On The Far Side of the Earth

Bhutan calls itself Druk Yul, the Land of the Thunder Dragon.It's the only country on earth that's carbon-negative, the only one that measures Gross National Happiness, and the only place I've ever been where my guide asked me, with absolute sincerity, whether Chinese and Japanese food are the same thing.Five days through the western valleys with Sonam — guide, driver, occasional philosopher, perpetual wearer of polished black leather shoes. The two-hour drive from Paro to Thimphu, the three-hour pass over Dochula, the climb to Tiger's Nest with a Bhutanese family three generations deep on a pilgrimage. The dotsho — a hot stone bath outside the lodge in Phobjikha that an old man tended for forty minutes with hand-fired river boulders. And one evening, descending from a pass at thirty kilometres an hour, a question about Chinese and Japanese food that turned into a conversation about how we all walk around inside cultural maps that are always partial.This episode is read by the editor, layered with the field sounds of Bhutan: the airport at Paro, the old van climbing into the western valleys, the keisu bell from a hilltop monastery, the chant of Om Mani Padme Hum, the dawn on a high pass.The Farside Pick for Bhutan is Jigme — the Bhutanese operator we trust to put a Bhutan trip together. He handles every connection: the entry paperwork, the guide who'll meet you at Paro, the route across Paro, Punakha, and the Gangtey & Phobjikha valleys, and the timing of every detail in between. Submit an enquiry through the journal entry below and we'll make the introduction directly.If you enjoy this and want to help us keep going:buymeacoffee.com/farsideRead the full journal: farside.earth/journal/002-bhutan.htmlAudio credits: 'Keisu Temple Bell' by milivolt, CC-BY 4.0, freesound.org/s/367128/ • 'Madrid Barajas T4 Ambience' by felinorama, CC-BY 4.0, freesound.org/s/723149/ • 'Windless Deciduous Forest with Birds in Summer' by garuda1982, CC-BY 4.0, freesound.org/s/641924/ • Other beds CC0.

There are no roads to Mahale.The Mahale Mountains National Park sits on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika — the second-deepest freshwater lake on earth, and the longest, narrow as a country. To get there, you take a boat. Six to eight hours from Kigoma, sometimes longer if the wind comes from the south, which it does without warning.Issue 001 is a week at Mahale, watching chimpanzees that have never learned to fear people, learning the rules of a forest that has no patience for hurry, and noticing — slowly, over days — what energy is actually worth spending.This episode is read by the editor, layered with the field sounds of Mahale: tent canvas in early morning, lake water on the shore, a boat engine through open water, the dawn forest, and the troop in motion.The Farside Pick for Tanzania is Davies — the Tanzanian operator we trust to put a Mahale trip together. He handles every connection: the boat from Kigoma, the chimp-tracking permits, the camp on the lake, the timing of the journey. Submit an enquiry through the journal entry below and we'll make the introduction directly.If you enjoy this and want to help us keep going: buymeacoffee.com/farsideRead the full journal: farside.earth/journal/001-mahale-tanzania.html