Guru Rinpoche (aka Padmasambhava) is revered in Bhutan as the one to have brought Buddhism to this tiny Kingdom in the 8th century. His image can be found painted on dzongs (temples) and cast in metal, adorning altars everywhere. He’s also featured on this large thongdrel (tapestry) that is unfurled at the Paro Festival each Read More…
Bhutan
Round the World (and back) this Spring ~ Photo of the Day
To say the least, my travels this spring have been surrealistic. In 2 months’ time, I was in Thailand, Bhutan, Italy, Germany and Zambia. Oh, and Texas. I haven’t done the math, but I might have racked up 60,000+ miles. The strangest moment came for me was when I was in Zambia looking over images Read More…
WanderTours Giving Program
My first big trip abroad was a year-long backpacking adventure through Asia. Even with little money in my pocket (I had to stop in Australia to work for a few months in order to fund the second half of my trip), I’ve always been moved to give back to the communities that I have visited. Read More…
Bhutan Re-imagined ~ Photo of the Day
Remember that photo workshop in Hawaii I mentioned last week? I think it might have sunk in! This is my 7th trip to Bhutan and while I never feel like I’ve seen it all, I do find myself taking fewer photos because I know what I’ve got in my stockpile already. But on the first Read More…
WanderGear: Sherpa Vajra Jacket and Jumla Hat
The first time you do something, you’re likely either under- or over-prepared. I was the former on my first trek to Bhutan last year. I didn’t quite have all the clothes and gear to make it the perfect trip. But on my second time around, during our trek to Laya, I had a much better Read More…
Bhutan Laya Trek (part II) – Photo of the Day
The local people at a destination capture my heart. This beautiful, dear woman and her husband called us into their home as we walked by in the small village of Laya, in Northern Bhutan. Of course, they wanted to sell us some handicrafts. But that didn’t matter. We lingered and had our guide translate prices Read More…
Bhutan Laya Trek (part I) – Photo of the Day
I’m diving in to show you pics of the middle portion of our trek because THIS was the most beautiful part of the entire journey. We arrived in the village of Laya on Day 3 of the Bhutan trek. It wasn’t a pretty day – it had been raining and the surrounding mountains were covered Read More…
Clothes from Craghoppers – WanderGear Wednesday
Have you heard of Craghoppers? I hadn’t until they reached out to me prior to this year’s Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City. It could be that they haven’t been on my radar because they are located in the UK. Or maybe I just don’t spend enough time perusing outdoor stores (something I actually Read More…
Going to the Temple and We’re Gonna Get Married…
When I first scheduled the itinerary for the Bhutan Laya Trek, I never dreamed that such an exciting event as the King’s wedding would happen during the tour. While I joked that the itinerary may or may not include a bit of of royal festivities, meeting the King and the (new) Queen wasn’t event a Read More…
B in B, B & B
This was my neighbor’s take on my travels over the coming weeks. Beth’s in Bangkok, Bhutan and Burma. Exactly. It is a busy few weeks for B but I have a feeling of excitement that I haven’t had in a long time because much of these travels will be completely new for me. While this Read More…