Top Of My Bucket List

Off to Bhutan in 4 more sleeps.  Botany, Birds and Buddhists await. Do they really use the  Gross National Happiness Index?  We'll see....but it is a country I have always wanted to visit and experience the culture and society. Stay tuned.....

This is a photo of Dzong a monastary in the Paro Valley, built in 1646 (assume there have been a few renos since). Of interest to me is that  Buddhism was first introduced to Bhutan in the 7th century and is Tibetan in origin.  Should be interesting to see the artwork in the monasteries if this is an example of what we will see.

 

Of great interest to me is that Bhutan, like Costa Rica is viewed as a model for proactive conservation initiatives. The Kingdom has received international acclaim for its commitment to the maintenance of its biodiversity. This is reflected in the decision to maintain at least sixty percent of the land area under forest cover, to designate more than 40% of its territory as national parks, reserves and other protected areas, and most recently to identify a further nine percent of land area as biodiversity corridors linking the protected areas. Environmental conservation has been placed at the core of the nation's development strategy, the middle path (Buddhist concept). It is not treated as a sector but rather as a set of concerns that must be mainstreamed in Bhutan's overall approach to development planning and to be buttressed by the force of law.

Another reason we (Cheryl, Lorne, Sheila and I) are going now is that this is the time of year for species rhododendron show and the festival! As the gardener in our bunch I am grateful that the others are indulging me in being able to attend the festival! So, off we go!!!!