SECLUDED IN THE EASTERN HIMALAYAS BETWEEN INDIA and Tibet, Bhutan remains the enigma of Asia. Its peaks are shrouded with mist and magic, the forests are dense, the people friendly, the air pure and Buddhism the dominant factor of daily life. When you’re there it feels as though time stands still.
While shooting a documentary on Bhutan in late 2004, I travelled at altitudes ranging from 6,000 to 13,000 feet on some of the windiest roads in the world with hairpin turns from dawn to dusk. I saw the entire breadth of the country, from the Ha Valley in the far west (only recently opened to foreigners) to the Thrumshing-La Pass at 12,5000 feet on the eastern border. Journeying alone in the off-season, as free as the wind, was a life altering experience. I was blessed with daily adventures, unexpected spiritual encounters and extraordinary good luck weather and the timing of key events. Bhutan has a way of making you feel like it’s your destiny to be there.
TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY DARYL HAWK