These student monks replace a prayer flag that has blown down, an action that is just as meritorious as the original placement. They can now expect an abudance of good luck from the dieties as the previously destructive wind passes over the printed cotton to be sweetened and purified.

Bhutan is truly a country that stands alone.  The only road that crosses Bhutan presents photo ops at every turn, and here, a solitary boy dressed in his gho stands on a ridge and watches Robin take his picture from the road.

Bhutan is entering the modern age slowly and with caution, fearing that Westernization will pollute their Buddhist culture. But the old adage, "How 'ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm, after they see Paris," was never truer spoken than in Bhutan. Prizes in archery competition used to be bragging rights between villages and monasteries, but today, big matches in the national sport are fiercely fought for modern prizes like refrigerators, TV sets, washing machines...and gold watches..