Mon, 5/7.  Met the four members of the Nepal Tour that are doing the Bhutan extension.  Nice folk.   Lots of experience.

Woke at 2 AM.  Left hotel at 3.  Flight departed 6:30.  Stopped at Kathmandu, which placed us closer to the Himalayas for the final leg to Paro, Bhutan.

My seat was on the left.  Perfect weather for viewing the Dome of the World.  Everest was within touching distance.  I took pictures for four others on the flight.  Arrived at Paro Airport, which because of hills requires a jog left then right to line up on the airfield.  Altitude of 7,300 feet, but after Tibet, child’s play.  Team Leader (Chen) is excellent.  Understands questions and gives very articulate answers.  Wears the tradition garb of a Bhutanese, as do most others.  Knee length bathrobe with his socks and shoes.  Women wear ankle length bathrobes.  “Bathrobe” is a rough description.

The drive to the capital was on slow, winding roadway, with a few cows.  Only recently widened to a full two lanes.  Thimphu, unique in the world’s capitals, has no airport and no traffic lights.  Traffic Police conducts traffic with a flare.  Also no smoking.  Bhutan is the only country to ban all public smoking.  They are concerned with too many cars, so there is a hefty import tax.  Very few motorbikes due to monsoons and winter.

Watched some archery practice, their national sport. Required to wear traditional clothing (often over pants).  140 meters away from a target less than half a meter round.  They didn’t hit it much, but they were always close. Both modern ($1,000+) bows and traditional bamboo bows are used.  Gambling goes on.  Occasional drinking.  Archery is the only Olympic event that Bhutan has ever competed in.  Legend has it that their first ruler shot an arrow in Tibet in order to find and establish Bhutan.  Signs at the shooting range warn that over-shooting the target (and thus reaching the tennis courts) subjects the person to potential accidental homicide charges.  Begs the question; who would use the tennis courts?

Food consists of a host of vegetable choices and one meat dish.  Spices. Spicy spices.  At lunch I had a vegetable dish that I’d rate 6 out of 10 on the heat scale.  At dinner I had one string bean with the tiniest amount of spicy cheese attached.  12 out of 10.  I’m done with trying spicy food.  Spice 1, me 0.

Chen has warned us that dogs bark all night.  A note in the room warns of the same.  Earplugs provided.  I’ve the advantage to being deaf in one ear.

Not Everest.

Not Everest.

Everest.

At least he’s on the correct side of the road.

The King and Queen. The father abdicated in 2008 to bring young blood into the picture.

Waaaay down there are the archers.

The tiny target is here. Even at 140 meters, they need two hands to pull out the arrows.