The Weekend Market in Thimphu
There is a large outdoor weekend market in the capital, Thimphu, where locals buy grains, cheese, and vegetables. There are also stalls selling inexpensive ritual objects and souvenirs for tourists.

This old man makes and sells paan, a mixture of lime paste and betel nut wrapped up in a leaf, that is chewed as a mild intoxicant and digestive. It stains the teeth a bright red and causes gum deterioration and mouth cancer. The chewing of betel nut is common throughout southeast Asia, extending as far east as Papua New Guinea. While the Bhutanese authorities have been successful at controlling cigarette smoking, they have had no luck in their attempts to eliminate this health menace.

Photo taken: April 13, 2003


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Image copyright (©2003) by the photographer (Henry David Shapiro).
Noncommercial use by others permitted.
Commercial use by express permission only.