Thanks to everyone for the positive feedback. I'll certainly share more
images as I get time to work on them.
As for the trip, I would describe it as two weeks of "magic". No question
it's a third-world country, but this was a broad though not very deep
experience of the people, the geography, the religion and legends (Buddhism
permeates every aspect of life and society), the architecture, annual
festivals, the food (unexciting), politics, sports (archery is the nation
sport, up to the Summer Olympics but no medals yet), handicrafts... you name
it.
We had two Aussie tour leaders (a couple, he a travel photographer and she a
travel writer, they had visited previously and have published a book on
Bhutan), four local guides, and six drivers - six 4WD vehicles, each with
two of us plus a guide and a driver, changing vehicles daily to get the
benefit of all guides' perspectives. The distances seem small - from Paro in
the west to Jakar and the Bumthang valley in the east-centre, only perhaps
120 km as a crow would fly, but narrow, twisty, rough roads with switchbacks
much of the way, generally following the valleys. No guardrails along the
drop-offs into the valleys below; fortunately we had skilled drivers.
We were at altitudes ranging from 1200m to 3500m (a prior week riverside in
Bangkok didn't help me there!). On the last two full days seven of us (plus
two guides, two cooks, three horsemen, five riding horses, and six or seven
pack mules!) did a trek in the Paro valley, staring at 2800m up to about
3800m for the overnight camp; one day up, one day down (where we passed the
Tiger's Nest monastery). Two of us walked all the way, the others took
horses about 2/3 of the way up on the first day. The ascent took a lot out
of me (a city kid in decent but not remarkable shape); the two of us walked
for about six hours total, through forest and along mountain ridges, mostly
uphill but a few flattish stretches, and in the last hour or so it was half
a minute walking (virtually all uphill) followed by two to three minutes
waiting for heart rate and respiration to drop into normal range, repeat.
Nice to receive hugs and hot tea when we got to camp for that night as dusk
fell, the others were at least an hour ahead of us and the whole camp had
been set up (including dunny tent, fortunately!).
I've been asked if I would go back to discover more, but - without
diminishing the attraction of Bhutan in any way - I find I always get so
much more out of new, first-time experiences, and there's less "magic" on a
return visit. YMMV.
If you're a glutton for reading punishment, here are the trip and trek
descriptions:
<http://www.ownvolition.com/misc/Bhutan%20-%20the%20trip.pdf>
<http://www.ownvolition.com/misc/Bhutan%20-%20the%20trek.pdf>
On 2/11/12 12:17 PM, Joel Wilcox wrote:
> On Fri, Feb 10, 2012, at 07:54 PM, Michael Collins wrote:
>> Two of us from Toronto and 12 Aussies from Perth, minimal language barrier.
> Assuming this means you all spoke German.
:-) Bit of a strine on the brain at times...
On 2/11/12 12:15 PM, Joel Wilcox wrote:
> I'm guessing you meant the 12-54?
No, the 12-60. I'm so used to explaining it as a 24-120 (and the other as a
100-400) that my poor brain gets confused even here. On my OMs I use(d) the
Vivitar S1 28-90 almost glued to the camera, and the 12-60 on my E-3 is even
more useful. But the 50-200 got a lot of use on this trip, especially for
landscape.
Michael
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