[Leica] Bhutan people

[cummer at netvigator.com (H&ECummer)]

Hi Luggers,
I am returning again to my Bhutan folders. The State Sport for Bhutan is 
archery and our guide Kinzhang is one of the best archers in the country.
So we went to see two contests - one with traditional bamboo bows and 
another one with the newer carbon fiber bows. Kinzhang explained that bamboo 
bows start to quiver when they are drawn so the archer can't take long to 
aim at the target and release. This limits the accuracy of shots. With the 
carbon fiber bows they do not vibrate when drawn and held taut so the archer 
can take longer to sight and aim at the target. The target, BTW, is 145 m 
away and it was remarkable to me that it could be hit at all. But, according 
to Kinzhang, on a good day, when archer is "in the groove" and the wind is 
calm out of 45 tries a great archer will get more than half his arrows on 
the target when using a carbon fiber bow and maybe 20% with a bamboo bow. I 
shot about 500 shots at the contest using the bamboo bow and managed to get 
three pictures with the arrow leaving the bow. Couldn't manage it with the 
carbon bows at all.

here's the photo:

<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/BhutanEdit/ArowLaunchw.jpg.html>

http://tinyurl.com/p3929fl

The Bhutanese Government has several art schools where young people learn 
how to produce traditional arts - sculpture and painting.
Here is a sculpture teacher showing his pupils how it should be done:

<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/BhutanEdit/ClayMasterBWw.jpg.html>

http://tinyurl.com/kaf6sx5

Monks come from all over to Bhutan - including (surprisingly for me) this 
monk with a group of tourists from China. Given the suppression in Tibet
I was surprised they got permission from the Chinese Government to visit. 
I'm sure the Bhutan government did not care:

<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/BhutanEdit/MonkTabw.jpg.html>

http://tinyurl.com/q2mg9fq

Bhutanese people are friendly and don't mind being photographed but some of 
them can be a bit shy:

<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/BhutanEdit/ParoWaitressw.jpg.html>

http://tinyurl.com/mjsoquv

Prayer beads are much in evidence:

<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/BhutanEdit/PrayerBeadsw.jpg.html>

http://tinyurl.com/n4y9o3k

Walking clockwise around the National Memorial Chorten, built as memorial to 
the third Bhutanese king,
and winding his prayer wheel while counting his beads:

<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/BhutanEdit/RedPrayerw.jpg.html>

http://tinyurl.com/lzlsj9x

Two older lady tourists photographing an older lady worshipper at the NM 
Chorten.
I liked that they had similar footwear:

<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/BhutanEdit/TourisTWorshipperw.jpg.html>

http://tinyurl.com/kpm6ovk

A pony wrangler at the Tiger's Nest. He walks, maybe three times a day, 5 km 
rising 900m, guiding his horses to the Tiger's Nest. He charges $15 per ride 
for the out of shape tourists to get to the top and then you have to walk 
down as it is too steep to ride down.

<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/BhutanEdit/WranglerTigersw.jpg.html>

http://tinyurl.com/kdcbw5n

And the wrangler's junior helper who will also carry (and use) your camera 
for you:

<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/BhutanEdit/YoungWrangw.jpg.html>

http://tinyurl.com/mxhkrl9

Here we are at the look out to the Tiger's Nest. The horses could go no 
further:

<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/BhutanEdit/ECHCTigersw.jpg.html>

http://tinyurl.com/lkjzpol

Please look large.

C&C always welcome,

Howard