BHUTAN

Dear Friends,
I have arrived! Not in the Western sense of attaining all that capitalism tells us to strive for, but in the physical sense. I'm actually in Bhutan. Where to start, where to start?

The journey was tough, but I knew that would be the case. It went something like this: Chicago to Tokyo (13 hours), layover 4 hours, Tokyo to Bangkok (6 hours) layover 7 hours, Bangkok to Dhaka (Bangladesh) to Paro (3 hours) stop in Dhaka 30 minutes. So needless to say, when I got here I was exhausted.

Trip 1: Chicago to Tokyo: I flew Japan Air Lines. The plane was not too crowded so in the group of three seats, I had the window, the middle was empty and on the aisle was a wonderful 75 year young retired teacher from Kuala Lampor (sp?). Once we got started talking, we spoke of everything from politics to religion to education in our respective countries. She was a wonderful seat companion. She kept apologizing for her English pronunciation, but for the most part, I was able to understand her completely. She and her husband were returning from a 4 month visit to one of her sons and his family who live in Peoria. Another son and his family had flown over from Libya for a visit and they all went to Vegas. She said she had never seen anything quite like Vegas. I told her that most Americans have never seen anything like Vegas either.

Trip 1 layover: Tokyo: A few people from the first flight where laying over to board the next flight to Bangkok. I got to talking with a 20 something Thai student who was studying at University of Illinois at Chicago for his MBA. We discussed specific English issues that he was experiencing. I hope I helped. He was returning home to Bangkok for 4 days to manage some business ventures that his family is involved in. Our discussion shed a great deal of light on Thailand and it's current affairs.

Trip 2: Tokyo to Bangkok: Not much exciting happened on this flight. I sat next to a young man who spoke little English, thus the communication was limited.

Trip 2 layover: Bangkok: This was difficult. By this time I was totally exhausted and was not looking forward to spending 7 hours in the Bangkok airport at night. It, too, was uneventful.

Trip 3 Bhutan: This was, by far, the best part of the trip. While waiting in the ticket line, I struck up a conversation with a Bhutanese man. As it turned out, he works for the Ministry of Communication and provided me with valuable insight into the workings of the Govt as well as the people of the country. I had chosen to fly first class (I know, I know) because the luggage allowance was considerably more. It was in the ticketing line that BCF teachers started appearing and introducing themselves. All of the teachers had booked first class so we were all together to experience the ride of a lifetime.

I have been on many plane rides, but this one into Bhutan was one that I will always remember. Because the terrain is mountainous, only one airline, Druk Air, flies into Paro. Now I know why! As we approached the mountains which popped up out of the clouds as if whipped cream peaks had been placed on a sea of cotton, it became more clear that the approach and landing would be interesting. I was not disappointed. The pilot wove the plane through numerous twists and turns getting lower and lower with each turn. The houses and buildings became more clear the closer we got to the ground. The excitement in first class was overwhelming with teachers commenting on everything they were seeing. To say that the pilot was able to thread the needle would be correct. Touchdown was smooth and being the only plane, we taxied right up to the disembarkment area. The terminal is breathtaking, truly one magnificent example of Bhutanese architecture. Entry into the country was relatively painless since we were led to the "Officials and Diplomats" line! The BCF staff welcoming committee, Karma and Meena, welcomed each of us and helped us collect our belongings and exchange money. It was so nice to finally be here.

Currently I am in the mind frame of going slow and steady to allow for my internal clock to readjust. So, in the mean time, I will be signing off from Paro, Bhutan, having finally arrived.