Today is our final day in Bhutan and we head to Bangkok this afternoon. We hiked along the rice paddy fields today and watched as the farmers harvested large crops of red rice. Potatoes will be planted next. We hiked to a bridge and then headed back to the hotel.
Final notes: Bhutan is an absolutely breathtaking country. The Bhutanese people care greatly for their country and for each other.
Nature is greatly protected as the people believe that spirits and even deities exist inside of all of nature. The mountains are believed to house spirits which must be respected and so no mountaineering or rock climbing is permitted. The Bhutanese government is determined not to allow Bhutan to turn into a Nepal -overrun with back backers and highly polluted.
One last thing- Bhutanese men and women are required to wear a sort of uniform every day while they are at work, out in public or at the temple. Men wear a gho and women wear a Kira. The children attending school also wear the gho /Kira. The traditional dress of Bhutan is one of the most visible and distinct aspects of the country.
Men wear a gho which is a long robe similar to the Tibetan chuba. The Bhutanese hoist the gho to knee length and hold it in place with a woven cloth belt called a kera. The kera is wound tightly around the waist and the large pouch formed above it is traditionally used to carry a bowl, money and cell phone.
Women wear a long floor-length dress called a Kira. This is a rectangular piece of brightly colored cloth that wraps around the body and over a Tibetan style silk blouse a wonju. A short open jacket called a toego is worn over the blouse. The whole ensemble is beautiful and Bhutanese women look very elegant.
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