What is like to visit Bhutan.

Blog VII
My Bhutanese friend once told me something she loves about home; which also provided me different insights of how Bhutan truly is. She said, “In the middle valleys, you will see massive and colorful dzongs (administrative building) or fortresses. They come alive with festivals, religious events and the daily workings of government and monastic life. You will see the fluttering prayer flags that send out goodwill and blessings to the rest of the world while we, Bhutanese people welcome visitors with openness and curiosity”. She also gave me a beautiful quote, “From spring through early summer, you will see rhododendron blooms add splashes of color while exquisite blue poppies cover high-alpine meadows. Blue Sheep, the endemic moose-like Takin, the extremely rare Golden Langurs and the rarely glimpsed Snow Leopard hint at Bhutan's pristine and zealously guarded environment.”
My Bhutanese friends have officially invited me to come to Bhutan. I felt honored and excited to visit a country that is so different and independent from all the other countries I have been to. Bhutan is a country where one cannot enter freely; in other words, we have to apply to go to Bhutan. There is a thing called, “Tourist Tax”, anyone who has not been formally invited have to pay tax in order to enter Bhutan. The government of Bhutan is trying to limit the number of tourists entering the country at a time. They want to keep the preservation and conservation of Bhutanese culture so that traditional heritage can be maintained. If one is the citizen of the country, Bhutan, she/he is entitled to give invitation to the foreigners. Even though I can completely understand this law, I believe people should be able to ‘visit’ a country freely. However, I strongly believe that Bhutan is a country which truly offers the travelers not simply the splendor and the beauty of the Himalayas but also give an opportunity to experience a vibrant culture and way of life whose continued survival enriches the breadth of human diversity and traditions on our planet.