Visions of Bhutan: October 2004
	Bhutan photo gallery

Prayer flags fluttering gently in the wind; crystalline alpine air; monks’ robes in glowing red; and everywhere warm faces, people smiling, children waving. This is the remote Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, Land of the Thunder Dragon, the last independent Buddhist country and destination of the HBS alumni travel program in October.

“Visions of Bhutan,” a twelve-day trip that originated and concluded in Bangkok, brought together eighteen alumni, family, and friends spanning six decades at HBS and six countries (Canada, China, Italy, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United States). Led by Global Adrenaline cofounder and president Nancy Collins (MBA ’99), Himalayan scholar and guide Jon Miceler, and our two very knowledgeable and attentive Bhutanese guides, Karma Loday and Karma Dorje, we set off on an unforgettable journey through the religion, art, and architecture of western and central Bhutan.

Roughly the size of Switzerland, with a population under one million, tiny, landlocked Bhutan is perched between preserving its centuries-old culture while embracing modernity. Only forty years ago, the country had no paved roads, public schools, health-care system, or electricity. Even today, in a country whose capital has only one traffic light, our route over the breathtakingly narrow mountain passes required all our drivers’ considerable skill and patience. We cheered!

Evening lectures on the religion, history, and modern development of Bhutan prepared us for what we would encounter: magnificent dzongs, Bhutanese structures dating from the 17th century and built for defense as well as to serve as monasteries and/or administrative centers; Buddhist temple art; traditional religious festivals; and exquisite textile crafts. Thanks to a special permit, we had the rare privilege of entering the sacred Taktshang Monastery (“Tiger’s Nest”), built on the side of a cliff almost 3,000 feet above the Paro Valley floor. Those in the group who chose not to hike had the equally memorable experience of visiting a village home.

Travel in still-developing Bhutan requires flexibility — flights may be delayed (there is only one airline and one airstrip), and the power sometimes goes out. No matter — a few candlelit evenings only added to our experience.

The unexpected also had its rewards. At dinner with several Bhutanese ministers at the Royal Thimphu Golf Club, Kinley Dorji, the Ministry of Education’s director of Youth, Culture, and Sports, invited us to visit schools in the country’s capital. (All children attend school through the 10th grade, and classes are conducted in English.) Of course, we jumped at the chance — and were inspired. In the serious, thoughtful faces of the high school students, and the irrepressible spirits of the younger children, we caught a glimpse of Bhutan’s promising future.

— JANET SANDERS

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