* * Bhutan may be the world's most appealing country

Bhutan is enchanting!

You may remember from last week's article, I was in Nepal for the first time. As fascinating as it was, I was thrilled to board a plane in Kathmandu and head east to the Dragon Kingdom of Bhutan.

Sandwiched between India on the east, south and west and the monstrous Himalayas to the north, Bhutan is one of the world's least visited nations. 

But ironically, it is one of the easiest, most intriguing places for Americans to go. More on that in a moment.

I had a window seat on our flight, the massive Himalayas to our left, including the highest on earth, Everest, snowcapped and gleaming in the morning sunshine, plumes of snow wafting into the rarefied air.

Our Druk Air Royal Bhutan Airlines, jet made a curving approach to the runway in Paro, literally the only international airport in the nation. Ours was the only plane on the tarmac.

Thus our exploration began of this most mysterious country. The landscape reminded me of western Colorado, high, dry mountains with snowcapped peaks in the distance. Strings of prayer flags rippled from buildings and trees. 

It was cold and windy when our buses delivered us to the 177 foot tall Buddha statue on a hillside overlooking the capital of Thimphu, snuggled in a valley too tight and winding to have its own airport.

One of the first things you notice is that all the buildings are richly decorated, inside and out, with carvings and paintings of tigers, dragons, other animals and figures from their Buddhist religion. Many of the people wear traditional garb. The elegant gho is required for men to wear on all special occasions and by all government workers.

I can't begin to tell you about all the fantastic experiences, but here's a sampling from just one day.

We toured Thimphu's farmers market, fascinating, with a cornucopia of fruits, vegetables, and fish. Then we watched an archery competition, shooting traditional bamboo arrows an amazing 145 meters (1.5 X a football field) at a target maybe 24" in diameter -- archery is the national sport. We created a 10,000 foot pass with a skyline of 20,000 foot peaks in the distance, then descended to 5000 feet to the unparalleled Punakha Dzong, Bhutan's most famous and picturesque temple. We finished the day walking across a canyon on a cable bridge 520 feet long. 

Bhutan is a kingdom, rigidity controlled. Tobacco is forbidden. So is private ownership of guns. All tourists must be escorted continuously and pay a $250 dialy fee for being in the country (which seems expensive, but it covers transportation, lodging, meals, and the guide). In spite of the restrictions, everyone loves the King, who seems to be a modest man, devoted to the welfare of the people. He made international news a few years ago by presenting to the United Nations the concept of Gross National Happiness as a more relevant index than Gross National Product.

Everyone I've met is genuinely friendly and warm, and most of the people speak English.  All the road signs are in English and many have gentle admonitions like, "No hurry, No worry."

The next day, we visited the Phobjikha Valley where stupendous black necked cranes spend the winter, migrating over the mountains from Tibet. From the edge of the valley, we could see dozens of these regal birds grazing in the wetlands. Our guide, Dorgee, is a handsome young man with a great sense of humor, and is an accomplished bird photographer who shared the photo of the cranes shown here.

Today we took a tough hike to the famous Tiger's Nest Monastery, one of Bhutan's most famous places, perched on a cliff 2000 feet above the valley floor. Fantastic!

Our visit to Bhutan will end soon and I will be on my way way to my next destination, Taiwan. But Bhutan has seared a tattoo of affection on my heart and I already look forward to my next visit.