Cutthroat trout.

My fingertips are bleeding, sliced raw by the sharp little teeth of wild cutthroat trout. The fly I’m using is all chewed-up too, a hopper pattern that’s been reduced to a little yarn and loose thread on the slim shank of a barbless hook. Dew is dry and the mountain sun has climbed high over the rim of the Lamar valley.

Still, the fish keep biting.

Fly-fishing can be an art, but my tactics are industrial. I’ve only got one leader, the thin piece of monofilament to which the fly is tied. That’s not enough line to allow for changing patterns, and with camp still five miles up-trail, there’s no time to bother about fancy casts.

Instead, when the trail curves close to the river I set my pack against a dry pine log, change leather hiking boots for rubber water shoes and pick my way to the middle of the stream.

There’s no one to help if I slip or turn an ankle, so I move carefully across the riverbed, concentrating on each cold braid of current.

All I hear and sense and smell and feel is water and air and the dull musical growl of river rocks tumbling downriver in summer snowmelt from the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.

Lamar River cut.

I’m utterly content and totally alone.

Firm-footed at the head of a riffle, I loosen a loop of line and let it drift downstream so that the fly sinks deep into the pool below.

Two red-tailed hawks wheel overhead.

Three times they cry before I begin my retrieve, stripping line home with smooth pulls, alert to the flash of gold on blue that marks the commencement of frantic communion with pure wild energy, beauty and fear.

The trout hits. Everything tightens. Heavy and confused, it turns in the current, then leaps clear.

I raise the rod-tip, taking in slack as fast as I can until the fish catches sight of me and shoots downstream in a panic once more.

When the fish is played out I hold her for a moment in still water by the riverbank. She’s a handsome cutthroat, nearly 18 inches long, the blood-orange slash under her jaw so vivid it seems to pulse.

Captivated, I unhook the fly and gradually loosen my grip on the fish.

As time shifts back to normal we both hold still, slowly returning to ourselves, recovering in this moment of release.

The trout finds her freedom and darts back into the flow.

I sit in the sun until my feet are dry. Then I put on my socks, lace up my boots, hoist my pack and set off down the trail, yelling “YO!” at intervals to let the bears know I’m coming.

Buffalo by Cache Creek.

The Lamar is a tributary of the Yellowstone River that forms a broad valley in the Northeast corner of the National Park.

A lot of people visit Yellowstone, but few venture far into the backcountry. The Lamar valley is one of the wildest areas of the region, home to herds of buffalo, the Druid wolf pack and several grizzly bears, including one notorious silver-tip known as the Tent Smasher.

Although I never encountered a bear, the presence of Ursus Horribilis permeated the atmosphere of my trip, making me jump each time a manic chipmunk skittered through the underbrush.

While hiking I kept a canister of pepper spray strapped to my belt like a sidearm. At camp I hung my food well away from my tent and lay still for a time before sleep, alert to the noises of the night.

Lamar valley.

The pine forests of this valley went up in smoke during the epic 1988 Yellowstone fire and are now in an early stage of rebirth, making the valley feel like an overgrown Christmas tree farm.

The regenerative landscape is perfect habitat for buffalo and grizzly bears, but mostly, the Lamar valley is perfect habitat for fly-fishermen. I honestly didn’t think trout fishing got this good outside Alaska or New Zealand.

The river is just the right size for fly-fishing, big enough to hold large trout, but small enough so that even novice fishermen will have a pretty good idea where the fish are holding.

The Park Service has set up designated backcountry campsites along the river, each complete with fire-pit and bear-bagging station. These campsites are set far enough from the trail to feel isolated – not that crowds will be a problem.

The only people I met in the backcountry were Park Rangers, who made sure I had the proper permits.

Near Livingston, MT

Notes on fishing the Lamar River:

The most logical way to approach the Lamar is by way of Livingston, Montana. Have a Moose Drool draft in the bar of the Murray Hotel then walk down the block to Dan Bailey’s fly-shop to buy whatever gear you need and pick up a Park fishing license.

The Coffee Crossing in downtown Livingston is the spot for a mean Espresso. I also need to give a shout-out to Mark’s In & Out Beef-Burger Stand, the perfect place to stock up on calories before hitting the backcountry.

From Livingston, drive South through the Paradise Valley to Yellowstone country and the entrance town of Gardiner. This is your last chance to buy any gear you forgot to purchase in Livingston. The entrance fee for the Park is $25 per vehicle.

Park Headquarters are located just down the road from Gardiner in Mammoth. This is the place to pick up your backcountry camping permit.

You’ll need to tell the ranger where you’ll be camping for each night in the backcountry. There are several sites on the Lamar, and when I went mid-week in July most were available.

Permits are free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis, but it’s also possible to reserve a site in advance for a fee of $20.

When you pick up your permit, the ranger will give you the low-down on
bear activity, fire danger and directions to the trailhead. It’s about a 40 minute drive from Mammoth to Soda Butte, where the Lamar trail begins.

Here is a link to Park Service information on fishing in Yellowstone. The fishing season in Yellowstone runs from Memorial Day to early November, but the best time to plan your trip is between July and September.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION:

Matador loves Montana travel.

Check out articles on cycling Montana, hiking Montana, kayaking Montana and the best spots for spring fly-fishing in the Big Sky state.

There are plenty of travel risks worth taking.

The most valuable risk is the decision to travel in the first place, to open yourself up to the world and challenge your most basic assumptions about how best to live.

But although the act of travel is fundamentally safe, there are some risks that travelers should avoid. Certain activities are indeed dangerous, while others simply lack the reward to justify the risk.

Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or a bright-eyed backpacker, here are ten travel risks that aren’t worth taking.

Going Barefoot

Last month I was reclining on a pristine white sand beach, desperately trying to get my student’s foot to stop spurting blood.

We were 3 hours from the Cambodian mainland, but even in this isolated paradise there was a broken bottle hidden in the sand.

Going barefoot anywhere is asking for injury, and cuts on the feet are especially prone to serious infection. Don’t go barefoot. Wear all-purpose sandals like Keens, Chacos, or Tevas at all times.

Making a Big Commitment Too Soon

Surfing the internet at 3 am, you find a brand new mongoose rehabilitation program in Angola. Since reading Kipling’s short story about Rikitikitavi in the Jungle Book, it’s been your dream to work with endangered mongeese. Yippee!

To reserve your spot, you need to make a deposit and sign a contract committing to one year in Angola…but hold your horses.

Before committing to any volunteer program, group tour or overseas job, take the time to do some serious research. Due diligence early on could save you a lot of angst and money in the long run.

The best strategy is often to travel independently until you find a program that you can assess first-hand before making a commitment.

Otherwise you might find yourself paying 43 times the average Angolan salary to breastfeed orphaned mongeese – and those little buggers have sharp teeth.

Riding Motor-Bikes

There’s a reason your travel insurance policy doesn’t cover motor-bike accidents: the two wheeled menaces are freaking dangerous.

A friend of mine once worked in an emergency room. After two weeks on the job, he sold his motorcycle. “There were just too many people coming in with crushed skulls, road rash and broken legs,” he said.

If you do ride a motor-bike, be sure to wear a helmet and watch out for the muffler, which can leave a nasty burn on your inner calf.

Photo by andydoro

Buying Illegal Drugs

So you’ve never seen the inside of a foreign prison? Good. Keep it that way.

Buying illegal drugs when you don’t know who you’re dealing with or what you’re getting is an enormous risk.

Soft drugs like marijuana are pretty harmless, but actually buying drugs means dealing with sketchy hustlers who have no qualms about making a few extra dollars by turning you in to the police or selling you adulterated product.

Gambling in Casinos

Never mind the fact that casino gambling is a great way to lose money.

Especially in poor countries, casinos are nasty places. Profits are funneled to the gangster elite, sexual slavery flourishes, and locals who struggle to get by are treated to the sight of high-rollers throwing around $100 chips.

