Chris learns about cranes

I started the morning off with an early 4 mile walk with the culinary director of this hotel.

It was nice to have someone to talk to besides the occasional other tourist and my guide. I learned so much more about Bhutan and this valley in particular.

The hotel is independently owned by a family with a very interesting history that starts in Myanmar and includes stints working for the UN. They are dedicated to supporting the local community. All the food at the hotel is locally sourced except for olives and olive oil. They are working with local farmers to grow vegetables like cabbage which are not traditionally grown here. The staff are all local people and they provide transportation to/from work. The next valley over grows things like bananas and guava which are normally associated with a more tropical climate.
The valley floor is the winter home of the endangered black necked crane. The valley floor is a conservation area. To discourage the farmers from encroaching on the protected land for more planting area, the government limits the number of hotels which can be built here and has a Homestay program instead. Local people become trained and certified to host tourists in their homes. I just love the innovative thinking of this country.
Cows are not slaughtered for meat and are used for dairy only. In the winter months, the local people make cow feed from turnip bulbs and molasses.
Yak cheese is really, really, really hard and the chef never uses it for anything.
The Bhutan diet does not include dessert. You will never find a recipe for dessert in a cookbook.

After breakfast, I visited the local monastery and the crane preservation center.

The black necked crane migrates here from Tibet for the winter. Upon returning, the cranes circle this monastery three times before landing on the valley floor. The bird is revered in Buddhist traditions and there is a crane festival here when they return.