Waking, dreaming, Punakha, Bhutan Part 1.

�the only thing that even suggested that I was in Bhutan was the bank of windows that had that tell tale woodwork design one sees on every farm house and hotel throughout this amazing country. My room is a stark yellow plaster cube, but welcomingly quiet� with none of the barking dogs of Thimphu that kept me up in the fast-growing capital. No, here in Punakha I am back in the rural peace I so love. Replete with bells and drums, Buddhist chanting starts the daily process of giving thanks for another beautiful day. The innocent laughter of school children fills the crisp, clean air� I�ve never encountered more innocence and beauty than in the young students of this kingdom, mirroring the overall charm of a country that has only had television for the past 6 or 7 years.

Before leaving to come here, we all agreed that my host Karma Wangpo�s 84 year old grandmother should get her wish � a blessing by Rinpoche. How could we deny this amazing woman the opportunity to receive a traditional Buddhist blessing by the third reincarnation of this line of Rinpoches that she had the good fortune to meet in her long lifetime� this means she outlived the previous two incarnations and now was able to tell the current Truelku Jamgoen Rinpoche stories about his predecessors first hand� and I managed to get much of this on video and some great still photos.

Lunch was had late today as the two hour ride from Thimphu didn�t even get started until 1:00 pm. The Rinpoche came to pick me up in his monastery�s Toyota SUV along with his older brother and assistant who was also a monk at the Sewala Monastery, our destination high in the mountains above Punakha. After passing the two military and immigration check points just outside of the capital, Rinpoche pulled over and asked if I would like to drive. I politely said no, not relishing having to drive on the left-side of the road British style and having to shift the standard transmission with my left hand� but the question was more like a request and the next thing I know I�m commanding this SUV through the heart-pounding turns of Bhutan�s windy, one and a half lane roads�

After our lunch of red rice and emadase � very hot chili peppers with melted cheese, a Bhutanese staple at nearly every meal � Rinpoche and his aides left to secure the horses that we will need tomorrow to help carry our video gear and supplies as we make the 6 hour trek up the mountains to the monastery. The hike will begin a dawn, just behind the Punakha Dzong, one of the grandest of the 17^th Century fortress-monasteries that mark key locations around this country. Fittingly, the Dzongs were all built under the guidance of Guru Rinpoche, the first in the lineage that the current Rinpoche is now carrying on.

I feel blessed to be documenting some of this story to weave into the footage I�ve been shooting of interviews with high-level Lamas from the National Monastic Body, the director of the Youth Development Fund, and even Bhutanese movie-star-turned-politician. My hope is to tell a story of an old country evolving into the modern world under the leadership of some amazing men and women all under the age of 30 � including the new King, His Majesty Wangchuck who is 27� It will be a story of youth empowerment and mentoring� of hope for the future�

Peace�

Francesco