http://legacy.iranian.com/main/taxonomy/term/2011/0 Puff the magic dragon! Even the country’s official name is magically evocative: The Kingdom of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon. Barely a half-million “people from the highland,” which Bhutan means in Sanskrit, have created a distinct culture in the isolation of their abode which is the narrow valleys of the Inner Himalaya Mountains. In that Shangri-la over centuries they mixed Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism with esoteric Tantrism and local Bon myths and legends of demons and animistic deities. Their only standing monuments of the past are the fortresses of their feudal elite. The monarchy that has prevailed in the last century is drawing upon this tradition to preserve its vision of the future. While much of that vision is from the fertile imagination of one man, the Fourth King, it is buttressed by emphasis on compassion and community. The audacious conceit is that happiness should be the goal of development in an age whose goals are defined in material terms. Foreign access to this experimental laboratory is carefully guarded, at the same time that Bhutan is becoming all the more attractive due to the increasing limitations on touring other Himalayan countries >>> more en http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125610 <p>There were monks, and nuns, and a priest.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125610#comments Kingdom of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:07:36 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 125610 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125612 <p>In the courtyard of the temple we noticed a pile of iron links. These had been forged by Bhutan’s 15th century bridge builder, Thanktong Gyalpo. According to our guide “he built 108 iron bridges. He was the one who originated the use of iron chains in making suspension bridges.” None of those remains standing, but the iron from one of them was used in a bridge we were shown later that day.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125612#comments Kingdom of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:07:36 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 125612 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125611 <p>On the way back, however, we saw men using bows and arrows now imported from the United States as they engaged in their ancient sport of archery.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125611#comments Kingdom of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:07:36 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 125611 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125607 <p>Perched 3000 feet above the valley, obstructed only by the ubiquitous prayer flags.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125607#comments Kingdom of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:07:35 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 125607 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125609 <p>On the day of our visit a special religious ceremony was being held there.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125609#comments Kingdom of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:07:35 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 125609 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125606 <p>Sitting outside we had our closest view of Tiger’s Nest.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125606#comments Kingdom of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:07:35 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 125606 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125608 <p>Paro’s Kyichu Lhakhang is one of Bhutan’s oldest temples, the survivor from among the 108 built in 659 by the King of Tibet to defeat evil.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125608#comments Kingdom of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:07:35 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 125608 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125601 http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125601#comments Kingdom of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:07:34 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 125601 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125603 <p>Penis signs were present in various forms along the way, including the head of the walking stick we were furnished.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125603#comments Kingdom of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:07:34 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 125603 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125605 <p>Like most tourists we stopped at a landing which had a teahouse and Cafeteria.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125605#comments Kingdom of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:07:34 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 125605 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125602 <p>There were also several souvenir vendors with their “local” wares spread on the ground. One was a small silver vile with inlaid turquoise which Sanom, the vendor, said contained aphrodisiac liquid.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125602#comments Kingdom of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:07:34 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 125602 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125604 <p>And the spigot of a running water fountain.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125604#comments Kingdom of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:07:34 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 125604 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125600 <p>On the path through blue pines there were clearings where we could see the magnificent scenery.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125600#comments Kingdom of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:07:33 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 125600 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125599 <p>We were going to walk another 1000 feet for a better look. Others chose to ride horses.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125599#comments Kingdom of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:07:30 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 125599 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125598 <p>But even at the 8,200 feet where we our trail began only the outline of the monastery could be discerned.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125598#comments Kingdom of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:07:29 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 125598 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125596 <p>As in Wangdue Phodrang, the Dzong in Paro was built by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, in the middle of the 17th century, in the form of a fortress to defend against repeated invasion from Tibet. It was erected on the ruins of an 8th century monastery that had been built by Guru Rinpoche. Hence it is called the Fortress on a Heap of Jewels. Burned in a fire of 1907, the Dzong has been reconstructed and is deemed to be Bhutan’s finest.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125596#comments Kingdom of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:07:28 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 125596 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125595 <p>Called choesum, this was an elaborately decorated alcove. The kitchen had what the guide referred to as a “a modern stove”.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125595#comments Kingdom of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:07:28 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 125595 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125597 <p>We were talking at the foot of Tiger’s Nest before starting a hike that is almost obligatory for all tourists. Taktshang Goemba (Tiger’s Nest) is a monastery built in 1692 around the cave where Guru Rinpoche meditated for three months after subduing the local demon. He had flown here on the back of a tigress, a manifestation of his consort Yeshe Tsogyal. A fire in 1998 destroyed that structure and its contents. It has been rebuilt since. From the valley we could see it on the mountain half-covered by clouds.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125597#comments Kingdom of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:07:28 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 125597 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125594 <p>It felt rather strange to see it here as this address was so close to where I lived. The parents’ room also enclosed the chapel of the house.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125594#comments Kingdom of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:07:27 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 125594 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125593 <p>The young woman had her own room. Here the pictures posted on the walls included a photo of San Francisco’s “crooked” Lombard street from a calendar that had been given to her.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/125593#comments Kingdom of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:07:26 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 125593 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main