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Jomtien Beach 

Thailand

March 7, 2024

Hello,

My friend Gary here in Thailand presented me with a generous gift this month.

In his professional life, Gary was a Shipwright.

Now in retirement Gary builds model ships.

Gary knows that I grew up in New York City.

His gift to me is a model of a Moran tugboat, the everpresent M steaming on the waters in and around my hometown.  A New York City Icon.

The Paro Valley

Paro City 

Pop 12,500

2200m 7218 ft

Paro District

The Kingdom of Bhutan

December 13, 2023

Hello,

No wonder my meals are all so delicious!

The variety of climate zones here produce rice, sugar cane, strawberries, broccoli, and potatoes.  At the local market, the colorful vegetables and fruit are fresh and crisp. 

In the afternoon we chance upon the entrance to a secondary school.  Headed for the school bus, the shy yet feminine young women giggle, and (seem to) avoid my camera.  The handsome boys follow my direction and line up in a proper attentive pose.  

At a  busy intersection in town, the charming policewoman smiles for me as she directs the traffic. There are no traffic lights in Bhutan!  In this country of hills and valleys, mountain rivers, and big city rush hour congestion, I never once heard the beep of a horn.

Tiger's Nest Monastery

Paro Taktsang

Tiger’s Nest Monastery

Paro Valley, Bhutan

December 13, 2023

Hello.

HISTORY of the Tiger’s Nest Monastery

The cultural icon of Bhutan, Paro Taktsang, also known as the Taktsang Palphug Monastery and the Tiger's Nest, is a sacred Vajrayana Himalayan Buddhist site located on the cliffside of the upper Paro valley in Bhutan. It is one of thirteen Tiger's Nest caves in historical Tibet in which Padmasambhava practiced and taught Vajrayana.

First established in the 9th Century as a meditation cave, a later monastery complex was built in 1692 where Guru Padmasambhava meditated and practiced with students including Yeshe Tsogyal before departing the kingdom of Tibet in the early 9th century.

Punakha Dzong and Phobjikha Valley

Phobjikha Valley

The Four Boutique Hotel

Central Bhutan

December 10, 2023

Hello,

Whenever I mention to anyone that I recently visited Bhutan, I get the same response, “I have always wanted to visit Bhutan.”

Why?  I am not sure that anyone can explain it.  Bhutan just lives in our imagination.

Just go!

Jan

When you visit Bhutan, I recommend these sites:

Puna Mochhu Bazam...The Punakha Dzong...Phobjikha Valley

Wangdue Phodrang Dzong

Wangdue Phodrang Dzong

Thedtsho Gewog Town

Wangdue Phodrang District

Central Bhutan

December 8, 2023

Hello,

A Dzong is a fortified monastery with three main areas: Temple, Monks’ Living Quarters and Administrative Offices.

Dzongs serve as the religious, military, administrative, and social centers of their district. They are often the site of  religious festivals or community events.

Typically, half of the rooms inside a dzong serve administrative purposes such as the office of the governor, while the other half is dedicated to religious purposes, primarily the temple and housing for monks.

This division between administrative and religious functions reflects the idealized duality of power between the religious and administrative branches of government.

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