Bhutanese Culture (Bhutan: Part 3)
This is the final newsletter for Bhutan. If you missed the others, you can view the prior ones here and here.
Monastic Tradition (Bhutan: Part 2)
I traveled to Bhutan for many reasons but it was the chance to meet and photograph the people that really made we want to visit. If you’ve followed along for any number of the previous 193 newsletters (or before), you’ll know that my photography has largely been landscapes and wildlife. No doubt those two have kept me busy, but I saw Bhutan as an opportunity to stretch my legs.
And stretch my legs I did. The vast majority of the photos I brought back were of people. However, Bhutan may have set unrealistic expectations. In many countries, street photography can be quite challenging. Here? They not only allowed it but encouraged it. Didn’t get the shot? No worries, they’ll let you take another. For example, we met three monks in an otherwise empty Dzong and our guide asked if they’d be willing to pose for a few shots. They looked at their watch, said they had ten minutes to spare, and graciously posed for us. No money exchanged. No annoyance. Just a willingness to help. This was true in touristy areas and non-touristy areas – everyone was so hospitable, so willing to help anytime they could.
This week, I share the monastic side of the people we met. In a future newsletter, I’ll share photos of the others we met as well.
Land of the Thunder Dragon (Bhutan: Part 1)
Bhutan, the “Land of the Thunder Dragon,” is known for its wilderness, Buddhist culture, and traditional ways. And maybe it’s not known for it, but the people I met in my two weeks there were among the most hospitable I’ve met anywhere while traveling.
Bhutan is a landlocked country bordered by China and India with Nepal and Bangladesh not far away. Bhutan only opened up to tourism in the 1970s. In the 1990s, only a few thousand visited per year. It may be best known for its focus on GNH, or Gross National Happiness, rather than the traditional GDP (Gross Domestic Product) measure of economic output. It sees tourists as a way to support this through what it describes as “high-value tourism” which has a minimum daily spend to ensure the overall impact of tourism is positive.
You may also know Bhutan for its famous Tiger’s Nest Monastery, a Buddhist monastery seemingly clinging to a cliff (picture below). It is probably the most iconic monastery in the country, perhaps the world.
With any travel, there is always so much more to see and experience. Similarly, my photos and captions cannot do my time there justice though I’ll give it a try. I’ll give an overview of the places and architecture in this post. In next week’s (or, let’s be honest, probably in a few weeks), I’ll share photos of the monasteries and people we met.
Chinatown, Singapore
A visit to Chinatown in Singapore. I spent a morning there and did a walking tour with a guide whose family grew up there. Hearing her story from the living conditions of when she grew up there to what it’s like today was interesting to say the least. From explaining government housing (fun fact: earlier buildings had clothesline outside their windows but the govt decided that didn’t communicate the right perception so the later buildings didn’t have them) to trying local foods (nothing like starting the day with a spicy dish that I can’t tell you what it was), it was a great morning and reminder of why it’s sometimes best to hire a local guide.
Super Tree Grove, Singapore
The Super Tree Grove at the Gardens by the Bay, south garden. These futuristic trees, 18 in total and up to 50m in height, are actually living structures in a sense as they provide the lattice for other plants to grow on. Like real trees, they also harness some solar energy (that is used to power these lights in part), collect rainwater, and serve as an air intake and exhaust system for the conservatory.
I visited at night which not only includes lit up trees but also a music show synced with the lights.
All photos from April 2024.
