5 October 2018 A bumpy road north brings us to Shalupangkha, the monastic school where Pasa’s Uncle Choden has been the head monk for the last five years. Upon arrival, the monks share tea for special guests which include: saffron rice with raisins, butter tea, rice puff cakes, and flower-shaped cookies. There to make a …
No other country can be like Bhutan
3 October 2018 One of our guides said that “No other country can be like Bhutan,” and the more I learn about this small monarchy (on the verge of democracy) the more I find myself in agreement. We started our day super early—so early we literally had to jump the fence to gain entry to …
Bridges across mighty rivers
The longest suspension bridge in Bhutan crosses the confluence of the Mo and Pa Chhu rivers to the trail that leads to the Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal Chorten. We hike to the temple (2300m) and then view its interior murals, stopping to hear the powerful legend of the magical dagger— where Buddha and his lover join …
A little spice goes a long way
The farmer’s market is alight with colorful produce hidden under gray awnings that Claudia and I must be mindful. At 5’ 9”, we have almost 4” on most Bhutanese we have met or seen. We spy a gray kitten darting between the wood cabinets, as dogs lay about in the streets and the random cow …
Experiencing Bhutan Firsthand
I chose not to read about life in Bhutan outside general tourist information to breathe in all the country has to offer upon arrival. I wanted to savor the newness of my experience firsthand. And I am ever so grateful for my intuition, because as you might expect Bhutan has not disappointed, happily providing a …
Contemplating Bhutan: First Impressions
Crisp mountain breeze. The moment the air in Bhutan touches your skin, it's as if you've been reborn. As if you stumbled upon a bottled elixir, untouched by impurities and accessible only when one has traveled far, far away from the Western world. In recent months I've been obsessed with comic book inspired programming (The …
To The Young Girl I Used to Be
Sunday, September 30 -- 9:00 AM This day has been 9 months in the making. And as I sit here listening to the waterfall fountain at our Bangkok resort, I can't help but wonder how did this small town Brooklynite get here. Small town Brooklyn may sound like an oxymoron to some but I came …
One Day in Bangna, on the outskirts of Bangkok
Just like any city with a well-orchestrated train system, Bangkok is easy to navigate. The BTS Skytrain with its colors, words and numbers, has, as Claudia shared "something for everyone." The train itself was wide enough to accommodate the throng of people bound for downtown Bangkok on a Saturday morning. I reveled in the courtesy …
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grief and the price of freedom
May I ask you a question? Absolutely, what’s up? Okay, this is going to sound like crazy talk, but do you believe in the afterlife? The afterlife? Do you mean reincarnation? Or life after death, like they taught us in CCD? Honestly, I’m not sure. Well, it depends on … wait a minute, where is …
remembering mama
I sometimes wonder how my mom would have changed if she had the time to age. I'd like to believe it would have been a graceful process, one that involved my dad, me and Rich, and getting to know her grandkids. It's one of life's greatest mysteries when someone is taken so much younger then …
