Buddhist flags flutter in the wind on a hill near Thimphu, capital of
Bhutan. Each year, barely 7,000 foreign tourists walk through Bhutan's
spectacular forests covered with conifers, rhododendrons. The Bhutan
government first threw open the country to tourists in 1974 to tap the
infrastructure created for the king's coronation. But it has kept
backpackers from tramping across the reclusive country by charging a
flat $200 a day per visitor. Picture taken August 21, 2003. TO MATCH
FEATURE BHUTAN-TOURISM. REUTERS/Kamal Kishore

PK/RCS