After three weeks, three countries, 40 miles of trekking through the Himalayas, and being on the go sunup to sundown, I decided some self care was in order so I stayed at the hotel to rest today while the group went on their excursion. Our lodging, Hotel Pema Karpo in Wangdue, was a lovely respite…
On your way from Thimphu to Punakha, head to Kuenselphodrang Nature Park where you will see the world’s tallest (169 feet) Buddha statue. Made of bronze, the Buddha Dordenma, Vajra Throne Buddha sits high on the hill, is visible from the valley, and contains a monastery inside. It has taken 10 years to build and…
I think this place will do.
The blossom is in the shedding -Naomi After morning yoga on the upper deck our group, ages 13-63, enjoyed communal breakfast on the patio with mountain side views like this: We climbed again today, our longest and toughest day thus far. Reaching 8819 feet above sea level by 10am, we climbed thousands of granite steps…
I woke to the sound of gongs from the temple down the street, matching a memory rhythm of gliding on a swing as a child, and I swear my body, breath, and mind synced to the pace at this moment. What a wonderful way to greet the day. We found a filling breakfast of rice,…
My friend and guide was released from the hospital after days of monitoring a punctured lung. We are so glad to have him back on his feet. After yesterday’s visit to the old temple, I learned it is between 300-400 years old and part of the old Langchiang Province, formerly known as “1 million elephants…
Full details tomorrow but here’s a peek at how the day went…
Most of my recent trips have been on packed flights with no empty seats but we had some breathing room today. And I had the exquisite pleasure of a lovely seat mate on the way to Seoul. Vick was a retired plastic surgeon from the Philippines, educated by the Jesuits in his early years in…
It often looks like polished art on the front but behind the scenes can be a tangled, knotted, unsightly mess. Take the wildscape of Africa. We have stunning photos of majestic beasts, graceful birds, gorgeous sunsets, exotic plants. We see less of the “unpleasant side” of the circle of life, the back of the tapestry,…
Sometimes we need to get out of our usual surroundings, out of our element for the shift to happen, to break our patterns. Folks have been asking me, “What was your favorite part of the trip?” It’s hard to answer initially. The wildlife was amazing, meeting new people and learning about new culture was incredible,…
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