archery grounds. Two teams took
turns, first standing at one end of
the long field and aiming for the
target, then going to the other
end and aiming back. Although
traditional bows are still made from
soft bamboo in Punakha, competitive
archers use modern American
manufactured bows.
That evening the guest speaker at
Uma’s cultural program was Kenpo
Tashi, director of Bhutan’s National
Museum and a lifelong Buddhist
scholar. Happiness was the subject
of his talk, as Bhutan’s is known for
its “gross national happiness” index,
a gimmicky idea dreamed up by the
country’s monarch in 1972 and
assessed annually by the
government.
The following morning, my guide,
a young woman named Sonam, and
I embarked on an uphill hike through
pine forests to visit two local
dzongs, the traditional fortress
buildings which also serve as
religious centers. Although Uma
offers a plentiful Western breakfast
menu, I decided to start my day with
a healthy bowl of crushed nuts and
seeds with almond milk, topped with
16
shavings of the freshest sweetest
apple. The fruit is an export of
Bhutan, with over a half million
apple trees in the country.
Along the hillside path were a few
nooks in the mountain where
someone had placed dozens of
miniature stupas. Sonam explained
that these rounded objects with
pointed tops were part of a
mourning tradition, molded from
clay mixed with cremation ash.
Within the hour we arrived at Ta
Dzong, the historic watchtower that
served a strategic role in defending
the country from successive waves
of Tibetan invaders in the 17th
century. This history is what has
made archery and darts national
sports and pastimes in Bhutan.
Ta Dzong is undergoing renovations
following two recent earthquakes
and will reopen to visitors in
December 2016. In the meantime
the museum’s collections are on
display in an adjacent building.
Among the highlights are masks
from the ceremonial Mask Dance of
the Drums, each of the twelve masks
representing a different animal and
by extension, a different vice or
virtue. This bit of centuries-old
culture is currently the focus of
preservation efforts by UNESCO.
The country’s natural history is also
explaine