Wednesday, October 23, 2024
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Plenty of time this morning to explore the
Tashi Namgay Resort; plenty of Alstroemeria sp |
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| Indoor and outdoor swimming pools |
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| The outdoor pool and a rain chain |
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| Zephyranthes candida/Autumn Zephyrlily |
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All the resort roofs seemed to be metal, but covered
with boards and stones to weight them down |
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Gourd vine in the garden down
by the river, but it smelled like sewage |
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| Zinnia elegans |
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| Interesting seat and table |
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| Forsythia sp |
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| Penstemon hartwegii |
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| Bracteanta bracteata/Everlasting Daisy |
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Looking over the goldfish pond to the
covered bridge |
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| Ceratostigma willmottianum/Chinese Plumbago |
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| Riverside pavilion |
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| The "beach" |
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| Reception and dining room building |
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| Passing the airport again on our way into town |
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We had some free time before lunch; Cordyceps sinensis/
caterpillar fungus is a parasitic fungus used in traditional
medicine to boost energy, reduce fatigue, and increase libido |
In Bhutan, it is harvested in
Thitarodes sp/Ghost Moth larvae, where the fungus mummifies the body underground and grows a fruit body from the larva's head. The fruit body/mushroom protrudes only a centimeter above the ground. The whole of the larva body is carefully dug out. Bhutan limits harvesting of cordyceps to one month due to its scarcity, and it is found at certain elevations in northern Bhutan.
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An over-sized model of Cordyceps,
the most expensive fungus in the world;
you can eat them raw, steep them as a
tea or infusion, or add to soups and sauces |
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| Town Square prayer wheel |
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| Chhoeten Lhakhang/Chapel |
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| Chhoeten Lhakhang's yak butter lamp annex |
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| The yak butter lamps leave soot on the windows |
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| Persimmon |
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| Rinpung Dzong/Fortress |
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| Wine bottle covers and a solar-powered prayer wheel |
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| Letter box |
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| Pat P poses with Ugen, a driver, Kinga, and the second driver |
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The airport terminal was an art gallery;
this was the view I wanted to see of
Taktsang Goemba/Tiger's Nest Monastery |
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Three Gems of Bhutan-Brokpa (2022, by,
Ugyen Tshering Doya); the Brokpa are a
semi-nomadic yak-herding tribe |
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| Lungta/Wind Horses are usually represented by prayer flags |
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| Gate 3 |
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| Druk Air ATR 42-500 plane |
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Three Gems of Bhutan-Layap (2022, by
Ugyen Tshering Doya); the Layap are a
semi-nomadic yak-herding tribe living in the
highest settlement in Bhutan at 3,820 m/12,533 |
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The tail of the Druk Air plane sports the Bhutanese flag;
we now have a three-hour flight to Bangkok, Thailand |
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The folded napkin for our Farewell
Dinner at Amaranth Suvarnabhumi
Airport Hotel in Bangkok; we almost
skipped the dinner that began at 21:00 |
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| But finally something a little different: Thai cuisine (KSS) |
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| Another spacious hotel room |
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| Bathroom |
So began the 32-hour journey home. Bangkok to Hong Kong, then to Los Angeles,
and finally a red-eye flight to Philly.
Friday, October 25, 2024
Arrived home at 7:45. Overall a great trip!