Have some respect for the locals and for yourself, and don’t patronize casinos.

Photo by Idol

Booking Tight Connections

Eager to get to Angola, you go online to book transportation. An American Airlines flight from New York to Lisbon gets in at 4 pm, which gives you plenty of time to catch the 8 pm Angola Air flight to Luanda, via Dakar, Nairobi and Capetown.

Isn’t it amazing how easy world travel has become in the age of intercontinental flights?

Well, yes, but getting from New York to Angola without any mishaps along the way is never a sure thing.

What happens when your flight to Lisbon is delayed just long enough for you to miss your Dakar connection? You could easily get stranded and lose a lot of money.

When booking overseas travel, especially when switching between airlines, it’s important to leave plenty of time to cover unexpected delays. Why not give yourself a few days to explore Lisbon before jetting off to Angola? The mongeese will survive without you.

Flaunting Wealth

Traipsing the streets of a foreign city with an iPhone in your hand, a fancy watch on your wrist and a healthy bulge in your back pocket is obnoxious and stupid. One of the most valuable lessons travel teaches is humility, and you’ll find it easier to interact with the locals if you dress and act modestly.

As a foreign tourist, you’re already a target for scam artists and thieves – don’t give the bad guys any extra incentive to rob you by flaunting the bling.

Photo by cambiodefractal

Getting Wasted

I’m all for having a few drinks while traveling, but there’s a big difference between getting buzzed and getting wasted. Weaving down a dark street in a sketchy part of town late at night after drinking too much alcohol will make you an easy target.

Trusting Tourist Touts

In general, you should trust the locals. Keeping an open mind and taking people at their word will often lead to warm friendships and memorable travel experiences.

One important exception are the tourist touts, people who make a living by ripping off naïve travelers. Touts are people too, and there’s no need to get rude with them, but remember that they’re desperate to make a buck however they can and don’t have your best interests in mind.

A good rule of thumb is that the sooner someone calls you “my friend” the more they will try to scam you.

Not Buying Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is a necessity. You need travel insurance. If you get sick or injured, if your things are stolen, if you need to cancel your trip or if you need an evacuation, it’s essential to have an insurance company backing you up.

Travel insurance is cheap and easy to get. There’s no excuse not to buy a policy. If you’re traveling and don’t have insurance, you should get coverage right now – it takes less than 15 minutes.

I get my travel insurance through World Nomads, an affordable and reliable provider. If you haven’t bought a policy yet, follow this link to check out your options.

Safe Travels!

Feature photo by Tim Patterson. Photo above by Ben.

Here are ten risks travelers can’t afford not to take:

Pick a destination on a whim.

There are no uninteresting destinations, only incurious travelers. Sure, New Jersey might not be as enthralling as Baja, but there’s nothing wrong about exploring a place that will never be a hot new destination.

For every Cancun and Las Vegas there are 10,000 places that might not be famous, but are fascinating and enjoyable. For some unique ideas, check out 5 Places To Visit Now For Authentic Experiences.

Trust in your ability to earn money on the road.

Wondering if you have enough money in the bank to travel? Relax.

With a little effort, faith and know-how, world travel can be cheap, easy and fun. If you cut up your credit cards and hit the road with no money and no debts, (but maybe a little travel insurance) you’re already financially better off than a lot of Americans.

For practical strategies on how to sustain your travels, check out the articles How To Travel For Free and 25 Ways To Earn Money When You’re Broke On The Road.

Photo by Dane.

Decline anti-malaria medication.

I travel a lot in Southeast Asia, where most travelers take drugs every day to protect themselves from malaria.

Now, I’m no doctor (and nobody at Matador assumes any responsibility if you catch malaria), but let me say this: hundreds of millions of people live in Southeast Asia. The vast majority of them never contract malaria. The only people taking anti-malaria drugs every morning are cautious travelers from rich countries.

