauty – overwhelmed. this must be the most stunning place on earth. back then, you could just go there – now you need a permit, and there is only capacity for about 1/3 of those who apply. or try tuck and robin lakes for similar character and a shorter trip.

mount merapi, java indonesia

more recently, in exploring other continents and cultures, mount merapi (java, indonesia) was calm enough to climb just one month before it’s violent eruption. we met with the vulcanologist-shaman at the base of the mountain that day, and were advised to respect the mountain’s rumblings – to stop just short of the peak and stay clear of the regular lava outpourings. there was a misted veil sliding up the mountain as we made our way up the steep and slippery trail through the jungle, and then on the rockslides of the upper mountain face. here, there is great reverence for the power of the mountain – and in exploring the earlier aspects of spiritual culture in this region, the mountains are the origin of the gods.

this full moon ceremony of five rituals are set along a series of mountain temples in eastern bali – a monthly pilgrimage for the villagers, only accessed by a steep ascent up through the mountain jungle. in java, borobudur (the 8th century buddhist monument and unesco world heritage site)  rises out of the valley floor in the form of the nearby volcanos.

in the himalayan cultures, the mountains are also the origin of the gods. in study of pre-buddhist bon religions, the many god figures originate from the mountains. in exploring bhutan, those whose lives are fully dedicated to a spiritual quest live at higher elevations – in monasteries, nunneries and meditation huts perched or hanging from the mountains.

taktsang monastery, bhutan

cliffside stupa, bhutan

in study of the history of architecture, the earliest structures were symbolic of mountains and the power they possess. those early structures were burial mounds, and then more elaborate. they also represented the axis mundi –  the center of the world, where the earth meets the sky, the most sacred place, universally, in all cultures, for all of us.

mount everest, himalayas

A typical Bhutanese platter looks like this:

And, that, milord, eez scrumptious.

Just to give you an idea:

1. The Bhutanese go in for cheese with a vengeance.
2. The Bhutanese go in for chillies with a vengeance.
3. And the portions served are humongous.
4. In short, IT IS AWESOME.

One would think that with the amount of grub on offer (and their capacity to hog), the Bhutanese would be topping the world obesity charts. But then, one would think wrong. I swear, I didn’t get to see a single pot-belly in the 8-10 odd days I spent hiking and being all touristy in Bhutan. Not even ONE.

Ain’t their fault actually. Punakha apart, I don’t think I ever encountered a single other place, which could be termed flat, flat-ish, or even anything vaguely approaching flat. It was all either uphill or downhill. (Interesting non-sequitur by the way, this might explain Bhutan’s current position in the FIFA world rankings. Imagine, one misdirected kick, and the bloody ball lands somewhere at the bottom of some mountain.)

And automated contraptions in Bhutan, by common perception, are meant for chickens, for friggin nancies, and suchlike. (Another interesting non-sequitur by the way, Bhutan’s probably the only country in the world which does not have traffic-lights. They tried installing a few in Thimphu, but residents complained that they were a little too impersonal.)

Which, basically means, that you walk. All day long, all year round. WHICH IS AGAIN AWESOME. And boy, these guys can walk. I used to think I was reasonably fit. Not anymore. Not after I went hiking, pretty much lost it after the first couple of hours, and then saw Bhutanese guides run circles around me as if they were in a friggin playground. Not after I met titchy school-kids, all nattily attired in ghos and kiras, walk some 10 odd kms everyday to go to their schools.

So, in Bhutan, you do as the Bhutanese do. You Hog. And Then You Burn ‘Em Calories Off on Some Random 15 km Trail. Much, much good