Thurs, 5/10.  Connecting with the populace.  Short hike through farmland to the Fertility Temple, founded by the “Devine Madman” (Drupka Kunley) built in 1499.  Drupka was focused on releasing Buddhists from conservative thoughts.  Slept around.  Etc.  Made friends along the way by taking the pictures and printing them.  Plus one balloon.

Next was the family of a working farm, though their farmland is in pieces throughout the valley.  Bureau of Health recently forced them to move their animals to a separate shed from their first floor.  So it was mostly just a house.  The still for making alcohol is on the first floor now.  Relatively large room is dedicated to prayer and meditation.  They have a microwave that the 74 year-old aunt prefers over traditional cooking.  Ara, the national (red) rice wine, is good, though it doesn’t taste like sake.  Popcorn!

Next was a picnic lunch, complete with server, tables, silverware and cloth chair covers.  The prepared food was about the same. No hot dogs on a stick over an open flame for guest Americans.  The delivered equipment didn’t include legs for the plastic tables, so when a taxi rapidly pulled up I deduced that “Here come the table legs”.  Everyone though I was joking, but I was correct.  Proud moment for the reputation of the NCIS.

Walked a short way up to a Nunnery.  About 120 nuns in training.  It’s new but very successful.  Grandmother of the Queen lives next door.  The girls have heads shaved and look very androgynous.  We had a Q&A with one.  Very informative.  Impressively well thought out opinions.

Last adventure of the day was a visit to a poorer part of Bhutan.  Everyone pleasant, but very run-down homes, uneven alleys, questionable power and water.  Kids went mad over the balloons.  Men are mostly away at small jobs (or attempting to get jobs).  We discussed with Chen that if we’d known the condition better in advance we could have bought more gifts.  Even fruits and veggies would have helped.

An interesting day.  (My day began at midnight, when I woke to the overwhelming smell of urine.  Applied cologne to mask the smell.  The next morning I noticed a few cows sitting just below my room.  Mystery solved.)