Photo of the day (12.16.10)


What charmed me about this photo from Thimphu, Bhutan, other than the pleasant colors and lines, was the caption. Flickr user AndreaKW translated the suggestion box’s Dzongkha script as literally “thoughts box” and I love the idea, much less pressure than coming up with constructive suggestions. A thoughts box could have notes like “Next time, pack fewer shoes” or “Why don’t I ever eat meat on a stick at home?” or even the classic “Help! I’m trapped in a thoughts box!” The possibilities are endless, especially for traveler interaction, like the postcards from strangers project.

Have any photos to leave in our thoughts box? How about adding them to the Gadling group on Flickr? We might just choose one of your shots as our Photo of the Day.

Photo of the Day (11.21.10)

Ever seen your co-worker wearing a purple suit? Or an electric pink skirt? For whatever reasons, bright colors are not part of the fashion vocabulary of most Westerners. We tend to prefer the safety of muted colors like black and grey. Not so in Bhutan. Flickr user andreakw caught this colorful line-up of women in Bhutan celebrating at a local festival. They’re decked out in their kiras, a special style of fabric wrap worn for holidays. Check out the intricate patterns, bright colors and geometric shapes of the cloth. Equally interesting is the solitary woman with the child who stares directly at the camera, drawing the viewer into the scene.

Have any great photos from your recent travels? Why not share them with the world by adding them to our Gadling group on Flickr? We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.

Great Himalayan Trail on schedule to open in 2011

Way back in February of this year we told you about the Great Himalayan Trail, an epic hike more than 2800 miles in length that will eventually wind its way through the mountainous regions of Pakistan, India, Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan. The trek, which is expected to take roughly 150 days to hike end-to-end, is scheduled to officially open in early 2011, although there are still some challenges to over come before the boots of adventurous travelers begin to walk the route.

2011 is being called Nepal’s Tourism Year, and the country is gearing up to promote itself as the top adventure travel destination on the planet. The GHT will play a role in that celebration, as roughly 1200 miles of the trail passes through the country, and while it is expected to officially open in January or February of next year, some are already questioning if that will happen as planned. Ang Tshering Sherpa, a former president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, says that the trail has mostly been promoted and built by private sector dollars thus far, and he is calling on the Nepali government to inject some much needed funds to help launch the trail in early 2011.Without those funds, he feels that the GHT won’t get the recognition that it deserves to draw trekkers to the route.

Meanwhile, the Nepal Tourism Board named American Sean Burch as one of its Goodwill Ambassadors this past week. The 40-year old Burch recently completed an endurance run across Nepal, from the border of India to Tibet, that followed 1250 miles of the GHT, in just 49 days. He will now help to promote the epic new trail abroad, while also encouraging economic development in the villages through which the trail passes.

That economic development will be important for the future of the GHT. On other trekking routes in the region hikers find teahouse lodges and simple restaurants every few hours along the route, but there are large sections of the GHT where those amenities are not yet present. But the trail will provide opportunities for enterprising individuals to build these places, which should help the economies of each of the countries that the GHT passes through.

Trekkers interested in hiking some or all of the trail, should check out GreatHimalayanTrail.com for more information on the available routes and what to expect when it officially opens next year. Start planning your trek now and be sure to let your boss know you’re going to need 150 days off to make the hike.

Baby snow leopard captured on camera for first time in Bhutan

Snow leopards are amongst the most elusive and shy creatures on the planet. The big cats live at high altitude and are rarely seen by man, let alone captured on camera. But the BBC is reporting that a snow leopard cub has been caught on video for the first time when it triggered a camera trap in the mountains of Bhutan recently.

The video was captured by a camera trap that was set by a BBC film crew who were hoping to get some footage of the rare animals in their natural habitat. The device has a built-in motion sensor that is designed to turn the camera on when something moves within range of the lens. This allows a crew to set up cameras and leave them in the field for extended periods without the need for a cameraman or requiring the batteries to be charged on a daily basis. The team then returns every few days to review the findings and check the status of the device.

This particular trap was activated when the young snow leopard wandered into range. After surveying the area nervously, the cub begins to wander up hill directly at the lens. Looking straight into the camera, the cat sniffs it curiously before slowly moving on. The entire encounter was a brief one, but for the veteran BBC crew, it was the shot of a lifetime.

The footage of the young leopard will air this week on the BBC’s nature special Lost Land of the Tiger a show that also captured video of tigers living at higher altitudes than had ever been recorded before. It seems this particular film crew had lightning strike twice while producing this show.

[Photo credit: Aaron Logan via WikiMedia]

Photo of the Day (9.4.2010)

One of my all-time favorite things in the whole world is riding second class buses in foreign countries. Though I could probably now afford to travel on a bigger budget than in my early 20s, I prefer the experiences of public transportation. It’s not just mingling with locals and experiencing eight hours bouncing on a bus with no shocks; I also love the sheer gaudiness of it all: the loud music or TV, bright lights, livestock, crowds – all of it delights me endlessly. And another thing I love about these buses? The decorations. Whether it’s idols and fringe in India, Mary figurines in Mexico or incense sticks in China, care is always taken to make sure the buses are decked out to the gods’ satisfaction. These buses, shot by Flickr user andreakw in Bhutan, also seem to be appeasing the wary traveler. Who doesn’t feel safe traveling on a bus painted with cheerful rainbows?

Have any travel photos that remind of you a few of your favorite things? Upload them to Gadling’s Flickr pool, and we just might select one for our Photo of the Day feature.