In the Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan, nestled deep in the Himalayas, two men seek to escape their mundane lives. Dondup, an educated university graduate decides that he will be better off picking apples in the US than working as a government officer in a remote rural village. Tashi, a restless farm youth studying magic, cannot bear the thought of a life consigned to his village. Through a trick of his brother, he is delivered into a dream world of seduction and intrigue.
The two men embark on parallel, if separate, journeys. Their yearning is a common one ~ for a better and different life. Dondup, delayed by the timeless pace of his village, is forced to hitchhike through the beautiful wild countryside of Bhutan to reach his goal. He shares the road with a monk, an apple seller, a rice-paper maker and his beautiful young daughter, Sonam.
Throughout the journey the perceptive, yet mischievous, monk relates the story of Tashi. It is a mystical fable of lust, jealousy and murder, that holds up a mirror to the restless Dondup, and his blossoming attraction to innocent Sonam.
The cataclysmic conclusion of the monk's tale leaves Dondup with a dilemma ~ is the grass truly greener on the other side?
"A peach blossom is beautiful only because it is temporary."
"Hope causes pain."
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