Day 1, Nov. 11

Meet at Bangkok hotel bar for a pre-Sojourn nightcap.  Make new friends with other Sojourners. Pop some melatonin and get to bed early for the morning flight to Paro, Bhutan. Or stay up all night in a caffeine-fueled frenzy and we’ll see you at breakfast.

Day 2, Nov. 12

Flight to Paro, Bhutan where we’ll meet the terrific people I’m working with at Breathe Bhutan, our in-country guides.  We’ll check into our hotel, splash a little water on our faces and head out to visit Paro Dzong, a tower known as “Fortress on a Heap of Jewels.” If you can stomach Keanu Reeves wearing way too much eyeliner, you can spot the tower and surrounding scenery in the movie, “Little Buddha.”

Now, it’s on to learn about the creative traditions of Bhutan’s past as we spend some time at the Paro National Museum.  (The original museum building was damaged in an earthquake in 2011, so we’ll see the collection in an adjacent building.)

You’ll notice that “earthquake damage” is a theme in many of our Bhutan destinations. Bring clean underwear in case we have to make a run for it.

I kid…….seriously….:)

Book discussion over dessert (chocolate, I hope) and coffee.

Meals:  Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
Overnight:  Gangtey Palace

Day 3, Nov. 13

Flight to Bumthang, a verdant, modern-day Shangri-La province in eastern Bhutan.  How old were you when you first read the novel, “Shangri La”? I was in 5th grade and I’ve never forgotten it.  If you missed it, add it to the reading list I’ve created for the trip. There will be a quiz.

We’ll drop our bags at our hotel and then go exploring, taking in the serene valleys and secluded villages of a landscape that was carved out by glaciers.

Our day will include a visit to Jambay Lhakhang, where, legend has it, a nice king had it in for an evil spirit, so he ordered the construction of this temple in 659 AD.

We’ll continue on to Kurje Lhakhang, a monastery and trio of temples on the banks of a river and one of Bhutan’s most sacred pilgrimage sites for devout Buddhists.

Once we’ve refreshed, we’ll gather for an evening meal and a book discussion over dessert. (Chocolate, I hope.)

Meals:  Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
Overnight:  Oyen Choling

Day 4, Nov. 14

Here’s where you get a workout in those hiking boots you lugged halfway around the world.  We’ll drive to the remote Tang Valley and embark on our first hike of the adventure, making our way up to Kunzhang Dra Monastery.  It’s easy. Don’t worry. Just a couple of bungie jumps and one rappel down the mountainside. Just kidding. This is an easy to moderately easy hike.

The monastery and temple are believed to have been founded by Pema Lingpa, a Bhutanese saint and king.  Along the way, we’ll learn about the history of Bhutan’s Buddhist kings and the traditions of life in Bhutan over generations as we admire the cloud-tipped mountains and pastoral countryside.  

Next, we’ll visit the Ogyen Choling Palace and Museum, the former residence of a family who were the descendants of a Buddhist teacher who lived in the 1500s.  We’ll see cultural and historic objects, preserved by the Ogyen Choling Foundation so that visitors can understand what it was like to live in a Bhutanese manor in ancient times.  I have a feeling the men had it better than the women, but we’ll find out.  

Once we’ve dusted the trail dust off our boots, we’ll gather for a meal and a book conversation over dessert (chocolate, I hope.)   

Meals:  Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
Overnight:  Ogyen Choling Guesthouse.

Day 5, Nov. 15

We’ll rise early and be served a gourmet breakfast on silver platters… Seriously, we’ll fuel up for the day and drive to the Phobjikha Valley, where glaciers carved out this really cool bowl-shaped valley, through which two rivers meander.  

If we’re lucky, we’ll catch a glimpse of the endangered black-necked cranes.  There are only 5000 remaining birds in the wild and I’m told they are a sight to see:  four feet tall with long gangly legs and red splotches near their beaks. They migrate to the valley from the upper Tibetan plateau each year and circle the Gangtey Monastery upon their arrival.  

We’re also going to circle the Gangtey Monastery, a traditional building that sits on a small hill above the valley floor, where we’ll offer the gift of butter lamps to the monks.  

We’ll talk about our impressions of the trip so far over dinner and dessert (chocolate, I hope) and spend the night at a mountain lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
Overnight:  Mountain lodge.

Day 6, Nov. 16

This is a day to work off all of that chocolate I’ve been feeding you, as we embark on a nature trail in the Phobjikha Valley. We’ll wind through pine-covered hills, bamboo forests and open plains. We’ll learn about the flora and wildlife of Bhutan and pause to take in the sweeping, magnificent views. We’ll descend through sprawling meadows and open farmland.

Our day will wrap up with a drive to Lobesa, where we’ll overnight in a hotel perched on the slopes of plantations that overlook a beautiful valley.  

We’ll share some journal entries and do an adventure-themed book exchange over dessert. (More chocolate, I hope)

Meals:  Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Overnight:  Hotel Lobesa.

