Concrete Pixels

I was assigned in a tiny landlocked country sandwiched between India & Tibet called Bhutan, one of the last “Shangrilas” of the Himalayas region. I am very proud to be here as not so many in the world has the opportunity to visit this exotic kingdom. Even tourists are strictly regulated by the government. I am really amazed how they preserved their culture in this globalization age where the world is turning into a global village.It has a spectacular mountain terrain, varied flora and fauna and has a unique ancient Buddhist monasteries. Landing on their only airport is a thrilling experience with the plane navigating too close between mountains at the approach then suddenly you will realize that you are already touching down. The capital city, Thiumphu sits more than 2000 meters above sea level. One of the most noticable icon that caught my attention upon my arrival are the line of flags at the mountain tops. In one of the stops (actually a checkpost) while traveling from the airport to the capital city, I asked my then boss DC about this and he told me that these are called “prayer flags”. They are actually inscribed with auspicious symbols, invocations, prayers and mantras.They are believed to bring happiness, longlife & prosperity to the flag planter and those in the vicinity. They are handprinted and installed precisely according to colors like: yellow, green, red, white & blue (from left to right or from bottom to top) that represents the earth, water, fire, cloud, & sky. They are placed on high places so that the wind can carry the beneficent vibrations accross the countryside.There are a lot of amazing experiences in this country that I will be posting soon in this site. So keep visiting.