"If you are a good human being, then the skills and knowledge you acquire will benefit the whole society. Otherwise, it's like giving a weapon to a child"
Jigme Khesour Namgyet Wangchuk - People's King of Bhutan

This quote sums up the ideal that Bhutan is striving for. Everywhere there are signs encouraging you to be a better person. Eat well.... don't litter... be kind to all people (especially tourists)... strive to be the best you can be in this life.  
It is a long and windy road to reach this ideal indeed. In the capital city we saw evidence of the unrest in the youth. Now that they have television, western music and the internet, the desire to fit in to the world is bringing rebellion. Alcohol is a problem here among the young. Though smoking was illegal it is apparently becoming more common as cigarettes are smuggled in from India. The cigarettes are smuggled in from India, an offence that can get you 3-5 years in prison. You can only buy them on the black market and consume them in private. You will be fined if caught smoking in public. Seems that labour and big machinery are not all that comes in from India.
 
But let's get back to the journey....
 
 Sunday we tackled the national highway over the Dochula Pass and down to Punakha. After a visit to see Bhutan's National animal, the Takin (which looks like a short haired bison with mottled grey colouring)  & a photo op of the Fort and King's castle (where a gentle monk was quietly sprinkling rice as he wandered along the roadside feeding the ants!) we crossed our fingers and began the treacherous journey on the only road connecting east and west. We've been on a lot of roads in the world that are in less than adequate condition but never have I seen a main road like this! About half of the four hour drive was on dusty (or very muddy) roads with no pavement to be seen. Washouts seem to be commonplace and the pavement, when there is any, is about the width of a car and a half. Big trucks hauling heavy equipment from India squeeze past us forcing our tires to the edge. On one corner a gravel truck sat with two of it's 8 tires in mid air. The driver had built a fire to warm him as he waited for help which may or may not reach him. The narrow, twisty switchbacks took us up to an elevation of 10,241 feet. Unfortunately we were
  in the clouds and unable to get a view of the valley below or the peaks above. But that's OK cause we get to do this road all over again next week! At the top of the pass there is a monument of 108 Stupas which were built by the King Mother to commemorate (they do a lot of that) soldiers who died in 2003 when some rebel Indian group decided to get aggressive.Before reaching the top we went through an area with small farms growing apples and potatoes (not much else grows there, however there is a government research farm which is testing other crops). These farms are owned by Tibetan refugees. They're considered political refugees and accepted by the Bhutanese even though they have been at war in the past. When the snows come the people migrate to the valley spending those cold months in a tent.Eventually, our churning stomachs intact, we made it to Punakha. This was the capital until 1955 which makes sense when you realize it is situated in the most fertile valley in the country. It is the home of the Chief Abbot and his entourage during the winter months. When they arrive in town there is a huge colourful noisy celebration with everyone rushing to receive a blessing.   With the crazy commute behind us what better to do than visit ChimiLakha, or the temple of the Devine Madman. Really.... they love this guy. We took a walk through a small village past terraced fields and up to a temple dedicated to a man who thought it would be a good idea to liberate the women of the valley by having 'relations' with as many as he could. For this he became revered... in fact, the number one souvenir in the village is a phallus!! Even the sign pointing to the washroom uses the image. Our guide said this was really just for the tourists. Women do come here to ask for fertility but the souvenirs don't end up in their living rooms.The last stop was another Fort equally as impressive as the last. Situated at the point where the Pho Chu (male) and Mo Chu (female) rivers unite and surrounded by Jacarandas in full bloom it made quite a statement. The temple inside one of the most interesting I have ever wandered through.... probably because I received more information on Buddha including an interpretation of past and future Buddha's. Apparently it isn't that there are more than one Buddha, it means that there have been and will be people who inspire many to follow a right path. Mother Theresa and Nelson Mandela were given as examples of past Buddhas. Interesting interpretation.

Monday we began an 8 hour ride that took us only192 kilometers. This (mostly paved) road took us up over three passes. The first was the Pele-la Pass at 3,300 meters or (with the handy app on hand) 11,170 feet the boundary between western and central Bhutan. The second pass, Yutong-la Pass was over 3,400 meters (or 11,250 feet). We went up through pine forests, rhododendrons in bloom, yaks quietly grazing, monkeys jumping and stunning vistas all the while
descending to stunning valleys before rapidly climbing the narrow road back up to the clouds and back down again.
There is another 17th Century fort in Trongsa, a town situated above a sheer drop to a rushing river below. The old watch tower has been reinvented as a museum. Inside are beautiful examples of Bhutan's history as it melds with the Buddhist faith. Not to mention the view from the top is well worth the many stairs.
As I write this we are comfortably housed at the Mountain Lodge in Bumthang. Nestled in yet another high valley this beautiful little town will be our home for the next three nights. It's late now so I will add the trivia we learned today on a later blog.