Why Bhutan?

I skimmed through lists of top travel destinations from the NY Times and National Geographic and kept seeing Bhutan make the top 50 list. I read that Bhutan was the land of happiness where they measured their country’s progress by GNH

 (Gross National Happiness) over GDP. I was intrigued and decided to place it on my travel list. In my research, I saw images of Tiger’s Nest Monastery or Paro Taktsang perched on the edge of a cliff. I was curious especially with my interest in Buddhism. Bhutan seemed to be a very serene and peaceful place to explore. 

I kept hearing, however, that traveling to Bhutan was difficult because it is a tiny Himalayan country nestled between India and China. I heard that Bhutan had a quota system that only allowed a certain number of visitors at a time and later learned that was a misconception. The real barrier for travel is the cost to Bhutan and how expensive it is.There is a daily minimum spend of $250 a day per person that must be prepaid through a travel agency in order to get your travel visa. I learned if you travel during off-peak season  or in a larger group then the cost per person is slightly less.

 I remembered how difficult it is for me to acclimate to high altitude due to my past visit to Tibet. I pondered the idea to visit Bhutan for years.  Then I began my research to make this goal come true. I even seeded this idea as my sankulpa during a yoga retreat in Scotland.  I decided to make use of my 9- week sabbatical (earned by working at Airbnb for 5+ years) by finally making it to Bhutan. I asked around among my circle to see who had already been to Bhutan to get a start on the planning process. Next week, I’ll talk about how I planned my trip. 

Iceland: Northern Lights

I arrived in Reykjavik a day before the yoga retreat with Rosie started in September 2018. I checked into my Airbnb and roamed around town. I thumbed through a few local travel brochures at the local visitor center in downtown. I was told that the chances of seeing the Northern Lights weren’t too high, but I decided to book anyways. I checked out BusTravel Iceland and made my purchase online. Evening pick-up was at a neighboring hotel. Our guide, Siggi headed out of the city and into the dark countryside and embarked on the hunt for the Northern Lights. He drove the shuttle with his head halfway out of the window peering through the thick black darkness. He corresponded with his fellow network of Aurora Borealis seekers. Siggi immediately spots a faint green ethereal light to the left and drives off the main road and into a sparse quiet field. It was difficult to see with the naked eye. He suggested we download a Northern Light app. I attempt to snap photos using the app. I see a magical green streak across my phone screen. Siggi takes out his professional Nikon camera and offers to snap photos of us with the Northern Lights. Shivering with the mighty wind against my cheeks, I eagerly wait my turn. I stare up to the skies enamored with the beauty of this phenomena.