Cathy Briner's Presentation on BHUTAN (July 11, 2001) . INTRODUCTION If you've attended any of my previous talks, you know that I think all my trips are fantastic experiences.  This trip to Bhutan was no exception, but it may be hard to communicate the "auspiciousness" of this one to you.  I'll try even though it may feel like you had to be there. There are some Oregon-kind of things about Bhutan that I think you'll resonate to.  I don't have slides so I've made some color copies of a few pictures which I'll pass around as I talk.  And here are some picture books to give you some flavor too. WHO I went on group tour of 16 awesome women, mostly from Eugene.  Some members of the group, which we affectionately called "the Bhu Bunch," are here today to keep me honest.  We were organized by my friend Blyth Carpenter who spoke to us a couple of years ago on her previous trips to Bhutan.  She & her husband have been there many times & have established relationships with many people there.  Donna Morgan was my roommate again--you'll recall that she & I have traveled to Ireland & China together. WHEN The tour was 2 weeks in April with a couple of travel days going & coming & 2 days in Bangkok before the tour & a night there on the way home, so we were gone for almost 3 weeks total. WHERE I'm not going to talk about the Bangkok part of the trip except to say that it was unbelievably hot & humid there.  We enjoyed the sights we saw, but I'd like to go back in the winter when it's a little cooler so I could enjoy it more.  So I'll save my Bangkok observations for a future brownbag on Thailand. We started in Bangkok because it's one of the few cities from which a tourist can fly into Bhutan on the Bhutanese national airlines, Druk Air. This airline has only 2 planes & is the only airline that flies into the country. We flew from Bangkok to Calcutta & then into Paro, Bhutan. SHOW ON MAP This is one of the few flat places in the country on which to have an airport. Bhutan is a small country, about the size of Switzerland. It has a population of only 650,000 people (for comparison, Switzerland has about 7 million people). That's about as many people as live in the city of Portland proper.  It is only about  150 miles east to west & about 300 miles north to south.  It lies in the eastern Himalayas tucked precariously along the border of India & China, the two most populous counties in the world, & just east of Nepal, which has become 1 of the most densely populated countries in the world. The topography is unbelievable, as it rises from 25,000 feet from the jungles of the south to the northern heights of the Himalayas in about 60 miles.  It has the distinction of being the last of the independent Buddhist kingdoms in the Himalayas.  Others like Sikkim, Tibet, Mustang & Ladakh have all been absorbed into other larger countries.  It is ruled by a hereditary king who is very well-loved by the people & there is an elected National Assembly.  The official government philosophy is that "gross national happiness is more important than gross national product." SPECIAL FEATURES I could talk all day on all the wonderful things we saw & did & all the wonderful people we met. Since we only have an hour, I have chosen a few special features to focus on. First, let me tell you some more about the uniqueness of this little country.  Until the late 1960's-early 1970's, Bhutan was a medieval society closed to the outside world.  There was no national currency, no roads or other infrastructure, no electricity, no telephones, no public schools or hospitals, no postal service, & no tourism.  The king at that time, who is known as "the Father of Modern Bhutan," instituted the first steps to modernization which have been carried forward & expanded by the current king, his son.  He abolished serfdom, parceled out land to the peasants, started schools, etc. This opening up to the outside world was influenced in part by the Chinese takeover in 1959 of Tibet, Bhutan's neighbor to the north.  It was felt that the country could no longer afford to be isolated because it might become marginalized & a candidate for takeover, so it opened up & became a member of the United Nations & other multi-nation organizations. TRIP During our tour, we basically traversed the only road in the country which runs from west to east, visiting the main towns & villages in western & central Bhutan.  We started out in Thimphu, the capital city which has a population of about 45,000 people.  To give you a sense of the character of this city, it doesn't have a traffic signal!  Cars are directed by uniformed policemen who wear white gloves & stand at kiosks at each end of the main drag through town. When the city started to grow awhile back, a traffic signal was installed but it was removed a day later because people didn't like it & wanted the former system returned FLORA & FAUNA We spent most of our time in the foothills of the Himalayas, moving from the towns which were at a elevation of 5000-7500 feet & crossing over passes at 10-11,000 feet. The scenery was awesome!  PASS AROUND PICTURE SHEET (LANDSCAPES)  We saw beautiful terraced fields, forests with an amazing diversity of trees, giant rhododendrons (which the Bhutanese call etho metho), & the snowy Himalayas which rise over 24,000 feet.  Since Bhutan has not been developed & because the Bhutanese are Buddhists who do not believe in taking life, the forests have never been cut down & the wildlife roam unmolested.  The country is considered an ecological paradise, with many species existing here & nowhere else, like the snow leopard & golden langur. PASS AROUND PICTURE SHEET (ANIMALS)  Bhutan has the highest original forest cover of any nation in the world at over 75% & there is a government mandate that at least 60% of the country will remain permanently forested.  It is against the law to cut down a tree without government permission. There are over 6500 species of flowering plants in the country, with over 50 species of rhododendron alone! TOURISM We saw few other tourists on the trip.  This is for 2 reasons.  One, is that the government has a policy of high value, low-volume tourism.  This means they encourage group tours & group treks led by Bhutanese guides, the cost of which is at least $200/day for food, lodging, guides, etc. As a result, there are only about 6-7000 tourists visiting the country each year. This policy ensures that the limited tourist infrastructure & the fragile natural environment are not overwhelmed as has happened in some other countries like Nepal.  Second, is that our tour guide, Sonam, who owns his own tour company, is extremely well-connected through his family & business associations, & as such, he was able to make a number of special arrangements for us that are not available to most tourists.  To give you an example of how the Bhutanese are unwilling to sacrifice their country to tourism, let me tell you a story about the Himalayas. In the early 1970's, when tourism was first allowed in the country, climbers were permitted to climb some of the peaks, like Jholomari (a massive & beautiful mountain whose name means "Holy Mountain").  But not long after, there were some occurrences like floods & bad weather which convinced the farmers of the country that the spirits who they believe dwell on the mountains were angered by the climbers' presence.  So the farmers went to the King & the National Assembly & complained.  As a result, all mountain climbing was stopped & to this day, there are peaks in the country that have never been climbed! (Mt. Gangkar Phunsum in Bhutan is the highest unclimbed peak in the world) RELIGION This brings me to another unique feature of the country & that is its religion.  It is a devoutly Buddhist state.  It's not a Sunday-only kind of religion.  It's a spirituality that pervades all aspects of life.  There is no division of church & state here.  In fact, such a divided concept would be viewed as totally foreign & unacceptable to the Bhutanese.  There is evidence of the religion everywhere in the landscape.  We saw countless temples, monasteries, meditation huts, chortens, mani walls, prayer flags, prayer wheels, & in addition, there is religious art adorning even the simplest abode.  PASS AROUND PICTURE SHEETS (RELIGION & ARTWORK) When the Bhutanese Buddhists pray & meditate, they are praying not only for themselves but for all sentient beings,  a concept which we found truly inspiring.  We had the opportunity to participate in two special prayer ceremonies while we were there.  One was held at a Buddhist nunnery & the prayers were said in special recognition of the 80th birthday of Carol in our group.  Did you see the movie "Seven Years in Tibet?"  One of my lasting impressions from that movie was the Dalai Lama presenting long white flowing scarves which he had blessed to Brad Pitt & others.  Well, I finally got my own blessed white scarf from the lama at the nunnery prayer ceremony!  I have to tell you that these ceremonies are truly moving.  There is much chanting (which I can still to this day hear in my head), drum beating, conch shell blowing, & most awesomely, horn blowing.  Hearing the haunting sounds of those long horns & feeling their reverberations through one's body would make even the most profane person consider taking up the faith! We also had the truly unique opportunity in the 2nd prayer ceremony which was held in a remote monastery to meet a trulku.  As you probably know, Buddhists believe in reincarnation.  They believe that one's actions or karma determines the next life.  Earning merit is what it's all about for the devout Buddhist.  They believe that some especially blessed people like lamas are able to be reborn & can be identified in the next life.  That's what a trulku is--a reincarnated lama.  These are usually identified at a young age by their precociousness, their knowledge & identification of things & people from their former lives, & so forth.  The Dalai Lama is the highest level of a trulku you could say.  The trulku we met was 12 years old & he conducted the prayer ceremony & blessed us with a very special centuries-old relic which people from all over the region worship.  This may seem like a truly bizarre concept to our Western minds, but to the Bhutanese, reincarnation is a way of life so to speak. CULTURE There are more unique aspects.  There is an active program to preserve the country's cultural identity.  For example, native architecture & dress are mandated.  This may seem especially prescriptive to us who live in a country where freedom of speech & action are so valued.  But the cultural mandate feels right when you are there.  And within the framework, there is opportunity for much variety.  The houses are large, beautifully built & decorated with artwork.  And the architecture of public buildings, like the dzongs, is truly amazing.  These structures, POINT TO POSTER many of which were first built in the 1600's, serve as a combination fortress/monastery/government administrative center that is uniquely Bhutanese & their location on prominent ridges & other important geographic features throughout the country is testament to their importance in Bhutanese history & current life.  As for dress,  PASS AROUND PICTURE SHEET (PEOPLE)   the gho worn by men & the kira worn by women come in an infinite variety of patterns & materials.  Weaving in fact is a national treasure which is only now being fully recognized outside the country.  We had the opportunity to meet Diana Myers, the foremost expert on Bhutanese textiles while we were there & were able to tour the not-yet-open national textile museum.  PASS AROUND FABRICS  Some of these may appear to be embroidered to you, but they're not.  All the patterns are actually woven into the cloth. The Bhutanese are known for weaving extra wefts & warps into their fabrics which make them truly unique.  We saw outstanding examples all over the country.  And a few women in our group even purchased gorgeous kiras to bring home. PEOPLE The Bhutanese people are incredibly handsome, warm & gentle people.  You'll see that in the few photos that are circulating.  Everywhere we went people were so hospitable to us.  The children especially were charming & always joyful.  I must have taken 100's of pictures of the kids we met & saw along the road.  Again, we had the opportunity to meet some incredibly special & fascinating people on the trip.  In addition to Diana Myers, we met Kay Kirby, who is a journalist who writes for the LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle & Seattle Times & who is married to a Bhutanese man & lives now in Thimphu & works for the United Nations. She told us what it's like to be an American woman who becomes a Buddhist & moves to Bhutan.  We also had dinner with Karma Ura, who is the foremost scholar & author in the country & head of the Centre of Bhutan Studies, as well as with several of Sonam's friends who hold important positions in the government.  It was a special treat for me to meet the Deputy Director of the whole country's Planning Commission. We hit it off instantly, when he confided to me that "you & I know that it's deputy directors who do all the work!"  BUT the 2 most special people we met were Sonam & Pema, our tour guides who took care of our every need & with whom we fell in love.  Our group is now working to figure out a way for Pema to come to Eugene to enroll at LCC. ARCHERY There were so many special or auspicious things that happened to us.  For example, we got the chance to observe an archery tournament.  This may not seem like a big deal, but it was.  Archery is THE national sport of Bhutan, & it is taken very seriously.  It's the one Olympic team that the country fields.  The tournament we saw was an extra special one because the Crown Prince was in town on spring break from his studies at Oxford, so we got to see all the pageantry involved in a royal ceremonial arrival, the religious rituals before the competition, & then the archery contest itself.  We even got to stand close by as the Crown Prince was shooting.  And later some of us were lucky enough to rub elbows with him & his entourage at the local tea & bakery shop! ECONOMY So far, I've covered the religion & culture of the country, let me now speak for a minute about the economy.  Currently, the vast majority of the Bhutanese are farmers.  Unlike most 3rd World countries, the people of Bhutan are able to grow their own food, mostly rice, maize & potatoes, as well as chilies which the Bhutanese LOVE. The national dish, called emadatse, is a thick soupy mixture of cheese & chilies which will take the top of your head right off!  There is a small middle class which is growing, but business opportunities are still quite limited despite government encouragement, primarily because the startup costs are large & the markets are so small.  We had the opportunity to visit several small businesses, one that makes handmade paper, one that makes incense products, & one that specializes in vegetable fabric dyes.  We also visited the Institute of Traditional Medicine which is just starting to export herbal teas that alleviate stress.  You know we all bought some of that!   The country's biggest hope for a profitable economic future is hydroelectric power.  With the country's lush natural resources & mountainous terrain, it is a logical provider of much-needed power to India. FUTURE As for the future, it will be interesting to see what happens in the next few years.  Despite grave concerns about what would happen to the unique cultural identity of the country,  the government finally allowed both television & Internet access in 1999.  It didn't feel that it could keep the country's people hermetically sealed forever.  What will happen after these warm, wonderful & gentle people of quiet faith have been bombarded incessantly with globalized visions of Madonna, the Gap, war, sex, drugs & violence?  What will happen to gross national happiness then?  Let's keep our fingers crossed for a happy ending in Shangri-La. Thanks. Insiders' Bhutan Home