All good things come to an end

Nancy, me and Paul (in front of more stairs)

This mural was painted for the movie Travelers and Magicians.  It's a great movie filmed by a Bhutanese director.  Anybody want to come watch it with us?  Give me a call!

Cyber cafe in Thimpu - the young woman was amused I wanted to take a picture

Traffic cop in Thimpu

View of the valley and mountains

Quintessential Bhutan

As we worked our way out of the villages and back into city life, we stopped along the way, visiting more monasteries and sites of interest.  Thimpu is the capital city.  We had lunch with the Lhomen Tour and Treking director, Karchung Wangchuk and the owner of the farmhouse, Karma Dorje.   Karchung facilitatead an introduction to the director of the Tarayana Foundation,  Chime Wangdi.  She is a social worker trying to help the rural people of the country.  She and I felt we had very much in common when talking social work.  We visited the art school and saw how the students learn all the crafts Bhutanese are famous for--weaving, painting, carving, metal work, etc.  

My description of our trip only touches on the highlights of everything we saw and absorbed (including a few bugs I could have done without.)  Visiting Bhutan was everything we hoped it would be and more.  When we spent time in the villages, they were just as curious about us as we were about them.  I have concerns about the influence of western culture as it seeps into Bhutan.  Coming home was as almost as much a culture shock as it was to leave.  I missed our new gentle and kind friends almost immediately.  I feel blessed by the good fortune to be able to go and I am blessed by the abundance of wealth I have here, not in material terms, but by family and friends.