Most anti-malaria drugs are expensive and their side effects are potentially nasty. Unless you’re going to travel rough in a part of the world where a deadly strain of malaria is common, like rural areas of West Africa, I don’t think you need to bother with anti-malaria meds.

Trust in the kindness of strangers.

Almost all people I encounter in my travels are good-hearted, hospitable and sincere. I find it tragic when travelers let paranoia get in the way of authentic experience and profound connection with the locals.

Ironically, the travelers who shrink away from strangers the most tend to stay in tourist zones, which is where the highest proportion of scam artists, petty thieves and dodgy characters prey on naïve foreigners.

Get out of the tourist zone, stay in tune with your instincts and trust people who seem sincere.

Photo by Dane.

Challenge your preconceptions.

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard

The biggest and potentially most rewarding travel risk you can take is to use the new experience as a lens to reexamine your basic beliefs and assumptions. Travel is an opportunity to gain perspective, not only about the world at large, but also about your life back home.

Ask yourself questions. Reevaluate your lifestyle in light of new experience. Be honest with yourself, and stay open to the possibility that your travels will change you in profound ways.

Try new food.

In this day and age it’s possible to travel around the world and order familiar food from English menus the whole time. Heck, you could travel around the world and eat only at American fast food chains.

Pico Iyer, one of the great contemporary travel writers, is a timid eater who likes to eat at McDonalds when he travels. Mr. Iyer gets a free pass. The rest of us get a great deal of pleasure out of good food, and should never pass up local delicacies while traveling.

Eating local is a good way to keep travel expenses low. Moreover, popular regional dishes usually feature fresh ingredients and are prepared by a cook who knows how to make the food taste great.

Sure, you might get a diarrhea from gobbling up street food, but a few runny poops are a small price to pay for the experience of sampling a global cornucopia of flavors.

Photo by Ross.

Communicate without a common language.

Many travelers are too shy and hesitant to launch into conversation without a common language. In truth, communication is more a matter of smiles than words, and locals will be thrilled by the friendliness of foreigners who attempt to say hello.

Better yet, make the effort to learn a bit of the local language. Check out 7 Steps To Learn A Foreign Language On The Road.

Brush your teeth with the tap water.

Photo by Ben.

Again, I’m no doctor. But if you’re going to stay in one place for a while, your body will have to get used to the local bacteria at some point.

Drinking bottled or treated water is important, but a little tap water when you brush your teeth won’t kill you. In fact, it probably contains a tiny dose of bacteria that will help your insides adjust to their germy new friends.

Maybe my theory about teeth-brushing is preposterous. But I use the tap water wherever I go.

Pursue a travel romance.

Ah, the travel romance…there’s nothing quite like getting swept off your feet in a foreign country. Although it’s important to respect local customs regarding gender roles, dating and intimacy, there’s always the possibility of romance with a fellow traveler.

WorldHum recently ran a great feature on travel romance: 7 Reasons to Have A Foreign Fling.

For advice on where to go to get it on, check out Hostel Sex: A Practical Guide For Backpackers.

Ignore your e-mail for weeks.

You won’t miss it.

Community Connection

For more blogs from the author and other members of the Matador Community, check out our blogs here.

Photo by Gina

World travel is cheap and easy. In fact, with a little practice and effort, you can travel the world for free.

The idea that travel is expensive and difficult is bullshit peddled by tour companies, hotel chains and corporate media.

The tourism industry wants you to buy cruise packages and stay at all-inclusive resorts.

They want you to choose a travel experience the same way you would choose a new jacket at the mall. They want your Credit Card number.

The tourism industry doesn’t want me to reveal the simple secrets of free travel, but I’m going to share them with you anyway.

It can be scary to venture into the world with nothing more than optimism and good-will, but personal freedom begins with a leap of faith.

1. Embrace the Simple Joy of Travel

Travel frees you from the grind of daily routine. You will explore new places, meet new people, try new foods and learn things about the world – and yourself – that you never imagined were possible.

