This is how a city street looks in Bhutan. It’s the view I had over breakfast this morning.

We drove out of Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, and normally we would have stopped by to see Buddha Dordenma, one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world. It’s 154 metres tall.

The statue houses over one hundred thousand smaller Buddha statues, each of which, like the Great Buddha Dordenma itself, are made of bronze and gilded in gold.

I was really keen to see it, but it’s being restored, so it was a no-go.

Ah well, you can’t win ‘em all!

The view of the city is very pretty. Sither told us about the time he had an American tourist on one of his trips. He showed him this view, and the American said, “Oh, what a pretty village!”

He backtracked quickly when he was informed that he was looking at Bhutan’s capital city.

Green roofs are private residences, while red is government.

As we got back into the van, Sither said, “Now we leave the settlements and you can enjoy the greenery and the fresh.”

We drove along the mountain roads. Every now and then my ears popped. We drove above the clouds up to 3,150 metres above sea level.

This is Druk Wangyel, the site of a decisive victory for the fourth king. There are 108 stupas arranged over 3 levels, to honour the Bhutanese soldiers who fell in the battle to remove insurgents from their camps.

Apparently, on a clear day, you can see the Himalayas from here through the fir trees.

I can’t verify the truth of this claim.

However, I met this delightful young man. He’s John, from India, who is touring Bhutan with his family. We struck up a conversation and I was amazed at how well he spoke English. When I complimented him to his parents, they smiled and let him continue to chat with me.
I showed him videos of penguins and polar bears. He’s a lovely kid, just starting year 7.

We said goodbye and off we went, down the mountain.

The Himalayas are behind here somewhere…

The driver stopped the van when we saw these guys. It’s against the law to feed them. They’ll forget how to forage for food in the forest and they’ll end up hanging around the roads.

At various points along the roads, prayer flags are hanging, flapping in the breeze. I really like them, both their appearance and the meaning behind them moving in the wind.
Good vibes being spread throughout the entire world.

Here’s today’s funny truck sign:

”Beauty is nothing when the lights are out.”

If I was this guy’s wife, I’m not sure that I’d appreciate that…

The hills here roll on forever. Every now and then, there’ll be a house or a monastery poking up out of the trees.

We stopped for a few minutes at a roadside market. These chillies looked good. As we’ve been driving through farmland, sometimes we’ve seen a crop of chillies dehydrating on a roof. I’ve always been on the wrong side of the van to be able to get a photo.

These are dehydrated chunks of cheese that the Bhutanese love to chew. Sither said they take ages to soften.

Tree fern fronds. I have to say, I’ve never thought of cooking mine, but now I know that it’s a possibility if I get desperate enough.

As luck would have it, tree fern fronds were on the buffet for dinner tonight. They didn’t really taste like anything, but they were green and crunchy.

These are all bags of dehydrated chillies. The white ones are chillies that have been boiled before being dehydrated, which takes some of the heat out. I’ve never heard of this before.

Little boys are the same the world over.

See that row of buildings on the top of that ridge?

That’s a nunnery.

There was an art galley attached to the restaurant where we had lunch. This wasn’t the only phallus we’d be seeing today…

This fort is Punakha Dzong, the second oldest Dzong in Bhutan, built in 1637. Punakha Dzong is located at the meeting point of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu Rivers. Hopefully, having a fort in the middle of the rivers prevents the bad energy from flowing, as we heard yesterday.

This place was even more impressive than the one we saw yesterday.

Yesterday’s fort is the one that the government and the monks use during summer. It’s up high in the mountains and is cooler to live and work in. His fort is used during winter. It’s low in a valley, where the weather is warmer.

We walked across a beautiful wooden bridge.

This is the entrance to the fort. I wasn’t happy when I saw it, as those steps look very steep.

However, it was surprisingly easy to climb. It gave me a spark of hope for the Tigers Nest climb in 2 days time.

The ladders are designed to be whipped up when enemies approach. The ladder in the middle is only to be used by the king.

This is the same sort of tree that Buddha was born under, and then later attained enlightenment. It’s a ficus religiosa, which makes sense. The trunk is crazy.

It reminds me of the backdrop to a traditional Shakespearean stage.

The detail in both the painting and carving is incredible. The craftsmanship and attention to detail is outstanding.

I think I might make a Bhutan quilt using the colours from this fort.

Even their animals blend in beautifully.

Only monks and locals are allowed in here.

Zooming in, we can get a glimpse of what lies within.

I just love the colours.

It’s not just the cat who blends in. So does the rooster.

This part of the fortress holds the body of The Great Unifier – the man who conquered all the tiny kingdoms and created one country of Bhutan around 400 years or so.

The people revere him so much, he even has his own statue in the temples sitting beside Buddha.

We visited the temple, which was just as impressive as the one from yesterday at the other fort.

Bhutan is truly a beautiful place.

Here are a few shots of the countryside. Bhutan is very serene and peaceful.

The mountains are everywhere.

We were headed to a famous fertility temple. As we drove into the village, this shop window gave a subtle hint as to what we might expect.

There were phalluses outside, and oh boy, there were phalluses inside the temple.

These monks were part of the live show. I’m always disappointed when I go into a temple or church and the singing is just a recording. These guys were the real deal, playing instruments and chanting.

Sound on for the video. I took one when they were chanting, but the sound isn’t as good.

A woman came inside the temple when we were there. She had a wad of notes thick enough to choke a Rottweiler, and she went from monk to monk, handing them money. She turned to the donation boxes and put handfuls of money in them too.

Two friends were with her, and when she had a word, they also started handing money out.

I couldn’t help thinking that if she wanted a baby that badly, she’d be better off using that money at an IVF clinic.

Sither told us hat after the woman makes offerings and prays, the monks put a gigantic wooden penis on her back and she has to walk three times around the temple. Then, of course, she’s sure to have a baby.

The temple has a spare one, for the busy season. I’ve seen them.

And just to finish: have a look at the size of my room! You could run a Roller Derby in here!

Dad joke of the day: