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Rainer Jenss and his family are currently on an around-the-world
journey, and they’re blogging about their experiences here at
Intelligent Travel. Keep up with the Jensses by bookmarking their posts, and follow the boys’ Global Bros blog at National Geographic Kids.
Land of the Thunder Dragon . . . Kingdom in the Clouds . . . Shangri La . . . Himalayas . . . Gross National Happiness.
Read
anything about the Kingdom of Bhutan, and these will likely be among
the buzzwords you’ll come across. They’re what piqued my curiosity a
few years ago while researching possible adventure vacation options for
a friend and I. Investigating a little further, I discovered that this
remote country nestled between Tibet and India only allows about 20,000
foreign visitors a year, perfect for someone like me who was looking
for something unspoiled and exotic. And after being exposed to
Buddhism’s basic principles through years of practicing yoga, I could
further explore the religion in this remote part of the world.
When
our family’s around-the-world trip became a reality I had to inform my
trusted travel companion that the "boys only" trek to Bhutan would have
to wait. But as Carol and I started mapping out our route through Asia,
I couldn’t resist tossing up Bhutan as an option. Was it a risk to take
Tyler and Stefan to such an isolated country in a region we knew little
about? 
We noticed that National Geographic Expeditions offered tours there
and asked if Bhutan was a good family-friendly destination. They
responded with a resounding ‘yes,’ and with their enthusiastic
endorsement, we made it work, anticipating that this might just be the
highlight of the trip.
If there were any trepidations about how
we would handle Bhutan’s harsh terrain, spicy food, or unique culture,
we figured the six weeks spent in Asia leading up to the trip would
have us prepared. The kids seemed thrilled to be going on another tour
because of the positive experience they had in China,
so when we met up with the group in Bangkok, I wasn’t surprised to see
Tyler and Stefan immediately gravitate to the trip’s expert, Richard
Whitecross.
What did surprise me, however, were that some aspects of Bhutan didn’t
mirror my preconceived ideas. The areas we
covered on the tour, for example, were not snow-covered or as rugged as
I had imagined. In fact, daytime temperatures climbed well into the 70s
and the evenings were cool, not cold. We saw beautiful peaks
every now and then, a reminder that we were indeed in the Himalayas,
but we didn’t see any yaks.  I would learn that yaks are found in large
numbers in the higher altitudes, which also explained why we didn’t
find
much yak meat on the menu. Instead, most dishes were vegetarian and
almost always included Bhutan’s national dish, ema  - chilies and
cheese.
I
also didn’t expect to see many other tourists,
or ‘Chilips,’ the Dzongkha expression for "foreigner" that our guide
Tshering would so lovingly call us.  After just a
couple days, it was easy to understand why we did. Bhutan is only about
the
size of Switzerland, and there are just a small
handful of roads and hotels, so you are going to see other Westerners
whether you like it or not. Even though it’s remote and few people
even know where it is, we didn’t have Bhutan to ourselves. That said,
the people we did cross paths with were not backpackers, mountaineers,
or hard-core
trekkers. Like us, they spent more time
traversing the majestic countryside by mini-bus than on foot, providing
for trips that were family-friendly and not physically demanding.
While there are
opportunities to do some serious hiking and whitewater rafting in
Bhutan, that’s not what we signed up for. We were here to witness
some of the most magnificent scenery on Earth and engage with a culture
unlike our own.
I
was most surprised at how fascinated the boys became with the
Buddhist faith that’s so omnipresent in the Kingdom.  Initially, I was
concerned that the kids would be completely disinterested in the
scheduled visits to various temples, monasteries, and dzongs
(fortresses that serve as
the religious, administrative, and social centers of their district).
Instead, they embraced the whole experience and were completely
captivated by the
statues, prayer wheels, and ceremonial offerings.  At our last stop in
Paro, Stefan even arranged a shrine in our hotel room with all the
items we picked up along the way, complete with Buddhas, incense,
offering bowls, prayer beads and flags, cymbals and bells. I
wonder just how much interest in this he’ll retain as the trip goes
on.
Regardless, Carol and I to got to see an aspect of our
children we had never really seen before - their spiritual side. This seemed to
confirm what we’ve been feeling since this trip began, that we are
truly blessed.
Up next:  Part 2 of Bhutan - Gross National Happiness
Photos by Rainer Jenss
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Le Musée du Louvre? Ici? Oui!
