Corner View: September

September is the best month in Salalah. The blanket of mist and drizzle of the summer has lifted, leaving the mountains beautifully green and covered with wild flowers. The temperature is in the upper 20s and the skies are pale blue, with just a hint of cloud. One thing, perhaps more than any other, that tells you autumn is arriving is the fact that the meadows are dotted with pairs of storks migrating southwards after nesting on the rooftops of Europe.

Please visit the other Corner View bloggers for their views of September:

jane, kim, ladybug-zen, ian, sunnymama, kyndale, samantha, karen, kristina, angelina, dorit, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, nicki, ruth, mcgillicutty, desiree, di, travelingmama, aimee, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad, caitlin, joyce, ani, couturecoucou, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t.,jeannette, outi, schanett, ritva, dongdong, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemian girl, ruth, dianna, isabelle, amber, girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, jenna, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate, mon, victoria, crescent moon, erin, otli, amy, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa, britta, virginia, april, rebecca, b, jenell, guusje, juanita, pamela, inna, daan, myrtille, cris , ibb, susi, jodi, lily, gillian, doobleh-vay

Transport in Bangladesh

Bhutanese Architecture

Indian Portraits

Bhutanese Portraits

In the Land of the Flying Penis

Last month I was travelling in the weird and wonderful kingdom of Bhutan. Officially the happiest country in the world and arguably also the strangest and most beautiful, this Shangri La tucked away in a sheltered niche in the Himalayas, is a true land of superlatives. I’ve always been reluctant to name a favourite country, perhaps because I’d never been here before, but now I’d have to say Bhutan is it.

This tiny country on the southern border of Tibet is ruled over by a king on the principles of Gross National Happiness. The last king, who abdicated in 2008, was married to four sisters. Why marry FOUR sisters you might ask. Well, the reason is because the fifth one refused to marry him. Here you will also find the cult of the Holy Madman, whose symbol is the flying penis, usually with a ribbon on it. Apparently, he preached to his followers wearing nothing but a ribbon around his organ. His sexual prowess was legendary as attested to by a vast number of the kingdom’s women. Nowadays, you will find depictions of his erect penis painted on the walls of many of Bhutan’s houses and wooden carvings of it above doorways. You will often look up and see one above your head.

The scenery, architecture and culture of Bhutan are all stunning.

I am in Bangladesh

I have been travelling in Asia for the past month. I have been in India and Bhutan, and I am currently in Bangladesh. I'll restart my blog, with a lot of new travel tales and photos, when I get back to Oman in a month's time.