It’s morning in the Phobjikha Valley.
I wake up and just take a minute to take it all in. Soak in the tranquility and sanctity of the morning. Watch the low mist floating through the valley. The woman across the street is moving the baby calves out of her front yard. I watch three boys dressed in their best Gho playing on the patio. As I walk outside I surprise them. Two of them start laughing and one lets out an audible ‘oh shit’ and then stands with a big smile and clear pride that he just expressed ‘oh shit’ in English. I start laughing with them and ask them why they’re all dressed up. Are you going to school today? (I am perplexed because it is Saturday after all). No, they say. Tshechu!! And I realize it’s just as exciting for them as it is for me and they trot off full of energy and excitement towards the second to last day of the Gangtey festival. As they walk off I ask Thinley with amazement if they’re about to walk the 6km to the festival. No he laughs, they’ll get a ride. Everyone is going and they’ll get a ride. Later we get behind just one of those rides on our way.
Hitching a Ride
The Phobjikha Valley is the famous winter home to the auspicious Black-Necked Crane. They make their entrance each year by making three circles around the Gangteng Monastery before touching down on the valley floor. I’ve arrived about a week before them so the only pics I could get were the displays at the local visitors center, and the famous Crane Karma, who calls the center home and finds solace in a mirror.
Fly Away! 
This is the costume the school kids wear for the Black Crane Festival in November 
Karma, the Crane
Today is a relatively light day on the schedule. Like everyone else, we are heading back to the Gangtey festival, though for me this will be my last festival of the trip. Thinley couldn’t be more excited though. See I decided that to honor this trip for me rather than the usual souvenirs I wanted something special, and I decided that something special would be prayer beads from Bhutan. Each time I used them I would be connected back to this special trip and Thinley helped me find the perfect ones in Thimphu on my second day. But today was the really big day as he knew that the chief master Rinpoche was going to be at this festival and he was determined to get him to bless my beads. Now I had no idea how this was going to happen after all basically everyone in the town is at the festival and why would he bless my beads when I’m sure everyone there wants the same thing? But this is not my concern. Thinley has a mission and he’s determined. All I have to do is remember my beads. So while I’m watching the festival Thinley stops every monk he recognizes that comes by and asks them how to get the beads blessed. Several say they’ll be back but we never see them again. As one point I want to help him out and ask, do we just need to bribe the monks (I’m joking, kind of) and he laughs and says no we don’t need to bribe them, we just have to find the right one. And the right one was the eighth one he tried. This one gave us the go ahead to go over to the policemen that were guarding the stairs up to the religious master and drop his name and tell him he said it was ok for us to go get the beads blessed. Are you serious? I can’t believe it but ok so we head over to the policeman to test Thinley’s networking. Well, his networking is enough to get him up the stairs to the Rinpoche and he comes back to let me know he’s in, but I’m not. I’m cool with that and just like that, five minutes later my beads have been blessed by the 9th Gangtey Trulku Rinpoche and I feel lucky and Thinley feels like a champion!
The Ladies are Back! 
The dancers in white are performing the cremation dance which offers enlightenment just by observing! 
You’re welcome 🙂 
Pema, my homestay host, and me just chillin at Tshechu. (She also helped me get back into this today!)
The day ended with a beautiful drive back to Punakha, the old capital of Bhutan until it was moved to Thimphu in 1955. Before venturing into the land of the Divine Mad Man, I got to spend the night in the most lovely hotel yet, the Meri Pensum Resort.
Luscious deck! 
Big Prayer Wheel! 
Wonderful Windows! 
And a patio!!
Love,
rk
Buddha & Boots 