Himalayan Happiness – WANDERLUSTER

May – June 2013

Intro

Tibet. Nepal. Bhutan. Another epic trip that I’ve dreamed of for years!

Tibet, I’ve wanted to see ever since I was a kid, hooked on Tintin comic books (especially ‘Tintin in Tibet’!). Nepal — thanks to ‘Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego’, I’ve always wanted to go to Kathmandu, as it seemed like she was always hiding there! Bhutan had fascinated me

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as well, ever since I’d learned that it was a ‘forbidden country’, and closed to the outside world.

The time had finally come to see them all for myself. Tibet‘s status had been in flux in recent years, changing from closed to open to closed again. I took a chance and was lucky to find it just barely open again when I was hoping to visit. Even still, I would only know if I’d been granted a Tibet travel permit upon arrival in Chengdu where I would (or would not) catch a flight to Lhasa the next morning! Nepal has been open and welcoming for years, and wasn’t a problem. Even Bhutan, relatively new to tourism, was wide open after decades of isolation – its tourism industry strictly controlled but highly promoted as a model of sustainable tourism — and proud to showcase its philosophy of Gross National Happiness to the rest of the world.

The Potala Palace in Lhasa is an absolute wonder, towering over the city – and seeing it firsthand ranks as one of the highlights of my life. Trying to sleep while freezing in a tent at the base of Mount Everest also ranks high up there, with the journey to Everest being just as memorable as being there! Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley was a pleasure to explore, as it holds the enviable designation as having the highest concentration of World Heritage Sites in the world, with no less than seven! And finally Bhutan – what can I say about Bhutan. There is so much I want to gush about, but — in one word? Utopia. In a few words? One of the most fascinating and beautiful countries I have ever visited.

While those three countries were the definitive highlights, I also spent some time exploring cool and clean Sikkim (where plastic bags are forbidden!), sampled the best tea in the world in Darjeeling, and visited the exquisite Victoria Memorial in the cultural and intellectual capital of India, Kolkata. I was inundated with the sights, smells, sounds and excitement of Bangladesh’s crazy capital, Dhaka, spent a day and night enjoying Taipei’s monuments and great street food in Ximending, and finished off the trip with a visit to China’s incredibly modern cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou, enjoying their mélange of lively public spaces and exciting modern architecture.

Journey Map

Galleries

Hong Kong

Chengdu

Lhasa

Drepung + Sera

Potala Palace

Yamdrok-Tso

Kharo-La Pass

Gyantse + Shigatse

Lhatse + Tingri

Mount Everest

Nyalam + Zhangmu

Arniko Highway

Boudhanath

Kathmandu I

Kathmandu II

Patan

Bhaktapur

Bandipur + Gorkha

Manakamana

Paro Valley

Tiger’s Nest

Punakha

Thimphu

Bhutan to Bengal

Gangtok

Sikkim

The Toy Train

Darjeeling

Darjeeling to Dhaka

Dhaka City

National Assembly

Sonargaon

Kolkata

Taipei

Shenzhen

Guangzhou

Featured Image

Yamdrok Yumtso, Tibet

Yamdrok Yumtso, or Yamdrok Lake, is a gorgeous freshwater lake 100 kilometers from Lhasa, with incredibly sparkling blue water and a claim to fame as one of Tibet’s four divine lakes. The air here is so clean and fresh, and the views are magnificent. Oh, right, and I’m riding a yak.

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Jul 26

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Sonargaon, Bangladesh (Jun. 2003) - met this little guy in #sonargaon who let me in his house to see the view over the crumbling mansions in the `lost city` of panam nagar outside of #dhaka ...

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Feb 20

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Sonargaon, Bangladesh (Jun. 2013) - the beautifully dilapidated yet still bright and colorful main street of old panam city in #sonargaon ...

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Apr 30

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Gorkha, Nepal (May 2013) - two #pigeon #lovebirds look into each others eyes on a ledge above a traditional intricately-carved #window, typical of #newari #architecture at the #beautiful #gorkha durbar in #nepal ...

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Feb 12

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Paro, Bhutan (May 2013) - absolutely one of the most extraordinarily #beautiful places on the planet, #paro taktsang, better known as the `tiger`s nest` #monastery, in amazing #bhutan ...

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Jan 24

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Patan, Nepal (May 2013) - #selfie during a #nepali #wedding at the beautiful #kumbeshwar #temple complex in #patan #nepal ...

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Feb 5

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Mount Everest, Tibet (May 2013) - finally made it to #everest, exactly 60 years to the month (May 1953!) that tenzing norgay and sir edmund hillary first summited! (...well, I made it to #everestbasecamp of course - I`m no climber!!) ...

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Mar 2

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Kharo-La Pass, Tibet (May 2013) - a simple white #stupa strung with colorful #tibetan prayer flags, against a backdrop of #snow capped #mountains - one of the most peaceful and #beautiful scenes I have ever laid eyes on! ...

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Mar 10

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Lhasa, Tibet (May 2013) - the #dharmachakra (#wheeloflife) above an entrance to the #sera #monastery, with a backdrop of the beautiful #mountains north of #lhasa ...

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Mar 13

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Taoyuan, Taiwan (Jun. 2013) - the refreshingly clean and modern look of the newly-renovated arrival hall of terminal 1 at #taipei`s international #airport, actually located in the nearby city of #taoyuan ...

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May 21

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Paro, Bhutan (May 2013) - a #beautiful #chorten strewn with #colorful #prayerflags stands near the beginning of the steep trail to the #amazing tiger`s nest monastery, or #paro taktsang, #bhutan`s most impressive wonder ...

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