Kuzu Tsampo la

view of tigers nest w/ puppy

claire after the fall

kolkatta market by day

and by night

rowin on the river
So I have discovered the hard way several times now how easy it is to accidently delete everything so you now get the abbreviated version....

Climbed up to tigers nest and hung out with guru rinpoche in his cave....and then the talking statue...this is the one that as his piggy back carrier bumped his knee on the wall he said ouch...

there is a dent in the rock wall where this is supposed to have happened....

So I've gone from the pristine to the chaotic....luckily in my wandering through the small narrow street's I've found this haven of technology....I'm also waiting for Mother Theresa's house to open up at 3pm. Today was an auspicious Kali day...lot of people going to small shrines to worship...I stopped at one and basked in the uncanny silence that was present up to 10 feet away....Tomorrow I will try to go to Kalighat...of course it may be gory...but what the hey...

sorry you missed the one I erase it was allot more explicit...

Staying in Howrah...which will be convenient tomorrow night when I leave for Bodhgaya... I found it auspicious when I went to get my ticket that there were two monk also getting tickets...they were very kind and helped me fill out my first form. You need a form for everything here....have you heard that one before....

welll try try again....funny Rinpoche started me on this journey to work with pukers....mu nemesis...of course...hopefully by the time I get to Dharamsala I'll at least know not to press the back button

check point

at yangkil resort

Ghande Valley

Yesterday we had a nice picnic in the Valley of the Black Necked Cranes.
We were lucky there was weather so there were lots of cranes feeding in the marshes. They don't fly too far from the feeding areas when weather is bad. They are bigger than I thought they would be and so graceful when they take flight. They just come and land in the farmers fields and find grubs and such. Leaving the valley there was a light sprinkle of snow at the top of the pass.
And the miracle is that claire is walking well with the stick...the massages seem to have helped...did I mention that the woman had learned how to cure sprains by working on her livestock. She also mentioned on her second visit that it was an evil spirit that knocked Claire over.
Tsering and Christine are over at the courts trying to get the final papers notorized....we were worried last night that it might finally snow...courts in Thimpu take a national h0liday on the first snow day....still with the fog it was a case of get me to the court on time. So yes that means we are back in Thimpu. It feels like such a whirlwind breakneck speed across the country and back again. My mind is a swirl of temples and incredible vistas.
We spent the night at a wonderful vegetarian only retreat by the river last night...beautiful gardens and lots of birds...white-crested red smart, kingfisher, and of course the morning thrush with it's beautiful wake-up call. If you ever come to Bhutan don't sleep through that one.
Day before we stayed at the Yangkhi hotel...most swanky....giant green marble bathroom...and excellent views. The Tshela hotel in bhumtang had the best breakfast and very caring service...this is where they got the massage lady for Claire. And Punaka, well Punaka is just wonderful.
Tomorrow is Losar in bhutan and we will do as the Bhutanese do and have a picnic...hopefully this means we will get to spend the day with Tserings kids again before we leave. Everybody else but grandpa is away at the moment. Then day after we go to Paro which means we will be on our way to the Tigers Nest...but it also means we will be leaving soon...so now we pray for snow....if there's too much snow to fly out we'll get a day or so more of this wonderful country. So everybody pray that it snows in Bhutan...plus the happy couple will get another night together.
Catch you on the dragons back...
that's bhutanese for see ya.

bhumtang

No photos' this session...sorry.
Crossed two passes in the last few days...1st was 10000' and last nights was 11ooo' and I can still run! I can run but Claire can barely walk as of yesterday...though the local massage therapist came and worked on her sprained ankles...yes that is plural...on the way to the crazy monk temple...the one who lived like the common people or crazier to show them they too could practice spirituality...fortunately she had a nice freezing stream to soak her feet in and great vistas and 3 children to entertain her while the phallus' on the building watched out...
up at the temple we were blessed with a bamboo and horn dildo's and the monks ancient bow and arrow. The massage has helped as Claire can walk instead of being carried. Basic ingredients of fresh cows butter and salt are whats said to be the cure for the swelling...makes sense...
but enough of that...on the 2nd pass a silver langur jumped out in front of the jeep...nobody had a camera ready...and our first herd of yaks...rhododendrons are blooming early...it seems that global warming is having a reall impact here in Bhutan...no snow this year...in Thimpu it was 70 and here in bhumtang it's only slightly cooler. the landscape is as expected stunning...it took us 7.5 hour to cross the valley and up the pass down to the other side...of course we made lots of photo stops but still if you can imagine the vastness of the valley...one hike across a valley was said to be about 2hrs hike. We've had many "coincidental blessings" At top of first pass a friend of Tserings was doing puja...and at the old dzong (temple) in Punaka the head lama of Bhutan gave us a tap on the head!!!! Now I see his photo everywhere. He was performing a very important ceremony and had just finished...so his energy was potent.
I can't say enough about the temples accept that at many of them I just spontaneously start to cry...hopefully that's some good purification. especially the first temple withthe statue with the head from tibet of avolakiteshwara....
I'm thinking of you all and ask for prayers that my cold goes away before I leave bhutan for calcutta... I think it's almost gone now...much love and blessings to all of you. You are in my heart always.
love, sheyli

turned photos

this is paro from the air...ususally the pilot gets an ovation for being able to land safely in this little valley....but recently they cut a very old tree down so its apparently easier....of course the guy who cut the tree down died...it's said it was a sacred and very old tree.

into the himalayas

After stopping in Gaya of all places...I can officially say that I've been in India now...with Claire and Chrisitne. The flight on to Paro was fairly short.

But deffinetely exquisite views of Everest, Ana purna..etal.