Gulliver's Travels 11/10/2025

DALE SIEVERT

​Part 2--Bhutan

   Bhutan packs a punch for such a small country, only a quarter of the size of Wisconsin with about 800,000 people.  It is all tucked into the Himalaya Mountains, so it has tons of beauty, natural as well as architectural.  It is a kingdom, with 75% of the people practicing the state religion of Buddhism, and 23% being Hindu.  It is the only country in the world that is carbon negative, partly because their constitution requires at least 60% of the land area be forested. Manufacturing facilities are practically non-existent, as agriculture and forestry dominate the economy.  Ostensibly, the country is not wealth-seeking, as the government seeks to measure not GDP (Gross Domestic Product), but GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness).   However, as polygamy is legal, I was often trying to figure out how the latter would not work against the former.
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In the distance is the statue of the Great Buddha Dordenma.

The statue is 169 feet high and was built in 2006.

Simtokha Dzong Fort, built in 1628, but is now a monastery.

Druk Wangyal Llhakhang Temple at the 10,171 foot-high Dochula Pass

109 chortens were built in honor of the military that thwarted a coup in 2003.

Paro Dzong (or fortress), built in 1645, but is now a monastery

The interior of Paro Dzong

Punakha Dzong, built in 1638

The cylinder is a prayer wheel, which is rotated by hand while praying

Interior of the monastery complex

Three monks who live in the monastery

Three locals wearing traditional Bhutanese menswear

In Paro, where strict building codes are in effect that prohibit "the unusual"

Buddhist prayer flags, commonly seen in Bhutan

One of several unusual road signs I saw to encourage safe driving

Man in traditional dress

Tiger's Nest Monastery, 10,240 high, built in 1692

A bit of a road hazard

Sort of an unusual shop

I've seen sex shops before...but this one takes the cake

A man in traditional dress doing his shopping

Three young girls, destined to be the three wives of some man?

Yes, even "traditional" men can become phone addicts.

Two young monks

Two more young monks, one probably an addict

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Epilogue
   Happy people, contributing to a high Gross National Happiness?  Extremely friendly and hospitable, as I read several comments say?  I can't say that I saw either.  Actually, very poor Bangladesh seems to be the "winner" in the GNH "sweepstakes," though, of course, I experienced a tiny sample size in both countries, and my "evidence" was highly anecdotal, so possibly a bit overstated.  Still, it was fun and interesting to observe the thousands of people in both countries going about their daily routines.
   And I surely loved the architecture of Bhutan and the sartorial excellence of its people, without a single torn garment, so lamentful back home.

Next up is Nepal.