The joy of new experience is the most wonderful thing about travel – and new experiences are free. Walk the streets of a city. Stop and chat with a local. People watch in a public park. Climb to the top of a hill and watch the sun set over the ocean.

The simple joy of being in a new place is just a matter of…wait for it…going someplace new. No tour package required.

2. Keep Your Needs To A Minimum

The modern American economy is built on the false premise that people need to buy new goods and services all the time. Again, I call bullshit.

People need fresh air, healthy food, clean water, exercise, creative stimulation, companionship, self-esteem and a safe place to sleep.

All of these things are simple to obtain. Most of them are free.

For fresh air, go outside. For exercise, take a walk. For creative stimulation, go somewhere new. For companionship, make a friend. For self esteem, turn off your TV, breathe deep and open your spirit to the basic goodness of the world.

Things like food and shelter are much cheaper once you get outside the United States. See # 5 below for ways to obtain food and shelter for free.

3. Go Slow

Cambodian Coast . photo by Ryan Libre

If you live in New York and want to take a 2 week vacation to Africa, it will be very difficult (though not impossible, see number eight) to travel for free.

Indeed, as long as you believe that time is money, you will spend money all the time.

Time is not money. Time is free. You have all the time in the world.

Instead of buying a plane ticket, catch a ride out West, or remodel an old sailboat, or just hop on your bike and ride away from town. The slower you travel, the less money you will spend.

4. Leave Your Possessions and Obsessions Behind

When you travel, you don’t need to pay rent. You don’t need a car. You don’t need an oven, a washer-dryer, electricity, Cable TV, a gym membership, a sofa and loveseat or a closet full of clothes.

You don’t need a suit and tie to wear to your job because you don’t need a job. You don’t need to worry about paying the bills, because there are no bills to pay.

You are free.

5. Trust People and you will Receive Free Food and Lodging

Many people are willing to open their homes to travelers. Chip in with a few chores, and they will give you a free meal, too.

CouchSurfing and WWOOF are two phenomenal online networks that help travelers connect with local hosts. CouchSurfing members are willing to give travelers a place to sleep for a night or two. WWOOF connects travelers with organic farmers who want to trade room and board for an extra hand.

Many members of both CouchSurfing and WWOOF are seeking an alternative to high-impact consumer culture.

6. Learn a Useful Craft or Skill

If you have a skill, such as cooking, animal husbandry, massage, musical ability or basic carpentry, you can barter for free food and accommodation as you travel.

Universally appreciated skills like cooking are best, though niche skills that are in high demand, like website design, are also useful. Native English speakers can often travel the world for free by teaching language classes in each destination they visit.

The slower you travel, the easier it will be to work out a mutually beneficial arrangement with a local community or host.

7. Get Out of the City

Although it’s possible to travel for free in a big city, it’s damn difficult. Cities are built on money, and necessities like fresh air, clean water and a safe place to sleep are difficult to come by in cities.

Go to the country, where people are more relaxed, food is plentiful and there’s ample room for one traveler to lay out her sleeping bag under the stars.

8. Find A Job You Love That Entails Travel

If you need an income in order to pay off loans or support a child, find a job that calls for extensive travel. There are millions of jobs available in the global economy that demand travel.

Of course, some jobs are easier to love than others, and much work that involves travel also involves the destruction of local ecosystems and traditional ways of life. Avoid unethical work if at all possible – it is bad for your health and worse for your soul.

For job ideas, check out the Travel and Adventure jobs section here at the Traveler’s Notebook.

9. Embrace Serendipity

Traveling the world for free requires a blend of advance planning and the willingness to seize opportunities and go with the flow.

Does your new CouchSurfing friend want company for a drive across the country? Grab your pack and ride along! Does an organic farm in Thailand need a farm sitter for the rainy season? Get in touch with Christian Shearer!

As Kurt Vonnegut wrote, “Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.”

Go Dancing.

UPDATE: How does $1,200 per month to travel in summer 2009 sound? There’s no catch – check out The Roads Scholarship, which Matador is co-sponsoring with The Digital Vagabond.

