Paperback: 280 pages, 108 photos, 11 maps: Bhutan and South Asia environs, 10 x 10 inches
Himalayan folksongs sometimes sing of beyul - hidden lands that can only be seen by those of pure heart and mind. Tucked into the towering peaks and steeply forested valleys of the Eastern Himalayas, the Bhutanese believe their country to be such a place.
Bhutan: Hidden Lands of Happiness is a geographical and cultural passage from the yak pastures along the Tibetan border to the rice lands of central Bhutan, this narrative takes the reader through the districts of Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Gasa, Laya, Lunana, Wangdi, Bumthang and Trongsa, trekking to remote hot springs and isolated hermitages then ending in the streets and nightclubs of the country’s capital, Thimphu Town.
108 black and white photos narrated with stories, folklore, dharma teachings and oral history–often humorous, sometimes bawdy, always revealing–create a portal across centuries. Clear, skillfully composed, rich in depth and detail, these flawless images illustrate an intimate tale of Bhutan told by an artist deeply familiar with his subject.