From Diary 2, we
remain in Paro. Pema & Bishnu Lal
10/1. Pema & Bishnu Lal pick me up at the resort, and we head up
a narrow road, south of Paro. It offers some great views over the little
city, the big river and the airport. Then rice patches and terraces takes
over. Soon after, it is the pines that dominates the sides of this one lane
road. Later, it is Picea which dominates and finally Abies.
At first, the parts being in shadow all day are covered in a few
centimetres snow. Then is get more intense, and Bishnu Lal have to drive real
careful with the cars slicks. This road challenges the one from the other
days in views, both to the valley below and the mountains to come. We do
several stops, and I desperately try to capture the magnificent area. In
some areas, branches from the Picea is placed on the road fro
traction, and likely,
we meet none on the two
wheel-tracked ice road.
It evolves into a push-push safari several times, and just five kilometres
before the pass; Chelela, we have to give in. There are no way this car on
these tires can go further. I get to drive a bit, but it is not posible. We only lack around 250
vertical meters to top of the
3800 meter pass, but more snow have fallen here, and the middle of the road
is too high for our car. I will not be able to see the Haa Valley:
"The pristine and picturesque Haa valley is located about three hours
west of Paro through the Chele-La pass which is located at a height of about
3800 meters. From here, there is a great view to Bhutan's second highest and
best known peaks: Jichu Drake and Mount Jumolhari, and with luck and little
humidity: A glimpse of Mount Kunchenchunga; the third highest mountain in
the world.
Down to the town of Haa. The Haa valley till recently was closed off for
tourists and even today people of the valley live in a manner not very
dissimilar from a time long ago. The Haa valley is one of the most isolated
and least populous districts of the country. There are many small temples
and monasteries in the district with the most important being the Lhakhang
Karpo( White Temple) and the Lhakhang Nagpo ( Black Temple)". "I'll
be back!" - I hope.
We drive slowly down, both for safety and for photos. I
do several walks, and here are surprisingly many interesting plants. Here
are some bulbs, but I only find the fruits stands. Several forms for
conifers like Taxum and the above mentioned, some Berberisas,
several Rhododendron species, ferns, lichen and leaf-trees I don't
recognises.
A few places, the 7600 meter tall
Jomolhari can be seen between the trees. Another place, it is the
nunnery Gila-goempa which catches the eyes,
way up on a steep cliff.
We start with dinner in Paro, in a local restaurant. I even get my own mug
of butter-tea, which is rather tasty. Around two spoonfuls of butter for
each mug and some salt.
I need to find a souvenir, and nowhere is better than Paro. The main street
might look like a museum, but it is one (rather short) line of tourist shops
- and I have them all by my self.
It turns out to be some of a challenge. I have decided on a typical Bhutan
dragon - Bhutan is called Land of the Thunder Dragon, and their flag is that
dragon. But while I find small dolphins, sea-turtles, camels, elephants and
even a dromedary, there are no dragons. A few big ones but none fit for my
display. I finally find one in silver, sitting on a black opal, and I make a
mental mark for the shop.
Paro is actually a tiny collection of restaurants and shops, surrounded by a
larger number of houses, scatted loosely around the valley. I try the single
back-street, but that does not help.
I pick-up Pema & Bishnu Lal at the restaurant, and they are going to show me the local
fortress; Dzongkhag, which is half way up to the ridge. At the top,
it has a huge lookout tower. It was turned into a museum, but was damaged by
the last earthshake.
It is once again a massive building with several courtyards and inner
structures. All covered in the finest art. Besides from a pair on
monks, we have it all to our self. From here, there are a great view over
most of the valley and the surrounding hills.
The days shortened program is over, and I ask to be dropped off at the
centre of town. They are keen to drive me home, but it is only three, and I
am not that eager to get home and work already.
I find the shop with the rather expensive silver dragon
on black opal, and first now, I figure I have been carrying mainly Nepalese
rupees. I have a few Indian rupees, which are valid here, but not enough. It
turns out their grandmother are going to Nepal, probably Limbini, and they
will accept my Nepal rupees.
I have already walked the few hundred meters main street, but I remembered
two cafés, right next to each other. Neither have any of the else so great
winter sun, but their cakes lures me in anyway. Quite good, but no clue to
the price.
