Ceiling of the World

Ode to the Penis

Oh Great Penis,

Thunderbolt of Wisdom

Slayer of evil spirits

Defiler of virgins

Giver of good fortune

Merriment of maidens

Envy of the impotent

Phobia of nuns

Pastime of monks

Devious snake

Gallant gentleman

We salute you in all your veined glory. Flaccid or hard, long or short, skinny or chubby, we recognize your power to thrill and indulge. You are a throbbing example of how to let go of the past and live in the present. Your uncomely beauty is a vital lesson in self-love. You are strong yet sensitive, rigid yet flexible, your eagerness to please does not trump your pointed authority in the world. 

Oh Great Penis, soldier against demons, protector of families,   we welcome you into our beds and hearts. 

Punakha

We walk in the cold dark looking for a cab but the streets are empty. The capital is still asleep. We negotiate a fare at the taxi stand and as we drive out of Thimphu the darkness is just beginning to dissipate. Dogs stretch on the side of the road and the first signs of life stir in homes on the outskirts of the city. On the crest of Dochu La pass the sky cracks open revealing a robin's egg blue. The clouds simply can't resist opening to it. The sun yawns a bright orange through the mist, silhouetting the chortens as we round to the left. Whipped cream steam rises between the ridges.

Down we wind into the high alpine jungle to the song of tinkling voices and Bhutanese wind instruments. Ferns drape themselves over precipices and moss clings tenderly to the rocks. The fogs twists and curls itself amongst the trees, enchanting the eyes who relay a message of disbelief to the brain. Some of the leaves celebrate the change of season with jubilant displays or yellows and reds. This is my first fall in the jungle.
 

Charamellas do Bhutan

It is no easy journey to Bhutan. When I arrived I was out of breathe and jet lagged for a week. Globetrotters Nancy and Bob, however, were champs and hardly seemed not to notice they were suddenly 8,000 ft above sea level and half a day ahead of their bodies. They arrived cheery and bearing gifts of jerky, coffee, protein powder, crafting supplies, hand knitted scarves and cuddle duds. 

We spent the first week exploring the Thimphu craft markets, paper factory, textile museum, observing the weavers, and hiking to several of the nearby monasteries.