We left Thimphu two days ago and set out for Trongsa and Bumthang. It is a long, windy and bumpy drive with some fun stops along the way.  There are really only two main roads in Bhutan the “East-West” highway and theroad to the Indian border. We were  traveling on the “East-West” highway but let me be clear… it is a single lane paved road with gravel curves and it takes 8 hours to reach Trongsa! The people in the back were particularly happy to get off the bus that evening.

We arrived in Trongsa at the Yangkhil Resort in time for dinner. It was dark outside and we went to sleep not knowing that the morning light would greet us with one of the most spectacular views in Bhutan. The Yangkhil Resort is located on a mountain slope and in the morning the mist rises slowly from the valley and the first rays of sun touch down on the impressive Trongsa Dzong. Magical!

Another 3 hour drive took us to Bumthang and the wonderful Mountain Lodge, owned by Mr. Karmaand his family. It is a charming little wooden lodge where every room comes with a small wooden stove. In the afternoon we visited Jambay Lhakang and took a leisurely walk through the farms to Kurjey Lhakang.

This evening Jigme (our wonderful monk) gave us yoga/breathing instructions followed by sitting meditation and a talk by Judy Lief on the practice of meditation.

We will go off early tomorrow morning at 7.00 a.m.  to join a Puja in one of the local monasteries. This will give the group a chance to sit with the monks while they are chanting! What a great way to start the day!

And, before I forget it, I wanted to mention the 4 pillars of Gross National Happiness which were explained to us by Mr. Karma, the head of the Commission for GNH. They are: Good Governance, Economic Sustainability, Cultural Preservation, Environmental Preservation. Driving through the country side with school children waving at our bus, looking at a pristine environment, farmers working in their villages (happily) and visiting living monasteries, one cannot help but think that maybe Bhutan did discover the secret to happiness!