Punakha, Bhutan
Satuarday, 5 September 2009
Jackie Lallier wrote: "We departed for Punakha at 8:30 this morning -lots of cows and horses on the narrow highway going up the mountain to explore Simbaca Dzong - the oldest one in the country.
Twenty eight percent of the country forest has been put into parks. A temple monument on top of the Dochula Pass was built to commemorate victory over the southeminsurgents in 2003. The 4th king and his son were in the front lines of fighting. This started when since 1991 insurgents had been coming in illegally and India asked Bhutan to flush these people out. This was the first war in seven centuries - 6,000 insurgents were conquered, 9 people were killed, and a National Day for this defeat was established on 12/17/07.
NOTE: The first king of Bhutan was a governor in 1864. The governors fought each other in civil wars until the country became unified in 1907. It has been democratic since 2008. The three poisons to avoid: (1) Attachment; (2) Anger; (3) Ignorance.
We stopped at a cafe for tea (the mountain was all covered in fog while we were here). We observed people roasting com alongside the road & Karchung treated us to some. We had a GREAT lunch again! .
Then we visited a 17th century dzong that is the 2nd oldest in the country but the most beautiful. It took 11 years to renovate after a 1994 flood and a fire. The king of the East is represented by a lute & wearing white; King of the North by a mongoose
& wearing yellow, King of the West by fire & wearing red and King of the South by a sword & wearing black. Presently there have been 4 buddhas -another is expected when the next world "starts". Educational opportunities were officially started in 1961 when 11 schools were built that year. The average family has 3 kids. Contraceptives are free and abortion is illegal.
We arrived at the Punatsangchhu Cottages in Punakha where Suzanne & Sharon were happy to find their luggage had arrived. Before dinner, Karchung explained the "Circle of Life" to us. I tried some Red Panda weiss beer - pretty yucky! "
Jackie Lallier wrote: "We departed for Punakha at 8:30 this morning -lots of cows and horses on the narrow highway going up the mountain to explore Simbaca Dzong - the oldest one in the country.
Twenty eight percent of the country forest has been put into parks. A temple monument on top of the Dochula Pass was built to commemorate victory over the southeminsurgents in 2003. The 4th king and his son were in the front lines of fighting. This started when since 1991 insurgents had been coming in illegally and India asked Bhutan to flush these people out. This was the first war in seven centuries - 6,000 insurgents were conquered, 9 people were killed, and a National Day for this defeat was established on 12/17/07.
NOTE: The first king of Bhutan was a governor in 1864. The governors fought each other in civil wars until the country became unified in 1907. It has been democratic since 2008. The three poisons to avoid: (1) Attachment; (2) Anger; (3) Ignorance.
We stopped at a cafe for tea (the mountain was all covered in fog while we were here). We observed people roasting com alongside the road & Karchung treated us to some. We had a GREAT lunch again! .
Then we visited a 17th century dzong that is the 2nd oldest in the country but the most beautiful. It took 11 years to renovate after a 1994 flood and a fire. The king of the East is represented by a lute & wearing white; King of the North by a mongoose
& wearing yellow, King of the West by fire & wearing red and King of the South by a sword & wearing black. Presently there have been 4 buddhas -another is expected when the next world "starts". Educational opportunities were officially started in 1961 when 11 schools were built that year. The average family has 3 kids. Contraceptives are free and abortion is illegal.
We arrived at the Punatsangchhu Cottages in Punakha where Suzanne & Sharon were happy to find their luggage had arrived. Before dinner, Karchung explained the "Circle of Life" to us. I tried some Red Panda weiss beer - pretty yucky! "
Labels: Bhutan
posted by DT at 10:40 AM
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