In Search of Gross Domestic Happiness
A Father and Son go Trekking in Bhutan
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Our especially early call had been pre-arranged with Sainik, who realising that the night was exceptionally clear, guessed that we would have a very special sunrise....and so it proved!!
Quickly pulling on our fleece trousers and down jackets we set off down to the clearing in which the yak herders were camped. From here there was a panorama of about 230 degrees that encompassed a succession of massive peaks from Sikkim, India, all accross the Bhutanese Himalayas to their eastern extremity. The whole scene was magical with the sunrise picking out the autumn colours of the trees whilst below the peaks, the valley of Thimpu was full of mist, with rainbows flickering as the dawn's sunlight shone accross.
The snow covered mountains were thrown into stark contrast with the inky blue early morning sky with just the occasional small cloud floating amongst a peak. Blue-grey smoke rose vertically from fires in the yak herders' encampment mixing with the steamy breath of the coralled yaks. It is not often that one experiences a situation that is so perfect that no words can express its beauty, but this was one!
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About the Book
Bhutan is a tiny Himalayan Kingdom squeezed between its two giant neighbours - India and China. Its King measures his country's wealth in terms of Gross Domestic Happiness rather than the economic measure of Gross Domestic Product.
Where better for a father and son to undertake an expedition? The purpose of the trip was to trek its high mountain passes and to visit remote villages but most importantly to re-discover eachother as individuals.Bhutan would also prove to be a fantastic location in which to see for themselves how other cultures manage to balance the demands of work, family and the environment.
Like so many fathers, keeping that balance between family and career can be difficult. This was going to be an opportunity to devote the time together that a hectic business schedule and time out at university ( and beyond) had denied them.
In Search of Gross Domestic Happiness is the story of a strong relationship getting stronger as Nigel and Toby go through challenges together that journeys to remote locations inevitably produce.........
About the Author
Nigel Gardener has always loved the countryside and travel. From his father, who was a true countryman with a farming heritage, he had answers to his boyhood questions about wildlife and nature whilst from his mother he inherited a love of travel and meeting interesting people in exotic places.
Even during a successful business career, he never lost that desire to travel or his interest in the natural world, frequently extending his business trips to make forays to wildlife reserves in remote locations.
Now he is sharing these experiences with others through lectures, his pictures and in print.
Nigel has three grown-up children and lives with his wife in a small hamlet in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds.