Tag: happiness

Meet Me at Rita’s

M's Adventures

As I have mentioned, I like old school places and there seem to be fewer and fewer of them in the greater Washington, DC, area. But, maybe I just need to look harder?

One day I was exploring up in the College Park area in Maryland. I had traveled for over an hour on the public transportation system taking two trains and a bus when I arrived at the location for my next bus. I was right in front of Rita’s Ice, Custard, Happiness. I decided to try out the frozen custard. Of the three offerings on the menu, ice indicates frozen ice cream types, frozen custard is an ice cream made with more egg yolks than regular ice cream, and happiness is the result of those two things.

I got a peanut butter milkshake as that is possibly the most “American” thing I could think of. It was thick and sweet.

Rita’s is the kind of place I would expect in a beach town but it is on a busy street (if one tries hard and closes one’s eyes, one can imagine that the traffic is the ocean?). Even so, they continue, so much so that they are now open all year round. To the side of the large parking area is a picnic area.

I asked a local if she had heard of Rita’s and she assured me that “everyone’s heard of Rita’s” which was sort of comforting to hear.

The Kingdom of Bhutan, Land of Gross National Happiness

M's Adventures

The Paro valley and red chiles drying on a rooftop.
The Paro valley and red chiles drying on a rooftop.

Bhutan. Land of Happiness. Land of Gross National Happiness. Land of the Thunder Dragon. The Hermit kingdom. Whatever the name, it is unlike any other place in the world.

As a non-Indian, Nepalese, or Bangladeshi, getting to Bhutan must be done through a tour company. The company takes care of your ticket, visa, hotel, and itinerary. We used a fledgling company called Bhutan HappyLand Tours. While some of the kinks need to be ironed out, overall, I’m glad that we went. Indeed, I feel myself yearning to go back. Our guide was unflagging in energy and answered every single one of my vast array of questions, from early in the morning till late at night.

When working, the men must wear the national costume.
When working, the men must wear the national costume.

They filmed Seven Years in Tibet — in Bhutan —  and you might want to stay that long. If you can afford it. It is not cheap to visit at $250 per night, $450 for the ticket from Dhaka, and $40 visa. But beyond that, the only other money you will need is for souvenirs and to tip your guide. Everything is best paid in U.S. dollars (100 bills are best). Druk Air, Royal Bhutan Airlines, is the national carrier of Bhutan and there are only two flights per week from Dhaka to Paro.

Prayer wheels spinning in this Buddhist country.
Prayer wheels spinning in this Buddhist country.

There are many itineraries to choose from but we chose the three night tour of Bhutan. We saw archery, graphic wall art, butter churning, monks praying, and much happiness.

Since the country is shrouded in mystery, there are many things that set Bhutan apart from other countries. More in a future blog posting…