Day 7, Nov. 17

We’ll immerse ourselves in rural Bhutan where citizens have maintained ancient traditions even as they’ve adopted some of the ways of the modern world.  Yep, they have cell phones.

As we visit several different villages and meet farmers with ancestral roots in the region, our guides will point out the traditional greetings and warm hospitality that characterizes life in these remote communities.  We are likely to be invited in for tea. “Such is Bhutanese hospitality,” our guides say. “They almost smother you with it.” Sounds lovely, doesn’t it?

One of the highlights of the day will be a visit to the Palace of Great Bliss or Punakha Dzong.  Built where two rivers come together in a beautiful valley, the palace is the second oldest dzong in Bhutan and it was a majestic setting for the marriage, in 2011, of Bhutan’s king and queen.

We’ll spend the night at an eco-farm that overlooks the Palace of Great Bliss, where the owners put a Bhutanese spin on the farm-to-table philosophy.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
Overnight: Dhumra Farm Resort

Day 8, Nov. 18

Hiking boots on again, because we’re beginning the day with an easy trek to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten, an elegant pagoda that was built to ensure spiritual protection and harmony.  Bhutanese sculptors and carpenters spent nine years building it under instructions given in scriptures.

We’ll continue to Phochu Dhumra Lobdra, where we’ll take tea with the monks and pepper them with questions about their lives in service to the sacred arts.  They’ll put up with us because they are patient, humble and charming people.

We’ll end our day at Namgay Heritage hotel in Thimphu, Bhutan’s impressive capital.

Meals:  Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
Overnight: Namgay Heritage.

Day 9, Nov. 19  

Not sure how we’ll cram everything in, because there is so much to see and do in Bhutan’s capital of Thimphu.  We’ll wander the stalls of the farmer’s market, soaking in the scents of flowers and vegetables, as we peruse what the 400-plus regional farmers have brought to sell.  The handicraft market nearby will be a great place to do some shopping for friends and family who are jealous of your spectacular adventure.

We’ll get a glimpse of the national sport of archery, which has been practiced in Bhutan for centuries.  Each archery team has their own group of singers and dancers and the trash-talk between the competitors is fierce.  They can also hold their liquor. Just watch….!

We’ll take in the most prominent landmark in the city, the National Memorial Chorten, which was built in the memory of the Third King of Bhutan, who is said to have ushered in the modern age of Bhutan.

After lunch, we’ll visit Bhutan’s seat of government, the Tashichhodzong.  (Say that three times fast). The original building sustained damage in several earthquakes and has gradually been enlarged and rebuilt over the decades.  Bhutan’s king has his office and throne room here too.

And there’s so much more.  But, for now, that’s classified, folks.….   

Meals:  Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
Overnight:  Namgay Heritage for 2 nights.

Day 10, Nov. 20

Ever heard of “glamping”?  Oprah is a big fan of glamorous camping so we’re going to follow O’s lead.  

But before we glamp, we’re going to trek.  We’ll catch glimpses of temples and take in magnificent mountain views as we picnic along the trail and gradually climb to our campsite at 3800 meters above sea level.  We’ll take tea at the camp and anyone who wants to continue will come along with me to an ancient sky burial site on the mountaintop.

What is sky burial?  Does the name Prometheus ring a bell?  Google it and you’ll get a visual on it.

We’ll end the day with a book discussion around the campfire.  I’ll be sure to pack plenty of marshmallows! And chocolate.

Day 11, Nov. 21

We’ll fry up some grub over an open fire and get back out on the trail, hiking to Taktshang or the Tiger’s Nest Monastery. Don’t worry.  Even though the trail climbs steadily, it is gradual and well-marked. And you don’t want to miss this! The Tiger’s Nest is “must-see TV,” Bhutan style.  It’s the photo you always see of Bhutan, where the monastery with its gleaming gold roofs and stunning whitewashed walls, clings to the side of a mountain.

The story goes that around 747 AD, Guru Padmasambhava hitched a ride on a tiger and flew to the cave to subdue the evil spirits and save the integrity of Buddhist teachings.  When his work was done, he needed a little me-time, so he meditated for 3 years, 3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days and 3 hours. That seemed like enough of a reason to build a monastery to him, and it has stood in the same place since 1692.

And if the fantastic photos you’ll get here aren’t enough of a reward, you may want to climb into a large wooden tub for a hot stone bath.  The Bhutanese consider these baths a delightful mix of medicine and mysticism, and believe that they can heal not only tired feet, but high blood pressure, stomach problems and arthritis.

Meals: Breakfast & lunch.  Dinner in Paro together or on your own.  

And chocolate.

Day 12, Nov. 22

Breathe Bhutan will wave us off at the Paro airport and we’ll wing our way back to Bangkok where I will  (regretfully) catch a flight home to the US.

You may want to extend your trip in Bangkok.  The rest of us will be home in plenty of time for Turkey Day.