Bhutan: Part V. Happiness is a Place

Bhutan is a small country with a population of around 800,000, nestled between two giants, India on the south side and China to the north–the Tibetan Autonomous Region. The great majority of the population is made up of young people, between the ages of 20-35. The few cities in Bhutan are tiny by Western standards–more like large villages. The country is almost entirely mountainous with 70% of the land covered in forests. The constitution of Bhutan mandates that at least 60% of forests will remain in perpetuity. One can observe immense biodiversity of flora and fauna when traveling within Bhutan, … Continue reading

Bhutan Part IV: The Magical Trek

Bhutan is the most mountainous country in the world with some of the highest peaks in the Himalayas.The highest mountain in Bhutan is over 24,600 ft.  What we call mountains, a Bhutanese person might call a hill. Climbing the peaks is forbidden since the mountains in Bhutan are considered sacred. Instead, trekking is a favorite activity among visitors like ourselves. We devoted a whole day to trekking over a pass at 10,500 ft, adorned with prayer flags blowing in the wind. We passed through a wide variety of vegetation, from steeply terraced fields of freshly harvested rice to magical forests … Continue reading

Mountains and Monasteries. Part III

On the third day of our journey in the Peaceful Kingdom, Sangay and our driver Karma took us to the valley of Punakha, further east from where our journey began. We were greeted by one of the most beautiful buildings in the country where where we spent nearly a full day. Built in 1637 by the Zhabdrung, the ‘Unifier of Bhutan‘, the Punakha Dzong (fortress) is situated at the confluence of the Mo Chu and Pho Chu—Mother and Father Rivers. “It was the two ravens that flew from Bhutan to Tibet and whispered the prophecy in the ears of the … Continue reading

Bhutan–Our First Days in the Peaceful Kingdom

After a seemingly endless trip, our plane circled over a verdant river valley below, protected by a fortress of mountains, some with snow on their peaks. Looking out our windows, we got an aerial view of Thimphu, the tiny capital city of Bhutan, nestled next to a river in the valley below. The plane continued down the river valley that lies between two mountains until it arrived at the airport town of Paro. Our Druk (Dragon) Airline plane approaches our landing site. What we see from our window confirms what we read that 90% of Bhutan is mountainous and 70% … Continue reading

Bhutan Bound–Part I. Departure

The long anticipated departure date has arrived. My friend, Heidi, and I are en route to Bangkok where we will rest and recover from the 24-hour flight from Santa Fe, before resuming the trip to Bhutan. A very generous patient, who has become a friend, gave me this trip  of a lifetime as a gift for which I am enormously grateful. She had been on a similar trip with her husband and loved it. The Bhutanese government only allows foreigners to enter as part of a tour. The travel company that organized our trip, Boundless Journeys, has a reputation for … Continue reading

Hawaii Rejuvenation and Cleansing Retreat in Paradise

The Angel Farms Rejuvenating and Cleansing Retreat Center on the Big Island of Hawaii had been introduced to me by my friends, Paula Baker-Laporte and her husband Robert, who had been there several times. Each time they returned home, they raved about how well they felt after their stay. Each time, they urged me to join them. Realizing how much I needed a vacation after the last two very intense years, this time I agreed to go with them—without fully understanding what I would be experiencing. On February 5th, we arrived on the Big Island of Hawaii. The photo, taken … Continue reading

Whales–Kissing the Greys

Our whale trip in Baja, Mexico, extending from the end of March through early April, included the last days before the female whales and their fast-growing babies will head north to join the male whales on their way to the Arctic feeding grounds. Our adventure began in the charming little town of Loreto, located on the eastern side of the Baja peninsula, next to the Sea of Cortez. Meet the cast of characters: Here we are, the nine adventure goddesses. There are two women I haven’t introduced to you yet. The woman on the right is Diana Ferrell, a most … Continue reading

Whale Encounters in Baja, Mexico

The Pacific coast of Baja, Mexico, is the only place in the world—as far as I know—that whales go out of their way to interact with humans. Every year, the California grey whales travel over 10,000 miles round trip from their summer feeding grounds in the Bering Sea, just south of the Arctic Circle, to their winter habitat in the waters off Baja, Mexico. The whales’ journey is the longest migration of any mammal on the planet. While in the lagoons in Baja, the whales mate. The grey whale gestation time is twelve months. One year after mating, they return … Continue reading

Africa—Garden of Eden Along the Chobe River

June 21st. We move our campsite deep into the Chobe Reserve and set up our tents right next to the Chobe River. We are stunned by the density of wildlife roaming around in this part of the country. It feels like we’re in the Garden of Eden with such an abundance of animals everywhere we look. As soon as we get near the river, we see a stream of wildlife traffic heading to and from the river.   While driving around marveling at all the wildlife, a tracker/guide from another group lets us know that he found a den of … Continue reading

Africa—Chobe National Park

June 18th, 2018. At 5:30 am we prepare for our departure for Savuti, part of the Chobe reserve in northeastern Botswana. After coffee and a light breakfast we head out. Giraffes are extremely graceful when they walk. They hold themselves erect like ballet dancers as they glide along the grasslands. They look like they would be easy prey but they’re not because of their ability to run fast and their powerful kicks. We saw a male giraffe that had no tail and no scrotum sacs. David speculated that a lion leaped up from behind and bit them off in an … Continue reading