UPDATE: Read a response to this article at Brave New Traveler – The Tao of Vagabond Travel

What are your tips for cheap or free round the world travel? Share in the comments!

Child monks in Bhutan. Photo by Nathan Choe

Bhutan is the last of the independent Himalayan Buddhist kingdoms. Most Bhutanese still live a long walk from the road in big, beautiful farmhouses with terraced rice fields out front, red chili peppers drying on the roof, and white prayer flags snapping in the breeze.

Because of its unique geography, getting to Bhutan used to be practically impossible.The first roads in the country weren’t built until the 1960s, and only a handful of adventurers made it to the central valleys before 1974, when the first hotels were built to accommodate dignitaries arriving for the coronation ceremony of the current King.

At first the government ran the entire business itself, but eventually private companies were allowed to operate. These companies are all obliged to charge the same daily fee of $200. In 2008 Bhutan will implement a major political overhaul centered around democratic reforms. A lot of things will change, including the tourism regulations. The word now is that the $200 inclusive fee will be done away with in favor of a flat $100 government tax per tourist, per day, with all other expenses dictated by the market.

TOURISM IN BHUTAN – PRACTICAL INFORMATION

All visitors must use a registered tour company. The biggest is Bhutan Tourism Corporation Limited, owned in large part by the royal family. This is the company that organized our tour and I was extremely impressed by our guide, driver and the BTCL hotels.

The second biggest tour operator is called ETHO METHO, online at www.ethometho.com. You might also take a look at www.lingkor.com, the website of a tour company owned by a reincarnate Buddhist holy man turned entrepreneur who seems to remember partying with my Mom in New York City in the 1970s.

It’s quite easy to arrange individually tailored trips geared around a specific theme, such as birding, rafting, trekking or Buddhist studies.

Druk Airlines Plane tail and Zong. Photo by Nathan Choe

Transport

The flight to Bhutan has the best mountain views of any commercially scheduled flight in the world. Most likely jet-lagged into a daze, you’re suddenly jolted awake by adrenaline as you pass by the peak of Mt. Everest. Get a window seat.

Entering the country overland at Puenthsoling is an interesting option, because the 6 hour drive up the river valley gives you the experience of climbing through various eco-zones to the heart of the Himalayas. Visas are issued at this border as well as at the airport, but to get a visa you must be pre-registered with a tour. The cost is $20. Keep your ear to the ground regarding regulations at the new overland crossing between Southeastern Bhutan and Assam, which is exit-only for the time being.

Useful info.

The government mandated $200 daily fee must include everything except souvenirs and drinks, so you don’t need to worry about constantly bargaining. The Bhutanese currency, the ngultrum, is pegged to the Indian rupee, at an exchange of about 44 ng to $1. Rupees are also widely accepted. A bottle of water costs around 15 ng in town and 35 ng in hotels. A ten minute taxi ride in Thimphu is around 60 ng. Bhutan produces excellent rums, and you can buy a liter of Dragon Rum for around 100 ng in shops, more in hotels.

Souvenirs are rather expensive, both because the Bhutanese are used to dealing with wealthy tourists and because the quality of local crafts is excellent. Bhutan produces some beautiful textiles, lots of Buddhist art and interesting metalwork. The Thimphu market (Fri-Sun) is a good place to shop. Remember that it is illegal to bring any object over 100 years old out of the country. Save receipts.

You can change travelers checks and foreign currency at the airport, major hotels, and banks in Thimphu. Visa cards are usually accepted in stores that cater to tourists, but not elsewhere.

International calls are possible but expensive at most hotels, but the local mobile phone network within Bhutan is extensive. Slow internet access is available in Thimphu at around 70 ng per hour and you can also get online at a few of the larger provincial hotels, where it’s more expensive.

Electricity is 220 volts, and the plugs are large and three pronged. Bring an adaptor.

Eats

Most meals in the hotels are served buffet style. At dinner, the first course is soup, which the wait-staff will bring to your table. A big pot of rice is standard, usually accompanied by dishes that include pork or beef, a curry of some sort, steamed vegetables and baked or fried fish (watch out for bones), At the end of the line, there will often be a bowl full of Bhutan’s national dish, ema-datsi, or hot chili peppers in cheese sauce. Wickedly spicy!

The food isn’t bad, but it does get monotonous. It’s a good idea to bring some granola bars or trail mix from home for day hikes or long bus rides. Brave diners can try ready made market food, but be careful with chogo, dried cubes of yak cheese hard enough to break teeth.

Child spinning prayer wheels. Photo by Nathan Choe

Authentic Culture

Because travel within Bhutan is so difficult, over the years each valley developed its own unique culture and distinct dialect. Over a dozen languages are spoken within the kingdom. The national language is called Dzongkha, as it is the language of the ancient fortress-monasteries, or Dzongs, which still function as the governing center of each province. Dzongkha is taught in schools, but the basic language of instruction is English, so nearly all young people are at least tri-lingual, speaking Dzongkha, English and the local language of their valley.

Archery is Bhutan’s national sport and if you see a match in progress be sure to stop and watch. Two teams face off at opposite ends of a range that stretches for all of 140 meters, with a tiny target barely visible at the far end. The opposing team stands around the target, trying to distract the tiny figure off in the distance who is launching deadly weapons in their direction. The archer lets fly, and if it’s a hit, everyone does a dance and sings and drinks rice whiskey before the next round.

The Tantric Buddhism practiced in Bhutan includes a vast pantheon of demons, bodhisattvas and other deities. Practitioners believe in the karmic cycle of reincarnation and strive to accumulate merit through good deeds and the performance of rituals. It’s common to see elderly men and women walking down the street muttering mantras and turning prayer wheels, which are conveniently built into walls along the sidewalks in towns.

The importance of good deeds includes a deep respect for all forms of life, from the smallest ant to the earth herself. During my travels, I sometimes saw Bhutanese stop on the sidewalk, pick up insects, and move them out of harms way. Fishing and logging are heavily regulated and frowned upon, as is the killing of animals for meat, although most Bhutanese happily eat pork and beef that someone else has slaughtered.

Many Bhutanese become monks at a young age. It can be a stark life of chanting and mediation for these boys, especially in monasteries perched high in the mountains, but there is an otherworldly sense of purity and peace in such places.

PLACES

Paro

Paro town is basically two streets running parallel to each other North of the airport. There are several local craft shops and a nice art gallery with original Bhutanese paintings and a terrific selection of black and white photographs.

The National Museum is in the old circular watchtower on a ridge above the Dzong. There are hundreds of beautiful Buddhist statues on the top floors and a dungeon downstairs where the first king of Bhutan was briefly incarcerated. There is also a display of medieval weaponry, but the doorway is heavily signposted with Buddhist texts preaching the virtues of pacifism.

There are several temples in Paro, including Kyichu Lhakhang, which dates back to the 7th century, when Buddhism first arrived in Bhutan. Your tour guide should be able to arrange a visit to Kyichu, which is located along the Paro River a short drive upstream from the center of town. With luck, the monks will allow you to view the original statues of the inner sanctum, long since dyed black by a millennium of smoke from butter lamps.

No visit to Bhutan is complete without a trip to the famous Taktshang Monastery, or “Tiger’s Nest,” which hangs from a sheer cliff thousands of feet above the valley floor, about 10 kilometers North of Paro town. Taktshang is actually a group of several monasteries, but Tiger’s Nest is by far the most dramatic.

Two lesser known destinations in Paro are Dungste Lhakhang temple and Dzong Drakha monastery. Dungste Lhakhang is located on the East side of the river upstream from the National Museum. When I visited, a funeral rite was in progress, and it was haunting to hear the monks chanting and beating drums as I climbed up worn wooden ladders to the upper levels of the temple. The wall paintings inside are breath-taking, but it’s very dark, so bring a flashlight.

