Seniors Roam Through Thimphu, Punakha and Gangtey

So where are we my dear?  These senior citizens are certainly off the beaten track but on a journey that we will not forget…that’s certain. We are over in the “Dragon Kingdom.”  Did that help at all? No? It’s the Kingdom of Bhutan.

We have to land at Delhi,India but after that, it’s an uphill adventure. So we now fly over the Himalayas to the green valleys of Bhutan. We’ll set down in Paro and then catch a bus to Thimphu that will take us about an hour and a half.  Now we are ready to experience an adventure beginning with a short walking tour to Memorial Chorren, a well known religious landmark.

In Thimphu, seniors tour the National Library that has one of the finest collections of Buddhist manuscripts in the world.  The Painting School will enthrall us. The Folk Heritage Museum  that celebrates the regions rural life catches our eye.  And yet another draw is the local Textile Museum and then on to Tashichhoe Dzong, an historic fortress and monastery.  So after a good nights rest and some local cuisine, we trace off to Punakha via the Duchula Pass, that’s way up there high in the sky (10,000 feet).

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Punakha sits at the confluence of the “Mother” river and the “Father” river in the valley.  More monasteries to visit today.  Close by we visit Chime Lhakhang, a local temple. It dates to 1499 and was built by the “Divine Madman.”

So now it’s time to head off to Gangtey (also known as Phobjikha) a bowl-shaped alley where a lot of black-necked cranes congregate.  You kill a crane here and your sentence is lifetime in prison. So senior friends, we will leave the cranes alone.   While we are in the area we will visit the oldest school of Himalayan Buddhism.  So we’ve made the triangle and head back to Paro (I’ll fly you in on DrukAir BA146).

Now  we’ll rest up a bit in historic Paro teeming with sacred sites before heading back home. After reading this, you might be interested in traveling to a distant and devout land, where Buddhism and culture abide; where Gross National Happiness measures the wealth of a nation.

Odysseys Unlimited takes us high in the Himalayas to encounter the peaceful king­dom that has long drawn mystics and seekers – and that rewards modern-day senior visitors with a taste of tradition undisturbed.  Odysseys Unlimited specialize in small-group travel.

If you would prefer to explore more programs on Asia and the Far East, read on. If you are ever close to Newton,MA, stop in and visit personally with the travel folks there. Read what others have experienced with Odysseys Unlimited and their tours elsewhere. Have fun making those plans to visit Bhutan.  jeb