Where are We? Land of the Thunder Dragon

So, the past few months has brought much change for both of us.  Warren left for Bhutan in October 2010, and I made my way to Bhutan in March.  If you are like me, I didn't know much about this magical kingdom until I arrived.  Therefore, I will give you all a bit of history before I give you my own thoughts about this sacred land.  Drukyul is the name by which the Bhutanese refer to their country.  Located in the eastern Himalayan zone, it covers an area about the size of Switzerland.  This landlocked kingdom is bounded to the north and northwest by the Tibetan regions of China and to the south by the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam.  The spectacular mountainous terrain of Bhutan is easily one of the most rugged in the world, rising in altitude to permanently snow capped mountain peaks. This country of 600,000 people can be divided into three ecological zones.  The northern zone, bordering Tibet, where the peaks rise above 7,000 meters, is the most sparsely populated part of the country.  This alpine regions is inhabited by Brokpas, who graze their sheep, cattle and yak.  The Drukpas, who are of Mongoloid origin, live in the western part of the central zone.  They are followers of the  Drukpakagyu school of Buddhism from which the name of the country, Drukyul or land of the Drukpas is derived.  Drukyul is also taken to mean land of the dragons. 

Bhutan opened to tourism in 1974, although it is restricted.  The lack of infrastructure and tourist facilties as well as Bhutan's effort to preserve her natural and cultural heritage are the main reasons for the restrictions.  Individual travelers can not visit the country unless officially invited by the government.  And, once invited, it incurs a hefty fee of $250 dollars a day.

With that being said, we feel blessed and lucky to have this amazing opportunity to be here.  It has been an exciting adventure.  We are both getting ready to lead yoga retreats for the next 3 weeks, which will take us to different parts of Bhutan.  New postings to follow soon.