The Times Literary Supplement
“The charm and vivacity of the writing match the mood of the trip.”
Book Description
Bhutan is a remote kingdom in the Himalayas, isolated from the outside world for three centuries. The western part has been opened to limited tourism, but the eastern part remains closed. Katie Hickman is one of only a handful of foreigners ever to penetrate these eastern lands. Her trip to Bhutan with photographer Tom Owen Edmunds took a year to set up. They journeyed from the capital Thimphu in the west to the easternmost borderlands and the remote mountain-top retreat of the barbarous Bragpa people. They lived as Bhutanese, and met merchants, abbots, wandering priests, lamas, hermits, a reincarnation of the Buddha and a sorceress. Katie Hickman's account contains all the unexpected and humorous aspects of travel, but, above all, it is about the people of Bhutan.
From the Publisher
The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has been isolated from the outside world for more than three centuries. Although the western part has been opened to limited tourism, the eastern part of Bhutan remains closed. Katie Hickman and photographer Tom Owen Edmunds are two of the few foreigners ever to enter these eastern lands. Starting from the capital Thimpu in the west, they traveled to the easternmost borders and the mountain–top retreat of the barbarous Bragpa people. Along the way, they met merchants, abbots, wandering priests, lamas, hermits, a reincarnation of the Buddha, and a sorceress. Filled with all the adventure and humor one might expect from such a journey, Dreams of the Peaceful Dragon beautifully captures the mystery of this remote kingdom.
Dreams of the Peaceful Dragon: A Journey Through Bhutan FROM THE PUBLISHER
The remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has been isolated from the outside world for three centuries. The western part has been opened to limited tourism, but the eastern part remains closed. Katie Hickman and photographer Tom Owen Edmunds are two of the few foreigners ever to penetrate these eastern lands. They journeyed from the capital Thimpu in the west to the easternmost borderlands and the remote mountain-top retreat of the barbarous Bragpa people. Along the way they met merchants, abbots, wandering priests, lamas, hermits, a reincarnation of the Buddha and a sorceress. This wonderfully entertaining book brings vividly to life the mystery and remoteness of Bhutan.
SYNOPSIS
Katie Hickman, author of the best–selling Daughters of Britannia, offers a captivating record of her travels through the forbidden Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.
FROM THE CRITICS
Times Literary Supplement
The charm and vivacity of the writing match the mood of the trip.
Library Journal
Locked in the Himalayas between India and China, Bhutan was closed to visitors for three centuries. Now the western part is open to limited tourism. In this lightweight armchair travelog, Hickman (Daughters of Britannia) recounts her trip through the country in 1986 accompanied by photographer Tom Owen-Edmunds. As they were guests of the Bhutanese princess, many doors were opened to them, and they were provided with an escort in the guise of Karma Tensing. The travelers confronted landslides, leeches, and slaughtered horses but eventually achieved their goal, which was to travel to Mera and Sakteng in the east, a region populated by the Bragpas. Although a quick and easy read, Hickman's book does have some literary merit owing mainly to her compelling depictions of the landscape, monasteries, and the people encountered on the trip. Better titles on the subject include Jamie Zeppa's Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan and Robert Dompnier's beautifully illustrated Bhutan: Kingdom of the Dragon. An optional purchase.-Ravi Shenoy, Naperville P.L., IL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
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