Dzong Drakha is located a few kilometers up the road that leads West over Cheli La pass to the Haa Valley. This road has only been open to tourists for 3 years, so very few visitors know about the monastery. It’s sort of a Tiger’s Nest junior, perched on a less dramatic cliff about 40 minutes walk from the road. The views are magnificent, and you’re unlikely to run into other travelers.

Thimphu

The capital city of Thimphu is a dusty 2 hour drive from Paro. The road is due for widening and repair by 2008, but this project has a long way to go. A growing population of around 70,000 people make their homes on the surrounding hills, making Thimphu the closest thing to a city you’ll find in Bhutan. Traffic can be thick along the main street, but there are still no traffic lights, just a white-gloved policeman directing cars at the central interchange.

Punakha

Punakha is only about 40 kilometers from Thimphu as the crow flies, but the drive can easily take the better part of a day with a lunch break and a few photo stops. Be sure to bring your passport, because there is a checkpoint one hour outside Thimphu where soldiers can ask to see identification.

The road climbs up to Dochu La pass, an important spiritual place for the Bhutanese. Definitely make time to get out of the bus, stroll through the forest of prayer flags and take in stunning views of the Himalayan range.

Punakha valley is much lower than Thimphu, so once over the pass, the road goes down and down through thick green virgin forest. Keep an eye out for monkeys, red pandas, rare birds and beautiful tree lilies. The valley itself is carved by two wide glacial rivers that come together below Punakha Dzong, which many agree is the most beautiful fortress in all of Bhutan. Traditionally, the monks from the Dzong in Thimphu spend the winter at Punakha, taking advantage of the relatively mild climate.

I stayed for four nights in Punakha at Hotel Zangtho Pelri. Besides the Dzong, I highly recommend a day trip up the valley to the vast Jigme Dorji National Park. The road follows a roaring river through farmland, where you can get out and walk up to hillside villages. The National Park itself is a great place for spotting rare mammals and birds. It’s possible to drive all the way up to the border of Gasa Province and still be back at the hotel in time for dinner.

Phobjika

I visited Phobjika as a day trip from Punakha, but would definitely recommend staying there for one or two nights. The valley is well known as the winter home of Black-Necked Cranes, which arrive in mid-October after flying over the Himalayas from Tibet. The cranes are sacred in Bhutan, and the government has gone to great lengths to protect their habitat.

In past years, the only way to get to Phobjika was on foot, but a road has been built that branches off the main West-East high way just before the pass into Central Bhutan. It takes about 3 hours to make the trip from Punakha. There is a large temple on a hill overlooking the valley which is currently undergoing extensive renovations.

Recommended Reading

Those seriously considering a trip to Bhutan should get their hands on a real guidebook. Lonely Planet publishes a fairly comprehensive tome, but the best is probably Francoise Pommaret’s Bhutan: Himalayan Mountain Kingdom.

Jamie Zeppa, a Canadian women who went to Eastern Bhutan to teach and ended up staying, has written a wonderfully personal account of her experiences entitled Beyond the Sky and Earth: Journey Into Bhutan.

Jeremy Bernstein’s In the Himalayas is one of my very favorite travel books. It’s mostly about Nepal, but also includes beautiful portraits of Tibet and Bhutan.

The news scene in Bhutan can be pretty quiet, but if you want to get the most recent intelligence check out the online edition of Bhutan’s weekly paper at www.kuenselonline.com. The Bhutan Times also has a brand new website – www.bhutantimes.com.

Tashi Delek!

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Editor’s notes:

The full version of this guide including a Bhutan phrasebook can be found in Rucksack Wanderer’s Guide to Bhutan at matador.

Tim Patterson, contributing editor for Brave New Traveler and regular contributor to matador, travels with a sleeping bag and pup tent strapped to the back of his folding bicycle. His articles and travel guides have appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, Get Lost Magazine, Tales Of Asia and Traverse Magazine.