Then I start the long walk home. It is along the river, and I follow it
close. In some areas, several creeks divide a swampy area, and I walk here.
After an hour, I'm home, but continues up the hillside a bit
longer. At the
resort, I ask for a cup of tea, and one of the girls go and get the German
and his guides. One of the is real well educated, and real interesting to
talk with. He is the guide on orchid-collections tours, and he have a deep
insight in the major religions. When it gets cold, we divide, and I'm back at
the computer with 300 new photos and a new day's experiences. Finishing the
photos from day three, and making a rough slideshow:
A
strange mix. The the diary for today and yesterday's photos.
A short brake for supper with the German, then back to try to catch up with
the experiences. Around midnight, I have to admit: I'm still one day behind
with the photos. The photos of the day is in this
slideshow.
While I back-up, I realises to my big surprise; I have taken more than 32GB
of photos. That causes a problem with my back-up system, based of 32 GB USB
sticks. That might cause a problem, considering I only been on the road for
half the planed two months!
11/1 I get up early to sort out the back-up problems, and
catch up with yesterdays photos. My breakfast is slightly late, but
that only means Pema & Bishnu Lal
get some too, and I get to finish the back-ups.
We head west out of town, and cross the river to get to the road to
the Tigers Nest; Taktsang
Monastery (elev. 3100). It leads into the ancient pine and
Rhododendron
forest on the monks' zig-zagging trail.
At first, the climb is a bit
nippy, but when the sun break though over the distant ridge, it stat
to feel great. It is fun to see how fast the sun moves across the
field - around a meter per second. Here are some old water praying
mills and tables for souvenirs. The trail is bone-dry mud, but it
must be tricky during the rainy season. It is mainly pine trees, and
a few broad-leaved, which are pretty covered in ferns. We are in the right
altitude for orchids, but perhaps on the wrong side of the mountain?
Though, the lichen forms long
robes. Some of the cracks in the cliff
are
filled with the small clay stupas.
After a hour of rather steep walking, we reach a government
run
restaurant, and get some tea and biscuits. From here, there are
great view to the monastery, some higher up, on a vertical wall. For me,
it is rather easy to see the tigers face, and I also get a clear
image of its claws, despite none else have seen them. When I point
them out, they say it is clear. The Buddhists does not see the face
of a tiger, they see the face of Guru DorjiDrolo, which is rather
demon-like.
Half a hour additional walking bring us to another viewing
platform, above the golden roofs of temples. A small path clings to
the mountainside and crosses the gorge in front of a partly frozen
waterfall, which ends in a big pile of snow.
Then we finally reach Taktsang
Monastery,
also known as Tiger's Nest. Hanging precariously and
magically from a rather steep cliff, the Taktshang monastery is a monument of genuine pride for the Bhutanese nation.
Its history is deeply associated with the visit of Guru Padmasambhava, the revered Indian saint, who came to Bhutan in the
8th century AD. The cave was named Taktshang after Guru Rinpoche
flew into the cave from KurtoeSingyeDzong in eastern Bhutan, while
riding on a tigress, which actually was his wife, who had
transformed her self. When he landed in the cave, he took the
wrathful form of Guru DorjiDrolo who is regarded as one of the eight
manifestations of Guru Rinpoche to decimate the demons.
The monastery was built in 1692 by Gyalse Tenzin Rabgaye, who is said
to be one of the reincarnations of Guru Rinpoche. The Monastery
consists of four main temples along with their residences that are
constructed along the rock ledge. There are eight caves in total, out of
which four are relatively easy
accessed. The monastery was ravaged
by fire twice, first in 1951 and later in 1998,
which nearly destroyed the monastery completely. The government then
undertook a comprehensive reconstruction, and it is now back in
pristine shape.
We deposit our smartphones and camera, and start walking form one
magnificent temple to another - on socks. Then we
enters the Tiger's Nest, a narrow and rather difficult cave to access. Some places
are a just 30 centimetre crack, others steep descents on some pieces
of wood. One crack leads out to a natural balcony on the vertical
cliff.
Safe out, we leave the place. I would have loved the sun to reach
the other side, but that will take another three hours. I just have to make
a lot of tests on settings, and hope one of the hundred photos will
be good. The frozen waterfall is reached by the sun, and the ice
falls down.
