We spent 6 hours in a car to get from Bhumtang to Punakha. I’m still disappointed that we weren’t able to buy honey in Bhumtang, which is known for it, because it’s out of season and the stores were completely sold out. I’ve been reading Michael Pollan’s “In Defense of Food,” which advocates eating seasonally, but I had no idea until now that even honey has a season.

We stopped for lunch, where cows were grazing. Patrick made me stand close to one with the scarf he made for me, so he could put it up on his Ravelry page. After lunch, we gave our leftover fruit to some children that were watching us. We’ve noticed that both Chencho and Ugyen give whatever we don’t eat to people if they’re around or starving dogs or cows, if they aren’t. I’ve been feeling bad about giving away our leftovers because it seemed slightly condescending, but I’m beginning to realize that in Bhutan, it’s just a matter of the haves sharing what they can with the have-nots. It’s not charity. Rather, it’s closer to an obligation, or a duty.

We arrived in Amankora Punakha at around 4 in the afternoon. The lodge is an actual farmhouse, and the view from the valley is beautiful. Driving into the town, it was clear that this area was a lot wealthier than the central Bhutan area where we’ve been the past few days. The buildings are brand new, many of the people are dressed in western clothes, and the fields are lush. Chencho told us that this was the area where they see the first fruits and vegetables of the season, and so they made a good living.