May – June 2013
Intro
Tibet. Nepal. Bhutan. Another epic trip that I’ve dreamed of for years!
Tibet, I’ve wanted to see ever since I was a kid, hooked on Tintin comic books (especially ‘Tintin in Tibet’!). Nepal — thanks to ‘Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego’, I’ve always wanted to go to Kathmandu, as it seemed like she was always hiding there! Bhutan had fascinated me
as well, ever since I’d learned that it was a ‘forbidden country’, and closed to the outside world.
The time had finally come to see them all for myself. Tibet‘s status had been in flux in recent years, changing from closed to open to closed again. I took a chance and was lucky to find it just barely open again when I was hoping to visit. Even still, I would only know if I’d been granted a Tibet travel permit upon arrival in Chengdu where I would (or would not) catch a flight to Lhasa the next morning! Nepal has been open and welcoming for years, and wasn’t a problem. Even Bhutan, relatively new to tourism, was wide open after decades of isolation – its tourism industry strictly controlled but highly promoted as a model of sustainable tourism — and proud to showcase its philosophy of Gross National Happiness to the rest of the world.
The Potala Palace in Lhasa is an absolute wonder, towering over the city – and seeing it firsthand ranks as one of the highlights of my life. Trying to sleep while freezing in a tent at the base of Mount Everest also ranks high up there, with the journey to Everest being just as memorable as being there! Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley was a pleasure to explore, as it holds the enviable designation as having the highest concentration of World Heritage Sites in the world, with no less than seven! And finally Bhutan – what can I say about Bhutan. There is so much I want to gush about, but — in one word? Utopia. In a few words? One of the most fascinating and beautiful countries I have ever visited.
While those three countries were the definitive highlights, I also spent some time exploring cool and clean Sikkim (where plastic bags are forbidden!), sampled the best tea in the world in Darjeeling, and visited the exquisite Victoria Memorial in the cultural and intellectual capital of India, Kolkata. I was inundated with the sights, smells, sounds and excitement of Bangladesh’s crazy capital, Dhaka, spent a day and night enjoying Taipei’s monuments and great street food in Ximending, and finished off the trip with a visit to China’s incredibly modern cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou, enjoying their mélange of lively public spaces and exciting modern architecture.
Journey Map
Galleries
Featured Image
Yamdrok Yumtso, Tibet
Lalung-La Pass, Tibet (May 2013) - tying my colorful #tibetan prayer flags at lalung-la pass at 16,570 feet (5,050 m) along the #friendship highway. #prayerflags are strung in the highest of places -- not so they reach up to `the gods` -- but rather, so that the blessings and goodwill are spread by the wind to the entire surrounding area below. they are a symbol of #peace, #compassion, #harmony, #wisdom and #strength. things this world desperately needs more of, especially now. #prayfororlando
Sketches