On our way down, we stop at the restaurant to have lunch - without
meat of cause. A chipmunk dines on the bird's feeding board, and the
birds waits in the bushes, right in front of me. Many have
told me, the visit at the Tiger's Nest was their biggest experience
in Bhutan. I do not agree at all! The mountains, the
Dzongs, the
houses and the people are way bigger experiences. Then again; I
might have experienced quite some more than the average tourist.
I am a bit puzzled over that half of the few western tourists we
meet on our way down, is riding on small horses. I would think that was a abomination
to Buddhism. But that is of cause the only way these fat Americans
can manage to see the monastery.
The few open souvenir stands does not have more than a few dragons,
and none as small, as I am looking for.
A group of older Royal Enfield motorcycles are lined up at the
parking lot, and a cow check each one out.
The day should have ended here, and Pema
& Bishnu should just drive me the fifteen minutes to the airport
tomorrow morning. I know they live in Thimphu, and ask them to go home
to their families now.
I can get a
taxi to the airport in the morning
for €5 - I thought. Then they want to
show me a Dzong, which was destroyed by fire after a battle with the
Himalayans. We drive through some villages with old houses and
smiling faces, enjoying the sun.
Drugyel Dzong is a majestic fortress, way up on a a mountain
top. The walls are pretty well preserved, and we walk around on the
top of them. From here, there are a great view to the waste rice
terraces to one side, and Bhutan's tales mountain; Jomolhari to the
other.
Half way back to my resort, the oldest
temple in Bhutan is found; Kichu Lhakhang. The oldest chamber of
it, originates from the seventh century, the other buildings from
around 1600. A massive pine stands in the yard, and the different
temples are magnificent. The floor is made of giant boards, which
have
been polished thought the years. The walls are completely
covered in delicate paintings and the alters and niches behind,
occupied with big brass statues. The biggest is six meters high -
and I'm not aloud to make a single photo...
It is four o'clock, and not only the day, but my Bhutan adventure
has come to an end. I am fare from ready to leave, and Bangladesh
does not really draw that much. Well, except the warmth. I spend the evening making the last
slideshow, although my server is having a day off, and I can't upload
it. I have after all, only taken 2000 photos in these intense six
days. Today's photos goes into
The
last adventure day.
Dining is a bit dull without Max. I'm alone in the hotel with a
skeleton staff of six - all hiding in the warm kitchen. The food is
delicious; Beans in cheese, pasta in tomatosauce, fried eggplant,
red rice and fried fish. I an normally not keen on fish, but for
once, it was served without any bones, and tasted great!
12/1. Pema told me the
flight was 11.20 and I should be in the airport at 9;20, but in my papers it say 13.15. I wrote
Druk Air
last evening, but so fare, I have not herd from them. I ask the
receptionist to call Druk Air, and she say I have to be at the
airport at nine. While I have my breakfast just before eight, the
taxi driver is ready to get me to the airport, and I get a rather
fast exit from the resort.
At the airport, they say I can sit and wait until one; the time in
my papers is correct. I feel a bit stupid, spending half a day in a
first class lounge, when I could have seen more of this magnificent
country. At least, this lounge is the second warmest place in
Bhutan, only my room at the resort is warmer. I make pages about the
botanical gardens I have seen, straighten up my data, add photos to
my caudiciform site, streamline my back-up program and get bored in
general.
THE BEST 90
PHOTOS are fare from as good as I had
expected. I must confess; I was fare from able to capture the
amassing spirit and nature of Bhutan, as I had hoped - but I did experience it!
The price for this fantastic adventure is in total 10.500 DKK =
€1.400. Expensive, but worth it for sure! It has to be mentioned; I
did fly in from nearby Nepal and continues to nearby Bangladesh, and
I already had insurance.
BHUTAN EXPENSES: |
DKK |
Euro |
Flight from |
Nepal |
1.400 |
187 |
Hotels |
|
Inc |
0 |
Transport |
|
100 |
13 |
Entre i.e. |
|
Inc. |
0 |
Gear |
|
0 |
0 |
Visa |
|
9.000 |
1.200 |
Insurance |
|
0 |
0 |
Food i.e. |
|
0 |
0 |
|
|
10.500 |
1.400 |
Time
to leave for Bangladesh. |